Marvel's XI (2008-2019)

Avengers Endgame is the culmination of 11 years of story-telling about a fictional universe that feels very real. Being a big fan of the franchise, this movie is a major closure for me; the end of not just a phase of MCU, but a chapter of my own life. I’ve often seen eyebrows rise when people see how enthusiastic I get while talking about Marvel heroes. It takes some introspection on my part to realize why it meant so much to me. 

The first superhero movie I ever watched was Batman and Robin (1997). It features in almost every top-5 list of worst superhero movies! But then 10 wasn’t a great age either, so guess it didn’t matter. The 2000s were ok, with Spider-Man, X-Men and Dark Knight making things better. We realize as we grow up that things are rarely perfect in the world. So when you accidentally watch a near-perfect movie (for the genre) about some imperfect people trying to do the right thing for an imperfect world, it makes you sit up and take notice. That was Avengers in 2012. 

The first Avengers movie broke the curse of lone superheroes by assembling a team and weaved a grand narrative by creating a cinematic universe. It was the Money-ball moment for superhero cinemas; anyone working in the genre and not thinking about a connected universe were dinosaurs! 

The movie also appealed to a casual watcher without any previous knowledge of the characters and their comic book backgrounds. If anything, it was a huge boost for comic book sales, and people started realizing that the medium was not at all juvenile. 

No matter how individualistic we get, humans are social animals. We always like to associate with other people with similar experiences and backgrounds. While a larger than life image of a superhero awes us, we don’t often feel very connected; it’s like looking at a different species in a zoo. But when a hero has problems like we do, and when no superpower could help them with their menial “stupid common folk” problems, it becomes relatable. That’s where Marvel scores majorly.

A universally favorable reception of MCU could also be attributed to the fact that every Marvel movie is a different genre in itself and they satisfy a different set of audience. From space fantasy to espionage, from politics to heist, technology to magic, the universe has something for everyone. With their careful choice of actors and directors, keeping in mind the big picture but allowing the smaller things to take care of themselves, the MCU success story is a handbook on how to build a benevolent cinematic empire. 

Above all, it’s the importance given to human bonds that makes the MCU refreshingly humane. Unlike the usual Hollywood rut of too much focus on romantic relationships, here you have a range of many other meaningful connections between their characters. Especially, the focus on friendship, teamwork and camaraderie combined with genuine renditions of human nature makes it very special, and it strikes a chord across age groups and demographics. Kudos to Disney and Marvel for achieving all of this within all the real world constraints. 

Thanks a 3000, Marvel Studios!