2025-12-09T16:56:06+00:00

Fantastic

December 9, 2025/The Bridge Faith Community/Leave a comment

I didn’t go to the theater to see Fantastic 4: First Steps, because the MCU has inexplicably made the decision to abandon the beauty and depth of its first phases, and focus instead on mindless cash grabs and insulting their audience. I thought maybe the She-Hulk series and, especially, the 4th Thor movie, Love & Thunder (which I refuse to acknowledge as artwork), would end my relationship with Marvel. It didn’t, but I no longer go to see them opening weekend (or in theaters at all).

I’ve watched this new Fantastic 4 movie 3 times now, and I love it more each time, and I know exactly why.

First, Galactus is the villain, but that’s not the point. The inter-planetary threat is just the context for characters and relationships. This is what set the first 20ish MCU movies apart. It was never about CGI and superpowers. We cared so much because their concerns were ours – love, friendship, courage in the face of adversity, perseverance, egotism, the always present choice between selfishness and selflessness, and the impact we can have upon our worlds. The rest was just the device for this very vital human expression. So, yes, Galactus was cool, but whatever.

We fall in love quickly with the 4 and this new baby. Their concerns are relatable and heavy. Will this baby change us, our marriage? What about our careers, will/can we keep the same commitment to several places at once? Will our values transform, and if they do, what does that look like? When everything changes in a moment, how do we put it all back together, if we decide to put it back together at all? And what role do our families & communities have in that?

The only other one I’ll talk about is the world they inhabit, an earth that is not ours. A world where the people are empathetic, kind and helpful, where an angry mob can listen to Sue Storm and have their perspectives immediately change, where all of the countries of the world can cooperate in a massive combined effort. These are all such foreign concepts to us. Can you imagine if a small group relays a message like this: A being is coming to consume the planet, we’ll figure it out. Then, when we have, you’ll have to trust us enough to turn your power off to conserve, and devote all of your money and energy to this end? HA! This is a world we’d like to live in, but that none of us can manage to work up the courage to go first to make it that way.

In the end credits for the Thunderbolts, it looked like the Fantastic 4 were coming here. They won’t have any idea what to do, it’ll be the culture shock of all culture shocks. They’ll find people who don’t seem to like each other at all, and a selfish disregard for everything that exists outside of a small personal circle. Now, I have no idea what is in the plans for the new direction of the MCU, they can build on the beauty of Thunderbolts and First Steps, or they could have a 2nd season of She-Hulk or, worse, bring Taika Waititi back for another movie. But maybe they could explore the differences between that earth and our own, maybe the next great battle is between our shared humanity and our inhumanity, manufactured from a deep well of fear.

I hope we win.

Sprawling

July 10, 2025/The Bridge Faith Community/Leave a comment

The hosting site wants to know when I go to bed and when I wake up, and that seems kind of personal, doesn’t it? Early. I go to bed and wake up early. Anyway.

I’m reading a book called A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor, which is the sequel to An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, both written by Hank Green. I bought the first one on vacation last year, but only read it a few weeks ago, on this year’s beach trip. It looked & sounded good, but (and I recognize this is going to sound ridiculous) Hank Green is the author of very-popular young adult novels, the most famous, well known being The Fault In Our Stars, and I didn’t really want to read young adult fiction. See, ridiculous, right? Even more so when you find out…

I’ll tell you what I found out, but first let me tell you that, once I started Absolutely Remarkable Thing, I could not put it down. It’s so great. And the moment I finished it, on a quick Google search, I discovered there was a sequel and ordered it that second. I also discovered that JOHN Green is the young adult author who wrote Fault In Our Stars! HANK Green is his brother!!! I waited a year on a faulty conclusion of a wildly silly artificial obstacle.

Who cares if it was a young adult book??? Sheesh. Nobody. And if there is such a person, can you imagine the depressing lack of interest or engagement in his/her own life? Judgment is so dumb and boring.

The books are awesome, assuming this Endeavor sticks the ending. Even if it doesn’t, the last 100 pages can’t undo the brilliance of the previous 600. If I’d meet this Hank Green, I’d tell him. Maybe I’ll direct message him or something. Maybe I should also apologize to his brother for my foolish hang-up.

The books are about fame, social media, virtual reality, aliens, progress & scientific discovery, but mostly they’re about human connection and relationships. The books make me think of that ‘Bowling Alone’ idea that we explored months ago – more people bowl but less are in leagues. More of us bowl alone. At this particular part of the book, a new totally immersive virtual program has so thoroughly captured humanity, the economy is crashing because the businesses are suffering, also the churches (let’s not be so cynical for a little, and differentiate business from church) and parks. People are staying home, plugged into their headsets.

I know the internet is wonderful, full of promise and beauty. But there is a cost. There is a cost to everything. The only question is what we’re willing to pay. I think the scariest part of this is when we no longer see that question – either we don’t think we have a choice or we are so blind the avalanche of consequences. I can use my Amazon Music, and looove that they know me as well as they do. The mixes they choose for me are always right on. I get all sorts of new, cool songs that I would not otherwise find. But how do they know me so well? Because I’ve given my shopping history, search bar, emails, texts, instagram posts, these blogs, locations, social security and credit card numbers, mother’s maiden name, “my list” on Netflix, and birthdate in exchange. How could they not know me so well? And is it worth it for the Discovery Mix?

I guess it is, but the books ask, what if they (whoever ‘they’ are) want more and more? Will I know? Will I be able to say no?

A comic book villain named Mephisto was recently introduced in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), who is based on the devil or Mephistopheles from “Faust.” He offers what a person wants the most in exchange for their soul. They almost never know he’s a villain. We might not even need a demon to tempt us, we might be only too willing to give our soul away to the next shiny technology. We might not be able to tell if it’s a villain, either.

People

May 12, 2025/The Bridge Faith Community/Leave a comment

I finished a book last week, called Mastering Fear, by Dr Robert Maurer. It’s probably the 10th time I’ve read it, and it never fails to change me in some pretty significant ways. One of the main ideas is to emphasize that, in stressful, anxious, difficult situation, we are created, hard-wired to find others. The best example is when a child is scared, (in healthy environments) they climb into their parents bed for comfort. As we grow, that positive impulse is conditioned out of us. We believe we are on our own, we hold up independence as THE primary characteristic to success, not to mention the myth of the self-made anything.

Friday, my boys and I all knocked off of work/school and went to the theater to watch the Thunderbolts*. It’s the latest offering from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the asterisk is a totally intentional plot point that I won’t spoil for you.

The MCU has followed the law of diminishing returns since Endgame, this multiverse business is boring and hollow, an excuse for cheap gimmicks, and has effectively eliminated consequence. Whatever. It’s fine. Disappointing, but fine. I see the movies when I do, but they are no longer vital to me, like The Winter Soldier or Infinity War was. (I have heard a “reboot” is coming to rescue us all from this nonsense, and it is desperately needed. Fingers crossed.)

Thunderbolts* is an exception, it’s fantastic, really great. At their best, superhero films are about big, real life issues, just in a science fiction context. When critics bemoan the explosions and unrealistic elements, as if those bells & whistles are the only reason for their existence, they have missed everything authentic and important and meaningful.

Yes, I recognize that I just called these movies ‘important,’ and they can be. I am not sorry. This is one of those times. Thunderbolts* is the modern human experience laid out before us. It’s super soldiers, enhanced superhumans, and genetic freaks. It’s also about mental illness, isolation, loneliness & crushing depression. Mostly about those.

And, like Maurer’s book, the solution is a team of super-people. Those who show up to hold our hands and help us lift giant pieces of falling skyscraper, to listen, and to save cities. (Of course, that is somewhat simplistic – a buddy isn’t a cure for mental illness, but a buddy always helps. Always. Someone who cares, someone to turn to, to climb into bed alongside of when we’re scared, and sometimes someone who will remind us that pharmaceuticals aren’t a flashing neon sign of weakness or faithlessness or anything else other than a crutch for an injury that may or may not be temporary. Depression and mental illness are complicated. They are also nothing to go through alone.)

These people in our lives are complicated, too. They can be full of contradictions and drive us crazy. The more we allow them in, the more power we give to wound us deeply. They can annoy. They can just be the worst. And they are also the ones who make this life so wonderful.

We don’t save worlds from “the Void” alone, and we don’t build beautiful lives alone, either.

A Deadpool & Wolverine Review, sort of

August 5, 2024/The Bridge Faith Community/Leave a comment

I’ve made no secret of my love of superheroes. At the genre’s best, it presents issues of class, race, sex, integrity, principle, relationship, and on and on, in a very relatable way. This sounds ridiculous because we’re talking about super-powers, monsters and space aliens. But really, it’s only the context that is fantastical. Thor discusses worth v. insecurity, ego v. selflessness, and finding our place in families, communities, and the world(s) around us – this is a discussion that is happening in almost every one of us from grade school to the grave. Captain America is a love story, where the main character (a misfit in a world in which he doesn’t belong and that he can’t possibly understand) fights evil, but is also betrayed by an organization that he serves, while pursuing his best friend at any, and all, costs. Who couldn’t understand that? The Hulk is a never-ending battle to reconcile his anger. Spider-Man is an unsure, insecure teenager (is there any other kind????) trying to figure out how to balance passion, duty, romance, love, and using his great power responsibly. The more we see, it wouldn’t be crazy to suggest Hallmark movies and rom-coms have less in common with our real lives than the MCU.

That is, until this multi-versal business.

The Infinity Saga introduced characters we loved learning themselves, living as heroes, sometimes very uncomfortably, while one big bad wolf, Thanos, loomed over all of the individual films with their individual villains, collecting stones for a completely rational purpose. Each seemingly unconnected story was tied together by these stones. There was consequence and depth.

Endgame eliminated a little of the consequence, bringing back ‘dead’ characters, but we understood. Those 3 hours were a gift to the invested, serving us exactly what we wanted. And we are grateful.

I saw Deadpool & Wolverine last week and loved every second. (I don’t think we’ll get into the Christian uproar just yet, maybe we never will.) But it did clear up why the MCU has lost some significance lately, at least for me.

It’s dumb.

My mom saw it, also loved it, and admitted that she didn’t really know exactly what it was about, and as I explained (anchor beings, time rippers, TVA agents, Dog-, Lady-, Head-pools, etc), I honestly felt pretty silly. She was right, the plot had almost nothing to do with the movie. And that is the problem with the multi-verse.

It’s all stupid (plots are wholly nonsensical). There’s no relatability (I could try to connect flerkens with our love for pets and their unpredictability, but why?), no consequence (if a character dies, who cares, we’ll see them later, from another universe – as Luke Skywalker said in The Last Jedi, “No one’s ever really gone.” Sure, Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man is dead dead, but is coming back anyway AS A DIFFERENT CHARACTER!), and appear to exist only as vehicles for the next gimmick (Wolverine’s dead bones, a million Deadpools & Dr. Strange’s, the place-shifting of the Marvels, hyper-evolved ants in the Quantum Realm).

I liked Quantumania, really liked The Marvels, and Dr. Strange & The Multiverse of Madness (we’ll get back to this one in a second), but didn’t care about any of them. I still cry when Steve & Bucky fight on a falling aircraft, maybe I’ll cry right now as I type the line, “because I’m with you to the end of the line.” Sheesh. We really cared about that, about them. Thor sacrificing himself to the destroyer in the 1st Thor, Tony Stark giving his life in Endgame – these things mattered. Do you think there is a multiverse where anyone could possibly care about She-Hulk? Of course not. It was the worst.

The 2 exceptions are Loki and Wanda. Loki sacrificed everything he’d ever be so that all of us can have a future. Maybe we’re not holding the tree of time together, but how can we not understand the conflict of offering ourselves (time, money, opportunity, etc) for others. Wandavision and then Multiverse of Madness served as meditations on grief and the lengths we’d go to spend one more moment with the people we love. It’s heartbreaking and real and, sure, she’s a witch, but she’s me and you, too.

Those 2 exceptions give hope that the MCU could regain some of it’s former beauty and significance. Or maybe they’ll become what they have become, exceptions, and the meaningless buffoonery of Love & Thunder (when I say She-Hulk is the worst, I do it realizing that it’s a tie with this piece of garbage) will be the rule. My guess is that it’ll be somewhere in the middle. It’ll be Deadpool & Wolverine. There will be scenes that mean something (like when Deadpool asks Wolverine to help just because he wants to rescue those he loves) and we’ll enjoy it. It’ll be like a Snickers bar. There are peanuts, which do have protein and substance. But mostly it’s delicious and we’ll love it while we eat it, and then 30 minutes later, we’ll be hungry again, as if we never ate in the first place.

Ant-Sized Expectations

February 22, 2023/The Bridge Faith Community/Leave a comment

I saw Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania Monday afternoon. After the pieces of garbage that were Love & Thunder and She-Hulk, I was unsure that I’d see it at all, much less in the theater. But I did, on opening weekend, no less. And despite the terrible critical reviews, I very much liked it. Here are a few reasons why:

Love & Thunder and She-Hulk made fun of me. They treated these movies as if they had heard the criticism of “serious” auteurs and wanted to sit at the cool table, too, so they ridiculed those of us who found ourselves entertained and stimulated by their work. Before those 2 stinkers (and less so the output of the last few years), I made the argument that these movies were the mythology of our generation. Certainly not just sugary snacks for fanboys alone, they explored social and cultural issues through the lens of extraordinary people. The psychology of the characters (and all of us) were on display and gave us all more substance than we were prepared for, if only we had eyes to see and ears to hear. They were never Pulp Fiction or The Godfather, but to lazily write-off these movies as spandex daydreams for teenage boys was an offensively grievous error. Quantumania didn’t make fun of me. It wasn’t The Winter Soldier or Civil War, but it was a stand alone story that did not patronize (or at least, I did not feel patronized.) That’s 1.

The second is its wild visual unreality. Now, this was precisely the reason The Angel did not like it, but we are very different people. If our pop cultural preferences met at a party, not only would they not talk, mine would probably ask hers to leave immediately. Usually, our imaginations are drummed out of us as we age, we are encouraged to leave them behind and focus only on the world that we can see, touch, feel, and prove. When an artist remembers that we have been made to be fantastically creative beings, as in the Star Wars cantina (for example) or the Quantum Realm, we see our original imaging bursting through into an increasingly monochromatic landscape. There were no limits on colors, characters, no restraints on what could be possible. Of course, some of it didn’t work, but that’s what happens with shooting; sometimes, you miss. But I really love the risk of shooting. I hadn’t seen anything quite like it, and that’s inspiring to me.

But that’s enough about the actual movie (not that I don’t have anything else to say about it, I do). I’m wondering how much of my appreciation of Quantumania had to do with the steaming pile that was Love & Thunder. I think I’m sort of out on the MCU. Obviously, I’ll see the movies as they come out, I’ll watch the streaming shows, but they no longer captivate me. It was a beautiful time that I shared with my sons, we saw every one together as they were released. (Quantumania was the first one we didn’t, and don’t even get me started on the heartbreak of that.) Thor convinced me that those movies were of a time that had passed. Thor showed me what I already knew, everything changes. The movies change, we change, our reaction, our connection to them changes. With one swing of his hammer, Thor broke any idea of corporate trust or loyalty. I know, I know, the studios (including Marvel/Disney) care about me only as long as I’m buying tickets and paying for their streaming service, but the delusion is one I would have liked to keep. I took Love & Thunder and She-Hulk like a personal affront, like an act of disrespect. Why? They don’t care at all about me, they care about worldwide grosses and merchandising deals.

And on one hand, that stinks. But on the other, it’s pretty liberating. If I want to see the next one, I’ll see it. If not, I won’t. I don’t owe Disney anything. I’m a product, but so are they. (If it’s seems embarrassing for such an old man to come to such elementary conclusions this late, it’s not for me. I understand/understood perfectly, but I just didn’t want that to be the last word. I want to let my imagination run and dream, too.) I have no more expectations for quality – She-Hulk smashed that into tiny little pieces – so when something is good, like Quantumania, I enjoy myself. I don’t expect greatness, I don’t expect anything. I am free!

Strange, Moon Knight, and Wanda Maximoff

May 9, 2022/The Bridge Faith Community/Leave a comment

Yesterday I saw Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, last week Moon Knight wrapped up, and there is something quite interesting about them. They aren’t for everyone. I can’t remember previous Marvel films about which I could’ve said that.

Doctor Strange was a mind-bending horror trip through multiversal universes. I don’t even know if that last sentence makes any sense to you, but spoiler rules dictate that I can’t say anything else. I will say one of my sons and I liked it very much and my other son and wife, the Angel, didn’t at all. (That she didn’t is no surprise, we had come to terms with that long ago – however, that I took her on Mother’s Day is a term that we’ll need a bit more time with.) After the movie, I received a text asking me how it was, and I couldn’t exactly answer. I said it’s not for everyone, and that’s 100% true.

Moon Knight was a series on Disney+ about a relatively unknown… superhero? Avatar? A man who is awfully handsome and awfully mentally ill whose multiple personalities are being manipulated by an Egyptian god that may or may not be the skeleton of Kevin from Up. I liked the promise of the 1st episode, liked the series less and less through episode 4, LOVED episode 5, and episode 6 was fine. The first 5 were less standard superhero stuff and more painfully honest character study, until they lost their nerve and returned to a standard final act which resolved until the last 30 seconds, when it didn’t.

I feel a certain way about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that it is our mythology. Why those stories are treated with reverence and studied in English classes, and these films are treated as lowbrow trash is so confusing to me, maybe it actually is the perfect illustration. Maybe I am the lowest common denominator. Who knows? I don’t really care, though. I’ve long since left behind the term “guilty pleasure.” I am drawn to artwork that helps me understand the human condition and emotionally connect. I can’t think of a better wide AND deep, completely relatable depiction of grief than Wandavision. Or a more relevant dive into our complex mistrust of authority (sometimes we are paranoid and they really are after us) than the Winter Soldier. And though the movie was pretty disappointing, Iron Man 2 saw and highlighted our collective struggle with our own mortality in the middle of a backbreaking responsibility and a clear call to something greater.

I am not a witch destined to rule or destroy the cosmos, (at least as far as I know), but I have lost people, knew that my heart was irreparably broken, and wailed under the weight of “what do I do now, without you????” You too, right?

Anyway. What I think about these latest 2 installments of the MCU is, they were ok, not for everyone and it’s THAT evaluation that is so hopeful to me. The things that really affect us, that really mean something, probably aren’t the things that are sanded down to avoid all edges. McDonald’s “hamburgers” are engineered to be ok to everyone – that’s how you sell billions, but they’re nobody’s favorite. Your favorite probably has bacon and cranberries and a special kind of hot sauce or pickle, right? And maybe the person with you sits there wondering how you, how anyone, could possibly like that!?! Ask 3 people about Wandavision, 1 of them will have HATED every moment of it. And 1, like me, will think it’s PERFECT and go on and on, write blog posts about how deep and wonderful and real it was.

It’s funny to talk about a studio that makes movies that bring in billions of dollars like this, but I might really dislike this next Thor movie and that prospect thrills me.

Love With A Capital L

A journey towards living an inspired life of love in the modern world

Tag: MCU