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Longtime listeners of the Cinematic Doctrine podcast may recognize the names Derrick Whitmore and John Weiand. In July of 2019, I was in Florida visiting Derrick about his non-profit organization Shattered Studios. During that trip, I appeared in an episode of their Christian pop-culture podcast ShatterCast discussing Spider-Man: Far From Home. You can find the episode on their YouTube channel for ShatterCast and, apart from seeing what I look like in real life, you’ll also catch a glimpse of what Derrick and John do at Shattered Studios.

Considering they invited me on their show to chat a Marvel film, I figured it only made sense to invite Derrick and John from ShatterCast to chat another Marvel film with me, and what better film than the one that convinced us this Marvel Cinematic Universe thing was going to be a real juggernaut: The Avengers!

So, travel back to 2012 with Derrick, John, and me as we talk about revisiting this genre-defining and, dare I say, industry-defining movie. Then, listen in as we think through Phase Two and Three, as well as figure out which Marvel villains are our favorite. Then, Derrick’s got some hot takes to share – or as he calls them, “small gripes” – regarding a few strange things in The Avengers. And finally, hear what each of us thinks about The Avengers’ pervasive themes of unity, teamwork, and fighting for justice no matter what!

The Avengers is Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, and a mild drug reference. It features Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Samuel L. Jackson, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Directed by Joss Whedon. The Avengers is available on Disney Plus.

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