The Avengers were formed for noble purposes, and to an extent they have kept theMarvel Cinematic Universesafe - however, recent events have suggested that perhaps the world would be better off without them. Withcasting forAvengers: Doomsdayin process, and with the recruiting for the team having begun by theending ofCaptain America: Brave New World, it seems that the universe is now finding a new shape. With that in mind, however, I believe the franchise is setting up for the heroes to reckon with all of the destruction and failures that the team has wrought.
2025 is an interesting year for Marvel moviesand shows, with many of the year’s projects being new twists on older ideas.Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Manstarted this, and has been followed byBrave New World,Daredevil: Born Again, and the upcoming release ofThe Fantastic Four: First Steps. In bringing in familiar characters and ideas with unique twists, I will admit that I have felt some distance from the actual Avengers team of the past. Looking back at that team’s failures, however, may help to explain this departure.
The Avengers' MCU Story Started In New York, And It’s Now Fallen
The Trailer For Thunderbolts* Has Shown How Far New York Has Fallen
Destruction in New York has been constant in the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever sinceThe Avengersreleased, butthe latest trailer forThunderbolts*has only reinforced that New York is uninhabitable in the MCU. Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye, and Black Widow banded together to keep the city safe from a Chitauri invasion, and their efforts were a temporary benefit. However,the fallout of those events were later examined inSpider-Man: HomecomingandHawkeye, showing the deep and harrowing impacts of their collateral damage.
With Sentry set to unleash a new wave of terror across the city,it has become clear that New York City is not a place where ordinary people can live safely. The types of violence and devastation in the world that have regularly been unleashed on the populace are insurmountable and, even if the newThunderbolts team is effective in stopping the threat of the Sentry, the heroes of the MCU have proved ineffective at ensuring the city is safe for any considerable stretch of time, despite it being home to the Avengers' previous base. The Avengers can fight, but resisting these threats is more complex and multifaceted than that.
Civil War May Have Ended, But Fisk’s Vigilante War Is Worse
The Sokovia Accords Seem To Be Re-Implemented In Other Ways
Captain America: Civil Warshowed the structural opposition to superheroes in the wake of New York’s destruction. Thaddeus Ross mounted a motion that would see superheroes registered and used as part of a larger, institutional arm, rather than acting unilaterally.This caused dissent in the ranks, that seemed to be wiped away when the heroes had to reunite against the threat of Thanos.TheSokovia Accords ended officially inShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law, although it seems that they may not have actually been resolved.
Daredevil: Born Againhas called out Spider-Manand various other heroes, with Wilson Fisk becoming the city’s mayor on a campaign against superheroes and vigilantes.It seems clear that ordinary citizens in the universe are scared by the power that each of these individuals is able to wield. With such outsized abilities, and no oversight for their powers, there is great fear of what superheroes are able to do. I wonder if this distaste could soon materialize in more legislation like the Sokovia Accords.
The MCU’s Citizens Are Weirdly Ungrateful After Endgame
The Universe Has Shown The Complexities Of What The Avengers Did
Thanos snapped away half of the universe, and it broke many hearts, but the Avengers fixing this seemed to have caused even more trouble.People coming back had to face a world that had moved on without them, and that had many structural issues.
The world’s bleak place has since been confronted inCaptain America: Brave New World, which focused on some of the less savory feelings around superheroes and those with superhuman powers. Ross was transformed into the Red Hulk, and Isaiah Bradley was programmed to be an assassin against his will, with both showing how superpowered individuals could be manipulated and controlled to ill ends, and The Leader seemingly intentionally exacerbating fears about those with enhanced abilities. This trend has continued withDaredevil: Born Again, and seems likely to persist in more future projects.
With the Avengers saving the world from Thanos' devastation, it is surprising how many people have turned against the Avengers - even in small ways, like the recurring “Thanos was right” graffiti.The team is no longer as universally loved as they previously were,and it seems thatRobert Downey Jr.’s return as Doctor Doomcould only reinforce this feeling in the future if he does indeed appear identical to the main universe’s Iron Man. It is sad to see the difficulties that the heroes have faced in recent projects, but I believe that it speaks to how much bigger and more structural these issues actually were.
With the Avengers in such an uncertain place,I wonder if the MCU’s Avengers have failed in their mission.They have fought to keep the Earth safe, but it seems more and more likely that their efforts only delayed the inevitable, and much of their endeavors appear to have gone to waste. How this will be confronted inAvengers: Doomsdayand the future of theMarvel Cinematic Universeis a compelling and terrifying prospect.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
