I feel somewhat compelled to say something about Avengers: Endgame because it became as big as it did. I don’t know what the stats are for the circulation of the Avengers back when I first started buying them but I can tell you this. I never, in a million years, expected Marvel to get this much attention. Sure, the Disney purchase helped but holy buckets.
I think Americans are generally myth-starved. As Winger says, we are mutts and we were generally kicked out of every other decent country so we need something to believe in that is particularly American. I guess people outside the US are OK with this and pat our wide-eyed, soul searching head with ticket purchases.
So what does the movie say about our heroes or the average American? We don’t really know. We do and we don’t. That is what was so great about Marvel comics. They draw you in and you never really get a sense of closure because it is the drawing in that is of value. When someone that has never come into contact with a comic book picks up a couple of super-hero comics and sees how they could relate to one another he would not be the slightest bit surprised to find out that the story does not end with one comic. He would also not be surprised to see that one hero would do a cameo in another comic that is headlined by different hero. He would probably say something like “that’s basic marketing and the story is sort of irrelevant”.
Anyway, do the powers and the costumes help us understand our own symbolism better? I would say yes. I would also say that the writing behind each of the characters and how they relate to their powers is incredibly complex. So complex in fact, that in order to get a full sense of what the Marvel purists intend for each character, it is not possible through just the Avengers. So, you gotta buy another comic book–nah, it is 2019–see another movie.
If you strip back the archetypes and see how Marvel treats them, there are fascinating things afoot: assassins, warriors, royalty, light, darkness, technology, color, regional demographics, magic, gesture, symbol, immortality, and mortality. In many ways, I am a Marvel purist and I think that whether or not the general public likes it, it has stayed true to its mission. It really cares about itself and it did a good job of taking care of itself. It can stand the test of time because of the death, the old age, and the trading of places. If you have collected paper comics for a couple of decades(and you can reach as far back as 5 decades now), you will see rejuvenation of characters with each generation. Endgame is so good because it is the first realization of that continuity in film and it really condensed it into the last movie, Endgame.
No one should be uptight with Stark dying. It makes sense. It also makes sense that Romanoff would die as well. I would like to explore her character further someday time permitting.
Anyway, if you want to see how a real fan reacts to Marvel’s influence on his life, check out this video. It is Kevin Smith talking about Stan Lee’s cameo in Captain Marvel. Marvel’s heroes have definitely had their impact on me and it is nice to see that I am moving in time with Thor. Wild stories, wild ride.
