#The Leader

[dailymcrlyricanalysis]

Welcome to the Black Parade pt 4

“And though you're broken and defeated Your weary widow marches” Even though The Patient is breaking down because of his imminent death, his loved ones will stand strong. This could be also The Leader slipping back into their arrogant demeanor, saying that even though The Patient is doing terrible, they’re doing great.

“On and on, we carry through the fears (Oh, ha, ha) Disappointed faces of your peers (Oh, ha, ha) Take a look at me, 'cause I could not care at all” I think this is The Leader telling The Patient to take a page out of their book. Partially to mock The Patient for caring so much, but also it’s genuine advice.

[lirhyapetitpain]

I'm super normal about this

[xopedri]

pillow talk.

summary: a last-minute japan trip helps you bond with your boyfriend.

a/n: the things i would let this man to do to me. 🫦

warnings: implied nudity

“wanna go to japan?” you asked, it was a spontaneous trip since your team had just earned a week off after a successful mission.

the boy grinned, “of course.”

it was (usually) difficult to maintain relationships in the agency. however, you two were in love, and now had the opportunity to be alone together for an extended period of time.

——————

“god, i’m exhausted!” the boy dramatically yelled out as he jumped on the bed of the hotel room.

you laughed in response as you sat next to him, his body laying face down into the now-wrinkled sheets.

“cmonnn! you’re no fun.” you said as you shook hyun-jun to get him up.

“we have to take a bath y’know.” you added, being met with him immediately jumping up.

“we, as in— together?” he replied, his signature smirk on his pretty face as he looked at you. it almost convinced you to go along with it.

you playfully slapped his shoulder. “you perv!” you yelled out with a laugh, being met with him letting out a dramatic sigh and another dive into the warm embrace of the bedsheets.

you set your luggage down and after a few minutes, laid next to him, smiling as you did so.

“i might take you up on that offer.” you said, immediately causing the boy to turn to look straight at you.

“seriously?” he asked you, the grin on his face growing every passing second.

you laughed as you nodded, him jumping up and grabbing a towel in response.

you both got into the bathtub, setting the scene with candles, wine, and dimmed lights. with how busy your lives were, it was hard to get those cliché romantic movie-like moments.

“comfy?” your boyfriend asked you, smiling down at you.

“yeah, this is nice,” you replied, returning his smile. you were lying on hyun-jun, his arms wrapped around your waist; the closeness of your bodies made it feel all the more intimate.

“are you okay like that?” you asked, fidgeting around slightly before the boy held you still.

“i’m okay, don’t worry.” hyun-jun reassured you, grinning as he quietly laughed.

you smiled as you took a sip of wine. “i’m glad we’re doing this.” you spoke.

your job was stressful, so relaxing in a different country without any responsibilities was like weight off of your shoulders.

after a moment, hyun-jun spoke again. “i love you, y/n, a lot. it’s refreshing to be here with you. with no worries.”

you smiled at those words, his hand gently encapsulating yours as he used his free hand to gently caress your skin.

he carefully moved your chin up toward him to kiss you, his lips locking onto yours for a few moments before pulling away to simply admire you.

“you’re beautiful.” he mumbled just above a whisper, his face now leaning into the nape of your neck.

“so are you.” you said back, smiling softly as you moved and gave him a soft peck on the lips.

“you flatter me.” hyun-jun joked, you laughing softly alongside him.

a few more moments of comfortable silence, and you both ended up in the large bed of the hotel room.

you laid your head onto hyun-jun’s chest, his hand wandering up and down your bare back as you mindlessly traced shapes onto the soft skin of his abdomen.

this was one of the rare moments where you had nothing to stress about; your focus was only on him, the love of your life.

everything that took you to this current moment was worth it.

after a few moments, hyun-jun broke the silence.

“so— how does five sound?”

“five what?”

“five babies.” he answered, his big grin growing as he looked at you.

thank you for enjoying my work! 💕

[politicalunicorn]

Thoughts on Captain America: Brave New World

It wasn't that bad. Lots of people are saying that it sucked, and yes, I was hoping they would do something more interesting with the adamantium but c'est la vie.

The villain was definitely really scary. I think the direction choice of showing us individual people that The Leader was killing is arguably one of the best choices. I found several moments where I genuinely looked at the screen and gawked.

That being said, the villain felt almost cartoonish. Like? C'mon. that phone call with Ross was just... it felt like a my little pony villain, bsfr

JOAQUINNNN MY BABY!!!! We have been LACKING for Peter Parker-coded characters, and he is definitely one of them. I love the way people are calling him baby falcon, bc yes, but also the mentor-mentee relationship between him and Sam???

On that relationship, Sam and Joaquin have the relationship of siblings with a massive age difference. Like eight years at least. Joaquin idolizes Sam and Sam is fond of him, but teases him as well. It's just so cute.

SamBucky nation is winning. Enough said. The I love you was one thing but the "He's also 102 years old" like, ok??? gatekeeping your man?? ok, I see you Sam <3

I did not empathize with Thaddeus Ross. Maybe, if they made him a shittier father, yes I would get the whole new leaf thing. But making his entire arc of bs in the last fifteen years be about Betty was just...not it. Make him have more to prove.

Also the writing of the phone call? Please. I know Marvel writers can do better than that.

this is just a problem with film-making in general, but marinate in the silence. a lot of life is silence, real-life exists in the margins of conversations. like that conversation between Bucky and sam could've definitely had that silence to really pull that impact.

the fight scenes tho??? that was so good, that was acc such good choreography, OBSESSED.

Bucky as a congressman is something that I really like, but was unexpected. I can totally imagine him trying to make the world a better place, but we're probably going to get that guilt-complex justification that marvel always pulls with Bucky.

The Isiah arc?? that line of "Don't Come Back" was SO good. Also, his face when he was shoved into the ground and his cries about his suit, was HEARTBREAKING. just absolutely gorgeous. arguably the best acting performance.

Sabra??? Kind of unnecessary??? like, the black woman (I don't remember her name, sorry) that was Sam's friend in the White House would've had a better role. It would've also been an interesting way to analyze what it meant to be a black woman in the Red Room.

also, if we WERE going to analyze sabra as a character, what does it mean to be Israeli in the red room? I am not a huge fan of boycotting someone based on their identity, because you can't really change where you come from, but we could analyze the status of the ethno-state in the larger marvel universe if we could.

I really wish they had pushed the political intrigue storyline, so much harder.

we do want bruce banner back tho. specifically the insanely lovable version of him in Avengers 1.

I wish they'd make the dialogue more natural

the avengers plot line could've been tied in better?

TLDR: It was a really good movie, with some writing issues and some brilliant performances and some beautiful relationships.

[orpheus-has-lyreizz]

paris the musical Achilles design

[deebrisbyfish]

Another thing about this time of the year that is a minor irritation for me, is the VERY unique kind of hat hair I have to deal with. The nature of winter hats combined with the dry weather creates... well... what you see here in the last panel. Pony tails become my friend for a few months every year. I should invest in ear muffs. lol

[nahobeanie]

Requests I did over on my Bluesky account

[fandomnerd9602]

Sam, Joaquin and Y/N are confronted by Samuel Sterns, the Leader…

Sam: dude what happened to your head?!

Y/N: I wanna touch it

Sterns: my mind is mutated and evolved beyond-

Joaquin: dude?! does it hurt?!

Sterns: no! Does anyone care that I’m the one behind-?!

Y/N pokes Sterns exposed brain, causing him to yelp in pain…

Y/N: touch

Sterns: don’t touch!!

[krystalklear21]

Tumblr, I find the lack of Samuel Sterns / Leader posts disturbing. Where are my monsterfuckers at? Also I wanna talk about how they treated my man, I feel like there is an injustice on the character.

I'm gonna rant with spoilers below so if you haven't seen the film and care about spoilers I suggest waiting until you seen it to read my post.

.

1. The way they’re handling him is so frustrating because the writing feels inconsistent—especially compared to how Sam Wilson treats other morally complex characters.

Ross went great lengths to control Sterns and Banner and yet, he’s given nuance, justification, and respect in the story.

Meanwhile, Sterns was imprisoned for 16 years at a government black site, lied to by Ross who told him he would be free once he became President. But despite having reasonable motivations for doing what he did, he's not afforded grace or nuance.

Where is the same level of depth? Why does Ross, who actively created the conditions for Sterns' suffering, get more understanding than Sterns himself? Ross even got to talk to Betty again, who was estranged for years because of his actions against Bruce.

2. Sam is all about understanding people’s perspectives, right? He advocates for Isaiah Bradley, who also was unjustly imprisoned by the U.S. government. Sam helps Bucky overcome years of brainwashing and guilt from being an assassin. Even with Thunderbolt Ross, he believed Ross can change for the better.

But for some reason, Sam doesn’t even try to acknowledge Sterns’ suffering? How is Sterns any worst than Bucky or Isaiah?

3. Sterns' potential as a morally complex character is absolutely wasted in this movie. There was no healing, so resolving. He's a guy that moved from one prison to another. They could've made him a reluctant villain, who only wanted to make Ross pay for causing his suffering.

I know a lot of people hate that he's not comic accurate in appearance (I didn't mind it, I thought it looked awesome). You'd think after 16 years they would've fleshed out his character a bit more.

[soupsandstars]

The Leader for @lirhyapetitpain !!

[wordishismart9]

Don't care what everyone else is saying. Brave New World is a good movie.

The best? No, but it's still good.

I'd say my main issue with the movie is the third act. It's a little lack luster, but not bad by any means.

The acting is top tier. I feel like that's something the MCU has been doing a lot better at recently. Even Secret Invasion had great acting (in the first 3 episodes) and the same is true here.

Harrison Ford knocked it out of the park Anthony Mackie stepped up well into the role of Captain America and he got to do way more unique things with the shield than Steve Rogers ever did Carl Lumbly continues to absolutely crush it as Isaiah Bradley Danny Ramirez was a big surprise for me as Joaquin Torres, he was a great sidekick and quite charming And holy hell The Leader felt like a menace, you feel the power and fear he can bring.

I do wish we didn't let Red Hulk be in the advertisement, but I understand that they need to get people in seats, so what can you really do :/

[lirhyapetitpain]

Evil Road Trip edit : It's getting some attention so do your daily click while you're at it

[dailymcrlyricanalysis]

Dead! Pt 3/4

“Have you heard the news that you're dead? No one ever had much nice to say I think they never liked you anyway” The leader again mocking* and insulting** The Patient.

“Oh, take me from the hospital bed” The Leader mocking the Patient (think when your sibling repeats what you just said in a stupid voice, like that)***

“Wouldn't it be grand to take a pistol by the hand? And wouldn't it be great if we were dead?” I don’t entirely know what to think about this line. If we go by the previous lines, it’s just more mockery, but I kind of think it’d be better if we see a break in character from The Leader. Showing some depth, and maybe a reason for all of the bitterness and anger they’re showing towards The Patient.

* couldn't figure a way to say this so,

patient: what's happening?(scared and confused)

leader: you're dying stupid(mean)

** leader: no one likes you *sticks out tongue like elementary school bully*

*** The Leader is very childish and bitter. When I think of these lines like dialogue I picture The Leader with over exaggerated movements similar to a schoolyard bully mocking people.

[rememberwhouare]

[classicanalyzer]

Captain America - Brave New World Review

"I know what it's like to feel you have something to prove. Everyone only seeing one thing. But when showing there's more to you, it's not about when times are easy. It's about moments like this." Sam Wilson/Captain America

Captain America Brave New World was pleasantly noice to my surprise. While it isn't the best MCU movie, it's a decent MCU spy paranoia thriller in the vein of The Winter Soldier. It did do a good job at bringing back plot threads and elements from the Incredible Hulk and Eternals. However, they forgot that this is a Cap movie as it feels more like the Incredible Hulk sequel than a Captain America movie.

The main cast was amazing. Anthony Mackie and Danny Ramierz were amazing as Captain American and Falcon! Mackie showcases why he was given the shield, and Ramierz brings much-needed levity to this paranoia thriller. I like how much the two actors really enjoy their roles in the MCU and you can tell they bring their excitement and joy to their characters. Harrison Ford did a great job portraying a more sympathetic President Ross, even as we see aspects of the old Ross and learn even more of his sins. Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley acted the hell out with what he had in the movie and he was the standout actor of this movie. Tim Blake Nelson brings this calm yet fiery anger to Samuel Sterns now The Leader. Giancarlo Esposito as Seth Voelker/Sidewinder was wasted. Shira Hass' character Ruth Bat-Seraph sure was a character.

Brave New World's opening perfectly establishes the paranoia thriller and the status quo of the MCU. The opening title card transition was really good with Sterns' laboratory and the flashing blue lights. While the lack of the traditional MCU title card is understandable given the political thriller homage, it does feel weird not to see it but it was a good choice to ground the movie instead of using it to establish the escapism aspect of the MCU.

Aside from the Sidewinder scenes (and even then it was added really well), Julius Onah and his team did an amazing job of integrating the reshoots into the already filmed material seamlessly.

Sam Wilson proves why he's Captain America. From when he prioritizes saving the hostages over Adamantium to talking down Red Hulk by appealing to his better self, he showcases empathy and heart. Anthony Mackie brings out a down-to-earth nature to Sam allowing us to bond and relate to him. I really like how everyone from heroes, civilians, and even villains address Sam as Captain America after TFATWS has Sam note how some people will hate him becoming Captain America. Despite Sam not taking on the serum, he shows how he's just as capable as any super soldier. His conversation with Torres at the end about living up to the legacy of Captain America really hits me with the pressure to be on point or else let down people who wish to be recognized and accepted. I just wish the movie had dedicated more time to Sam Wilson because what we got showcases why Sam Wilson is a great Cap. His new Stealth Suit and helmet are also great.

"If I'm not on point... I feel like I let down everyone else who was fighting for a seat at that table. That's pressure, man. It weighs on you. It makes you wonder if you'll ever just be... enough." Sam Wilson/Captain America

President Ross' arc was noice. Harrison Ford managed to give depth to and humanize someone who was one of the biggest hate sinks in the MCU. Ross knows what he did in the past tainted not only his legacy but estranged him from the only family he has. However, he cannot truly fix his mistakes and begin to make amends until he takes accountability for the wrongs he did to others. In our time, we see a lack of accountability by politicians and other major influential figures. The whole conflict in the film and really everything in the MCU involving Ross is due to him not taking accountability for his faults. He always has some excuse or way to get out. Now, it all comes crashing down for him. This reminds me a bit of Bojack Horseman, the character eventually wants to genuinely change, but they can't change until they confess and take accountability for their shitty horrifying actions in the past. At first, they deny taking accountability when called out and relapse to their old selves, but eventually, they accept the consequences and take accountability.

"I have dedicated my entire life to serving this country. The one person who matters doesn't seem to understand. Betty never forgave me for sending the army after Banner. I had to survive so that my daughter knew that there was more to her father. That I'm the same man that used to take her to see the cherry blossoms." Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross/Red Hulk

Samuel Sterns' actions may be monstrous with his willingness to kill innocent people and start World War Three, but one can fully understand why he wanted to destroy Ross' legacy and image. As mentioned in Ross' arc, Ross, instead of taking accountability for the Harlem incident, pinned the blame on Samuel Sterns. Not only did he keep him locked up for 16 years and put more Gamma in his blood, but forced him to serve as his personal think tank in exchange for a pardon. When Ross doesn't even show half the loyalty Sterns showed, Sterns, understandably pissed off, dedicated his time to destroying Ross' legacy and image. Sterns may have poisoned the pills, but given how he saw the probabilities of Ross betraying him, I think he would've given him the cure had Ross defied the probabilities. But Ross, being Ross, proved to him that he couldn't change and wanted justice for what he did to him. For all we know, Sterns might've been a terrorist or wanted to help humanity in positive ways had he gotten a pardon, but we'll never know because of Ross' decision. Tim Blake Nelson really captures the bitterness and anger Sterns has towards Ross. I also like the subversion of Sterns referring to himself as "The Hero" rather than "The Leader". Also, props to the practical design for the Leader's head because that was creepy rather than uncanny like MODOK. I also like the detail of the mind control trigger song being "Mr. Blue" which makes me wonder if he likes the song a lot to use Mr. Blue as his alias in the Incredible Hulk.

"You let me rot in this prison. And it was my curse to watch your betrayal written in probabilities. I'm making my own choices now. So many surprises left... When I'm done, everyone will know just who you are, and Betty will despise you even more. Goodbye, Mr. President." Samuel Sterns/The Leader

Danny Ramierz as Joaquin Torres really brings out infectious positive energy. I really like him as the new Falcon, and I relate to him being inspired by diverse heroes. I'm so glad that his helmet is a practical non-CGI helmet. I'm so tired of the Nanotech and Nanotech-like VFX helmets in the MCU and in general. Also, his armor looks really great. Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley did an amazing job portraying the second Captain America. It's really nice to see him being a lot more happier in the movie compared to the show, which only makes the next part sadder. To see the pain and trauma of being locked up again after being falsely accused of being a willing assassin is heartbreaking. The way those cops arrested Isaiah brings some disturbing parallels irl. I'm so happy Isaiah got justice in the end and how he gets referred to as Captain America. As I said, Giancarlo was wasted, but he did make a memorable performance as Sidewinder. I really like the physicality of his character compared to other villain roles he takes on. I can't wait to see where else he'll pop out since Giancarlo said he'll appear in other MCU projects. Ruth sure is a character who exists.

Laura Karpman's score in the movie is mixed. I do like her score in the movie, and the Conspiracy theme is really good. The main title track did a great job of establishing the tone. However, the musical continuity suffers as Laura uses a brand new theme for Sam (Brave New World) instead of Louisiana Hero, and the new theme just doesn't live up to Louisiana Hero. Laura still proves why she's still one of MCU's best composers with the Conspiracy theme and Ross' theme, but I felt they should've hired Henry Jackman for this movie, both to retain continuity with the CA scores and for the political thriller tone.

That White House assassination sequence was done really well. I really like seeing Isaiah showcase his super soldier skills.

I like Camp Echo One's design. It really gives off the creepy black site vibes. The fight scene in the lab was also shot and done really really.

I wish Sam's Stealth Suit was made from Adamantium. Given how Nate Moore confirmed that the daggers Copperhead used were made from Adamantium (explaining how Sam's TFATWS suit was damaged), I wished we got a Stealth Suite that was partially made or fully made from Adamantium.

The reveal of Ross' dying heart really puts his heart problem issues in a much far darker and sadder light. We see how Ross genuinely does want to change both to leave a better legacy and reconnect with his daughter. But to do so, he not only made Sterns a scapegoat for his actions and experimented on him, but he lied to him because of his fear of him not making more pills for him. Sam rightfully points out that to be better is to do the hard things to truly showcase your desire to make amends because what Ross did showcase, despite his genuine desire to change, he got up to the top by shady and outright criminal means.

Given how Ross used Sterns as his personal think tank, I wonder how much of Ross' ideas came from Sterns. Was the Sokovia Accords Sterns' idea for Ross to pass his pro-superhero government agenda? I wouldn't be surprised if Ross ran as a third-party candidate and won because of Sterns' ideas.

The Celestial Island battle sequence was the best part of the movie. We get to see Captain America and Falcon showcase their skills over the skies. In IMAX, the scale of Tiamut's corpse was definitely worth the price of admission. It also makes me miss the Eternals.

I still find it funny that Japan would be willing to risk conflict with the US. I know that Japan has a history with Adamantium and a theme is how Sterns is turning the US' allies against each other but it's still silly. At least, the movie shows that both sides didn't really want to risk actual conflict. Realistically, I feel like China would be the one who would be aggressively wanting Celestial Island and be more willing to risk open conflict. Also, France sure was a choice.

Bucky Barnes's cameo was noice. I really like his friendship with Sam, and it makes me wish he was a part of the main cast just like TFATWS. Also Bucky for MCU (and irl) President, please.

I know they didn't intend for this but it feels fitting that the President of the United States turns into a raging red monster in the White House mindlessly destroying everything around him. Except, our President and his sycophants are always raging (orange in our President's case) monsters.

The Red Hulk fight scene was pretty good. However, I do wish it was longer. They really shouldn't have advertised Red Hulk in the trailers, given the main plot hinges on how the twist is Sterns wanted Ross to become Red Hulk. I really like how we saw how Sam had to use his wits to survive and how, had he let his guard down for one second, Red Hulk would've killed him. This and Sam talking down to Red Hulk once again show why Sam is Captain America. The cherry blossoms make for good symbolism, especially as one lands on Red Hulk's hand without burning.

It does feel very satisfying to see Ross take accountability by willingly resigning the Presidency and turning himself over to pay for his crimes after what we learned he did. I do wonder if Thunderbolts will reveal who Ross' VP is since we never learned who Ross' VP is. The irony of him being not only a Hulk but locked up in the Raft is not lost on him either. It is nice to finally see that once he finally took accountability, he finally proved to Betty that he really did want to change for the better, and Betty can begin reconnecting with her father. Plus, the treaty he worked so hard got ratified as the world entered a brand new world of Adamantium.

The conversation between Sam and Torres was really heartwarming and relatable. I cannot wait for the Avengers team led by Sam and with Torres as its second official member. Also, the post-credit scene definitely sets up the upcoming Avengers movies.

I feel like a major issue is that this movie is more of an Incredibles Hulk sequel (Incredibles Hulk: Brave New World one might say) than a Captain America movie. As a result, it just feels weird to have an Incredibles Hulk sequel without Hulk if Thor Ragnorak could do it without undermining Thor's character arc, then BNW could've done it somehow. But it again showcases how it doesn't feel like a CA mobie and more of a Hulk movie. It also does a disservice to Sam's character because we see a lot of great material with Captain America. With all the exposition to TFATWS, it just reinforces my feelings that TFATWS should've been the fourth CA movie. The movie should've been longer since I wish several scenes had a bit more screen time to flesh them out. I also wished they had Eli Bradley in the movie which had TFATWS been a movie and had BNW been longer, we could've seen him. The supporting cast of the movie isn't strong and memorable which is a shame.

This movie was a decent MCU entry and definitely a worthy watch. It has multiple flaws, but the positives shine through. I focused a lot on the positives because all the negative reviews don't really present the good aspects of this movie. One thing is clear: Mackie is Cap.

Bonus: The IMAX animation of BNW got an amazing F4 version with Michael Giacchino’s F4 theme.

"Where I grew up, I only ever got to see heroes online or on TV. They always feel so far away. And I kept thinking maybe if I got out of Miami, maybe one day I could be..." Joaquin Torres/The Falcon

"Don't say Ant-Man." Sam Wilson/Captain America

"No, man. I wanted to be you. Sam Wilson." Joaquin Torres/The Falcon

"Well..." Sam Wilson/Captain America

"Because that guy? That guy won't ever give up. That pressure, that responsibility you're talking about? I want that too man." Joaquin Torres/The Falcon