Could Marvel give audiences a tragic hero and happy ending in the same movie?
Americans are used to seeing the three acts of a film go something like this:
Americans like their happy endings. Ambiguity and tragedies are generally frowned upon. It is important to keep people coming back to the theater, and a good experience, leaving with a smile, is a big part of the Hollywood formula for success.
In a tragedy, however, the steps change at No. 6 – things go well, they go better, and then they get even better. The hero is on top of the world, and there is no place to go but down. That is exactly what happens, usually resulting in death or something worse.
The reason for this exposition, if you have made it this far, is one question for Avengers: Age of Ultron. Could Marvel pull off a tragic movie ending? Joss Whedon is a master story teller, and there are enough characters that one of them could certainly end up on the tragic end of things. It would perfectly set up Civil War.
Would audiences be able to deal with one of the heroes falling from grace, dying or trying to take revenge on the other Avengers? Would audiences accept a movie that ends with something that is much worse than eating shawarma in a New York diner?
Marvel is known for the fact that their movies are not DC dark. Marvel gives audiences good storylines with something for every character to do while trading quips. The movies leave audiences feeling good about themselves and the movie while sometimes teasing something bigger, or goofier, for the future. However, fans are fiercely loyal to their favorite superhero. If Marvel attempted a WWE style babyface to heel turn of one of its most popular characters, it could experience a backlash from those who follow just the Marvel films. But it would be a genius move to evoke the tragic hero at the same time the film is weaving the hero story for someone else.
Author note: I have stayed away from watching the latest trailer. I don’t want any more spoilers.
- The hero in his everyday life
- Something happens to the hero to change the status quo
- The hero doesn’t want to accept (or do something about) what has happened
- The hero gets pressed into action
- The stakes rise
- Something goes wrong
- Something else goes wrong
- It gets even worse – this is the worst of the worse
- The crisis is at its peak
- The hero succeeds
- Denouement or falling action
- Happy ending
Americans like their happy endings. Ambiguity and tragedies are generally frowned upon. It is important to keep people coming back to the theater, and a good experience, leaving with a smile, is a big part of the Hollywood formula for success.
In a tragedy, however, the steps change at No. 6 – things go well, they go better, and then they get even better. The hero is on top of the world, and there is no place to go but down. That is exactly what happens, usually resulting in death or something worse.
The reason for this exposition, if you have made it this far, is one question for Avengers: Age of Ultron. Could Marvel pull off a tragic movie ending? Joss Whedon is a master story teller, and there are enough characters that one of them could certainly end up on the tragic end of things. It would perfectly set up Civil War.
Would audiences be able to deal with one of the heroes falling from grace, dying or trying to take revenge on the other Avengers? Would audiences accept a movie that ends with something that is much worse than eating shawarma in a New York diner?
Marvel is known for the fact that their movies are not DC dark. Marvel gives audiences good storylines with something for every character to do while trading quips. The movies leave audiences feeling good about themselves and the movie while sometimes teasing something bigger, or goofier, for the future. However, fans are fiercely loyal to their favorite superhero. If Marvel attempted a WWE style babyface to heel turn of one of its most popular characters, it could experience a backlash from those who follow just the Marvel films. But it would be a genius move to evoke the tragic hero at the same time the film is weaving the hero story for someone else.
Author note: I have stayed away from watching the latest trailer. I don’t want any more spoilers.