Is the new GMA teleserye (TV series) too much like the Thor movies? Debates on whether it copied the popular Marvel films got even more heated after the release of its full trailer on Facebook yesterday.
The show, which stars actor Alden Richards, tells the story of “regular guy” Victor Magtanggol who ends up inheriting Thor’s hammer and must learn to use it to protect the world.
With a running time of about 16 minutes, the video is more like a featurette that includes shots of Victor in full superhero gear tossing the hammer as well as previews on supporting characters like Sif, Magnus, and Loki.
Victor Magtanggol previously caught the attention of Marvel fans when teaser videos and images for the show made rounds earlier this month. People were especially irritated by it because GMA had in the past also produced a show that was criticized for being too similar to D.C.’s Arrow.
A representative from GMA defended Victor Magtanggol from critics and said that while the show is based on the same source material from Norse mythology, it is not a copy of the popular Marvel Thor comics and films — but not many are buying it.
Even with the release of the new trailer, many still thought the similarities were too glaring. Some made fun of it, while others were just plain angry.
“Joke of the day hahahaha!!” Facebook user Sheldon Brequillo said.
Christ Bautista argued that if the show was really based on Norse mythology, why then does it still involve a superhero?
“To those saying this isn’t a copy of Marvel, wake up! If this is based on Norse myth, why is it superhero-themed? How come we’ve seen Alden’s poses and some CGI from Marvel movies? Don’t be blind, you’re all declaring Filipino pride even though you know in your heart that GMA copied this from Marvel,” he wrote in Filipino.
“Are you serious GMA Network? This is blatant copying of Thor…can you not think of a different concept? I am an avid fan of your originals like Mulawin, Amaya, Encantadia, Indio, etc. This is disappointing,” user Ry An said in mixed English and Filipino.
“You should be ashamed of your cheap [tactics] GMA … cringeworthy!” Popoy Pilleren said.
However, others also mimicked the show producer’s defense and said that the story seemed like it was based on mythology. Some said GMA did nothing wrong while others even praised the show for its production value.
Said Castiel CT: “Let me explain. The concept behind Victor Magtanggol is original. It’s just that they made the [N]orse as a gateway to introduce a new superhero. There’s (sic) [would] not [be a] Victor Magtanggol character if the story only revolved around Thor. If the story revolved around [N]orse then Thor would be the lead, but they made a [F]ilipino character to continue Thor’s story.”
“The best good casting, fight scenes, animation, drama perfect so perfect,” wrote Athran Ralph Bula.
Others, like JR Claveria Barron, just added humor to the online argument.
“You know why Thor is in the Philippines? Because Thanos retired in the [B]anaue rice terraces. The fight will continue here,” he said referring to a scene in Avengers: Infinity War that was filmed in the Philippines.
What do you think? Is this a copy of Marvel films or just another adaptation of Norse mythology? Let us know in the comments section below or tweet us @CoconutsManila.
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