Two of my friends have largely avoided the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the past 11 years based on a belief that the movies are not real enough.
They believe that a talking Racoon is dumb, that superpowers are silly and that the entire thing is a cartoonish notion, one difficult to invest in due to its inherent absurdity.
But they’ve always missed the point.
The 22-movie span has never truly been about the amazing abilities or the incredible spectacle. It has never really been about the search for the Infinity Stones or the ongoing need to defeat any given obstacle set in front any given hero. It hasn’t even been a long winded excuse to address Thanos’ weird take on environmental protections.
It has always been a story about people, a character study in finding yourself, it has always been about us.
Thor, an exercise in purpose and self-discovery. Black Panther, carrying on family tradition while modernizing what that means. Captain America, chasing justice and what is right. Black Widow, overcoming who you were to become a better version of yourself. Iron Man, looking towards the future and preparing for whatever is next, always staying one step ahead, trying to make the world a better place.
The list goes on and on.
We may not relate to everyone, but we all relate to someone.
For the people who have watched all or most of those movies, Avengers Endgame marks the completion of just over a decade of self-discovery. The characters in the Marvel universe have grown as many of the viewers have, the line outside nearly every theater in America on Thursday night was full of adults who were not adults when the saga began. There is an inherent connection between the maturation Marvel characters have experienced and the people who have watched them battle the forces of evil.
Everyone has been growing and growing together.
The movie itself is a fitting cap to this chapter. Marvel will continue to make movies, but the universe will never be the same. Why and how this is the case are facts for each to discover as they enter the theater, but anyone who has followed the story for this long, both on the screen and in the real world, should not be naive enough to assume nothing will ever change.
There are notes for everyone, major and minor, male and female. While the movie focuses on the original Avengers, it is a celebration of the world that has been built over the past 11 years. The stakes are tangible, the nods to the past a reminder of how far everyone has come, and where they might be headed.
Perfection is a strong word, and Endgame is not a perfect film, but neither are our heroes, and neither are we.
And how much everyone has changed, both the real and the fiction, and the feelings that come with knowing the journey is over, are absolutely real.
