Marvel May Not Be Art But It Hits You With All the Feels
~ For those who have not watched any of the Marvel films or TV shows, please be aware, there are spoilers ahead ~
I’ve been a fan of Marvel since my dad dragged me to the cinema to watch the first Iron Man back in 2008. Since then, the universe has expanded to over 20 films and a slate of new television productions in the works for Disney+. With billion-dollar deals comes criticism as seen with Martin Scorsese’s comments on how he does not consider Marvel films as cinema. We could spend years dissecting what is considered cinema and what isn’t but I’m not here to discuss that; quite simply, cinema to me is something that I can connect with, something I can relate to. I have found this with films across all genres, including the MCU.
Despite the slick effects, comedic dialogue and a long list of antagonists who get bigger and bigger, the MCU has dealt with many heavy themes throughout the years. Some have been handled with brevity, lacking the grace and care the topic requires. One example of this is Black Widow’s revelation that she cannot have children in Avengers: Age of Ultron. It was a shock admission made even worse by her comment that Bruce Banner “is not the only monster on the team”, inferring that because she has been forcibly sterilized and is unable to have children, she is now monstrous. Understandably, a back story for every character cannot be included all the time when you have a lead cast of six to eight and Marvel probably assumed they were making Natasha Romanoff more relatable by giving her a sad backstory. However, it felt rushed and cruel and although it is covered a bit more in her standalone film which was released this month, it was the wrong thing to say and the wrong topic to use in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
In other ways, themes such as abandonment and grief are the driving force in a story and are beautifully written and portrayed. My favourite example of this is Loki finding out he’s adopted – and technically a frost giant – in the first Thor film. From the dialogue between Loki and Odin to the look of pain on Tom Hiddleston’s face, the entire scene is moving and devastating. It also serves as a driving force behind Loki’s path to destruction, setting up a storyline that lasts all the way to Avengers: Infinity War. It’s scenes like these that remind us why the MCU is loved by so many; humanising their characters by allowing them to feel the same emotions that everyone experiences, even if they are Gods and genetically enhanced creatures, thus allowing the audience to relate to them.
Another feeling that is portrayed in many different MCU films is grief. It may seem like an obvious emotion as you can’t have a whole universe created without either collateral damage (as in us humans who happen to be caught in the crossfire) or some of our favourite characters being killed at some point. However, grief is evident even in ways you wouldn’t expect it: Captain America grieving the world he left behind in the 1940s, Black Widow grieving the children she can never have, Thor grieving Asgard as he watches it become decimated by Hela, Loki grieving his mother, T’Challa grieving his father… the list goes on and on.
However, the feeling of grief is explored most profoundly in WandaVision. The first MCU television show that aired on Disney+ earlier this year, it took a step away from the traditional cookie-cutter format of the films and instead took inspiration from sitcoms throughout the decades. Out of the other MCU shows that have aired this year – The Falcon & the Winter Solider, Loki and WandaVision – this is by far my favourite.
It’s a brilliant show for many reasons; the concept, the cast, the humour and the mystery surrounding it. The audience are left with little Easter eggs (hidden references or clues that are subtly included into a film or TV show) throughout each episode and the release of one episode a week left you desperate for more – it was unlike anything Marvel had done before. This, however, was not what made it so incredible to watch.
Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff is the star of the show and even before her own spin-off show, she has dealt with grief. She was orphaned when she young before then losing her brother in Avengers: Age of Ultron and then being forced to kill the love of her life, Vision, in Avengers: Endgame. This seemed to be the final straw and in her grief, Wanda transforms a suburban town into an imaginary, idealised world that is inspired by her favourite sitcoms – a world in which Vision is still alive.
Wanda’s pain is pushed to the side throughout the first few episodes as we try to grasp what’s going on and it is not until the final few episodes that we realise one of the strongest and most interesting Avenger has become the villain. Of course, as the façade slips and Wanda has to face her pain and grief she does not stay the villain for long because she is, and always will be, a hero. Nevertheless, it is devastating to watch.
Wanda’s grief is all-consuming; it first consumes her before consuming the town and the people and then eventually consuming the audience. Grief binds us all and despite Wanda’s efforts to run from it, in the end even the Scarlett Witch has to face it. The show handles Wanda’s grief with care and grace, allowing (for possibly the first time in the MCU) the female lead to be multifaceted, complex, confused and messy all at once. Not only is WandaVision a beautiful portrayal of the different ways grief can impact us but it is also a reminder that grief can have the most profound effect on even the strongest people.
Marvel films may not be art in the traditional sense but if art is supposed to make you feel something then Marvel films definitely fall within that category. The MCU sometimes get it wrong; they can be too careless and too heavy-handed, they are male-dominated and very white. But they deal with many themes, emotions and topics that are relatable and rarely seen in big blockbuster films. Sometimes they get it wrong, but don’t we love them when they get right?
Written by Issy Packer
Hi, I’m Issy, the Music and Film Editor at The Everyday! I’m an English Literature graduate and have been passionate about all things to do with writing and journalism from a young age. I am interested in a number of things, including politics, feminism and music and am a firm believer that Bristol is ONE of the best cities in England for anything to do with culture, art and music. You can find me either at the cinema watching all sorts of films or trying to work my way through the long list of books I’m desperate to read.