Fan Fest News

News for Fans, By Fans!

Marvel-ous Monday: The Path to ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Is Set

**Proceed with Caution: Some spoilers from Captain Marvel follow**

Marvel-ous Monday: The Path to ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Is Set
Marvel

Did you know Captain Marvel opened this weekend? (Sarcasm.) Opening to a respectable $153 million, the origin of Carol Danvers was finally told in its own unique way. Yes, if you were wondering, I genuinely enjoyed the film, but it was by no means perfect; however, with the franchise’s illustriously infamous history of changing hands and constantly changing stories, it was a safe bet that the MCU version of Captain Marvel would be told in its own way. Sure, there were aspects of the film, it’s plot, and it’s characters that stayed somewhat true to the Marvel comic verse, but I liked how it was all brought together for the most part. (Last chance to avoid spoilers!) Aside from the Supreme Intelligence’s lack of being a floating head and Mar-vell’s lack of being Captain Marvel, I thought the flick did a respectable job of giving fans a notable ride into the Kree’s universe and their misguided perception of their government’s importance in the galaxy. I digress. No, this article will not be a critique of the film or a piece discussing the negative publicity it and some of its stars received over the past few weeks. Instead, I want to appreciate the film for it’s true purpose in the MCU: a setup to quite possibly the biggest event in cinematic history. As a result, I know many fans waited anxiously for any hints Captain Marvel gave for Endgame, and I liked what I saw.

Let’s discuss that Captain Marvel mid-credit scene.  First, it stayed true to the promise of no more than 10 minutes of the film will be shown via promotion, which I appreciate. Second, it brought the Infinity War post-credit scene full circle, which I also thought was in good taste. However, I have one big question: Has Fury contacted Carol since receiving the pager in Maria’s kitchen? I think he has, and it starts with the ‘Avenger’ name being a direct reference Carol. Such decision makes me think Fury has thought about her a few times since S.H.I.E.L.D. rose to a global power.  Still, the answer has probably been under our noses the whole time.

Marvel-ous Monday: The Path to ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Is Set
Marvel

Albeit, Marvel time lines are far from perfect, and Captain Marvel really didn’t help such critique.  Nonetheless, one of the main concepts behind my idea of Fury’s interaction with Carol involves technology, and I am only going to go by what we’ve seen on screen to support this idea.  Yes, Howard Stark has been shown several times testing revolutionary and futuristic technology, but his relationship with the U.S. Government is a bit misguided and underdeveloped.  We known S.H.I.E.L.D. pretty much governs itself, so the technology it develops should be way ahead of our nation’s.  Yet, the tech we’ve seen in the MCU mimics much of what the Kree used in the recent film.  With Carol’s denouncement of Kree law, why would she be discouraged from sharing its technology and gadgets with the rest of the universe to even the playing field? From what we saw, she has no problem handing over the Kree-modified device to Fury for communication or letting Monica help modify her suit. She even let those newly trusted Skrulls mess with her plane, so she’s obviously willing to accept help for a greater good. I’ve always wondered how S.H.I.E.L.D. could afford such illustrious weapons and crafts, but if those items were gifts, it would make sense. (Thinking about the S.H.I.E.L.D., they do have that alien tech vault, too.) Also, considering Nick Fury’s infatuation with her powers and with his new outlook on the galaxy, you’re going to tell me he didn’t do some reaching out for preparedness and advancement like Carol did with the Skrulls?

To use that mid-credit scene as the final launching point into Endgame, Marvel knew what it was doing, and I am sure all of my questions will be answered in the film. The fan theories surrounding the film are seemingly infinite, and I’m sure someone will guess correctly. Due to the quantity of said theories, I doubt mine is revolutionary, but I believe it holds merit. If you’ve ever read any of my other Marvel-ous Monday articles, you’ll know I love the comic aspect of all MCU characters, and I love the multitude of different universes and storylines single franchises have encountered over the years; therefore, my Endgame theory heavily centers around Tony Stark and the Infinity Stones themselves.

Marvel-ous Monday: The Path to ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Is Set
         Marvel

First, Tony Stark’s eventual role as Sorcerer Supreme is still rather new in the comic verse. How does Tony become the Sorcerer Supreme you may ask?  Carol Danvers.  The events leading up to their fight in Civil War II are a bit much to cover now, but Stark has a history with preparing for the worst.  Tony’s “death” at Captain Marvel’s hands was predetermined. A lot of fans are now familiar with Riri Williams and her journey of becoming Ironheart.  Most are also familiar with Tony’s J.A.R.V.I.S.-like role in Riri’s life. Stark understands life and all of its principles, and I cannot help but think that either role is the crazy future Dr. Strange saw in Infinity War. To Strange’s bewilderment, how could a man like Tony Stark become the Sorcerer Supreme? See, it makes sense considering how befuddled he was with that “one” alternate ending to a seemingly awful outcome of Thanos’ reign. For the MCU and its future phases, I wouldn’t mind having a mix of the two.  I can only hope Robert Downey, Jr. will extend his contract with Marvel.  The company can keep a secret every once in a while, and I would love it if this scenario was one of those secrets.

Marvel-ous Monday: The Path to ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Is Set
Marvel

The second part of my Endgame theory involves the Infinity Stones. I am in the camp of fans who believe the stones are more than just powerful items used at their owner’s behest. There are a few different MCU references to support this notion.  The characters who refer to the stones as things like “she” and “they;” the Soul Stone determining someone’s worth by passing evaluation; and the Mind Stone being embodied through J.A.R.V.I.S. as a thinking life form are just a few different examples of the stones being conscious. The Collector also makes reference to the stones being somewhat omnipotent, and such powerful allusion would not come from a non-living entity.  Therefore, the Stones would be balanced in terms of their morality to some extent.  I don’t see how an intergalactic genocide can be ethically sound, so the stones would intervene.  The gauntlet chose who to keep alive and who to enslave, and the Avengers who were spared were spared for a reason.

From this article forward, each Marvel-ous Monday will be centered around the characters involved in Endgame.  If you want to read about a specific character or concept, please feel free to leave a comment!