Part of me still can’t believe it’s almost here…or that it worked at all.
I saw Iron Man in theatres on its opening weekend when I was in my early twenties, and I still remember that day well. It was pretty miserable out, raining and grey. But once I got to the theatre and saw what would become the first entry to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the day definitely got better. It was really something special, seeing a comic book movie done so well at that time. Don’t get me wrong, 2008 was a great moment for comic book adaptations; delivering some of Marvel and DC’s best movies yet with Iron Man, The Dark Knight and The Incredible Hulk (I think it’s sadly unrated). But Iron Man was something unique for the genre at the time: a superhero that actually enjoyed doing what he does and relished in its potential for the world instead of being a tragic curse to bear. Yes, Tony Stark has his own personal demons and villains to fight, but it was a breath of fresh air for comic book movies and it led to one of the most commercially and critically successful enterprises in entertainment history.
And now here we are, less than a month away from Avengers: Infinity War, the nineteenth entry in the MCU and the biggest team-up/long-time pay off we’ve had so far. Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet storyline were first teased to us at the end-credits stinger of The Avengers and we’ve been slowly building up to it since. For ten years now, we’ve been getting to know the characters and what they’re about, who the major players in the game are and we’ve slowly been uncovering just how powerful the Infinity Stones are. It’s been a slow burn, but the pieces are all in place now (except for where the damn Soul Stone is!) and it’s time for part one of the big pay-off. Even though the MCU will continue on after the Infinity Gauntlet storyline, it really does feel like the beginning of the end for this chapter of the franchise.
Ten years is a long time by our lifespan standards. So much can happen to us in a day, let alone a year. We change, we evolve and we become entirely different versions of ourselves, seasoned by experience and wisdom as we progress further down the road of life. The MCU movies and shows have been on my mind as I progressed through my twenties, got a job, started a business, found my girlfriend and really began my life. I’ve enjoyed seeing these films in theatres and at home with my friends. They’ve made me laugh and tear up. They’ve let me experience the nostalgia of the characters and stories I grew up with while embracing and learning all about new ones. The fact is I’ve always enjoyed Marvel’s stories and with Infinity War being so close to release, it just makes me step outside myself to see who I am now versus who I was when I first saw Tony Stark in that jeep in Afghanistan ten years ago.
To cap this off, I’d like to share what I think are some of my favourite moments of the MCU so far. What are some of yours? How do you feel about everything the MCU has done so far? Let me know in the comments below.
More to come!
O.N.
