Some assembly required.
There’s been a lot of writing about The Avengers lately, as befits the release of a movie that is going to make billions of dollars at the box office. We’re all very excited about it! It’s going to be SO GOOD. But there’s something that I don’t think enough people are really acknowledging about this movie, and the franchise from which it comes, and I wanted to just call it out quickly.
Six years ago, when plans first started coming together for the first Iron Man, there were rumors about there being more movies featuring Marvel characters, should the early ventures prove profitable. Ant Man jokes were made, because, you know, there’s been some discussion of it, and talk about an Avengers movie uniting all those same characters? Was equally humorous.
Then Hulk and Thor and the other movies happened, and frankly? It’s a fucking miracle. The whole thing is miraculous, when you think about it: Make five blockbusters filled with stars, and then expect to tie them all together with another, even bigger movie? One that is actually GOOD? It is crazy talk! And yet, that’s what’s happened.
From 2008 to now, Marvel has been churning out these movies, and creatively you could argue the level of success has been varied (I mean, I like ‘em all, but rewatching Incredible Hulk anytime soon is not a priority for me). But directors have been allowed to bring their personal styles, from Shakespearan drama to patriotic nostalgia to improv comedy, to the material, and an impressive amount of acting talent has been enlisted, and The Avengers, a movie the smart money would never have bet on in 2006, has already grossed over $100 million worldwide.
Yes, the estate of Jack Kirby won’t see much of that cash, but STILL. A group of dudes banded together, against all odds, and created something the world has never seen before.
The word Marvel has never felt more right.
