A great read! Sometimes I wonder if this safe mode of storytelling will lead to viewers struggling to process grief. We must suspend our disbelief so often for instant gratification instead of being made to reflect on the consequences of the characters' actions. No wonder many of us feel like we can't live up to our own potential.
While not a feature movie, "Game of Thrones" has to be considered in this context. It subverted convention by repeatedly killing off key, even lead, characters. GOT conditioned audiences almost to expect this. "Walking Dead" similarly killed off a lot of beloved lead characters. How audiences process this may be driven in part by psychological differences between generations. I know that my friends who loved GOT have no time for Star Trek, which they view as sappy and sentimental and completely unrealistic. (I love both, but that's me.)
You are spot on to point out genre expectations so that should be extended to understand audience preferences. Comic books often defy logic, with death and rebirth serving a narrow storyline over permanent stakes. The MCU mirrors this and largely stayed true to the source medium’s focus on enduring characters.
I mean even superman famously died and came back.
I’m about to sit in a theatre to watch a 30year anniversary showing of Se7en. If we want permanent stakes, thrillers is the genre for me.
Great article, the 70s death of Hero peak, is in line with the bold nihilistic and ground breaking films of that decade. In vivid contrast , I remember watching Endgame in the cinema, and was truly shocked at how badly made and put together this film was, even the the soundtrack was ( maybe deliberately ) horrendous.
I don't really agree with your analogy of Marvel and the marshmallow test. Superheroes die all the time, and are resurrected in the source material. I do agree this could have waited until after this particular arc, though.
A great read! Sometimes I wonder if this safe mode of storytelling will lead to viewers struggling to process grief. We must suspend our disbelief so often for instant gratification instead of being made to reflect on the consequences of the characters' actions. No wonder many of us feel like we can't live up to our own potential.
While not a feature movie, "Game of Thrones" has to be considered in this context. It subverted convention by repeatedly killing off key, even lead, characters. GOT conditioned audiences almost to expect this. "Walking Dead" similarly killed off a lot of beloved lead characters. How audiences process this may be driven in part by psychological differences between generations. I know that my friends who loved GOT have no time for Star Trek, which they view as sappy and sentimental and completely unrealistic. (I love both, but that's me.)
You are spot on to point out genre expectations so that should be extended to understand audience preferences. Comic books often defy logic, with death and rebirth serving a narrow storyline over permanent stakes. The MCU mirrors this and largely stayed true to the source medium’s focus on enduring characters.
I mean even superman famously died and came back.
I’m about to sit in a theatre to watch a 30year anniversary showing of Se7en. If we want permanent stakes, thrillers is the genre for me.
Great article, the 70s death of Hero peak, is in line with the bold nihilistic and ground breaking films of that decade. In vivid contrast , I remember watching Endgame in the cinema, and was truly shocked at how badly made and put together this film was, even the the soundtrack was ( maybe deliberately ) horrendous.
This is SUCH a great analysis; thank you!!! Marvel...ugh...
I don't really agree with your analogy of Marvel and the marshmallow test. Superheroes die all the time, and are resurrected in the source material. I do agree this could have waited until after this particular arc, though.