Marvelling at the MCU

It’s time for the much-maligned Marvels, where Dave and Oli fail to understand the hate the film got when it was first released, discuss it’s place in the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe including Wandavision and Ms Marvel, and speculate about it’s relation to X-Men, Doomsday and Secret Wars.They also delve into some of the great lines and great performances, the less-than-great baddies, and Oli surprises Dave with a game of “Know Your Codenames.” PLUS: skipping rope playground games, terrible 90s songs and Dolph Lundgren. What’s not to love?!Listen to the end for a twist when it comes to what’s coming up next time. Hint: It’s not Nicepool. Chapters00:00:00 Introduction00:05:49 Film nerdery00:20:47 Comic geekery00:39:50 The breakdown01:15:35 Know Your Codenames!01:46:42 Kinda post-credits01:52:06 Summing up01:56:29 Up next: a twistIf you like our show it would mean a lot to us if you rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, it really does help us with the algorithm and reaching new audiences of people like you who might enjoy what we're doing.You can follow us on @MarvellingPod on Instagram, Threads, Tiktok and YouTube or email us your thoughts on [email protected].

Dave and Oli take a look at the 32nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and dive deep into the pain of knowing what's coming, the joy of Will Poulter and the incredible ability for CGI characters to make you feel the feels.All that plus Oli expands on his theory that none of the Guardians actually knows how to pilot a spaceship and Dave goes super deep on a character with less than five minutes of screen time (because what else is a long-form podcast for?).CHAPTERS00:00:00 Introduction00:02:12 Film nerdery00:16:42 Comic geekery00:36:53  Breakdown00:51:37 Disgusting Orgocorp01:16:34 Guardians at the Arete01:37:22 Guardians can’t fly01:58:57 Closing thoughtsIf you like our show it would mean a lot to us if you rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, it really does help us with the algorithm and reaching new audiences of people like you who might enjoy what we're doing.You can follow us on @MarvellingPod on Instagram, Threads, Tiktok and YouTube or email us your thoughts on [email protected].

It’s Quantumania this week, a film that neither of the boys find themselves getting excited about. Dave gets disappointed at the wasted potential of Kang, Oli laughs about Jaws comparisons, and both of them try to pinpoint the main issues that make it one of their least favourite films of the MCU so far. Also listen out for: Dave making more Red Dwarf references, Oli making excuses for Kang’s future predictions, and both of them trying to decide which bits are going to get cut from the final ep (spoilers: not much - Ed)00:00:00 Introduction00:02:56 Film nerdery00:04:46 Kang Dynasty Detour00:08:43 More nerdery00:13:59 Comic geekery00:28:42 Loki & Homework00:37:32 Breakdown00:55:46 MODOC arrives01:16:21 Fastball special01:30:26 Should Scott be scared?01:33:58 SPOILER ALERT: FF First Steps01:34:29 END SPOILERS01:38:00 Changing our minds?01:41:32 Next time…If you like our show it would mean a lot to us if you rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, it really does help us with the algorithm and reaching new audiences of people like you who might enjoy what we're doing.You can follow us on @MarvellingPod on Instagram, Threads, Tiktok and YouTube or email us your thoughts on [email protected].

It’s another Wakanda week as the boys look at the 30th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and manage to disagree on most of the good and bad bits. They dive into (sorry, not sorry) a very long film with some new characters, discussing the adaptation of Namor from speedo-wearing comic Atlanian to trunks-and-chest-piece Talokanil. They also explore shooting underwater and dry-for-wet, breath holds, accidental puns, badly named ships, single-ship navies and a veritable deep-sea trench of other things. Oh, and Dave gets lambasted by Oli for dropping the H off ‘herb.’  00:00:00 Introduction00:04:12 Film Nerdery00:14.03 Comic geekery00:32:38 Breakdown00:46:42 Namor’s arrival01:11:08 Or we have suits01:31:47 I’m cleverFun fact: the episode contains the most extensive use of the Marvelling at the MCU bleep machine since the pod began! If you like our show it would mean a lot to us if you rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, it really does help us with the algorithm and reaching new audiences of people like you who might enjoy what we're doing.You can follow us on @MarvellingPod on Instagram, Threads, Tiktok and YouTube or email us your thoughts on [email protected].

The boys rattle through the 29th movie in the MCU, trying to find ways to be nice. They talk about the film’s comic origins as a major 616 storyline, the viability of early-stage rumours about the Mighty Thor, and flicking people’s clothes off. They also hit on God bombs, sentient weapons and full showman mode.CHAPTERS:00:00:0000:05:00 Film nerdery00:15:08 Comic geekery  00:41:16 Breakdown00:51:54 Involving the Guardians01:01:36 Janky Bifrost01:12:50 Yoink!01:25:20 Eternity’s painting power 01:32:38 Summing upIf you like our show it would mean a lot to us if you rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, it really does help us with the algorithm and reaching new audiences of people like you who might enjoy what we're doing.You can follow us on @MarvellingPod on Instagram, Threads, Tiktok and YouTube or email us your thoughts on [email protected].

As the boys break down the 28th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Oli and Dave swapping positions on terrible plot dumps, Oli going full grump on pointless backstory, and Dave dives into everything from the Wanda/Scarlet Witch contrast to the Young Avengers to the Illuminati. Plus, you can enjoy Oli's deep, gruff voice courtesy of a cold (which he maintains contributes to the grump, but we all know otherwise).CHAPTERS00:00:00 Introduction00:02:14 Film nerdery00:15:17 Comic Geekery00:30:03 Consequences of the blip.01:09:27 The Illuminati01:34:34 Zombie Strange01:40:51 America in control01:54:33 Summing upIf you enjoy our show it would mean a lot to us if you rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, it really does help us with the algorithm and reaching new audiences of people like you who might enjoy what we're doing.You can follow us on @MarvellingPod on Instagram, Threads, Tiktok and YouTube or email us your thoughts on [email protected]

We’re up to film number 27 in the MCU and another exceptional instalment of Spider-Man with No Way Home. Dave and Oli discuss what was believed, leaked and known about the triple-threat Spider-Men, the closure this film give to Maguire and Garfield fans, and the sheer number of awesome moments and beautiful—often brutal (physically and emotionally)—sequences.They also talk bad language, evil besties and terrible life choices while trying not to keep their expectations high so they’ll never be disappointed.Timestamps:00:00:00 Intro00:02:29 Film nerdery00:12:26 Combined geekery 00:32:32 Breakdown00:43:05 On the bridge00:52:26 Inside out01:07:01 Brilliantly brutal01.26.24 Webshooters.01:36:59 Oli’s favourite moment01:53:43 Credits and post 01:56:42 Wrap upIf you like our show it would mean a lot to us if you rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, it really does help us with the algorithm and reaching new audiences of people like you who might enjoy what we're doing.You can follow us on @MarvellingPod on Instagram, Threads, Tiktok and YouTube or email us your thoughts on [email protected].

Oli gets wound up over rainforests, finger guns, opening crawls and (more reasonably) disabled representation, while Dave ploughs his way through the comic canon of the Eternals and what they (and the Celestials) mean to the comic and cinematic universes. No spoilers for what comes next following Areshem’s emergence, just lots of discussion about how good this film could have been.Chapters:00:00:00 Intro00:03:56 Film nerdery00:14:35 Epic comic geekery00:34:33 Breakdown00:49:46 The problem with Makkari00:59:44 The Breakup01:16:40 Back to the Domo01:46:54 Credits & mid-credits01:48:51 In-depth on the post-credit scene01:54:06 Summary & wrap up

Dave and Oli dive into the 25th film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, talking awkward history, ret-conned character adjustments and, naturally, they use their vast martial arts knowledge to rate the fights as they go along.They talk about the impact of the pandemic on production, the film's individual storytelling approach—particularly flashbacks and subtitles—and what the post-blip world looks like for the “normal” people of the Marvel universe.If you like our show it would mean a lot to us if you rate and review us on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and you can follow us on @MarvellingPod on Instagram, Threads, Tiktok and YouTube or email us your thoughts on [email protected].

This week, Dave and Oli dive into the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and admit that their minds have been changed by re-watching a film neither of them were looking forward to. Dave explains the history of mind control, Oli waxes lyrical about Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh and they both attempt to curb their disappointment with the final half hour of the film.Chapters00:00:00 Intro00:02:29 Film nerdery00:10:13 Comic geekery01:34:30 Summing upLet us know what you think by hopping over to our social channels: you can find us @MarvellingPod just about anywhere you care to look: ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠.If you enjoyed the show and you’d be willing to leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, that would mean a huge amount to us both. It really does help us reach more people who love the MCU as much as we do.

After reaching the end of the Infinity Saga and before diving into the less-nostalgic Multiverse Saga, Dave and Oli take a look back and look forward to what we understood of the Sagas before we really knew anything of the Multiverse beyond what the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) had mentioned in Dr Strange. Where did things stand, what did we know of the films to come and, crucially, do we feel we're up to the task of needing to watch Eternals again?If you enjoy our show, we'd love you to tell just one other person about it. Text them, email them, go round to their house at one in the morning and shout at them until the neighbours swear at you, however you want to do it we'd be thrilled.You can follow our show @MarvellingPod on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube or email us your thoughts on [email protected]

Dave and Oli discuss the 23rd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the (official) final film in the Infinity Saga. From call backs to the very start of the MCU to Shakespearean references, ridiculous villains to mentions of the multiverse, the guys dive into it all.00:00:00 Introduction00:08:46 Comic background00:27:02 The Breakdown00:37:35 Peter tingle00:48:22 Edith arrives01:09:02 Peter and MJ01:23:23 The musical callback01:40:28 The best thing about Spider-Man01:49:42 Summing it upIf you like our show it makes a massive difference if you rate and review us in your favourite podcast app. If you'd be willing to share the episode on your socials as well, we'd love you forever. You can follow our show @MarvellingPod on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, or email us on [email protected] for listening!

We’re finally here! Dave and Oli dive into Endgame from its gut-punching opening to its curtain-call ending, nothing is missed. Except possibly your favourite bit, because that’s always how these things go. Oli talks about the three things (one tiny, one small, one big) that make this not a perfect movie, Dave revels in the glory of finally getting that moment and they both wax lyrical about Mjolnir’s role. It doesn’t get much better than this.00:00:00 Introduction00:07:50 Breakdown00:19:28 Five Years Later00:28:30 The New Tony 00:38:47 PTSD For A God00:50:06 New York 201201:03:51 Thor’s Mum01:08:13 Stan Lee!01:14:30 Vormir 01:23:12 Smart Hulk Snaps01:51:38 I Am Iron Man02:08:10 CodaIf you like our show, we'd love you to share it on your socials. It makes a huge difference to us because that's where we pick up most of our listeners. You can tag us @MarvellingPod on Insta, TikTok and YouTube. If you have any thoughts, comments or feedback, you can also email us on [email protected]

Thanks for sticking with us while we've been away, and we're sorry to have left you on an Endgame cliffhanger! That episode is coming next week, but here's just a little taste of what to expect over the next few weeks as we cross the threshold into the Multiverse Sage of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Let us know what you think in the comments on Spotify or by hopping over to our social channels: you can find us @MarvellingPod on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠.

We’re back from our extended break and can’t wait to bring you the latest instalment as we look at the 21st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Dave and Oli dive deep into the comic roots of all the characters, how they’re portrayed and how old they both feel know that this is a “period” movie that’s set in the 90s when they were both teenagers. Aside from their own aging, they also touch on Altavista search, map-folding psychopaths and access to the internet in rural Louisiana. In other words, same old same old. Chapter markers:  00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:14 Oli’s movie notes 00:15:05 Dave’s comic notes 00:45:39 Breakdown 02:10:31 Summary Enjoy! And if you love it even a little bit, throw a little of that love our way by sharing this or your favourite ep with the world on your socials. You’ll find us @MarvellingPod in all the usual places, and you can email us [email protected]

Hello fans! We've been away for a few weeks, but we're very much hoping to be back next week with Captain Marvel, leading to our big episode on the end of the Infinity Saga (depending on your view of Spider-Man: Far From Home), Avengers: Endgame. Thanks for listening, thanks for being patient, and thanks for all of your feedback. We'll see you next week!

Dave & Oli dive into the sweetness, lightness and comedy of the 20th film of the MCU, discussing the impossible difficulty of following Infinity War, how cleverly the vital plot points of Endgame were seeded, and the joy of Michael Peña. They also talk awkward marital age gaps, crashing cars and (yes) clunky exposition. Plus, they make sure to continue ensuring the word “embiggen” makes its way into the English lexicon when discussing Ant-Man’s weapons. CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:49 Movie intro 00:06:50 Comics intro 00:19:56 Breakdown (Act One) 00:41:21 Act Two 01:07:04 Midpoint 01:14:40 Act Three 01:40:35 Wrap-up 01:48:09 Outro You can follow our show on X, Instagram, TikiTok and YouTube @MarvellingPod (two L’s) or email us your thoughts on [email protected] If you enjoyed the show and you’d be willing to leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, that would mean a huge amount to us both. It really does help us reach more people who love the MCU as much as we do.

This week, Dave and Oli finally dig in to the 19th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We discuss the mixing and melding of characters from disparate parts of the universe, blending comedic moments with the gut punches, and Dave rants about Thanos taking his armour off. We’re finally here, at the start of the epic two-part culmination of the MCU’s Infinity Saga and it’s no understatement to say we got swept up in the excitement. There is so much to love in this film that we even had to leave some of our favourite pieces on the cutting room floor in an effort to keep the episode at least somewhere near two hours! Let us know what you think by hopping over to our social channels: you can find us @MarvellingPod just about anywhere you care to look: ⁠Twitter/X⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠.

This week, Dave and Oli present a reminder of everything you could ever want or need to know about the 19th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ahead of our full breakdown next week, we talk about the long process of developing, writing and shooting the two epic features that wrap up the Infinity Saga, and cover the stories and comic runs that provided inspiration for what we see in the finished film, including Dave’s short history of Infinity Gems. Then we turn our attention to the who, what, where and when of the stones and characters as things stand going into the movie. What do each of the stones we’ve seen so far actually do (compared to what they did in the comics)? Where are they right now? When did we last see each of our heroes, and which ones are we waiting to see? Basically, we’ve put together the essential primer we wish we’d had walking into the cinema six years ago. Everything in this episode is timestamped below, letting you jump ahead or flick back to the bits you want to listen to or remind yourself of. CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) Introduction. (00:02:49) Writing an epic. (00:18:06) Netflix & MCU canon. (00:26:40) Shooting an epic. (00:38:46) Comics: where it all began. (00:52:25) Infinity Gems: A History. (01:02:13) Infinity Stones: A Recap. (01:16:25) Where are the heroes? (01:21:56) Infinite nostalgia: the first watch. (01:25:02) Wrap up. While you’re jumping around, don’t forget to hop over to our social channels to let us know what you think! You can find us @MarvellingPod just about anywhere you care to look: Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook.

Dave and Oli are joined by two special guests to discuss the first ten years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including favourite moments, best memories and the characters we wished we’d seen. It’s a geek’s nerdy delight as a collective group of geeky nerds who love comics and films get stuck in to what makes the MCU so special. What was your favourite part of the first 10 years of the MCU? Let us know what you think @MarvellingPod on Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. If you enjoy our show, we’d love you to share it with your friends—telling just one other person can make a massive difference, helping us grow our audience of people like you who like (love?) listening to two random British blokes talk rubbish about Marvel movies.

Dave and Oli discuss the 19th MCU flick and cover establishing new heroes, the brilliant design and execution of new depictions of technology, and yet more missing limbs. And yes, we do talk about visual effects because it’s impossible not to, but we try to touch on some of the exceptional elements of the VFX and not to linger on "that" bit. Black Panther is a seminal film not just in the MCU but in the film industry itself, and also became the highest grossing MCU film at that time, putting it within the top 10 grossing films of all time. We loved diving in and breaking it down. Let us know what you thought @MarvellingPod on Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. If you enjoy our show, we’d love you to share it with your friends—telling just one other person can make a massive difference, helping us grow our audience of people like you who like (love?) listening to two random British blokes talk rubbish about Marvel movies.

The 17th film in the MCU finds Dave and Oli agreeing with each other but still rating the film differently. How, you might ask? By way of a comedy vs drama debate, Oli misidentifying a wolf and Dave’s Kiwi accent of course. Be sure to also listen out for Blackadder and Flight of the Conchords references, Horsey Thor (finally!) and Oli’s inability to read his own notes. What did you think of Thor: Ragnarok? 👍, 👎 or 🤷‍♂️ Let us know what you thought @MarvellingPod on Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. If you enjoy our show, we’d love you to share it with your friends—telling just one other person can make a massive difference, helping us grow our audience of people like you who like (love?) listening to two random British blokes talk rubbish about Marvel movies.

Either the 16th film in the MCU or the first film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU)—or both—Oli and Dave dive in regardless and talk about reading too much into Marvel films, not killing off villains and Shockers One and Two. Also, weird physics, soggy masks and Oli finally letting something slide. That alone makes this a must-listen episode. (00:00) Introduction (02:17) Movie background (10:55) Comics Background (17:48) Breakdown What did you think of Spider-Man Homecoming? 👍, 👎 or 🤷‍♂️ And is it part of the MCU? Let us know what you thought @MarvellingPod on Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. If you enjoy our show, we’d love you to share it with your friends—telling just one other person can make a massive difference, helping us grow our audience of people like you who like (love?) listening to two random British blokes talk rubbish about Marvel movies.

We’re going cosmic again (Dave’s very excited) with the 15th film in the MCU. In which you can hear Oli debating his ‘meh’ while celebrating the greatest [spoiler] in cinema history and Dave getting annoyed about Celestials. We also talk about the importance of flawless VFX for communicating emotion, battle with pronunciation all over the shop and remember the greatness of Knight Rider and Zardu Hasselfrau. Let us know what you thought @MarvellingPod on Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. If you enjoy our show, we’d love you to share it with your friends—telling just one person can make a massive difference, helping us grow our audience of people like you who like (love?) listening to two random British blokes talk rubbish about Marvel movies.

It's magic and mystery time as Dave and Oli deep-dive into the strange world of... erm... Doctor Strange. Dave gets over-excited by new introductions, Oli spots comic vs filmic characters, and they both get overexcited at a Cher reference as they look at the 14th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Plus, Dr Nick, waiting for Cumberbatch and massive changes to major characters.  If you enjoy our show, it helps us hugely if you're willing to rate and review the pod in your favourite podcast app. If you want to share this or your favourite episode on social media, that would be amazing, too. You can follow our show @MarvellingPod on X, Instagram, YouTube and TikiTok or email us your thoughts on [email protected]

Dave and Oli talk about great adaptations, booby costumes and where superheroes get changed as they look at the 13th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Also in this episode: Oli rants about VFX while Dave ignores him, Oli learns that some clunky dialogue comes direct from the comics, and Dave gets wildly over-excited. If you enjoyed this episode, it makes a massive difference to us if you're willing to rate and review the podcast in your favourite podcast app. If you want to share the ep with your friends or on social media, that would also be amazing.

Dave and Oli find themselves disagreeing more than they ever have before as they examine the 12th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In this episode, they discuss clunky exposition, the genius of Michael Peña and the differences between the Pym and Lang Ant-Men in the comics (and the film). They also talk about biggening and smallener weapons, creative sound design, and debate the relative merits of timers versus detonators. Plus, Dave defends his views on Spaced, because he’s scared of the Internet.

Dave and Oli are back for the second part of their mammoth look at the 11th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They discuss great action, great visual effects and finally resolve their argument about where the Sokovian castle was. As if that wasn't enough, they also cover everything from pep talks to parting moments and all the things in between.

Dave and Oli are back after a brief house-move hiatus with a special two-part look at the 11th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They discuss the ins and outs of Ultron’s depiction on screen vs the comics, missing Hank Pym, and the clever vs clunky way new characters are introduced. Plus we find out why Lizzie was told to look at James’s balls. With far too much to fit into a single episode, we’ll be back next week with part two, which takes in outstanding VFX, Vision’s introduction to the MCU and how to write out a character gracefully. 

Dave and Oli take an in-depth look at the 10th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the one that Dave has been waiting for because he gets to talk about the multiple and myriad Cosmic Characters across the Marvel Universe (cinematic and otherwise). The boys dive into who the Guardians are, their history in the comics and how they’re portrayed in the film, as well as ragging on Ronan, raving about Rocket and delighting in the digital effects that make the movie sing. We are Groot.

Dave and Oli discuss the ninth movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They get lost in Scarlett Johansson’s performance, Oli enjoys Thunderbirds launch sequences and Dave dives into the changes from comic stories (and characters) as his favourite story is turned into his favourite movie. They also talk about creative partnerships, practical stunts and effects, and whether or not not Falcon should be allowed spandex. In a burst of film nerdery, Oli educates us on the Texas Switch and Chekov’s Gun (which are more interesting than they sound, we promise). If you enjoy our show, it would mean a lot to us both if you'd be willing to share this episode on social media and/or to rate and review us on your favourite podcast app.

Dave and Oli discuss the eighth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including why Malekith was so disappointing as the Big Bad of the movie, how well the writers shaped the comedy in the story, and how weirdly easy it was for something buried “deep where no one will find it” gets discovered by accident by a random human. You will also hear both men discuss being English and watching a film made in the UK, Oli compliment VFX (for once) and Dave go into great geekery about Thor characters, series and story arcs new and old.

Dave and Oli discuss the seventh film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the first film in Phase 2. They hit on confusing character dynamics, the surprising and high-risk choices around the use of The Mandarin and why the other "twists" in the film don't have the same impact. Have friends you think would love the show, too? We'd love it if you shared it with them – even better if it's on social media where we can reach that much further. If you're willing to rate and review us in your favourite podcast app, that makes a huge difference in people's ability to find us as well. You can follow the show @MarvellingPod on all your favourite platforms and email us at [email protected] if you prefer long-form, old-school communication.

In Part Two of their special two-part look at Avengers Assemble Dave and Oli talk about unexpected stunt work, seamless VFX and how to make teamwork work. Picking up on tiny details, almost-invisible references and sharing stories of the making of the film, this is our most complete look at one of the MCU films yet. If you enjoy our show, it makes a massive difference if you're willing to share your favourite ep with your friends, or rate and review us on your podcast app of choice. You can follow the show @MarvellingPod on all your favourite platforms and email us at [email protected] if you prefer long-form, old-school communication.

Dave and Oli present the first in a special two-part look at the sixth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which contains so much cool stuff there was no way to fit it into a single regular-length episode. In Part One they discuss how unique this film was when it was first released, why it may be Nick Fury's flick and the total lack of humour in DC films. Picking up on tiny details, spotting almost-invisible references and sharing stories of the making of the film, this is this podcast's most complete look at one of the MCU films yet. If you enjoy our show, it would make a massive difference if you could share your favourite ep with your friends, or rate and review us on your podcast app of choice. You can follow the show @MarvellingPod on all your favourite platforms and email us at [email protected] if you prefer long-form, old-school communication.

Dave and Oli discuss the fifth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Dave learns the depths of Oli's love for British character actors, Oli learns the depths of Dave's obsession with Tommy Lee Jones and they both agree it's safer not to bother visiting Tønsberg. Bonus points in this episode if you can spot the point at which Dave was forced to turn down his excitement due to the incredibly late hour we were recording! If you enjoy our show, we'd love you to consider sharing this episode (or your favourite ep of ours) with your friends on social media as it will help spread the word to like-minded folk who might enjoy the pod. If you're willing to rate and review us in your favourite podcast app, that would be amazing, too. You can follow the show @MarvellingPod on all your favourite platforms or email us at [email protected] if you prefer long-form, old-school communication.

Dave and Oli discuss the fourth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which Dave was destined to love and Oli was destined to wish he had loved. As per usual, their discussion ranges wildly from Maid Marion to Shakespeare references, missing pieces to quotable lines. 00.00.00 Introduction 00.01.59 About the film 00.05.53 Relationship to the comics 08.37.05 Breakdown 00.28.50 Introducing the comedy 00.52.27 Starting the second half 01.06.27 Found you! 01.29.32 Summary (TL;DR) If you enjoyed the show, we'd love you to share it with friends. Rating and reviewing us makes a huge difference to our ability to reach others as well, so that would be awesome if you have a minute. You can follow the pod on @MarvellingPod across X, Insta, TikTok and YouTube and you can email us your thoughts and corrections to [email protected]

Dave and Oli take an in-depth look at Iron Man 2, the third movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In this episode, we discuss the blend of Whiplash and Crimson Dynamo (apparently it's all in the armour), the introduction of Natasha Romanov (and awkward butt shots), and Oli finally learns why Dave was so excited about Rhodey's "Next time, baby" in the first Iron Man film. And yes, he agrees that War Machine is cool. If you're enjoying Marvelling at the MCU, we'd really appreciate you sharing it with your friends (and tagging @MarvellingPod on your social network(s) of choice, and rating and reviewing us on your favourite podcast platform. Thanks for listening!

Dave and Oli dig into the oft-forgotten second film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: The Incredible Hulk. In this episode we discuss our disappointment in the VFX, why Betty is such a confusing character and the frustration Tim Blake Nelson must feel at not being included in the rest of the MCU (yet). Time stamps 00.00.00 Introduction. 00.02.00 The unique distribution deal. 00.04.39 Alignment with comic canon. 00.05.50 Film breakdown. 00.09.56 The heart rate monitor. 00.19.26 "Dude, we're so old." 00.21.35 Stan Lee! 00.28.14 The first Hulk out. 00.32.12 Bruce needs a T-shirt. 00.36.01 Spoiling the surprise of Betty. 00.39.35 Stanleys. 00.45.06 Flawed super soldier serum. 00.47.55 Swallowing USBs and Hulking out. 00.55.58 Dave's always over-thinking. 00.59.54 Broken Blonski. 01.05.55 Mr Blue and NYC. 01.09.16 Third and final Hulk out. 01.11.30 Creating an abomination. 01.19.20 Origins of cop car boxing. 01.23.17 Conveying emotion in animation. 01.29.04 Summary and end notes. You can follow us @MarvellingPod on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. If you liked the show, we'd love you to tells your friends. If you didn't, maybe tell all the people you don't like. Thanks for listening, we appreciate your ears.

Dave and Oli start in the same place the Marvel Cinematic Universe did with a breakdown of Iron Man. In this episode we discuss why director Jon Favreau and star Robert Downey Jr were brave choices by Marvel Studios, why the blend of both special and visual effects help the film hold up so well, and why Iron Man was the perfect choice to kick-start a long-term project for a bold new movie studio. Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:53 Thirty second reviews 00:03:41 Why was Marvel Studios created? 00:10:28 How does the film reflect the comics? 00:13:04 Iron Man movie breakdown 00:27:55 We're gonna need a montage 00:32:12 Blending costumes with outstanding VFX 00:36:44 S.H.I.E.L.D seems simple enough 00:41:37 Starting grounded matters 00:48:43 We all love Stan Lee 00:54:54 Why call signs excite Oli 01:00:08 The most unrealistic part 01:08:41 Iron Monger > ED-209 01:13:42 Who's that guy? 01:17:30 Final thoughts If you want to watch along with us as we head down the rabbit hole of the MCU, next week we’ll be looking at The Incredible Hulk and discussing why it doesn’t hold up as well as Iron Man. If you enjoyed the episode, we’d be massively grateful if you shared it with one other person. Of course, we’d be delighted if you wanted to share it with more. If you’d be willing to rate and review us on your favourite podcast app that would make a huge difference, too. You can follow us @MarvellingPod on X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

As we prepare our weekly watching – starting with Iron Man next week – here's a little get-to-know-you ep with comic book geek Dave O'Hara and film nerd Oli Lewington. On this show you'll hear about (amongst other things) our favourite Marvel characters, our favourite Marvel Cinematic Universe characters and which of the films of the MCU we're most looking forward to re-watching. You can follow us @MarvellingPod on your platform of choice (X, Instagram, TikiTok or YouTube – or all four if you fancy) and if you want to chip in your own thoughts, you can email us at [email protected] We'd love you to tell just one other person about us, and if you fancy rating and reviewing us on your podcast platform of choice, that would be amazing.