Did you know that Marvel Studios has produced several shorts for the UCM? Here we review the list of all of them, available on Disney +
It is indisputable to affirm that Marvel Studios is currently one of the great monsters of audiovisual entertainment multiplying its presence beyond what is imaginable in movies, series, specials, animated series and short films. In the early stages of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Back in the days of DVDs and Blu-Ray, Marvel Studios began to give away to its most faithful small short films included as extras in the physical format that served to patch up some dark spots in the continuity and also served as Pilot Episodes for series such as Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter.
There were a total of 6 special short films that expanded the mythology of Marvel Studios and that you can see on Disney +. All of them are little gems that deserve to be discovered and highly recommended for any self-respecting Marvel Zombie.
All UCM short films
The Consultant
Whoever says that Marvel Studios was born with everything tied up and planned from the beginning. lies. And a good example of this is this short film. The Consultant presents us with a simple conversation between Agent Coulson, played by Clark Gregg, and Jasper Sitwell., to which Maximiliano Hernández gives life. The short serves to patch up one of the earliest continuity errors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
And it is that in the scene not post-credits of the Incredible Hulk. In other words, the final scene of the movie. Tony Stark shows up by surprise to tell General Ross about the Avengers Initiative. Implying that he wanted The Abomination to join the group. And it is that we remember. Hulk is considered persona non grata by Ross. So the scene was quite creaky.
That is why in the Consultant, We find out that Coulson and Jasper, planned the meeting between Stark and Ross, precisely to stone down the idea of having The Abomination within the Avengers Initiative.
A brilliant plan that ends with Ross’s anger at Tony Stark’s usual impertinence. Who is discovered as The Consultant. It really is quite a detail that they remembered that blunder and fixed it just like that. If the end of the Incredible Hulk also squeaked for you. You weren’t the only one who noticed the blunder.
Something funny happened on the way to Thor’s hammer
There is no doubt that the short films starring Phil Coulson served as a pilot test for what would end up becoming Agents of SHIELD years later on television.
In Something funny happened on the way to Thor’s hammer we find a story located as the title indicates on the way before the events of the Thor movie.
Agent Coulson, played by the invaluable Clark Gregg, on his trip to New Mexico stops at a gas station when he witnesses a mugging which allows him to show off his skills as a SHIELD Agent in the most unexpected ways which allows us to discover that behind Coulson there is much more.
object 47
After the events of the climax of the Avengers movie. Chitauri technology from the standoff was scattered throughout New York. SHIELD seized all the remains they could find. But they were not the only ones.
A young Bonnie and Clyde couple start a heist spree using a Chitauri weapon. which will put them on the trail of SHIELD. Jasper Sitwell and Blake will have to be patient to stop these petty criminals who ultimately turn out to have more potential than they thought.
Object 47 was the first short film with its own density. It was not a mere dessert. But they presented new characters and a story of their own. A real joy the truth.
The only downside is that we don’t have Phil Coulson since he was raising mallows but at least we could see how SHIELD developed after the events that occurred in The Avengers, making it clear what its role was in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Behind the cameras of this short film we find Luis D’Esposito, one of the chief producers of Marvel Studios.
Agent Carter
ABC
Agent Carter became the pilot episode of the future series with the same name. The short film recovers Peggy Carter, played by Hayley Attwell, one year after the events of Captain America: The First Avengerworking for a rather misogynistic boss who always has her behind the desk as if she were a mere secretary until Agent Carter stumbles upon a code from a mysterious criminal organization known as Zodiac and throws the blanket over her head. herself to stop them and make clear what her position is in which she would become SHIELD.
A short film that delves even deeper into the early steps of SHIELD’s founding days and that allowed Agent Carter to shine like never before. In addition, the short film also has a couple of cameos to highlight, such as Howard Stark and Duggan.
Mentioning the Zodiac inevitably evokes the most classic comics from La Casa de las Ideas. As I have already commented, this short film served as a pilot test for Agent Carter. A series that would burst onto the ABC grid a year later to complement Agents of SHIELD and in which we would see Agent Carter and Howard Stark begin to lay the first bricks of SHIELD. A good complement for lovers of Captain America the First Avenger.
Long live the king
One of the biggest screwups that many fans blamed on Iron Man 3 was the reinterpretation they made of the villain The Mandarin played by Ben Kingsley and that they mostly didn’t like, and that Shang-Chi has already fixed. But long before. Marvel Studios already patched this shit up.
Listening to the fans Marvel Studios presented the short film Long Live the King. Where we met again with Trevor Slattery, the actor who pretended to be The Mandarin in Iron Man 3, who has become quite a celebrity and enjoys a privileged situation in prison.
A renowned filmmaker shows up in prison to interview Trevor and learn the whole truth behind the Mandarin. So that in the end, in a most fun and sinister plot twist, discover that The Ten Rings really exist and the real Mandarin is not at all happy about the usurpation of identity.
Of course this plot was recovered in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings where we meet again with Trevor Slattery, while we met the real Mandarin and The Ten Rings. And watch out for Hammer’s cameo. The villain of Iron Man 2. Drew Pearce is in charge of the script and direction, the filmmaker was about to also take care of a Marvel Studios Runaways movie.
Team Thor and Team Darryl
Last but not least… Thor Team Part 1 and Part 2 and Darryl Team. The Thor short films are hilarious as hell. Hilarious. A good smoke.
Team Thor is divided into two parts and is complemented by Team Darryl. Directed by Taika Waititi. The short films starring Thor. They were an example of what we would end up finding in Thor: Ragnarok. And many repudiated them precisely because of the tone they wore.
Shot as a mockumentary very much in the style of What They Do in the Shadows. Team Thor Finds Out What Thor Was Up To During Captain America: Civil War and how he was ignored by his fellow Avengers.
Apparently the God of Thunder moved to Australia along with a mortal named Darryl. And the short films show us everyday life in the most bizarre ways. Sending emails. Going to schools. Having a drink with Bruce Banner. Looking for slaves to work for him.
All this with a satirical tone that broke the mold of what was previously seen in Thor and Thor: The Dark World and was only a preview of what we would end up seeing in Thor: Ragnarok y Thor: Love and Thunder. Where by the way. Darryl scored a brief cameo.
These short films are pure meme. A sitcom with Thor. Seeing is believing. It is priceless to see the Son of Odin playing four in a row. And how she manages to live with Darryl. One of the great discoveries.
Darryl ultimately starred in the trilogy finale of these unique short films. No longer Thor. Darryl found himself another roommate. The great teacher. Played by Jeff Goldblum. Who had just escaped from Sakaar after Thor: Ragnarok. And following in the wake of the previous ones with the Son of Odin. Having the Grandmaster as a roommate was quite a setback for Darryl. With moments like The Grand Master youtuber. Or is it genius. Totally recommended. With a good dressing they enter luxury.
TIP: I am Groot
Disney+
As an extra I couldn’t stop mentioning I am Groot. Marvel Studios not long ago recovered the tradition of short films with the I Am Groot special where in brief capsules it presented the most explosive stories with Baby Groot messing it up. Endearing beyond power.
Of course it seems that the short film format will be replaced by the Marvel Studios Specials since The Curse of the Werewolf and Guardians of the Galaxy: Happy Holidays Special have become an indisputable success and it seems that they will set the trend allowing Marvel Studios to offer a product with a more spacious extension to present new mythology and new characters already in passing with a story that sits with much more weight in the continuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and ensure that they do not go unnoticed.
Marvel Studios short films help expand mythology and learn for a few moments about other stories from the already vast Marvel Cinematic Universe.
What do you think about Marvel Studios short films? What is your favorite? Do you think it is a format that could give more of itself? Will we see more short films or do you prefer the special ones?
Remember that if you have not seen them yet, you can do so with your Disney + subscription here.
