I have always felt pretty strongly that if a comic-based movie require knowledge of the comics backstory to make sense, then it has failed. It's one thing if there are easter eggs only accessible to comics readers -- those are like an extra, a fun treat. But in terms of plot and character motivations, the movies *have* to stand alone. I wouldn't go so far as to say that GotG failed in those terms; there was just barely enough exposition that we understood why Ronan and Nebula made the choices they did, but the characters were flat, especially in comparison to some of the other MCU antagonists. I would have liked much, much more.
For the same reason, I don't care about them preserving the comics mythos exactly to make a Carol Danvers movie. If they have to make up something entirely new for the MCU, that's totally fine by me. She's a fantastic character who could easily carry a film, and Marvel is waaaaaaay overdue for a film with a female lead. Black Widow would have been my first choice, but Carol Danvers would make me extremely happy as well. (Let's be real: I want both!)
As for the sexism, if you're curious to learn what other people, including me, saw that bothered them, I really recommend that you read the two articles I linked. It's not the most egregiously sexist movie I've ever seen, not by a long shot. But there's more of it than in most of the other MCU films, so it stands out in comparison. Compare, for example, how Gamora is shot as compared to Black Widow in the Avengers and Cap 2: the images of Gamora are much more male-gazey, lingering on breasts and butt and thighs, in a way that images of Natasha are not. This is not to slam on Gamora as a character *at all* -- I loved her, I thought her writing was pretty good, and I want to see more of her. But she's more objectified by the cinematography and blocking than any other MCU heroine so far. Again, this is not a cardinal sin or anything. But in an Marvel film, it's jarring, and I hope it's just this one director and not the beginning of a trend.
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For the same reason, I don't care about them preserving the comics mythos exactly to make a Carol Danvers movie. If they have to make up something entirely new for the MCU, that's totally fine by me. She's a fantastic character who could easily carry a film, and Marvel is waaaaaaay overdue for a film with a female lead. Black Widow would have been my first choice, but Carol Danvers would make me extremely happy as well. (Let's be real: I want both!)
As for the sexism, if you're curious to learn what other people, including me, saw that bothered them, I really recommend that you read the two articles I linked. It's not the most egregiously sexist movie I've ever seen, not by a long shot. But there's more of it than in most of the other MCU films, so it stands out in comparison. Compare, for example, how Gamora is shot as compared to Black Widow in the Avengers and Cap 2: the images of Gamora are much more male-gazey, lingering on breasts and butt and thighs, in a way that images of Natasha are not. This is not to slam on Gamora as a character *at all* -- I loved her, I thought her writing was pretty good, and I want to see more of her. But she's more objectified by the cinematography and blocking than any other MCU heroine so far. Again, this is not a cardinal sin or anything. But in an Marvel film, it's jarring, and I hope it's just this one director and not the beginning of a trend.