Tag Archives: The Avengers

Abstract Conflict

I know.  The Avengers.  And the Four Basic Personality types.  We get it guys.  Well you see the funny thing about these four basic personality types is that they interact with one another in a complex fashion.  One of such a rivalry of course is that between Asgardian Princes Thor Odinson and Loki Laufeyson.  This bitter and delightful conflict between brothers may indeed be fictional, but serves however to highlight the important characteristics of the age-old conflict between Rational and Idealist.  Let’s go right on ahead then and take a look at this epic clash of abstract minds.

Continue reading Abstract Conflict

Paramount Synergy

With summer approaching Marvel released yet another fresh new trailer this week for it’s in-house blockbuster franchise The Avengers and even though Captain America looks pretty damn goofy in that helmet of his the film actually looks pretty decent.  Earth’s mightiest heroes consists of four main characters, each one of which is highly representative of the four basic personality types: Artisan, Guardian, Rational, and Idealist.  Such a dynamic pattern of awesomeness of course is a common pop-culture occurrence in: Sex and the City, the Wizard of Oz, Star Trek, the Fantastic Four, and Harry Potter among others.  Despite Captain America’s goofy a** helmet let’s take a look at Marvel’s most coveted supersquad.

Continue reading Paramount Synergy

Superlative Quaternity

Yes, Quaternity is in fact a word.  It’s like a fraternity, but with only four members.  Congratulations to Eli Manning, Tom Coughlin and the New York Giants on being Super Bowl Champions.  Along with ‘the big game’ came a plethora of ridiculously expensive commercials, one of which was a fresh new trailer for Marvel’s blockbuster superhero ensemble franchise The Avengers.  The four main characters of Marvel’s the Avengers happen to closely correlate with the four basic personality types.  What a strange coincidence.  Let’s go right on ahead then and take a look at Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

Captain America is the stalwart, stoic, and commanding ‘first avenger’ who defends justice with his iconic and indestructible shield.  The Sentential of Liberty is characterized by his tough-minded demeanor, his unyielding physicality, and his disciplined mindset.  Dutiful, authoritative, and highly dependable with a strict code of ethics Captain America is a classic Guardian.  A born leader, Captain America ‘lead’s by example’ and is the back-bone of the Avengers, much like Guardians are the back-bone of society.

The Hulk is a wild, ferocious, raging humanoid monster that comes out when Bruce Banner gets excited.  The not-so-jolly green giant was inspired by the classic tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and is characterized by his instinctual nature, his overpowering physicality, and his fearless disposition.  Impulsive, audacious, excitable, and highly physical The Hulk is representative of an Artisan.  Indeed The Hulk is often called in for serious jobs that require a creative solution, much like Artisans are in many organizations.

Iron Man is an intelligent, inventive, and ingenious engineer who created a mechanical suit to save his life.  The Armored Avenger is characterized by his mechanical aptitude and inventive genius, being a billionaire industrialist Stark is constantly tinkering with and improving his mechanical suit.  Innovative, scientific, analytical and systematic Tony Stark makes for a wonderful example of a Rational.  Certainly Stark is the brains of the Avengers and uses his cold, analytical mind to keep him and his super-friends on the right track.

Thor Odinson is a mystical, altruistic, brave and mighty warrior from another world who fights primarily for his native realm of Asgard.  The God of Thunder is characterized by his noble demeanor, his humble yet high-spirited attitude, and his selfless acts of valor.  Diplomatic, enthusiastic, empathetic, and highly independent Thor makes for a great example of an Idealist.  Thor is the glue that holds the Avengers together, and is always sacrificing himself for the greater good.

Quote1.png I’m loyal to nothing…except the American DreamQuote2.png

— Steve Rogers  

Quote1.png My kingdom for a Radio Shack. Quote2.png

Anthony Stark

Quote1.png You won’t like me when I’m angry! Quote2.png

Bruce Banner

Quote1.png Even the life of a Thunder God can offer no greater satisfaction than this! For I have helped a fellow man! Quote2.png

Thor Odinson

Abstract Conflict

Thor 2 has finally found a new director after firing Patty Jenkins (Monster) over ‘creative differences’.  Director Alan Taylor, best known for his work on HBO’s Game of Thrones, will reportedly step in and take Jenkins’ place.  Jenkins got canned in early December reportedly because of a “lack of clarity in her [creative] choices”.  Marvel Studios of course has an infamous reputation for doing whatever they want after getting into rough financial negotiations with Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, Terrence Howard, and Scarlett Johansson while having both Kenneth Branagh and Jon Favreau opt out of directing sequels.  Jenkins would have been the first female to direct a major superhero tentpole film and Natalie Portman, who is a close friend of Jenkins’, is reportedly very upset at the way things panned out.  It seems Marvel Studios even though they’ve only put out five independent films so far is already getting big-headed when it comes to managing talent.  Welcome to Hollywood.  Given Marvel’s fine display of hubris let’s take a look at the excessive arrogance of one of their most beloved characters Thor the God of Thunder and his mischievous half-brother Loki.

Thor Odinson is the Crown Prince of the mystical realm of Asgard.  Thor is based off of the Norse God of Thunder, and acts accordingly.  A brave and mighty warrior Thor won many battles as a child, growing headstrong and proud.  In his arrogance, Thor put his realm and people on the brink of war after breaking a truce with Asgard‘s enemies the Frost Giants.  Teaching his son a lesson in humility, Thor’s father Odin banished him to earth, and stripped him of his powers.  Thor came back humblegentleempathetic, and sympathetic to his fellow man.  Altruisticenthusiasticinspirational, and yet fiercely independent, Thor is undoubtedly a Champion Idealist.  Indeed Thor’s high-spirited attitude and warm enthusiasm for defending his realm is often mistaken for arrogance, a typical problem with most Champions.  Thor was only able to wield his hammer Mjolnir ‘the day that great deeds of selfless valor had proved him worthy of it’.  Indeed only those ‘pure of heart‘ are able to wield Thor’s mystical hammer.  A hopeless romantic, Thor fell deeply in love with the Goddess Sif before the age of 20.  Thor has undoubtedly proven himself as self-sacrificing over the years, most notably in the subject of his mischievous kid-brother Loki.  Indeed Loki has made countless attempts at Thor’s life, but Thor however always spares Loki, hoping (to no avail) that Loki has learned his lesson.  Indeed Thor has tireless faith in his fellow man, and time and time again Thor is sacrificing himself to save innocent people from Loki or any other dangers for that matter, as he will no doubt do in The Avengers.

Thor’s villainous step-brother Loki aptly named after the Norse God of Mischief starts off as a resentful and jealous Asgardian Prince but evolves into a truly loathsome and malevolent evil genius.  Growing up step-brother to the Mighty Thor indeed  left Loki with a tragic sense of inferiority and not belonging.  What he lacked in physical strength and bravery however, he eventually made up for in cunning and malice.  Always strategizing and conceiving ingenious schemes and plotsThe Asgardian God of Mischief is undoubtedly a Mastermind Rational.  Diabolically ingenious, highly pragmatic, outstandingly intelligent, and a powerful sorcerer, Loki finds ‘difficulties highly stimulating’, as do other Masterminds, as he loves responding to a problem that requires a ‘creative solution’.  Being the God of Mischief, Loki indeed seems to thoroughly enjoy creating problems for himself, and is well-equipped to solve them.  Finding out that he was actually an adopted Frost Giant, Loki became wrought with feelings of abandonment.  Indeed Loki’s malicious and malevolent behavior are quite reminiscent of David Keirsey‘s ‘distracting rituals’ that serve as defense mechanisms for hiding one’s shame.  Loki’s arch-villainy and ascension into madness can be seen in Marvel’s upcoming The Avengers.

Quote1.png My, my, my… a world for the taking. Quote2.png

Loki Laufeyson
Quote1.png Even the life of a Thunder God can offer no greater satisfaction than this! For I have helped a fellow man! Quote2.png

Thor Odinson

These Idealist-Rational relationships do not always remain harmonious, of course.  Conflicts of NF emotional expressiveness against NT self-control, of NF intuition against NT logic, and of NF ethical or humanitarian concerns against NT technical pragmatics can prove challenging.  — Please Understand Me II, p. 238

Thor 2 is set to hit theaters on November 15, 2013 with a script from Don Payne.  Chris Hemsworth will return as the title star in The Avengers, which will arrive on May 4, 2012.

Visceral Tactics

Marvel Studios president Kevin Fiege talked recently about the future of Marvel and the Avengers 2, saying that the roster in the next avengers films will be decidedly different from that of the first Avengers.  “Absolutely, that’s the fun of it — introducing new characters.”  Of course what Kevin does NOT know is that the current line up is of course optimal, seeing as that it has all four temperaments and therefore is at a perfect equilibrium.  Someone should really contact him and let him know.  Let’s however hope for the best and proceed with analyzing the Avengers ‘go-to’ green monster the incredible Hulk.

Doctor Robert Bruce Banner had a tough childhood as his father hated him, was an alcoholic, and murdered his mother.  His father did however do one good thing, in giving his son a pre-disposition to gamma radiation, which saved his life, and created the big green monster that we all know and love.  Bruce Banner after being caught in a gamma radiation explosion turns into an emotional and impulsive humanoid monster known as the Hulk when angered.  Instinctive, fearless, and exploding with brute strength, the not-so-jolly green giant is undoubtedly a Crafter Artisan.  Inspired by the classic tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the Hulk is a representation of our primal instincts and animal nature.  Indeed the Hulk is a ferocious and savage creature, with a visceral mentality that any Artisan can relate to.  Certainly the Hulk does much of the heavy lifting for the Avengers, and is an irreplaceable asset, as are all Artisans within any successful organization.  In Avengers footage shown at NYCC, Loki brags “I have an army,” to which Stark replies “We have a Hulk.”

Quote1.png … You won’t like me when I’m angry! Quote2.png

Robert Bruce Banner (Earth-616)

Thunderous Diplomacy

The Avengers Trailer (released last week) was downloaded over 10 million times in a 24 hour period, smashing previous records for trailers.apple.com.  The Marvel Team followed up such exciting fan-fare with a strong presence at New York Comic Con, where they discussed filming and shot some never-before-seen footage.  If you’re a closet nerd like I am, or just a straight-up nerd, you can watch the full NYCC Avengers panel here.
Tom Hiddleston somewhat dominates the panel as people seem to really love his portrayal of supervillain Loki.  The panel ends with Kevin Fiege (Marvel’s President) talking about Marvel moving into what he refers to as ‘phase two‘.
While a DC/Warner Bros. Justice League of America film is a looming threat for Marvel, The Dark Knight rises is an immediate one, as many predict that it will beat out the Avengers at the summer box office.  Many argue that Chris Nolan’s ‘rooted-in-reality‘ darker, more gritty tone is much more accessible to audiences than the sci-fi otherworldly aspects of the Avengers.
If this be true, Marvel’s woes with DC/Warner Bros. would seemingly be over after The Dark Knight Rises seeing as Batman is the only ‘superhero’ without any actual superpowers.  Indeed it would be difficult to make a gritty, ‘rooted-in-reality’ film about Superman.  DC/Warner Bros. however, is trying.
Christopher Nolan is undoubtedly the biggest power player that DC/Warner Bros. has access to, and although he’s done with Batman after TDKR, he is artistically and financially attached to other DC/Warner Bros. projects, including Man of Steel.  It seems obvious that if DC/Warner Bros. wants to actually beat out Marvel in Hollywood it is absolutely paramount that they stick to the realistic tone that has been wildly successful for Christopher Nolan and The Dark Knight franchise.
That being said, let’s take a look at Marvel’s most otherworldly superhero, the Asgardian God of Thunder: Thor.
Thor Odinson is the Crown Prince of the mystical realm of Asgard.  Our dear friend Thor is based off of the Norse God of Thunder, and acts accordingly.  A brave and mighty warrior Thor won many battles as a child, growing headstrong and proud.  In his arrogance, Thor put his realm and people on the brink of war after breaking a truce with Asgard’s enemies the Frost Giants.  Teaching his son a lesson in humility, Thor’s father Odin banished him to earth, and stripped him of his powers.  Thor came back humble, gentle, empathetic, and sympathetic to his fellow man.  Altruistic, enthusiastic, inspirational, and yet fiercely independent, Thor is undoubtedly a Champion Idealist.  Indeed Thor’s high-spirited attitude and warm enthusiasm for defending his realm is often mistaken for arrogance, a typical problem with most Champions.  In true Idealist fashion, Thor was only able to wield his hammer Mjolnir ‘the day that great deeds of selfless valor had proved him worthy of it’.  Indeed only those ‘pure of heart‘ are able to wield Thor’s mystical hammer.  A hopeless romantic, Thor fell deeply in love with the Goddess Sif before the age of 20.  Certainly Thor has several deep love interests over his Godly life span (including that of Jane Foster seen in the film) Sif however being his main squeeze.  Thor has undoubtedly proven himself as self-sacrificing over the years, most notably in the subject of his mischievous kid-brother Loki.  Indeed Loki has made countless attempts at Thor’s life, but Thor however always spares Loki, hoping (to no avail) that Loki has learned his lesson.  Indeed Thor has tireless faith in his fellow man, and time and time again Thor is sacrificing himself to save innocent people from Loki or any other dangers for that matter, as he will no doubt do in The Avengers.
Quote1.png Even the life of a Thunder God can offer no greater satisfaction than this! For I have helped a fellow man! Quote2.png

Thor Odinson (Earth-616)
Quote1.png We are gods, ’tis our purpose to set aright the path of lesser beings. Quote2.png

Thor Odinson (Earth-616)
Spoilerish: Marvel head honcho Kevin Fiege discussed Loki’s purported ‘alien army‘ saying that “it’ll be extremely extremely large and something that links not only into the movies we’ve made but the movies we’re going to make.  So it’s a big play that we’re not quite ready to talk about.”
This hint/suggestion of course goes hand-in-hand with theories that Loki’s army will indeed be the Skrull army from the comics.  If you don’t know what that is, then you’re probably normal.  Anyway this goes hand-in-hand with the ‘otherworldiness‘ described above.
The question is will such ‘alien army’, otherwordly concepts ultimately win over audiences or disconnect them?  Which would you rather see, a team of superheroes battling alien armies?  Or a vigilante billionaire fight a bad-ass prison-escapee on drugs?  Stay tuned as the Marvel/Disney vs. DC/Warner Bros. battle for Hollywood dominance rages on.

Marvel's 'Phase Two'

Marvel Entertainment Inc. brought a strong presence to NYCC (New York Comic-Con) this weekend to further promote their beloved and blossoming potential blockbuster movie franchise The Avengers.  The panel showed some never-before-seen footage and did some Q&A.  Marvel head honcho Kevin Fiege then opened up to fans about how happy he was with the direction the studio was going, culminating in an Avengers film.  The Avengers however, as Fiege explained, is certainly not the end of the road for Marvel/Disney.

Fiege hinted at the fact that ‘phase two of the Marvel Movie Universe‘ will include another round of solo films, and then culminate in a second Avengers film.  That however, is not all.  Marvel reportedly has five projects currently in development.  Iron Man 3 is in pre-production for a 2013 release attached to director Shane Black.  Thor 2 will begin pre-production soon and just picked up director Patty Jenkins (Monster).  An Ant-man film is ‘still nebulous but definitely in the works’.  Guardians of the Galaxy and Inhumans films are also reportedly in the works.  With so much success in their mainstream characters it seems a bit risky to put out obscure characters like some mentioned above.  Lucky enough for Marvel it has an insurance policy: The Walt Disney Company.

Disney bought Marvel about two years ago for over $4 billion.  While things indeed seem to be going well for both companies since the acquisition, Marvel has made deals with other studios to distribute some of their movies (spider-man, x-men, daredevil, etc.) making the Avengers and its four superheroes a coveted ‘in-house’ Marvel enterprise.  Without kissing too much Walt-Disney/Marvel ass, let’s take a look at the first avenger to make it to the big screen, and also by far the most box office successful avenger: Iron Man.

Anthony Edward Stark is the son of industrialist and inventor Howard Stark, and demonstrated his mechanical aptitude and extraordinary inventive genius at an early age.  Inheriting his father’s company Stark Industries, Tony blossomed into a billionaire industrialist, and an ingenious engineer.  With a highly ‘innovative attitude‘, an ‘entrepreneurial spirit‘, and a ‘charming capacity‘ to ignore the standard, the traditional, and the authoritative: Tony Stark is undoubtedly an Inventor Rational.  Indeed the Inventor‘s tendency to depend on their capability and inventiveness can get them in trouble at times.  Tony took this concept a bit too far when he ignored security concerns and ended up with shrapnel lodged in his chest.  In classic Inventor Rational fashion, Tony used his creative and inventive genius to devise a mechanical suit that saved his life.  And thus, Iron Man was born.  Indeed Tony is constantly searching for new projects, as we will no doubt see in the Avengers, and always tinkering with and improving his mechanical suit.  Indeed given their exceptional propensity to innovate, Inventors have a tendency to live their lives somewhat on the brink of disaster: as evidenced by Tony Stark’s perpetuated struggles with alcoholism.  Tony Stark having a somewhat reckless and at-times irresponsible persona in the comics goes hand-in-hand of course with casting the likes of Robert Downey Jr.  The Armored Avenger can be seen amongst his super squad May 2012, and again by himself May 2013.

Quote1.png My kingdom for a Radio Shack. Quote2.png

Anthony Stark (Earth-616)

While Marvel/Disney seems to have it’s sh*t together, DC/Warner Bros. is still searching for solid cash cows to replace the likes of Harry Potter and The Dark Knight.  While they do have The Hobbit films coming up, they simply cannot afford setbacks like Green Lantern if they actually want to directly compete with The Avengers and it’s four characters with already well-developed fan-bases.

Marvel/Disney seems poised to keep churning out inter-related superhero blockbusters while DC/Warner Bros. still has yet to find solid JLA (Justice League of America) footing.  In the epic battle for Hollywood supremacy that is Marvel/Disney vs. DC/Warner Bros.Marvel/Disney is cleaning house.

The Dark Prince of Strategy

Living in the wake of The Avengers Official Trailer release and with NYCC (New York Comic-Con) this weekend, let’s take a look at primary antagonist and iconic supervillain Loki Laufeyson.  Loki will indeed serve as a the main bad-guy in the film, with aspirations of ‘enslaving humanity‘.  Rumors say, he’s not doing it alone.

Thor’s villainous step-brother Loki aptly named after the Norse God of Mischief starts off as a resentful and jealous Asgardian Prince but evolves into a truly loathsome and malevolent evil genius.  Growing up step-brother to the Mighty Thor indeed  left Loki with a tragic sense of inferiority and not belonging.  What he lacked in physical strength and bravery however, he eventually made up for in cunning and malice.

Always strategizing and conceiving ingenious schemes and plotsThe Asgardian God of Mischief is undoubtedly a Mastermind Rational.  Diabolically ingenious, highly pragmatic, outstandingly intelligent, and a powerful sorcerer, Loki finds ‘difficulties highly stimulating’, as do other Masterminds, as he loves responding to a problem that requires a ‘creative solution’.  

Being the God of Mischief, Loki indeed seems to thoroughly enjoy creating problems for himself, and is well-equipped to solve them.  Finding out that he was actually an adopted frost-giant, Loki is wrought with feelings of abandonment.  Indeed Loki’s malicious and malevolent behavior are quite reminiscent of David Keirsey’s ‘distracting rituals’ that serve as defense mechanisms for hiding one’s shame. Young Shakespearean actor Tom Hiddleston talks in-depth about Loki’s tragic evolution from jealous ‘God of Mischief’ to loathing ‘God of Evil’.

This weekend actor Tom Hiddleston (who plays Loki) will be on hand among others at New York Comic-Con to present never-before-seen footage of the highly anticipated comic-book movie.  My best bet says The Avengers won’t be the only time we see the God of Mischief on the big screen.

Quote1.png My, my, my… a world for the taking. Quote2.png

Loki Laufeyson (Earth-616)

 

 

Marvel's Super-Squad Assembled

The Avengers Official Trailer was released yesterday online giving us our first glimpse of Marvel Studios‘ purported blockbuster movie franchise.  Given such thoroughly exciting news lets take a look at Marvel’s four flagship superheroes and the steadfast Logistical Administrator that leads them into battle.

Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures have strategically released independent films providing backstory for the Avengers’ four major characters.  Those being Iron Man, the incredible HulkCaptain America, and Thor.  And like any dynamic and complex set of major characters, these four ‘Avengers’ together represent all four basic personality types.  Captain America is of course the stalwart Guardian who defends justice with his iconic shield.  Hulk is likewise the emotional and impulsive Artisan who transforms into a raging beast when angered.  Iron Man is the Rational industrialist and ingenious engineer that utilizes a mechanical suit.  Finally Thor is the championing Idealist God of Thunder who fights ‘for Asgard’ and is constantly learning life’s lessons.  Together, they assemble to fight against threats to humanity.  Much like the four temperaments assemble to do the same.

Captain America is the hard-hitting Guardian who actually leads The Avengers into battle, with his infamous battle-cry ‘Avengers Assemble!‘.  A born leaderdefending  justice with his iconic indestructible shieldThe Sentinel of Liberty is undoubtedly a Supervisor Guardian.  Strongdependable, and hard-working: ‘Cap’ is a poster-boy for the ideals of our nation, a nation that was indeed founded by a Guardian.  Dutiful, commanding, and disciplined Captain America is the vocal leader of the Avengers, and knows like all Supervisors do that one must ‘lead by example‘.  The ‘first avenger‘, Steve Rogers is very much the back-bone of The Avengers, much like Guardians are the back-bone of society.

DC/Warner Bros. has made it known that it has similar aspirations to assemble it’s own superhero team in a similar way and put a Justice League Film together by 2013 in order to directly compete with Marvel’s The Avengers.  One could argue that they are slightly behind schedule, since Chris Nolan’s Batman franchise will not be connected with a JLA (Justice League of America) film, and neither will Zack Snyder’s upcoming Man of Steel.  That leaves DC with only one established character in the Justice League Universe that of which being Green Lantern who’s film without being too cynical was quite the thespian blunder.  Warner Bros. president Jeff Robinov has made it clear however that a Justice League film in 2013 is the studios top priority despite all evidence to the contrary.  Earth’s Greatest Hero’s assemble in theater near you on May 4, 2012.

Assembly Required

The Avengers is Marvel/Disney’s hopeful blockbuster franchise slated to assemble at a theater near you during the summer of 2012.  Marvel studios and Walt Disney pictures have strategically released independent films providing backstory for the Avengers’ four major characters.  Those being Iron Man, the incredible Hulk, Captain America, and Thor.  And like any dynamic and complex set of major characters, these four ‘Avengers’ together represent all four basic personality types.  Captain America is of course the stalwart Guardian who defends justice with his iconic shield.  Hulk is likewise the emotional and impulsive Artisan who transforms into a raging beast when angered.  Iron Man is the Rational industrialist and ingenious engineer that utilizes a mechanical suit of armor.  Finally Thor is the championing Idealist god of thunder who fights ‘for Asgard’ and is constantly learning life’s lessons.  Together, they assemble to fight against threats to humanity.  Much like the four temperaments assemble to do the same.