Author: upsider admin

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is one of the largest movie franchises to ever exist. But since the finale of the Avengers story line, ending with the massive success of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the franchise has has been increasingly less well received.

What is in the future for this media giant, and what is the path for recovery?

The MCU’s most recent cinematic release, The Marvels, has been a box office disaster, so far pulling in around $76 million in the domestic box office, and near $187 million world wide. It currently sits as the lowest box office of any MCU movie ever.

While $187 million sounds like a lot of money, it pales in comparison to $2.7 billion of Avengers: Endgame.

While this stands out as Marvel’s least successful movie, it’s not the only one facing challenges recently, both at the box office and in terms of fan reception. Let’s delve into the two primary issues plaguing Marvel’s latest releases.

The Path to Recovery

The Avengers movies had very well liked characters. Getting to know them, usually through their own film, then putting them together and showing their interactions was very engaging. We knew of these characters formative experiences and driving motivations and we could see these interact and clash with the other characters.

Unfortunately, many of these early characters are no longer in the movies, and their replacements have in general have not been as well received.

Devoid of this, the only thing that could bring success back to the MCU would be movies that are good enough to stand on their own. While Spider-Man: No Way Home certainly managed that, not many of the others have.

The Big Question

To fix all these problems, do we need to reboot the whole franchise? Is starting over from scratch the best way to revitalize the story and bring back the characters we know? Taking the characters we have grown to love and showing us new and different stories that we have never seen from them? I am not sure, but I would love to see what you all think.

p.s. If we do a full reboot, my vote is for Alan Ritchson to play Captain America.

According to a recent report from CoinShares, institutional investors are consistently investing in cryptocurrency funds as they hold out hope for the approval of a Bitcoin ETF. Last week, the European digital asset manager recorded $346 million in deposits to cryptocurrency exchange-traded products (ETPs), marking the highest over nine consecutive weeks of net inflows. The bulk of these deposits, $312 million or 90%, flowed into Bitcoin-specific funds. This influx, coupled with increasing cryptocurrency prices, has pushed the total value of assets under management in crypto funds to $45 billion.

An exchange-traded product is an investment vehicle whose shares are listed on an exchange, designed to track the performance of underlying assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum, or benchmarks such as commodities, currencies, stocks, and bonds. While exchange-traded funds (ETFs) fall under the ETP umbrella, a key distinction is that a spot ETF would track the real-time price of Bitcoin, a feature none of the already-approved future Bitcoin ETFs possess.

Despite the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) concerns over volatility and manipulation risks in crypto markets, the industry remains optimistic about a potential approval for a spot Bitcoin ETF in the U.S. Industry observers suggest that the consistent interest from institutional investors hints at an impending approval.

Financial behemoth BlackRock, along with firms like Fidelity and VanEck, are among those that applied to offer a spot Bitcoin ETF in the U.S.

Although not financial advice, it’s reasonable to anticipate that as governments show growing approval, regulations tighten, and traditional financial institutions step into the arena, the days of the crypto wild west era and volatility are likely coming to a close.

While modern smartwatches can connect you to emergency services, they fall short in providing immediate, life-saving interventions. A groundbreaking solution comes in the form of Lifeaz, a portable defibrillator that empowers individuals to take control in emergencies, even without extensive training.

Conventional defibrillators, often depicted on TV, require precise procedures and specialized knowledge. Unfortunately, in the U.S. alone, hundreds of thousands of cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals, leading to delayed treatment and preventable deaths.

Enter Lifeaz, a compact defibrillator designed for easy use at home or on the go. Its portability allows it to fit into backpacks or travel bags, ensuring readiness for any situation. The device’s simplicity is key – users follow clear instructions, place electrodes as indicated, and let the intelligent technology analyze and determine the optimal settings for revival.

Lifeaz has gained popularity in Europe, with 10,000 families adopting it and 17 lives saved!! While awaiting FDA certification in the U.S., the device is poised to fill a crucial gap in emergency response, bridging the divide between recognizing heart conditions and actively ensuring survival.