It’s all been leading up to this! After the end of “Iron Man” where Tony Stark is confronted by Nick Fury about the Avenger Program, here we are about to enter in to the iconic “Infinite Gauntlet.” We fans spent years just hoping for a good Captain America movie, now we’re here optimistically awaiting their third battle for the fate of Earth. While the MCU villains get a bad rap I think they all brought something to the table. Here are five of my absolute favorites from the entire library.
Director Jon Watts handles the element of Peter Parker’s life that the previous “Spider-Man” iterations didn’t, offering a compelling coming of age high school drama, whose main character is a super powered being trying to live up to impossible standards. When we meet Peter Parker, he’s a typical teenager vlogging his experience in “Civil War” where he brushed up against a slew of heavy hitting superheroes in an effort to help Tony Stark. When the movie begins Peter is returned to Queens to go back to being just a teenager who happens to be Spider-Man. Peter is a young man always trying to do what’s right and noble, he’s the true underdog of the Marvel Universe.
It’s amazing what kind of feat the Russo Brothers have pulled off. Not only do they offer up a pseudo-sequel to the continuing saga of “The Avengers” but they also manage to squeeze in a superhero epic, and revenge saga that stretches out over the Marvel Cinematic Universe without ever missing a single beat. “Captain America: Civil War” finally brings the Marvel Universe full circle creating something of a wider scope now that Marvel has been able to acquire and introduce superheroes and characters that were long thought to be incapable of appearing. In just a two and a half hour movie, we’re able to watch a full fledged tale of friendship unfold in the face of a revenge plot, while being given marvelous and overdue introductions to iconic Avenger The Black Panther, and Marvel’s long awaited iteration of their iconic superhero Spider-Man.
To go with Felix’s list of the beauties of the MCU, here comes my Five Favorite Hunks of the MCU list. A completely arbitrary list of the guys who caught my attention in the Marvel movie adaptations, this is how it stands as of this week. By the time I see Captain America: Civil War, this all may change.
Did I miss any of your favorites?
It’s apropos of Marvel to finally bring in Spider-Man to “Civil War.” Because while it is essential that he be introduced to a brilliant cinematic universe, he is representative of the underlying message behind “Civil War.” With great power comes great responsibility. After spending so many years doing battle with aliens and super powered foes, the Avengers are finally taking a toll on the world, and the government from all sides of the globe is angry at their inherent recklessness.
With the news that we likely won’t be getting an “Iron Man 4” and increasing rumors that Robert Downey Jr. might end his run as Tony Stark and Iron Man for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, director Joe Russo explained that if Downey Jr. leaves the series, Iron Man might go away for a while. Iron Man experienced a huge comeback in the early aughts thanks to John Favreau bringing him in to a very successful and excellent live action film. Iron Man then became the foundation the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe was built upon, spawning the seeds for the Avengers movie, and then opening the door for a wave of Marvel superhero movies we see now.
With the potential departure of Downey Jr. and Iron Man, it would present a good opportunity to bring the Marvel Cinematic Universe in to a new era, and offer up some new dynamics and interactions between their superheroes. Many forget that once upon a time Iron Man was considered a fourth tier superhero. Before being rebooted in 2008 and transformed in to an icon, Iron Man was quite unpopular for a very long time, and even mocked by many comic book fans. The nineties saw Marvel trying to reboot the character repeatedly with no success, even bringing in a teenage Tony Stark to take over for adult Tony Stark. With Iron Man receiving his proper fame and admiration, since he is one of the early Marvel titans and one of the founding members of the Avengers, should Downey Jr. exit the series, it’d be a great chance to pass the torch on to another hero.
Here are five other Marvel characters who could and should fill Iron Man’s shoes if Iron Man is not included in future Marvel and “The Avengers” films.
With “Age of Ultron,” Marvel and Joss Whedon essentially pave the way for a series of films that will make “The Avengers” the enduring franchise that fans have always wanted. It’s made abundantly clear that not only is the movie series here to stay, but we can expect a roster of rotating superheroes in the future that will create new conflicts and brand new dynamics. While “Age of Ultron” sags in certain places, it’s a superior follow up to “The Avengers” which was much more simplistic and aimed more to establish the crossover. “Age of Ultron” garners higher aspirations, constructing new story lines and setting up foreshadowing for future films. It also greatly raises the stakes for our team of flawed superheroes, all of whom are still learning to work as a unit. Set almost immediately after “Iron Man 3,” and “Winter Soldier,” we meet the Avengers, all of whom are back in combat fighting Hydra and taking on the elusive corporation’s hideout.