We were all psyched when Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was announced--just as we were all disappointed in the weeks following the pilot. While the pilot was an okay block of television, the 15 episodes following were almost noneventful, made up of decent characters but lacking much substance. Captain America: The Winter Soldier changed all that, of course, and most fans now agree that Marvel Television has gotten their crap together.
Since then, we have seen how Agent Peggy Carter got over Steve Rogers, the love of her life, in an absolutely solid show. We've seen Matthew Murdock fight epic battles as the menacing Daredevil, and Jessica Jones face her own demons. In the movies, we saw buildings collapse, cities fall, and houses be destroyed by giant toys. But one thing we have never seen is how these messes were cleaned up.
One might argue that we never saw it because it's not exciting to see. Well, maybe not, but as the comics proved, it is definitely a source of comedy. Hi, I'm Brad Pitt. You may know me as GliderMan. I am here for one purpose, and for one purpose am I here: To express my overwhelming excitement for Marvel's Damage Control.
Some people hate this scene, and I hate the people that hate this scene. I rejoiced, REJOICED when I saw this scene, and I have never laughed so hard in a Marvel movie before. Why? Well, I'm a thinker. And all my life, even when I was just a wee lad, I would think about what I would do in ceratin situations I saw in movies. And more often than not, I found that I wanted the characters to make light of the situation, because that's what I would do. Instead, directors usually go for the most dramatic effect possible, and it's just not realistic.
By this scene, I was already sold on Marvel's sense of humor, but this just solidified it further. And while some people are annoyed by how much humor Marvel tends to use, I firmly believe that this kind of comedy can make a solid, character-driven TV show. Here are three reasons why Damage Control is exciting.
1). It Makes the MCU Feel More Real
Look, Marvel isn't a perfect company, and I'm not trying to discount every complaint people have with them. But one of the dumbest complaints I've heard is that Daredevil felt disconnected from the Marvel Cinematic Universe because it's tone was so vastly different from that of The Avengers. ...so what?!
I want you all to think about this, think about real life. Think about the worst day of your life and then the best day of your life. Think about a day it snowed, and a day the sun shined. Think about how different your life is than even someone living right down the street from you. It's going to be very, very different.
This is an example of art imitating life, and I'm in love with the idea of it. Jessica Jones dealt with some very dark themes, which is why it's so different than something like Agent Carter. My mother works on an army base, in an office that helps the people of that base with their technological difficulties. They goof off all the time. She's constantly telling me the most ridiculous stories that honestly remind me of something from The Office. While she's doing that, and while me and you are going about our daily lives, there are people at war overseas, people in drug/sex trafficking here in our homeland, and then there's millions of construction workers trying to make ends meet. We live in a GIGANTIC world, folks.
And in the gigantic world that Marvel has created, a group of construction workers trying to make ends meet is a story I want them to tell. I can close my eyes and imagine it, while also imagining Daredevil beating up a group of thugs down the street, or Thor returning to another realm up above.
2). Could Further Prove Marvel's Talent
Sure, Marvel's made a few blunders. The Thor movies aren't exactly praised, and their first TV show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. had a very rocky start. But they've had more hits than misses, and are expanding their reach to everything imaginable. As ridiculous as Ant-Man sounded, it worked. Back in 2014, they released two blockbuster hit movies that couldn't be more different: one a political thriller and the other a space opera. They managed to cast Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange in a film that is said to have psychedelic elements and perhaps a bit of horror.
Political thriller. Space opera. Psychological thriller. Crime drama. Noir and spy/espionage. If Marvel can pull off all of these genres and subgenres, I firmly believe they can pull off a full-on comedy. This could change their reputation from a studio that makes entertainment based on superheroes, to a studio that makes outstanding productions, period.
3). Shows A Perspective From People Like Us
(and by "us" I mean hard working men and women. You all are hard working, right?)
One of the reasons people respond so well to Marvel's characters are because they're relatable and diverse. From Steve Rogers to Tony Stark to Loki, we find a little bit of ourselves across almost all heroes and villains. But what makes us so different from them? Well, they have powers, powers that don't exactly exist.
The movies and TV shows have given us a well-rounded perspective on how the world views the Avengers and other superpowered beings, but Damage Control has an opportunity to show how regular people, without powers or S.H.I.E.L.D.-trained fighting abilities, view the world around them. Again, we've seen bits and pieces in other shows, but only bits and pieces. This is almost a show about us!
Also:
Marvel is reportedly working on another MCU-based comedy. This comedy should be about the Daily Bugle, and if you don't agree you're wrong. Kidding, but oh my goodness, I would lose my mind if they made a show about the Daily Bugle. My cup runneth over.
That's all I've got, kiddos. Let me know what you think of Damage Control in the comment section below!