Thinking Out Loud: Why the Endgame Matters

The following contains spoilers for Avengers Endgame. 

I can't stop thinking about Avengers Endgame. I'll admit that I'm likely, at any given moment, to be thinking about either superheroes and/or philosophy, but Endgame has occupied my thoughts in a significant way since I saw it. I believe that Endgame is not only a bloody good film, I think it may actually be one of the most important films to come out in years. We are in a cultural moment right now, the whole world is reeling from the lives, deaths and stories of fictional characters that originated in 5 cent 'funny books', and damn, but that's a big deal. I'm lucky to be old enough (32) to remember Robert Downey Jr in films like U.S. Marshals and to also recall his downfall. I was studying film at university when Kiss Kiss Bang Bang came out and suddenly RDJ was back and everyone in my class was making a big deal out of the film. Iron Man was something of a landmark in superhero film history, launching the MCU, and now, more than a decade later, what feels like a true finale to Iron Man's story has happened and the world mourns. First of all, I think it's important to acknowledge that Iron Man wasn't meant to be the launching point that it became, it was an experiment with a fun little sting with Nick Fury at the end; but that was so impacting that The Avengers followed a few years later, and here we are. 

What made Iron Man such a big deal? As a film, it's pretty good; the third act is weak and the villain forgettable, but otherwise, everything comes together well and it's a fun ride. As a big Marvel Comics fan, I squeed with delight at the Nick Fury scene, but for those who didn't really care much for Iron Man before the film, why was it this one that broke through? I contend that the 'secret' of the MCU isn't continuity, or adherence to comic lore, or even quality of film-making, but character. It seems obvious that a character like Captain America, who has been around in comics since the 1940s, would have some enticing element that compels audiences to create emotional connections, however, the first Cap to do this on a global scale was the one portrayed by Chris Evans. Make jokes about the MCU becoming an ongoing soap opera if you will, but if people are crying when Peter gives Tony one last hug, there has to be a real connection driving that emotion. It is that very connection which matters. 

People care about these characters. Not just nerds, or hardcore fans, but everyday people who have never read a comic and maybe haven't seen all of the MCU films. We are in a cultural moment right now, a large proportion of the world is in mourning for a fictional character in a way we haven't seen in a while. Enjoy this moment. When the dust settles and the next film breaks the box office records (I'm guessing Detective Pikachu or Rise of the Skywalker), Endgame is still going to be around. People will be talking about this film for years, and not just film students or MCU nerds, but anyone who has or will see it. Endgame will become part of the fabric of our culture, just like Jaws or The Shawshank Redemption, new generations will be introduced to it and everyone will have it in their collection or general "Top Ten" they keep in their heads. This film makes us feel something very genuine, a melancholy and pathos that speaks to where our culture is at the moment. We need Endgame right now, it is the mark of a cultural shift the we are all in the midst of, and it will change things; not just in terms of film, but there are ideas here that will come to mean more than the substance of Endgame itself. Get ready, things are about to... snap.