It wasn't because of ego that he left that early. Pretty much every director he worked with said that if he couldn't do it on the first or second take he's start to overthink it and freeze up. There's a short scene in The Manchurian Candidate which is out of focus but he kept fucking it up on the next takes so they…

Get the fffffffuck out of my office, McManus. (And into the loving arms of Diane Whittlesey.)

You mustn't pay much attention to the internet.

How is he supposed to understand when he's done nothing of note since he first showed up?

Look into my eye.

T'was ever thus.

Asimov's Second Amendment.

What you've described is literally storytelling.

The clip with Thomas Kretschmann and the two mutant kids that existed entirely to justify that set piece at the start of Avengers 2 is more substantial than shots of Jackie Chan falling awkwardly.

In what way are post-credits scenes that set up future character appearances and plot points not storytelling?

That's such a Vishnevetskian thing to say.

It won't need to end on a cliffhanger because every twenty minutes something will crop up, like a line of dialogue mentioning a character who hasn't appeared before or a new mcguffin comic book readers will recognise, and that lays the groundwork for the next one.

The teasing of future events is one thing I don't fully grasp in comic book movies. I know Marvel better than DC so pick up on them more but that ends up leaving me in a bind as to how I'm supposed to think of them: Thanos is clearly teased as the end boss and having read some comics with him in, I know what that will…

That's only true when Michael Bay does it.

Not sure if that was a better version or not, sight unseen. Tamer version, oh yeah.

Jason Bourne is the "thinking man's Bond" to the same people who consider Christopher Nolan to be the guy who made a "realistic Batman."

Where do you start with Joyce Carol Oates?

Of every superhero movie, you pick this one?

Remember when Heath Ledger killed himself playing a tamer version of the same role?

Is contemporary New York City a fantastic world?