Roma's MCU-Themed Awards: 2022-2023 Edition

It’s that time of the year again. Another season survived, another year of heart attacks and painkillers. It’s also a chance to look back at our campaign 2022-2023 and put every player in the spotlight. For better or worse because hey, after all, this is AS Roma we’re talking about.

This year it’s all about the ‘Marvelous Awards.’ Let’s compare each player with a movie from the glorious, over-the-top Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and see if he lived up to the high standards or was a complete bust from start to finish. Let’s go. Or, as Groot would say: “I am Groot!”

Goalkeepers

Rui Patricio: Captain America: The First Avenger Award

Let’s start with a golden oldie. One of the first Marvel movies and a more than decent superhero flick. It’s not as flashy as newer installments, but it does a good job nonetheless. Starting to show its age a bit but for the moment, it still holds up. I’m not against one more viewing.

Mile Svilar: Thor: Love and Thunder Award

A more modern movie but not without its flaws. It’s actually not as bad as people think. I’m sure there are more than enough fans who like it. But I can’t deny I have concerns about it. Will it ever turn out fine? Perhaps we’ll just have to let it rest a bit and give it one more chance in the future. Who knows, it could make a jump on your Blu-ray shelf.

Defenders

Rick Karsdorp: Spider-Man: Far From Home Award

Another of those ‘not great, not bad’ outings. It has some really nice scenes, but not all of them make sense to me. The good stuff outweighs the bad, but I can’t deny there are better movies from the Marvel collection which are simply more enjoyable to watch.

Roger Ibanez: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Award

Sometimes it’s tough to confirm your status of the next big thing. To keep up with the pace. It was incredibly hard to meet everyone’s expectations, and ultimately it just didn’t feel the same. It comes close to being a classic, but it attempts too much. There’s also a dramatic look and feel to it. Shame because the ambition and talent were clearly there.

Chris Smalling: Captain America: The Winter Soldier Award

Yes, now this is the good stuff right here. One of the older movies in the MCU but boy, what a ride! With some memorable scenes and excellent pacing, one of the best Marvel movies and also one of the most important ones in the grand scheme of things, storywise. A must-have in your collection. Sell it? Are you insane, sir?

Gianluca Mancini: Guardians of the Galaxy Award

I can’t help it; I really, really like this one, and I’m not alone. It’s big, it’s loud, it’s just a fun time. It never bores me, I can watch it any day of the week. It fits perfectly in the MCU. Give it a few more years, and people will remember it as a classic, I’m sure.

Leonardo Spinazzola: Doctor Strange Award

Meh, it was good, but it could have been better. If we look at the talent at our disposal, the outcome should have been better. There’s just far too little action, not as interesting as other Marvel flicks. It falls a bit flat. Frustrating because all the ingredients were there to make it top 10 or even top 5 material.

Marahs Kumbulla: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Award

It’s broken, and it needs (a lot of) repairing. Nothing more to say, really.

Zeki Celik: Iron Man 3 Award

To be honest, I expected more. Can’t say I didn’t enjoy it, but in the end, it left a sour taste in my mouth. Some nice moments but I hoped it would take the MCU by storm and be a sure lock for a place in the top 10. I was wrong. The damage has already been done, but to simply ignore its existence? That’s perhaps a bit too far-fetched. Might keep it around, just in case you’re out of options on a rainy Sunday evening.

Diego Llorente: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Award

Well, that’s a breath of fresh air. It surprised me, I must say. Not too shabby and a nice addition to the MCU. It’s not as famous as other Avengers like Thor or the Hulk, but it deserves some recognition. A likable movie. I’d like to see more of it in the near future.

Midfielders

Nemanja Matic: Iron Man Award

Yup, one of the best ones, no doubt about it. It's an older relic, but they did a damn fine job. It changed the lives of so many people who watched it. Don’t believe in superheroes? Well, better take a look at this and thank me later.

Lorenzo Pellegrini: Spider-Man: No Way Home Award

This is a big one. And I mean a BIG one. What hasn’t already been said about this movie? Some adore it, others were left disappointed. For me, it’s a piece of art though. Perhaps I’m being just a bit nostalgic here, and I’m not fully unbiased. There were some flaws left and right, but c’mon, we must be happy and grateful it exists. It’s too good to ignore.

Byran Cristante: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Award

This one divided a lot of fans. Is it good? Great? Bad? You hear all kinds of opinions about it. The fact is, it’s a bit complicated. It has its moments, it has charm. And ironically, it’s strange. It won me over, but it’ll never be on my top shelf. Was this the best they could do with that material?

Edoardo Bove: Thor: Ragnarok Award

Wow, what a surprise! I must say it exceeded my expectations. Impressive, wacko, over the top. It’s a pure gem. So refreshing, a nice wind of change in the MCU. It’s already one of my favorites of the bunch, and I have a feeling it will continue to grow on me after every viewing. Job well done.

Georgino Wijnaldum: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Award

I knew it was a mistake to get my hopes up for this one. It looked and sounded so promising, but I’m left disillusioned. Something has broken. It’s not the same anymore, the previous version was better. Alas, we witnessed it; we had our 5 minutes of fun. Return to sender and on to the next one.

Nicola Zalewski: Black Widow Award

Ok, so it’s not the biggest and baddest adventure from the MCU, but I must admit it packs quite a punch. It’s slick and flashy, and there are flashes of brilliance but not as much as the really big guns of Marvel. If you learn to live with and accept its flaws, it’s more than decent and an evening well spent.

Mady Camara: The Eternals Award

This one left me completely indifferent. So dull and uninspiring. It never impressed me. What a difference with the other household names in this show. One viewing is more than enough; return the Blu-ray to sender. Thanks but no thanks.

Benjamin Tahirovic: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 Award

A newbie in the MCU, and after giving it some thought, it deserves its place in this universe. It has potential, charm, and personality. Although there was room for improvement, I cared for it. And more importantly, I’d like to see it a second time. A feeling I didn’t have with some other names, so kudos to the Guardians. Might become a fan favorite in time.

Forwards

Stephan El Shaarawy: Captain America: Civil War Award

Back to the hall of fame. What a great addition to the MCU. I’m starting to care a lot about this title. It has some epic showdowns. You’ll have an amazing time watching this, for sure. So much talent put on display. Never a bad choice rolling with this one.

Paulo Dybala: Avengers: Infinity War Award

Masterclass. What else is there to say? It blows your mind. This is MCU at its finest. Without this movie, the universe is not complete. It’s a bull’s eye in every aspect. A blockbuster pur sang. Get your copy and never, ever lose it. Keep it in a safe underground if you have to.

Andrea Belotti: Thor: The Dark World 2013 Award

Auch. Well, that was painful. The thing is, it takes itself too seriously. It tries too hard, and of course, it then shoots itself in the foot by doing so. A vicious circle, hard to escape from it. I don’t think there’s any hope left for it, but we’ll see after a few years. Miracles do happen.

Ola Solbakken: Ant-Man and the Wasp Award

It’s average. Not above or below average. Just.... plain right average. There’s something missing, I don’t know what. But I have a feeling it’ll stay that way, even after multiple viewings. It’s not the first movie I’ll pick out to make an impression on friends at home.

Tammy Abraham: Avengers: Age of Ultron Award

Look, the talent is all there. We all know these guys can perform and blow us away on the big screen. But this? This was not what I expected. Don’t get me wrong, I tried to like it in the beginning, but it’s tough. Some bad and forgettable choices. Totally not as fun as the previous outing. Shame they showed us they can do better with the resources at their disposal.

Manager

Mourinho: Captain Marvel 2019 Award

Of course, it’s only fitting that the big boss gets THE Captain Marvel award, no? In all seriousness, there are some good comparisons. A likable main character, an important role in the bigger picture, with great power comes great responsibility, blah blah blah yadda yadda yadda. Truth be told, it wasn’t the best MCU performance I saw, and I’m afraid it won’t age well. Still, I wouldn’t mind giving it another go.

So that’s it guys; all our marvelous (last time, I swear) awards are handed out. Did the jury make a mistake? Are there any marvelous (oops) awards missing? Feeling the need to step on stage and slap the host Will Smith-style? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below. See you next year!