Why So Many MCU 2021 Movies & Shows Are Fixing Age of Ultron

The MCU has entered Phase 4 in 2021, and many of its movies and shows have spent time fixing mistakes made in Avengers: Age of Ultron. 2015’s Age of Ultron served as the partial conclusion to the MCU’s Phase 2, and though the film was a financial success, it was a somewhat polarizing installment in the Avengers franchise, with many viewers and critics feeling that its choices in characterization and story were questionable. The following films, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame had far better reception, leaving Age of Ultron the closest thing the MCU had to an audience failure and the subject of in-universe maintenance for years to come. For a film franchise that began in 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been remarkably well-received. Supervised by Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, the MCU films are spiritually faithful adaptations of their Marvel comic source material and simultaneously crowd-pleasing blockbusters. 2012’s The Avengers changed the pop culture landscape almost instantly by proving the marketability and success of comic book-style shared universe crossovers. Since then, the franchise has grown in recognition and prestige, with Black Panther even winning multiple Academy Awards. The MCU has dominated pop culture for years, but not all of its installments are complete successes. Some MCU films are considered adequate, at best, especially during Phase 1, where the franchise was trying to find its footing and experiment in making shared universe superhero films. The Incredible Hulk is considered forgettable by some, and the larger MCU has rarely referenced Incredible Hulk in canon until recently. Iron Man 2 had a similarly lukewarm reception, with many seeing its overabundance of characters and storylines as the result of focusing too much on setting up The Avengers and not focusing enough on its title character. 2011’s Thor, while a success, ended with the destruction of the Bifrost Rainbow Bridge, which audiences had little interest in exploring further, so the plotline was quickly resolved offscreen with few mentions afterward. Age of Ultron, however, had many farther-reaching missteps, which 2021’s Phase 4 has recently begun to clean up. Age of Ultron was not strictly a failure, and could hardly be considered the worst film in the MCU, but it was nevertheless underwhelming compared to its predecessor. In both financial success and critical reception, Age of Ultron couldn’t beat 2012’s The Avengers, and the film was plagued by behind-the-scenes conflicts between writer-director Joss Whedon and the Marvel Studios executives regarding its story decisions. Many of Whedon’s choices were criticized by viewers, ultimately resulting in Age of Ultron being one of the MCU’s weaker installments and the departure of Joss Whedon from future MCU projects. Some of the key points of criticism among viewers were Thor’s Infinity Stone premonition scene (which many felt was out of place), Hawkeye secretly having a shoehorned in family on a Midwestern farm (a departure from the comic source material), and the romance between Black Widow and Bruce Banner (which was seen as forced by many). Moreover, Black Widow describing herself as “a monster” for her unwilling sterilization by the Red Room was understandably seen by man as a line and overall characterization that disrespected Natasha while being in poor taste. In subtle and overt ways, the MCU has gradually worked to rectify Age of Ultron’s shortcomings and controversies, especially in Phase 4. The two Phase 4 properties that have done the most cleanup work for Age of Ultron are the Disney+ miniseries WandaVision and the feature film Black Widow. For example, Hydra, the Nazi-affiliated terrorist group from the Captain America films, was seen as lacking in menace in Age of Ultron, but WandaVision succinctly fixed this via flashbacks of Wanda Maximoff’s torturous experiences as their test subject, having her latent magical abilities awakened by exposure to the Mind Stone. Age of Ultron also glossed over the death of Pietro Maximoff, a devastating loss for his twin sister, by hurriedly moving Wanda into her role as a new member of the Avengers. WandaVision took time to go back and highlight Wanda’s anguish over her brother’s Age of Ultron death, showing that, while she found some semblance of comfort in her Avengers teammates, she didn’t have time to properly work through her grief. Black Widow, correctly, fixes Natasha’s controversial “monster” line in regard to her unwilling hysterectomy. While Age of Ultron framed Natasha as feeling shame for her sterilization, Black Widow reframes the situation to highlight the horrors inflicted on Natasha and all of the other Red Room Widows in training. Ultimately, the only real monster was General Dreykov. Another criticism of Age of Ultron was that its titular villain was lacking in threat level, especially when compared to other MCU villains and Ultron’s comic counterpart. Ultron was one of the greatest threats to the Avengers in the comics, and adaptations like Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes properly reflected this. The MCU’s Ultron was by no means weak, but his doomsday plot in Age of Ultron was thwarted by the Avengers within a week. Marvel’s What If…? fixes this mistake by introducing a new iteration of Ultron who successfully inhabits his vibranium Vision body, acquires the Infinity Stones, kills Thanos with ease, and threatens the entire multiverse to the shock and horror of the cosmic being known as The Watcher. What If…? creates a far more threatening version of Ultron than the second Avengers film. Age of Ultron is one of the rare instances of a problematic MCU film, and while future properties mitigated much of the damage it did, the fixes only affect the MCU as a franchise. Retroactive changes, while more than welcome for fixing Marvel's MCU movie mistakes, won’t change the original films themselves. Age of Ultron still failed to properly make a mainstream MCU Ultron a superlative threat, it still rushed through important characterization for Wanda, and it still mischaracterized Black Widow on multiple levels. 2021’s MCU movies and shows have been enjoyable installments that have repaired much of Avengers: Age of Ultron’s shortcomings, but they ultimately don’t make it a better movie.
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What If...? Just Explained Why The Avengers Are The MCU’s Most Powerful Heroes

Marvel's latest hit show What If...? has confirmed once and for all exactly why The Avengers really are the most powerful heroes in the MCU. Ironically, this elevated status doesn't necessarily come from extraordinary abilities or physical prowess – although those, clearly, are also in ready supply. Instead, the supergroup's definitive ranking is actually down to something much more intangible that ultimately causes their opponents to underestimate them time and time again. Throughout the MCU, Earth's mightiest heroes have developed a happy habit of overcoming overwhelming odds in almost impossible circumstances. Whether it's repelling an invading Chitauri army as a team during the events of the very first Avengers film, or acting alone during their various solo projects, the six original superheroes have, without a doubt, an impressive track record. Ultimately, as seen during the climax of the Infinity Saga, the crew is even capable of defeating an intergalactic titan capable of wiping out half of existence. Given the long list of enemies who have fallen foul of The Avengers, their reputation is clearly well-earned. However, for all their firepower, What If...? makes it clear that the real key to The Avengers success actually lies in their humanity. As Jeffrey Wright's omniscient Watcher explains while watching Clint Barton and Natasha Romanov search for the key to defeating Ultron, "You’re human you keep hope against the best of odds." This highlights a consistent theme running throughout the MCU – that it is the optimism, determination and refusal to be beaten that defines humanity that ultimately makes The Avengers such a dangerous prospect for Earth's would-be conquerors. This argument is evident as far back as Phase 1 of the MCU, and is most obviously on display during the first Avengers movie. For example, Tony Stark's iconic "you can be damn sure we'll avenge it" quip to Loki is far more than a call-back to the movie's title – it also highlights his indomitable spirit, flying in the face of Loki's belief that humans are "made to be ruled". Similarly, one of the movie's most powerful moments comes when an old man stands up to Loki in the face of imminent destruction. This serves as a reminder that, even without any superpowers, humanity is capable of extraordinary bravery. It is this quality that ultimately makes The Avengers capable of their most extraordinary feats. In many ways, the plot of What If...? episode 8 really emphasizes the point that humanity is the greatest power in the MCU. It is extremely telling that, in the aftermath of Ultron's assault, it is Barton and Romanov – on paper the team's most under-powered human characters – that are the last two left standing. It is their human spirit, shared with the likes of Stark, Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner that allows them to unlock the key to saving the universe. Although the MCU is inhabited with innumerable fantastically powered superbeings, time and time again it is those who have a close connection to humanity who emerge victorious.
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Vans Horror Movie Shoes Collection: The Shining, Jason, Freddy, & More

The clothing brand Vans has dropped a new collection of horror themed apparel involving The Shining, Friday the 13th and more. Just in time for Halloween, the Vans x Horror collection allows a variety of big screen icons to be available on a range of Vans products. Vans, known for their classic streetwear look, has embraced pop culture many times in the past through collaborating with behemoths of film, TV and video games. Before these monsters, franchises like Star Wars, Harry Potter and The Simpsons have been given the Vans treatment. It has been a while since some of these characters were seen on the screen. The A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise hasn't recovered from its failed 2010 reboot, and the rights to Friday the 13th have been, until recently, tied up in a series of lawsuits. Stanley Kubrick's The Shining has managed to stand the test of time and Doctor Sleep, the long awaited sequel directed by Mike Flanagan, has kept the horrors of the Overlook Hotel in the zeitgeist. Younger audiences may be more drawn to Pennywise than the other villains, with both films in the recent adaptation of Stephen King's It being smash hits at the box office. The collection is available to purchase on the Vans website and includes an array of clothing, from socks and shoes to hats and hoodies. All the films that inspired the collection, which includes the previously mentioned franchises and also The Lost Boys and The Exorcist, were given their own shoe designs as well as other unique clothing items. The new release combines Vans' classic designs with images inspired by some of cinemas greatest horror movies. Check out a sampling of the Vans x Horror collection, below: As was the case with Vans' other pop culture collaborations, this collection is only on a limited release and will not last forever. Some of the designs include hi-top shoes with "REDRUM" written on the midsoles, a white t-shirt with Pennywise's evil grin printed on it, and a black hoodie with Jason Vorrhees' famous hockey mask emblazoned on the front. Horror heads are likely to go mad for these fresh looks. Fans who want to be seen in shoes that are designed after Freddy Krueger's famous striped sweatshirt will have to act fast. Vans' past pop culture releases have all proven to be wildly successful, and horror fans are often among the most loyal (going by the longevity of some of these series) so this feels like a match made in heaven. These designs by Vans could become an annual uniform for spooky season, or just an everyday fit for gore fans. The launch of this range may also help some of these waning franchises recapture the attention of audiences, and with Jason Blum rebooting The Exorcist, the timing feels right. Source: Vans
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Can your PC run Windows 11? Learn how to here

With Microsoft’s very own PC Health Check tool back, you can ascertain if your machine is viable to run Windows 11 to be released shortly. This is accompanied with no shortage of third-party options available to those who’d like a report on a PCs’ compliance with minimum system requirements for Windows 11. Compute World walks through the system requirements as they stand now, as well as how to use the PC Health Check app and two alternative tools to check a PC’s Windows 11 upgrade readiness. Windows 11 system requirements According to Microsoft’s Windows 11 overview page, the following items delineate the basic requirements a PC must meet for Windows 11 to install properly on that machine. At present, Microsoft has relaxed those restrictions, so that out-of-compliance PCs can run Windows 11 within the Insider Program. But when the official release goes out later this year, those machines will no longer be able to upgrade to newer Windows 11 versions. * Processor: 64-bit architecture at 1 GHz or faster; Intel: eight-generation or newer; AMD Ryzen 3 or better; Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c or higher * RAM: 4 GB or higher * Storage: 64 GB or larger storage device * System firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable * TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0 * Graphics card: Direct X12 or later capable; WDDM 2.0 driver or newer * Display: High-def (720p) display, larger than 9” diagonal in size, 8 bits per color channel (or better) * Internet connection/MSA: Windows 11 Home edition requires internet connectivity and a Microsoft Account (MSA) to complete device setup on first use. Switching out of Windows 11 Home in S mode likewise requires internet connectivity. For all Windows 11 editions, internet access is needed for updates, and to download and use certain features. An MSA is required for some features as well. Just recently the company also relaxed its CPU restrictions to include certain high-end seventh-generation Intel processors found in some of its Microsoft Surface Studio 2 PCs, as well as certain Xeon processors. Using Microsoft’s PC Health Check To download PC Health Check, you must be a registered Windows Insider and logged into the associated Microsoft account. The download is easily accessible as a Microsoft Installer file named WindowsPCHealthCheckSetup.msi. Run this file and the program installs itself. To run the program, type PC Heal into the search box, then run the app from the Start menu. To run its built-in Windows 11 compatibility check, click the Check now button inside the “Introducing Windows 11” pane at the top of the app window, as shown in Figure 1: Click Check now in the PC Health Check app to run its compatibility checker.  The program returns one of three possible windows after the compatibility check runs. Those that pass the check get a “meets requirements” message (Figure 2, left); those that fail get a “doesn’t currently meet” message (center); and those from PCs running Windows Education or Enterprise or another Windows version managed by an IT department get a message that reads “Your organization manages updates on this PC” (right) but no compatibility check. I’m running Enterprise on my production PC and have flagged this as an error or problem with Microsoft via its Feedback Hub. From left to right, passing grade, failing grade, and no grade, respectively. Click the See all results button to see more details for both passing and failing PCs. The failing PC is a 2014 vintage Surface Pro 3 that fails because its fourth-generation Intel CPU is not supported. The passing grade goes to a 2018 Lenovo ThinkPad X380 Yoga, which has an eighth-generation Intel CPU and other necessary components. Some of the details for both machines appear in Figure 3.2018 Lenovo X380 Yoga (left) passes, but the 2014 Surface Pro 3 (right) fails. Microsoft’s PC Health Check will work for most Windows PCs. Those running Windows 10 Education or Enterprise may be out of luck. Ditto for Windows PCs centrally managed via Group Policy in an organization’s IT environment. YMMV, as they say. And, of course, you might not wish to join the Windows Insider program. That’s why I also recommend the two third-party compatibility check tools in the next section. Two good alternative Windows 11 compatibility checkers Though more options are available, I have found two third-party tools to be eminently useful to check a PC for Windows 11 compatibility in enough detail to make them worthwhile: * WhyNotWin11: a GitHub-based project that runs as a standalone Windows application and reports on a series of checks it performs when run. * Windows 11 Compatibility Check: a Windows batch file that runs inside an administrative PowerShell session or Command Prompt window to report its findings on PC attributes and capabilities. Either of these tools can provide you ample intelligence to determine if your PC is ready for Windows 11, with one caveat. Older PCs whose CPUs qualify under the processor requirement may include hardware-based TPM chips of version 1.3 or older (lower in number). These CPUs can emulate TPM 2.0, so what looks like a failure to meet Windows 11 requirements at the hardware level can be offset in software. I will explain further in the section on the Windows 11 Compatibility Check script below. WhyNotWin11 WhyNotWin11 is a GitHub project whose source code is publicly available. The latest release as I write this story is version 2.4.0 (but you can always click the “Latest” button on the home page to jump to the most current vesion). Click the link labeled Download the latest stable release and you’ll end up with a file named WhyNotWin11.exe. By default it resides in the Downloads folder (C:\Users\\Downloads), where you can execute the program directly. It takes a little while to download the WMIC (Windows Management Instrumentation command-line utility) on which it’s based. When it completes its various checks, it displays their results as shown in Figures 4 (from an incompatible system) and 5 (from a compatible one).WhyNotWin11 results for a PC running on a sixth-gen (i7-6700) Intel chip with no TPM support. This PC will not support Windows 11.WhyNotWin11 results for a PC running on an eleventh-gen (i7-1180G7) Intel chip with TPM 2.0 support. This PC is running Windows 11 and meets all requirements. Understanding WhyNot11’s output is simple: green meets it meets a requirement, red means it doesn’t, and amber means it may or may not meet the final requirements but doesn’t meet current requirements. There’s been a lot of flap about where Microsoft should draw the line on CPU generations, so amber is a sop to those with high hopes for inclusion of older generations. As of the end of August, a few select seventh-generation Intel Core and Xeon processors were allowed into the “meets requirements” group, but no further additions are on the table, according to Microsoft. Windows 11 Compatibility Check script This tool, named Windows 11 Compatibility Check, comes from the community website Windows ElevenForum. Its author, JB Carreon, offers his work as freeware. It comes in the form of a batch file named W11CompChk.bat. Downloads for this tool reside on its History page. As I write this story, the most current version is numbered 1.4.1, for which dates and download links are readily visible. Once it’s loaded onto your PC, you can simply right-click its entry in File Explorer while holding down the left-hand Shift key on the keyboard. From the resulting pop-up menu, select Copy as path. This copies the full file path into your paste buffer. Next, open an administrative Command Prompt window, paste in the string, and remove the leading and trailing quotation marks (“”). The batch file will then execute. It will show progress, and then a report when it finishes its various checks. Figure 6 shows results from an incompatible PC (the same one as in Figure 4 preceding); Figure 7 shows results from a compatible PC (the same one as in Figure 5).Script output for a sixth-generation Intel i7-6700 CPU PC with no TPM. Again, this PC does not meet Windows 11 requirements.Script output for an eleventh-generation Intel system with TPM 2.0 emulation, which Windows 11 Compatibility Check incorrectly identifies as version 1.3. Despite the script’s assessment, this PC is compatible with Windows 11. Note in Figure 7 how the Windows 11 Compatibility Check script has been tripped up. While the tool does show that TPM is enabled, it erroneously reports an outdated 1.3 version based on the physical TPM chip present. That chip is emulating TPM 2.0 and therefore does meet the Windows 11 requirements. Any of these tools will do, but… Microsoft’s PC Health Check gets the job done, except for those running Enterprise or Education versions, those whose PCs are under central IT management, or those who are not Windows Insiders. Both it and WhyNotWin11 are smart enough to check which version of TPM is active in the Windows runtime environment. Thus, they correctly identify the TPM as meeting the “version 2.0 or higher” requirement. If you run the TPM.msc snap-in for the Microsoft Management Console on that PC (you must be logged in with administrative privileges), in fact, it shows you that its “Specification version” is indeed 2.0 (see Figure 8, lower right). That meets the stated requirement and means that the Lenovo X12 ThinkPad in question (built in 2021) will happily and successfully run Windows 11.The important field is “Specification Version,” which reads 2.0 and meets requirements. Any tool covered here will help you figure out if (and why) a PC meets or fails the Windows 11 system requirements.
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