Movies - TV
Retcons In The MCU That Never Should Have Happened
By JOE GARZA
General Ross
In 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk,” there's a retcon in the post-credit scene, where a drunk General Thunderbolt Ross sits in a bar pounding shots when Tony Stark arrives with the announcement that he's putting together a team. However, the way MCU has evolved today just leaves fans wondering what Marvel Studios was hoping to achieve story-wise.
Mandarin
In the comics, the Mandarin is one of Iron Man's oldest foes and a truly formidable enemy, but in the films, his villainous mystique becomes watered down. Questions abound as to who the real Mandarin is in “Iron Man 3,” and by the time the character gets some closure in “Shang-Chi,” the persona is a mere afterthought.
Nick Fury
In “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” Nick Fury ominously tells Steve Rogers that he lost his eye the last time he trusted someone. However, the actual story behind the loss of his eye is much more mundane: In “Captain Marvel,” it was scratched by Goose, a member of the Flerken race in the guise of a common housecat.
Phil Coulson
Agent Phil Coulson was a wonderful addition to the MCU, but bringing him back from the dead to headline “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” posed some problems for the MCU. For example, it completely undermined the role his final sacrifice played in giving the Avengers the motivation they needed to come together in “The Avengers.”
Peter Parker
In “Iron Man 2,” there’s a cute scene towards the end when Iron Man saves a young boy in an Iron Man mask. Years later, Tom Holland revealed to the Huffington Post that the young boy was Peter Parker, which is great if not for the fact it's never mentioned later on; thus, it doesn't have any narrative significance.