I’m not sure it’s entirely against her will. Given what she knows of the Dothraki, I’m pretty sure she’s at least halfway convinced she can manage to survive this.

Yeah, but the problem with that idea is that, eventually, he’d forget why it was happening, and stop suffering properly.

You know, despite the generally gloomy tone we’re getting, I have to say I’m still very, very much enjoying this series.

Of course, the fact that Cersei is suffering doesn’t hurt. She’s so fun to dislike. Although it would have been better if Joffrey could’ve died again, instead of Myrcella.

Yay more Dothraki! Dany was…

That’s my point. If The Incredible Hulk had come first, the reception for Iron Man might not have been as warm. The fact that audiences came into the weaker of the two films full of good will probably helped things immensely.

Assorted musings:

Wow...I cannot imagine Finn as anything but a reformed/un-brainwashed Stormtrooper. That really tugged at the ol’ “There is good in him” heartstrings, at least for me.

Thank God they left out Anakin’s ghost.

Well...That explanation for the red arm was less than exciting

....Kylo, please, seek help.…

Now, I cannot. However, before RDJ became the face of the MCU...Maybe. It’s honestly hard to say in hindsight. RDJ IS Tony Stark in most people’s minds (my own included), and even if they later recast the role, RDJ will (probably) enjoy a Sean Connery-like reverence as the original.

Not really. I’m also given to understand that there were difficulties with Norton on set, a la Terrance Howard in Iron Man. While I do enjoy Edward Norton, and he did great work in the films mentioned, I prefer Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner. Similar to the way I prefer Don Cheadle as James Rhodes.

This is why I tend to separate the actor from the characters they play: if Ms. Portman was unhappy about being around for The Dark World, you sure couldn’t tell. I get that she’s a professional and leaves her baggage off camera, but for someone to be able to pretend that well, it’s hard for me to associate that…

You know, that’s a good point. Although Iron Man hit at just the right time, with just the right tone, to really ignite widespread interest. Imagine if the release order of that film and The Incredible Hulk had been reversed.

Well, I think the difference here is pretty simple: Warner Bros. is looking at this from the perspective of “We’re want to make money, and as long as we make X dollars, it makes financial sense to try again”. They’re not worried about critical success, only monetary.