Movies News Talk
If the past actions of some MCU characters are any indication, 2024 will be the year of Brat Summer, and they would welcome it. Though the MCU is now full of people with distinct personalities after 16 years, very few are unquestionably experiencing 2024's "Brat Summer." The announcement that Robert Downey Jr. will be joining the MCU once more as Doctor Doom, along with Deadpool and Wolverine's historic summer arrival, have recently dominated the MCU. While most of society has embraced the concept of Charli XCX's most recent album, "Brat," Brat Summer has taken over another area of pop culture. However, this doesn't mean MCU characters can't also get involved.
It's important to first define "brat" according to its creator, Charli XCX, before discussing which MCU characters might be having a Brat Summer. Fortunately, the pop sensation used TikTok to characterize it as:
You're just that girl—a little dirty, party animal, and occasionally prone to saying foolish things. who, while feeling herself, may simultaneously be having a breakdown. However, it's kind of like, parties through it, and it's very direct and honest. somewhat erratic. Like, does silly things. However, it's a Brat. You are a brat. That is a brat.
To put it another way, "Brat Summer" is defined as taking chances, embracing discomfort, being truthful with both yourself and other people, and savoring every moment of life, according to a number of internet sites. In light of this, a number of beloved MCU Characters suit the description admirably and would undoubtedly be having a Brat Summer in the MCU.
One of the most notable examples of an MCU hero who unexpectedly gained popularity is Wong, who made his film debut in Doctor Strange. His easygoing demeanor and repartee are major contributors to his likeability; in fact, these qualities would be ideal for the Sorcerer Supreme position in the MCU. Wong's recent long list of mischievous actions, however, should be sufficient proof that his Brat Summer is well under way.
Following the destruction of Doctor Strange in Avengers: Infinity War, Wong rose to become the Sorcerer Supreme. Not too long ago, Wong was spotted breaking out of prison to fight Abomination in an underground ring, singing karaoke after meeting Shang-Chi and his beacon-emitting Ten Rings, and demanding that, despite being the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange keep him out of what would turn out to be one of the most egregious misuses of sorcery in the entire MCU. Naturally, Wong became friends with Madisynn more lately and developed an obsession with binge-watching television at the detriment of other responsibilities. They included, incidentally, releasing Abomination from prison once more and transporting him to Kamar-Taj.
The adoptive sister of Natasha Romanoff, who made her screen debut in Black Widow in 2021, Yelena Belova, will be leading the Thunderbolts as one of the team's most notable players. Like Wong, Yelena quickly gained popularity in the MCU because to her humor; in fact, based on her few appearances so far, there are a ton of Yelena memes. In all of those appearances, Yelena has shown to be a hilarious and wonderfully charming addition to the MCU cast.
Yelena's willingness to get her hands dirty in Black Widow and rob a civilian at gunpoint demonstrates her stark honesty and at least a hint of volatility. Furthermore, Yelena maintains her ostensibly carefree demeanor despite catastrophe. Her early scene meeting with Kate Bishop reveals her to be irreverent despite her unrelenting intensity in tracking down Clint Barton in Hawkeye, as she savors Bishop's macaroni and hot sauce.
Two iterations of Loki have been featured in the MCU; the first was the one who debuted in Thor and was eliminated in Avengers: Infinity War. The second is the hero of his own television program, which he named after himself. His exploits in the TVA led to a branching history, and the eventual result was that he became the God of Stories, guardian of the multiverse in a place beyond of time, and an eternal recluse. Thus, if the former were still alive, he would undoubtedly be experiencing a Brat Summer.
Sacred chronology After turning evil in Thor and The Avengers, Loki has several redemption stories. Nevertheless, he quickly entered a decade of debauchery as he usurped and mimicked his father, Odin, following his alleged self-sacrifice in Thor: The Dark World. After that, his instability would recur in Thor: Ragnarok, where he betrayed his brother twice more before Thanos ultimately put an end to his chaotic ways. Let's just say that the God of Mischief would love to be a "brat" and is most naughty on the Sacred Timeline.
Caution! There are spoilers for Deadpool and Wolverine in this post. Unlike any other TVA agent previously revealed in the MCU, Paradox is unique. His arrogance has overtaken him as he blindly decides to make an extraordinarily "dumb" choice: building the Time Ripper and arranging covert agreements with the Void's group of X-Men villains. Eventually, this would bring the multiverse—which he is, of course, meant to assist in maintaining—very close to destruction.
The seemingly casual way in which Paradox has handled the whole thing is the source of his "brat" persona. He is apparently too impatient to comply with the tiresome new protocols of the TVA, preferring the more efficient old techniques, which accounts for the grave state of affairs during the movie's finale. As he dismisses Deadpool's attempts to restore his universe with lingo like "B-t-dubs," Matthew Macfadyen masterfully transforms Paradox into the more conventional description of a brat, going against his prim-and-proper image.
Thor considered Valkyrie to be the formidable warrior who should lead Asgard when he abdicated. King Valkyrie has already shown that she is fairly excellent at her position after supervising the growth of New Asgard and welcoming Skrull refugees, so it is evident from several acts of bravery, slyness, and leadership that this was a wise decision. But Thor: Love & Thunder also revealed that she isn't always at ease in politics and longs for the faster-paced way of life she was accustomed to.
At the start of Thor: Ragnarok, Valkyrie was perhaps at her messiest. She had a major breakdown after discovering she was the sole surviving Valkyrie in Asgard and went a bit too wild while celebrating. Thor: Love & Thunder revealed that she still had a more wild side that she enjoyed fostering in their search for Gorr, even if it is undoubtedly for the best that her days of drinking excessively are behind her. Moreover, King Valkyrie continues to be among the MCU's most straightforward and honest characters.
In their MCU premiere, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Katy Chen, Shang-Chi's best friend from San Francisco, jumps at the chance to go on an incredible adventure with him. Even though Katy doesn't really have any superpowers, one of her most distinctive personality qualities is her desire to step outside of her comfort zone. In the film's climax, she learns to shoot an arrow in a matter of days and aids in the defeat of the Dweller in Darkness, a monstrous dragon beast that devours souls.
Katy persistently disregards caution throughout her MCU debut. This can be anything from going out for some foolish cocktails and karaoke on a weeknight with Shang-Chi (and subsequently Wong) to blindly throwing down the eldritch terror. It also seems like a rather prescient fashion decision for a character who would undoubtedly be embracing brat summer that she also wears some blatantly brat-colored pants during her visit to Macau.
Trevor was unlikable, despite the fact that his MCU debut in Iron Man 3 caused controversy since, in essence, he was a human rug-pull who prevented viewers from witnessing Iron Man square off against one of his most recognizable and enduring adversaries. Seeing him down beers and confessing to accepting the Mandarin role in exchange for an unrestricted supply of illegal drugs made his love of partying clearly visible. This could be part of the blissful ignorance he chooses to hold onto despite the really catastrophic circumstances he finds himself in.
The Wonder Man show, which does not yet have a release date, will feature Trevor's comeback to the MCU. Even Trevor's well-earned period of incarceration failed to quell his thirst for life. Conversely, he rose to fame—much to the dismay of fellow prisoner Justin Hammer—and cheerfully accepted the unrest by, well, "partying through it." His last known location was Ta Lo, where he stayed after seeing some of the most bizarre images from the previous fight. He would undoubtedly still be doing "dumb things" there.
The entire ethos of Grandmaster revolves around his hedonistic lifestyle as Sakaar's autocratic king. Jeff Goldblum's casting choice brilliantly captured his joyfully careless attitude of forcing captive outsiders into gladiatorial death fights. Even in the wake of Thor's escape, he approaches his demise with a charming irreverence.
Grandmaster is the second Elder of the Universe to be introduced in the MCU after Benicio Del Toro's Collector. Grandmaster spends most of his time in Thor: Ragnarok enjoying himself within what he has essentially molded into a planet of perpetual Brat Summer. He does show slight volatility as he melt-sticks his own cousin without batting an eye, though he seems perpetually untroubled. As for what Grandmaster is doing in the wake of his deposition, as an Elder of the Universe he has most likely survived and continues to live his best life in some other capacity that the Multiverse Saga will hopefully reveal down the line.
Madisynn is a minor character who debuted in a single episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law as the very definition of "brat" before it became a thing. Her scenes are few but memorable, and nearly all involve her nursing a cocktail as she stumbles blissfully through a string of unfortunate decisions. The way in which she shrugs off making a deal with a demon called Jake after being sent to a hellish dimension by the charlatan Donny Blaze is even the kind of brat behavior that nothing during brat summer could top.
Madisynn is an original MCU character but was written into Marvel Comics canon after her unforgettable small-screen debut in 2022. Given their shared brat-related habits, her friendship with "Wongers" is perhaps not as unlikely as it would first appear. Both have proven that they are risk-takers willing to live life to the full, whether it's tussling with a hulk in an underground fighting ring or selling six drops of blood to a goat demon. Given neither has been seen since She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, it is still hopeful that the MCU will reveal that they have been enjoying Brat Summer together in the intervening months.
If it had been released just months later, there is no doubt that Deadpool would have mentioned Brat Summer in his MCU debut, Deadpool & Wolverine. Deadpool's R-rated franchise has made no attempts to quash his overly hedonistic lifestyle while also depicting him saying and doing plenty of "dumb things," having a breakdown, delivering cutting harsh truths through fourth-wall breaks, and savoring the ridiculous circumstances he is embroiled in. All considered, Deadpool is the most brat MCU hero.
Deadpool & Wolverine saw Deadpool save his universe by introducing a new friend into his ever-growing inner circle - the titular Wolverine himself. Given all they've been through together, their rediscovered lust for life should be at its peak as Deadpool has started to rekindle his relationships and helped Wolverine achieve redemption. The fact that Deadpool & Wolverine canonically takes place in the summer of 2024 in their universe (while the MCU's Sacred Timeline is currently in 2026) is just the icing on the lime-green cake.