“Mr. Stark, you’ve become part of a bigger universe, you just don’t know it yet.”
These were the words spoken by S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury to genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist Tony Stark, who had just revealed to the world that he was Iron Man. Starting with “Iron Man” on May 2, 2008, Marvel Studios, mostly in association with Disney, has produced almost 20 movies and counting based on their superheroes known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
It is crazy to think that the class of 2018 were second graders when the MCU kicked off. Since then, Marvel has reinvigorated itself in pop culture and in film. Not every MCU movie is great (cough– “Thor: The Dark World”–cough cough), but people still swing to theaters faster than Spider-Man to see their beloved heroes once more.
And now, after a decade, it has all come down to this, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige’s brainchild: “Avengers: Infinity War,” the nineteenth entry in the MCU. This time around, the intergalactic despot Thanos destines to collect the six Infinity Stones, bending reality to his will with a simple wave of his golden Infinity Gauntlet and killing half of humanity. The Avengers, consisting of (deep inhale) Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Black Panther, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, War Machine, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Bucky Barnes, and Falcon, must join forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy, consisting of (smaller inhale) Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Mantis, Rocket Raccoon, and an adolescent Groot, in order to stop Thanos and his villainous Black Order from obtaining the Infinity Stones and eradicating half of all life in the universe.
That ensemble of superheroes is a mouthful, a dream come true for any Marvel fanatic. However, that is not the only reason why “Avengers: Infinity War” is a great movie and an immense pop culture phenomenon. The movie is undoubtedly full of unexpected twists and turns and several heart-pounding moments, but it is also by far the darkest movie in the MCU, specifically the movie where the stakes are the absolute highest for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as they battle their greatest enemy. Death may be the final outcome for some. Defeat may be eagerly awaiting to ensnare the Avengers and the Guardians, leaving them without the hope or motivation to fight for victory.
Unfortunately, no human being on Earth can get bitten by a radioactive spider and web-sling through New York or become a Master of the Mystic Arts and create infinite time loops with the tutting of their fingers, but every human being can learn a valuable life lesson from these courageous heroes. No matter how strong, smart, tough, or tenacious someone is, they will inevitably come across adversity and misfortune several times throughout their life. That is something beyond their control. What they can control though is what to do when those times come to them. Like the Avengers and the Guardians, people can choose whether to give up or give it their all and strive to overcome any obstacle life throws at them, regardless of its severity. That is why people generally identify more with Marvel superheroes than they do with DC superheroes, because they are just much more relatable, and “Avengers: Infinity War” emphasizes that above any other MCU movie.
Although it may not be the absolute best MCU movie (that title goes to the first “Guardians of the Galaxy” by the way), “Avengers: Infinity War” ranks towards the top. While grimly foreboding and even somewhat exhausting at times, the movie keeps everyone on the edge of their seat with its sudden surprises, sharp and witty humor (Who knew that the God of Thunder and a “rabbit” could have such great comedic chemistry?), and tear-jerking and jaw-dropping cliffhanger ending. All in all, it is a movie that is perfectly balanced, as all things should be.