Marvel: A Reflection of Human Life



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Marvel's latest film, Avengers: Endgame, hit movie theaters across the nation last weekend, and has been the main topic of conversation of superhero fans for days. This film brings an end to the first stage of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which culminates 22 different films over an 11-year span that include a countless number of our favorite characters such as Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and Spiderman. I get asked all the time by non-superhero fans why I care so much about these movies and get so attached to the superheroes who star in them. Not only do we love watching these heroes come out victorious (except in Avengers: Infinity War) against a seemingly invincible foe, but what makes superheroes so special to many people like myself is the fact that we can easily relate and sympathize with them. While most of us do not possess super strength, a suit of armor or have the ability to wield lightning, we encounter many conflicts within our society that leave us with a choice: to let evil win or take a stand and fight against our enemies.

Most of the heroes brought to life on the big screen were created by the infamous comic book writer Stan Lee. Stan Lee, who passed away at the age of 95 less than a year ago, has openly expressed how superheroes and their struggles reflect the issues we face as a nation, and as a world community. While our world is not at risk of being destroyed by the Mad Titan, Thanos, we are faced with abstract threats that endanger the safety and security of our human civilization. Stan Lee describes how “bigotry and racism are among the deadliest social ills plaguing the world today. But, unlike a team of costumed super-villains, they can’t be halted with a punch in the snoot, or a zap from a ray gun. The only way to destroy them is to expose them—to reveal them for the insidious evils they really are.” We live in a society where racism, hate and bigotry harm the lives of innocent men, women and children all across the world. These supervillains have been operating and damaging our world for centuries. They have divided our world based upon race, color, religion and sex. If we remain divided, we will allow these villains to win and take over our world. We see how in the movie Avengers: Infinity War that the heroes failed in protecting the world because they were divided. As global citizens, we will never defeat our foes if we do not take a stand and fight hand-in-hand with our fellow human beings. The Avengers were able to save the world in Avengers: Endgame because all of the heroes were able to contribute and take part in the mission.  While Avengers’ mission was to save the world from destruction by the hand of Thanos, our mission is to rid the world of racism, hate and bigotry in order to bring equality to our global community. This will not be an easy task by any means, but, like the heroes we praise in the comic books and movies, we must find the strength and courage to persevere. The fate of the world lies in our hands, and we must be the heroes of this story.

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