Ant-Man The best way that Marvel can fix this

[The Question]

Easy perhaps is the wrong word - but we're not talking drastically rewriting the script, just changing the age of one of the characters. I agree, I doubt it'd happen - but it could be done, and delaying the film a year could guarantee that it could be done in a way that works and compliments the story rather than feels like a last minute rewrite. What's to say a younger Pym couldn't have retired and be living with the victories and defeats of his career as a spy (assuming that's what Pym's Ant-Man is) and the same parallel being made?

That in of itself is a drastic rewrite to the script. In a movie where the foundational premise is the meeting of two generations of superhero, a living legend who has to has to live with the burden of his decades long career and a man who fits no one's idea of a hero who has to live up to that legacy, the script is going to be loaded with elements involving dialogue, pacing, characterization, and basic narrative structure that will make absolutely no sense if you simply change the character's age in the script. There's a lot more that goes into screenwriting that simply what the characters do and say. A key element is the way in which key information is presented in every part of the script. Rewriting a script to make that kind of a change is a huge deal.

Here's an idea: Imagine rewriting Harry Potter so that Dumbledore is in his late thirties. Keep everything else the same, just change that detail. Do you see any holes that would create in the narrative?

Anyway, the other reason they shouldn't rewrite the script to make Pym younger is that there is no reason to do so. The basic premise of the story is fine.

 

[Human Torch]

Delay production until the fall, and push the release date back to its original November release date.

Do a soft rewrite on the script....... keeping the "To Steal An Ant-Man" story in tact, but swapping the 60s pym story for a young, modern pym (played by already cast Patrick Wilson), and recast Michael Douglas as Vernon Van Dyne, Pym's colleague/mentor.

OR, do the latter, but push the date all the way to 2016. And in turn, make 2016 the first year to feature THREE Marvel Studios films.

They'd be wise to right the ship now that they have a chance.I can't see them not taking every opportunity to make this a "Marvel" movie instead of a stand alone now.

 

[The Question]

They'd be wise to right the ship now that they have a chance.I can't see them not taking every opportunity to make this a "Marvel" movie instead of a stand alone now.

How does de-aging Pym make it less of a standalone?

 

[Ant-manic]

As a formerly regular poster and peruser of various comic books related themed message boards (Marvel Masterworks, Comic Book Resources back in the day), I must say this board is the first time I've heard of Scott Lang having a fanbase. Every other Marvel themed board would talk about Hank Pym (as Antman/Giant Man/Yellowjacket/Purple Jumpsuit AWC Hank in some fashion) and his stories and relation to the Avengers, not Scott Lang. Hank Pym has been in 1,226 comics according to Marvel Wiki...compared to 196 appearances by Scott Lang. Lang has been in a whopping 36 issues with an Avengers title (Avengers Vol. 1, Avengers Vol 3, and Avengers: Children's Crusade).

195 appearances as Ant-Man! how many of Pym's appearances were as Ant-Man? because you're in the Ant-Man movie forum. I don't give a damn about Scott becoming an Avenger. but he earned his spot in the Ant-Man mythos. and what other boards are you referencing? because I used to post as a Scott Lang fan twice as much on CBR as here.

 

[Human Torch]

How does de-aging Pym make it less of a standalone?

How does aging Pym make him more likely an Avenger?

 

[The Question]

How does aging Pym make him more likely an Avenger?

It doesn't. But it also doesn't make the film standalone as far as I can tell. The film can still contain references to the rest of the MCU, Scott Lang can still join The Avengers, and Hank Pym can still get involved in the history of the MCU via flashbacks and period stories.

So what am I missing? How does de-aging Pym make the film less of a standalone?

 

[Jammat]

Delay production until the fall, and push the release date back to its original November release date.

Do a soft rewrite on the script....... keeping the "To Steal An Ant-Man" story in tact, but swapping the 60s pym story for a young, modern pym (played by already cast Patrick Wilson), and recast Michael Douglas as Vernon Van Dyne, Pym's colleague/mentor.

OR, do the latter, but push the date all the way to 2016. And in turn, make 2016 the first year to feature THREE Marvel Studios films.

They'd be wise to right the ship now that they have a chance.I can't see them not taking every opportunity to make this a "Marvel" movie instead of a stand alone now.

Haven't they already booked Pinewood to shoot this May? In which case, it's a fairly srong bet they've booked a crew and assembled the principle cast. For them to push back shooting and drop Douglas they'd surely be throwing a lot of money away, then they'd have to be sure that Lily, Rudd, Wilson and the rest all had free schedules at that time.

I can't see Marvel doing that.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Lilly and Wilson have not been confirmed by Marvel. Then again, they also have not confirmed that Bettany is Vision or Kretschmann as Von Strucker either.

The only cast confirmed by Marvel are Rudd and Douglas. Stoll and Pena were only in talks, nothing is signed with those two.

 

[DrCosmic]

I wouldn't have a problem with them pushing the film back to a late fall/early winter release.After a decade of delays,a few more months shouldn't make a heck of a difference.
But script revisions happen all the time.Sometimes during shooting.It's not always the drama people are making it out to be.

Small script revisions happen during screaming. Aging down or depowering the mentor of your legacy character is by no means a small revision. And Marvel seems to have a problem with pushing it back so... -shrug-

Again people are acting as if a costumed crime fighter that can shrink (and grow) at will is old hat.Correct me if I'm wrong,but the last time the shrinking concept was even attempted was Honey,I shrunk the kids,back in the late 80's.There really doesn't need to be this drastic sales pitch to legitimize the movie.If people will go to see GotG,Ant Man should be,by comparison,a safe bet.

I think people expect multiple new things, like GotG brings, as opposed to one unique thing, which the typical-superhero-movie-Pym would bring to the table.

Well,since "He was young and an Avenger in the comics" and "I like Pym better and think his story deserves to be told from the beginning." isn't justifiable reasons for you and Question,I'll refrain from answering.

If they're justifiable, just justify them. Case in point: there are other changes from the comics that you do accept. So why is this change one that you won't? What's the justification?

Why is not telling a story in chronological order a disservice? Is 'En Media Res' only for poor stories, in your understanding?

When I saw this image, I laughed really hard. 75 years of Marvel (brought to you by the TALENTED Greg Lang) and only movie characters, with the exception of Carol Danvers who is being shoved down everyone's throat, Sam Alexander, Black Bolt and Spider-Man which I suppose it would be a crime not including him. Not even their first family made the cut. After Original Sin, they will release several new titles, including one for Deathlok. It's safe to assume Lang will get one due to his movie coming out the next year. That's what I wanted for Pym. And as they said before, ''movies should influence comic books'', so will they make Pym old in the comics just so it mirrors the movie version? No, of course we don't know. But then again, nobody here knows anything, as this is pure discussion and speculation.

I want to see Pym's origins as a young man, interacting with other current Avengers and being ''relevant''. To those who are fine with old Pym and Wright's vision, let's put that aside for a moment and answer, do you want to see Pym being a young (30-40+) costumed superhero interacting with the Avengers? If you say no, why? Do you honestly know the character? He's not just a wifebeater or Ultron's daddy. There's more than that and it's quite simple. I don't mind seeing Lang taking the mantle, as it's clear he's been Ant-Man for longer, and if Wright really left Marvel because they wanted to include as many MCU references as possible, then I don't really know what to think about Marvel's revised script. I don't dislike the character, because I don't know him that much and I'm open to his inclusion in the MCU. So I repeat,

To those who are fine with old Pym and Wright's vision, let's put that aside for a moment and answer, do you want to see Pym being a young (30-40+) costumed superhero interacting with the Avengers? If you say no, why? Do you honestly know the character? Do you really think his main appeal is being Ultron's dad? Would you be ok if something drastic happens to the current MCU Avengers for the sake of someone else's vision, granted, it's ''better'' than going by a more ''faithful'' adaptation?

So it's not about age or quality of the movie, none of that's your main concern, you just want an editorial push for Hank Pym? The comics, and no the films are your priority? Did I get that right?

Why is age "drastic?" I think that's close to the core of the issue. Certain changes: costume/clothing, speaking patterns, personality shifts, scientific properties are not considered drastic changes, but certain other traits: race, and apparently age are called "drastic?" Why is that?

To answer your question, I think several long paragraphs have been written about "why not," much better than I could write. But, the reality is that I do want to see young Hank Pym suit up alongside the Avengers and interact with them. I would enjoy that. But what I'd like more is an awesome Ant-Man movie that everyone likes and isn't dismissed as derivative. What I'd like more is a relevant Ant-Man. And if that means changing his costume, his hairstyle, hair color, occupation, height, weight, age, race, gender, religion, species, as long as the nature of who the character is intact and the story is enhanced in some way, then that's what I prefer. Why would I want a poorer film just so it can look like the comics? And we all agree on this concept, but certain properties, in this case, age, are mysterious unincluded.

I know it seems like a young Ant-Man would be more relevant, but he has almost nothing to contribute to the Avengers. He's not a founder/Ultron's daddy and he's not the guy who is too pacifist/self doubtful/haunted by mistakes to separate himself from the Avengers. He's just another scientist with superstrength, but he can shrink to sneak around instead of just sneak around the old fashioned way like Widow and Cap. But he's in the room standing around, waiting to do the only thing unique to him: shrink down and jump in someone's ear. He's there, but no one has history with him, which, at the end of the day, isn't actually a faithful interpretation at all. He's irrelevant. If he's not there, nothing changes.

But an older Pym, whose already had his time, whose already made his mistakes, he can school the Avengers on how things are done, be revealed as someone behind some of their troubles when he meets them. He can be the guy who is in search of redemption, just like young Pym was in the comics. He can be the guy with a long list of failures who gives up superhero life. He can be the guy who lost Jan. He can be the guy who He can be a faithful and adaptation of the character's nature, and not just the character's affiliation and age demographic. He can be relevant, to the universe and to the general audience.

And him receiving the same comics push that Rhodey got (a solo comic) wouldn't hurt either.

 

[The Question]

Small script revisions happen during screaming. Aging down or depowering the mentor of your legacy character is by no means a small revision. And Marvel seems to have a problem with pushing it back so... -shrug-



I think people expect multiple new things, like GotG brings, as opposed to one unique thing, which the typical-superhero-movie-Pym would bring to the table.



If they're justifiable, just justify them. Case in point: there are other changes from the comics that you do accept. So why is this change one that you won't? What's the justification?

Why is not telling a story in chronological order a disservice? Is 'En Media Res' only for poor stories, in your understanding?



So it's not about age or quality of the movie, none of that's your main concern, you just want an editorial push for Hank Pym? The comics, and no the films are your priority? Did I get that right?

To answer your question, I think several long paragraphs have been written about "why not," much better than I could write. But, the reality is that I do want to see young Hank Pym suit up alongside the Avengers and interact with them. I would enjoy that. But what I'd like more is an awesome Ant-Man movie that everyone likes and isn't dismissed as derivative. What I'd like more is a relevant Ant-Man. And if that means changing his costume, his hairstyle, hair color, occupation, height, weight, age, race, gender, religion, species, as long as the nature of who the character is is intact, and that core nature informs all the decisions made, then I say I'd rather have something relevant that evokes the feeling I got from Ant-Man as opposed to something derivative that evokes the look I got from Ant-Man.

I know it seems like a young Ant-Man would be more relevant, but he has almost nothing to contribute to the Avengers. He's not a founder/Ultron's daddy and he's not the guy who is too pacifist/self doubtful/haunted by mistakes to separate himself from the Avengers. He's just another scientist with superstrength, but he can shrink to sneak around instead of just sneak around the old fashioned way like Widow and Cap. But he's in the room standing around, waiting to do the only thing unique to him: shrink down and jump in someone's ear. He's there, but no one has history with him, which, at the end of the day, isn't actually a faithful interpretation at all. He's irrelevant. If he's not there, nothing changes.

But an older Pym, whose already had his time, whose already made his mistakes, he can school the Avengers on how things are done, be revealed as someone behind some of their troubles when he meets them. He can be the guy who is in search of redemption, just like young Pym was in the comics. He can be the guy with a long list of failures who gives up superhero life. He can be the guy who lost Jan. He can be the guy who He can be a faithful and adaptation of the character's nature, and not just the character's affiliation and age demographic. He can be relevant, to the universe and to the general audience.

And him receiving the same comics push that Rhodey got (a solo comic) wouldn't hurt either.

Also, one shots or a Netflix series about a young Pym in the 1960s teaming up with the likes of Jimmy Woo would be really really cool.

 

[JJ01]

So it's not about age or quality of the movie, none of that's your main concern, you just want an editorial push for Hank Pym? The comics, and no the films are your priority? Did I get that right?

To answer your question, I think several long paragraphs have been written about "why not," much better than I could write. But, the reality is that I do want to see young Hank Pym suit up alongside the Avengers and interact with them. I would enjoy that. But what I'd like more is an awesome Ant-Man movie that everyone likes and isn't dismissed as derivative. What I'd like more is a relevant Ant-Man. And if that means changing his costume, his hairstyle, hair color, occupation, height, weight, age, race, gender, religion, species, as long as the nature of who the character is is intact, and that core nature informs all the decisions made, then I say I'd rather have something relevant that evokes the feeling I got from Ant-Man as opposed to something derivative that evokes the look I got from Ant-Man.

I know it seems like a young Ant-Man would be more relevant, but he has almost nothing to contribute to the Avengers. He's not a founder/Ultron's daddy and he's not the guy who is too pacifist/self doubtful/haunted by mistakes to separate himself from the Avengers. He's just another scientist with superstrength, but he can shrink to sneak around instead of just sneak around the old fashioned way like Widow and Cap. But he's in the room standing around, waiting to do the only thing unique to him: shrink down and jump in someone's ear. He's there, but no one has history with him, which, at the end of the day, isn't actually a faithful interpretation at all. He's irrelevant. If he's not there, nothing changes.

But an older Pym, whose already had his time, whose already made his mistakes, he can school the Avengers on how things are done, be revealed as someone behind some of their troubles when he meets them. He can be the guy who is in search of redemption, just like young Pym was in the comics. He can be the guy with a long list of failures who gives up superhero life. He can be the guy who lost Jan. He can be the guy who He can be a faithful and adaptation of the character's nature, and not just the character's affiliation and age demographic. He can be relevant, to the universe and to the general audience.

And him receiving the same comics push that Rhodey got (a solo comic) wouldn't hurt either.

Are you implying the inclusion of an adaptation of young Pym and his story would be ''less good'' than Wright's vision? Allow me to remember you Wright is no longer at the helm of this movie. We don't know the reasons behind all this, for this is pure speculation. But as I stated before:

''We don't know why Wright left. We can only assume and speculate. But if I were to assume, then I'd say Wright left because Marvel's revised script is nothing like we were promised and nothing like his vision. Sure, chances of Old Pym and Lang being there are high. They can't simply get rid of the actors. That's not possible, I think. The only thing I'm concerned is the script not being that good and resulting into a movie and big screen debut for Ant-Man that is ''less than ideal'' for lack of a better term.''

At this moment, you're just wanting to see old Pym and young Lang for the sake of having a change, and not worrying about the quality of the film.

Regarding Ultron, you really think Whedon is going to translate Ultron's origin, word by word, idea by idea, to the big screen? You really think Stark is going to be the sole creator, father of Ultron? See, this is a problem. You're instantly assuming Stark is his creator due to the teaser trailer and because he's known for creating AI (which I'm not sure if it's been referenced or not, I know it's mentioned in the prelude, but as I far as I know, the preludes are not canon). I don't think it's going to be that simple, just like the Avengers and the whole situation that lead them to band together was not simple.

And yes, it's true, I like reading comic books and playing games more than watching MCU movies. So I would love him having that push. If age does not matter, then you can't say he wouldnt contribute anything to the team, as he can easily go through the things you're mentioning. If you are going to say ''well, X or Y would not contribute anything to the team'', then I guess we'd be stuck with the current Avengers + Wanda, Pietro and Vision. Why would you add She-Hulk, Tigra, Hercules, Wonder Man, Beast (assuming they had rights to him), Mockingbird, etc, when you already fill your quota of smart, funny, strong, energy, quick, spy, jerk Avenger?

 

[Ant-manic]

And him receiving the same comics push that Rhodey got (a solo comic) wouldn't hurt either.

well he was the lead of Avengers A.I. and that spun out of a Pym-centric Age of Ultron book. plus, there's his recent appearances in Daredevil's title. that's kind of a push. not ideal though. i'm sort of expecting them to reform the West Coast Avengers, after the AXIS event. Daredevil's just moved out west.

 

[Ant-manic]

Lilly and Wilson have not been confirmed by Marvel. Then again, they also have not confirmed that Bettany is Vision or Kretschmann as Von Strucker either.

The only cast confirmed by Marvel are Rudd and Douglas. Stoll and Pena were only in talks, nothing is signed with those two.

i'm going to be sooo angry if Stoll's out. i just finished the first season of House of Cards and that movie 'Push' just for a glimpse at his acting style. he's really good in HoC and really skeevy in 'Push.'

 

[Human Torch]

Small script revisions happen during screaming. Aging down or depowering the mentor of your legacy character is by no means a small revision. And Marvel seems to have a problem with pushing it back so... -shrug-

Granted it's not something to aspire to,but my only point is it's not necessarily a recipe for disaster,the way it's made out to be,to re-write a script in a limited amount of time.

If I remember correctly,Wrath of Khan was re-written in a matter of a couple weeks.

I think people expect multiple new things, like GotG brings, as opposed to one unique thing, which the typical-superhero-movie-Pym would bring to the table.

Frankly,there's nothing typical about Pym,but even so,the so called "typical-superhero-movie" thing has worked for Marvel how many times now?It's things like GotG that have people biting their nails over Marvel having their first flop.

If they're justifiable, just justify them. Case in point: there are other changes from the comics that you do accept. So why is this change one that you won't? What's the justification?

Basically I've been behind everything Marvel has done apart from Hank Pym.I wasn't thrilled with Mandarin,but ironically,it didn't take them long to right the ship on that one...

Why is not telling a story in chronological order a disservice? Is 'En Media Res' only for poor stories, in your understanding?

Because unless the film takes place 35 years from now,you've isolated the character to a place of not being able to interact with his peers as an equal.If it were simply a case of "Batman Beyond-ing" Pym,with the intent of using "modern Pym" in the MCU,I'd have no objections.(I'm sorta kinda guessing this is the "Mandarin-esq" resolution Marvel/Disney is going for.

 

[Ant-manic]

How does aging Pym make him more likely an Avenger?

i could see it potentially painting him as a guy with resources. if he's been around for awhile, he could concievably have bases for the Avengers to use (like Fury did). he'd be more west-coast-avengers-pym than giant-guy-at-the-back-of-groupshots-pym.

 

[Ant-manic]

Because unless the film takes place 35 years from now,you've isolated the character to a place of not being able to interact with his peers as an equal.

you're right. he'd be the respected veteran, in this iteration. that makes Nick Fury his peer. if he were young, he'd be the rookie; looking up to the likes of founder-Clint Barton. as long as he's portrayed as confident and skilled at what he doesn, i don't see it as any more of a problem than Iron Man being a couple generations removed from his castmates.

 

[Chris B]

As things stand in MCU as of right now, I think they should keep Pym an older character there. Reason being that two major aspects of the character: being a founding member of the Avengers and the inventor of Ultron, are not options anymore. With those gone, I don't really what a younger version would bring to the table at this point. Whereas I could see an older Pym having something to contribute for the reasons others have pointed out.

 

[Human Torch]

At this moment, you're just wanting to see old Pym and young Lang for the sake of having a change, and not worrying about the quality of the film.

That's about what it boils down to.A few vocal "Change is good" folks are not whom Marvel should be concerned about satisfying.It hasn't been in the past.Don't see why that should change now.

 

[Human Torch]

As things stand in MCU as of right now, I think they should keep Pym an older character there. Reason being that two major aspects of the character: being a founding member of the Avengers and the inventor of Ultron, are not options anymore. With those gone, I don't really what a younger version would bring to the table at this point. Whereas I could see an older Pym having something to contribute for the reasons others have pointed out.

He could still be responsible for future iterations of Ultron.It would be simplicity itself to write a follow up with Pym/Janet having the traditional relationship with Ultron,post AOU.

 

[The Question]

That's about what it boils down to.A few vocal "Change is good" folks are not whom Marvel should be concerned about satisfying.It hasn't been in the past.Don't see why that should change now.

That's not what it boils down to. We are concerned about the quality of the film. We don't see how de-aging Pym would increase the quality of the film, we're pretty certain that re-writing the script at this stage would decrease the quality of the film, and we think maintaining Wright's proposed dynamic between Pym and Lang would make the film more unique and interesting compared to the standard super hero movie formula, which is a factor in a film's quality and enjoyment.

Also, a few vocal "change is bad" folks are also not who Marvel should be concerned with.

Why shouldn't Marvel listen to people who say that change is good?

He could still be responsible for future iterations of Ultron.It would be simplicity itself to write a follow up with Pym/Janet having the traditional relationship with Ultron,post AOU.

How? Give me an example of how that would work.

 

[Ant-manic]

That's about what it boils down to.A few vocal "Change is good" folks are not whom Marvel should be concerned about satisfying.

the change was their idea. people like me backed their play/kept an open mind. i was already satisfied.

 

[Human Torch]

How? Give me an example of how that would work.

You're aptly named.I don't think I've seen you make a post yet that hasn't had a half dozen question marks.t:

It's going to matter how AOU comes out.But,using a little supposition,I'd say if they make reference to Pym having some kind of hand in the creation of Ultron's tech,that's your easy out right there.That's your "remember" moment.

Pym wants to know how something he worked on became so corrupted.He experiments and eventually accidentally unleashes Ultron back into existence.

As I said before,I can see the wheels turning at Marvel.They seem masters at letting fans have their cake and eat it too.I wouldn't be surprised if they are contemplating how to salvage Pym for the future.

 

[The Question]

You're aptly named.I don't think I've seen you make a post yet that hasn't had a half dozen question marks.t:

It's going to matter how AOU comes out.But,using a little supposition,I'd say if they make reference to Pym having some kind of hand in the creation of Ultron's tech,that's your easy out right there.That's your "remember" moment.

Pym wants to know how something he worked on became so corrupted.He experiments and eventually accidentally unleashes Ultron back into existence.

That doesn't really work. That would just be rehashing the plot of Age of Ultron with a new character in the role that most of us are assuming Tony Stark will play in the film. That isn't good storytelling.

What would you do to make it not a repeat of the same story?

As I said before,I can see the wheels turning at Marvel.They seem masters at letting fans have their cake and eat it too.I wouldn't be surprised if they are contemplating how to salvage Pym for the future.

That's assuming that they agree with you that Hank Pym is currently broken. I see no evidence of that.

 

[Human Torch]

That doesn't really work. That would just be rehashing the plot of Age of Ultron with a new character in the role that most of us are assuming Tony Stark will play in the film. That isn't good storytelling.

What would you do to make it not a repeat of the same story?

We'd have to see the film first,as to see how to differentiate it.But it's safe to say Pym and Stark react to things differently.And Ultron is Pym's creation in the comics.(and his biggest claim to fame)

That's assuming that they agree with you that Hank Pym is currently broken. I see no evidence of that.

I think they will certainly take Pym fans into consideration going forward.Like I said,have your cake and eat it too.That's what they do best.

We get Black's Mandarin/The Real Mandarin is still out there.Coulson makes the ultimate sacrifice/You can still catch him Tuesdays at 8 on ABC.And so on.There's no reason to believe they can't find an approach with Pym that will make (most) everyone happy.

 

[The Question]

We'd have to see the film first,as to see how to differentiate it.But it's safe to say Pym and Stark react to things differently.And Ultron is Pym's creation in the comics.(and his biggest claim to fame)

Stark and Pym reacting to things differently is all well and good, but having the hero of a film accidentally create a genocidal robot as the plot of the movie is going to feel derivative when the hero of the previous film accidentally created the exact same genocidal robot. It's rehashing the same story, that never leads to quality.

Also, what does Pym being Ultron's creator in the comics have anything to do with how repetitive it would feel to have a film where Pym recreates Ultrin after Age of Ultron already happened?

I think they will certainly take Pym fans into consideration going forward.Like I said,have your cake and eat it too.That's what they do best.

But why do you think that.

Also, here's the thing about having your cake and eating it too. That phrase is used to describe what it describes because it's impossible. The phrase is referring to a person trying to hold on to two things when they can only keep one.

The fact is, you can't have Tony Stark be Ultron's creator and have Pym be Ultron's creator in a later movie. That simply isn't good storytelling. It would be a convoluted and repetitive that has no actual narrative payoff and only serves as fan service that the majority of the audience wouldn't understand.

We get Black's Mandarin/The Real Mandarin is still out there.Coulson makes the ultimate sacrifice/You can still catch him Tuesdays at 8 on ABC.And so on.There's no reason to believe they can't find an approach with Pym that will make (most) everyone happy.

A few things:

1: I don't think Coulson's situation is comparable. It doesn't yield a repetitive storyline, at least on Agents of SHIELD they made a huge freaking deal about his coming back from the dead.

2: The Mandarin thing was bad storytelling. It convoluted the plot and cheapened the themes of Iron Man 3 for very little payoff beyond fan service. The only reason it hasn't caused huge problems in the narrative is that so far it's been confined to a short film that mostly hard core fanboys watched.

3: Translating every banal detail from the comics isn't as important as good storytelling. Good storytelling has to win out.