My Mum Missed Marvel

Spider-man! It's another Spider-Man episode! Hurrah! With big shoes to fill and an entire saga to round off, Spider-Man: Far From Home has a lot of work to do, but luckily Joe and Mum are here to talk about how it did. But it's Spider-Man, so nothing could possibly go wrong with this one right? Right?

We're in the Endgame now. I'm with you till the Endgame of the line. All good things must Endgame. Another quote. It's finally time! After two filler films, the Infinity Saga comes to a close, (almost) and we talk about the climactic climax of the MCU. Does Marvel's showstopper hold up to Mum's tough standards? Or will the abundance of action and 'time stuff' drag it down, leaving Mum at her wit's Endgame? Okay, I'll stop.

This week we watch Captain Marvel - perhaps the film which we've had the most points of disagreement about so far! Were the sexists right when the film was coming out? No. Can Captain Marvel be a cool superhero while also being a woman? Yes, of course, what a ridiculous question. Is the film fantastic? Maybe. You may have to listen to this episode to find out!

This episode, Joe and Mum watch another light hearted Ant Man film! The question is, will its cheeriness be a welcome break from the dire stakes of the MCU at the moment, or will we all just be frustrated that we're not watching Endgame yet? We are also joined by Uncle David, who's here once again to lend his patented 'old man grumpiness'!

We're finally back with the long-awaited Infinity War episode! Everything so far in the MCU has been building to this point and we take our time talking about the characters and plot of the first half of the MCU's climax. We're also joined by special guest Ross who has an interesting take on Thanos as well as a revelation about his own MCU experience. Will Mum enjoy one of the highest-grossing films of all time, or has Joe really hyped this one up too much?

We're back, and averager (huh, that word kind of looks like Avenger) than ever, with an episode about Black Panther! Mum has had a look at this character before, but how much does she remember? Probably not loads! We talk about the cultural impact that this film had, along with the encouraging trend that Marvel might be heading in the right direction. On top of that, Mum and Joe have by far their largest rhino-based disagreement of all time.

The day has finally arrived... The day of reckoning is upon us, as we return to one of Mum's most favoured Avengers, depicted in a completely different style. Will the changes to the character and tone ruin Mum's beloved God of Thunder? Only time (and anyone who has seen the film, because it's great) can tell...

Spider-Man! Spider-Man. Spider-Man, Spider-Man, Spider-Man. Spider-Man? Yes, Spider-Man! Spider-Man, Spider-Man? No, Spider-Man, Spider-Man, Spider-Man. Spider-Man!! (This week we watch Spider-Man.)

We're back! This week, get embroiled in the mystery of whether Mum has seen this film before (she has). Are the vague memories she has real, or just recollections from the first film? (Again, she has definitely seen it before.) No one can know for sure... We talk about the difference in comedic style between the two Guardians of the Galaxy films, which characters transition well, and Joe stumbles through a point about act structure with no knowledge on the topic. SPACE!

Oooooooo! This week we watch the spooooky- all right that's enough of that. This week the Marvel universe opens up to the world of magic, as we watch Doctor Strange. Mum and Joe talk about the astounding visual effects and how they translate to the small screen, as well as delving into "narrative pacing", a phrase neither of us are completely sure is correct. We also discuss the problem of whitewashing in Hollywood and the complications of enjoying the performance of the actor in question. Will the unprecedented streak of Mum recommending the MCU continue? Strap in, because things are about to get.............................................................................. STRANGE!

This week, both the MCU and the podcast welcome at least one surprise member, for Captain America: Civil War! Mum's first son (but importantly, the second son on the podcast), joins us to talk about arguably the best film in the MCU so far, but will Mum feel the same way? We talk character motivations and development, while also getting further into the ongoing discussion about action and its place as a storytelling device. Joe also shows more of his geeky side than ever before, and may even attempt to begin a chant at one point...

This week we watched the oddball film Ant Man! While pretty straightforward, it's absolutely hilarious and a nice, feel-good way to finish off Phase 2 of the MCU. We have a brief look back on the phase as a whole, and the mysterious, much anticipated third host makes an appearance...

In our first bonus episode, we have a chat with Uncle David, who knows a bit more about this whole comic book stuff than we do. We find out how superhero comics got started in the UK, and chat about Marvel's inability to get their First Family to work on the big screen. If you like mum's Scottish accent, you're also in for a treat!

Avengers, reassemble! It's sequel time, as the main cast of characters we all know and love come back together and talk about an avengers film on their podcast. We praise the characterisation of the main crew, while discussing the interesting new additions. Mum's allegiance to her favourite character is wavering, and Joe continues to heap praise upon the films like an excited teen. Strap in for the exciting conclusion (pretty much) to Phase 2 of the MCU!

Hooka-chaka, hooka-hooka-hooka- chaka, hooka-hooka- I cant stop this podcaaast! This week we watch the fantastic 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and get a little bit carried away talking about a film we both so thoroughly enjoy. Like the film itself, we focus largely on the characters and what is so interesting about them, while also gushing about how the music, colour and comedy all work together so brilliantly. Mum gets some much-needed exposition about what's actually going on in the MCU, and the eternal struggle over the ending catchphrase continues...

This week we chat about the Captain America sequel - The Winter Soldier. Or do we? In the murky morality of the 21st century, it's unclear who anyone can trust. We talk about some of the lessons Marvel seems to be learning, and in a shock twist akin to that of the film, Mum flips the tables on Joe.

Boom! What was that? Thunder? Ahh, it must be time for another Thor episode. In this episode we talk about the often criticized Thor sequel, which lead to perhaps the most polarised conversation on the podcast so far. We discuss Christopher Eccleston, what makes an interesting villain, and where this whole MCU thing might be going.

Hope you're ready for more Iron Man, because this sure is another Iron Man film. Iron Man 3 is the third Iron Man film, sequel to the first two Iron Man films - Iron Man and Iron Man 2, respectively. Iron Man. In this episode you can hear both hosts struggle to remember what happened at various points in the film, and we talk about the very controversial villains in this installment. We also completely forget to continue the much beloved "best lines" segment that we introduced last episode. This is podcasting at its finest.

Bwaaah! Duh duh di duuuuuh! Duuuh duuhh duuh! Defying all expectations, we've finished watching phase 1 of the MCU. In this climactic episode, we talk about the different Avengers and how great it is seeing them interact with each other, as well as give some extra time to the new kids on the block - Hulk and, to a lesser extent, Hawkeye. Mum introduces what will surely become a staple segment - Best Lines - and we take a fond look back on Phase 1, as well as the experience of recording the podcast on the whole so far. Geeky twenty-somethings and their mums - assemble!

It's finally time. The man with the iron will and steadfast moral compass, he who is stronger, faster and more virtuous than any who have come before or since, is once again joined by his mum to watch a superhero film about some guy. In this episode, Joe further solidifies his street cred by talking about Lord of the Rings a bit and Mum claims the title of 'Most Prepared Podcast Host' for her own. We also talk about the slow but noticeable progress Marvel is making in their portrayal of female characters and excitedly look forward to the culmination of Phase 1 next week.