Iron Man and Captain America: Will They Survive the Endgame?
By Kai Connolly
I write this with a heavy heart, as I truly love both Iron Man and Captain America (okay my heart truly belongs to Cap, but that’s besides the point). As Endgame concludes the Avengers series, I believe it will be without one or both of these two characters. They have been collectively part of Marvel the longest, with Robert Downey Jr. clocking in at 11 years as Iron Man! If anyone were to “age out” of the franchise and let the newer characters shine, it would be these two. If I were to have a choice, I would prefer Iron Man to be out, strictly because I could keep watching movies with Captain America in them until the end of time. My viewpoint might be a bit skewed by love, so take that with a grain of salt.
In terms of storyline, both characters have reached a full arch, and this film might be the perfect time to bow out. Tony Stark has seen the most self-growth since his introductory film as a “genius billionaire playboy philanthropist”. While he is still a billionaire, he found love and self purpose that he didn’t have before. The problem is his self-purpose is what keeps him from his love more often than not. His struggle between being one of Earth’s protectors and being with Pepper Pots has conflicted him for some time. In Infinity War, Stark tells Pepper he is ready for children right before he is taken away to save the world for possibly the last time. If Starks death doesn’t happen by the end of Endgame, it might be possible that he volunteers to leave the Avengers for good for family life.
Captain America’s character has been along the longest of any of the current Avengers (with the exception of intergalactic beings who age differently), with his first moving taking place in 1942. His perspective on things is so well-rounded with seeing the country change, as well as the rest of the world with it. He is also the most selfless of all the Avengers, and would be the first to sacrifice himself for any of his partners. In Infinity War, his short-term enemy and long-term friend Bucky Barnes disappeared with the infamous snap. I believe he is angry, desperate, and willing to do just about anything to get his friends, family, and the rest of the world back. This could possibly result in him sacrificing himself at some point throughout Endgame to save the planet. If anyone could do it, it’s our Cap!
In a perfect world, everyone will survive, and they will sing kumbaya by the campfire at the end of the film. Something tells me we are in for a bumpy ride….
The Great Snappression: The Overlooked Impact of the Snap on Earth
By Chelsi Gallegos
There’s no doubt that the Snap is making life completely miserable for survivors, but this idea goes beyond the sheer loss of half the population. Although Thanos hypothesized that life would be better for surviving beings because the competition for resources would decrease (example: Gamora’s home planet), what Thanos didn’t take into account were several variables that can have damning effects of life on post-Snap Earth that we may see play out in Avengers:Endgame.
Think about the end credit scene from Infinity War: a helicopter crashes into a large building, causing massive destruction. If we imagine that at least some of the occupants in that building alone survived the Snap but are injured due to the crash, a problem arises when only 50% of 911 dispatchers, EMT and first responders, and ER medics are available to treat the critically injured from that helicopter crash. That doesn’t bode well for the general well-being of disaster-ridden communities. Multiply accidents like that by some large enough number, and there’s nothing short of an international emergency across the globe. In times of national emergency, it’s more important than ever to have government intervention to provide aid. But if half of government or aid workers and leaders are lost without planned or qualified successors, political instability and general chaos are sure to follow. In times of chaos, markets crash. To make matters worse, the loss of 3.5 billion (give or take) humans means that laborers who cultivate, distribute, sell, and make food are in short supply. Widowed parents at low levels of poverty must scramble to earn a living and support any surviving family members. Individuals who have to suddenly assume responsibility for loved ones may have to give up their education and other pursuits to help those loved ones, which can have monumental economic implications. It’s hard to know how other planets were impacted and whether Thanos’s theory about improved quality of life held up for those populations. It’s even fair to say that Earth is capable of recovering from hypothetical financial and political crises over time, proving Thanos’s theory true. Regardless, it’s likely that life won’t be easy for surviving Earthlings the immediate aftermath of the Snap.
Avengers Obituaries
By Christian Vasquez
Nick Fury
Born July 4th, 1950
Date of death sometime in 2018 (Infinity War)
Favorite quote:
“How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war, you steal a force you can’t hope to control, you talk about peace, and you kill ’cause it’s fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did.”
Started the team that has shaped most of my young life. It’s fitting he was the last one to be dusted in Infinity War while sending the SOS to Captain Marvel.
The Wasp
Born January 2nd 1979
Date of death sometime in 2018
Favorite quote: “Scott Lang: If I had asked you, would you have come?”
Hope van Dyne: “I guess we’ll never know. But I do know one thing.”
Scott Lang: “What?”
Hope van Dyne: “If I had, you’d have never been caught.”
The Wasp is one of my favorite characters so seeing her reduced to ash sucked a little extra because I was hoping to get to see her in Endgame. Antman & Wasp has been overlooked by some but I feel that there are a lot of clues for the new film hidden in clear sight.
Stan Lee
Born December 28th, 1922
Date of death November 12th, 2018
Favorite quote:“A definition of a hero is someone who is concerned about other people’s well-being, and will go out of his or her way to help them even if there is no chance of a reward. That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed without a doubt, a real superhero.”
Rest In Peace to The Godfather of my childhood.
