Humanity in the Age of Ultron

Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s a superhero!

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Catchphrases, action figures, blockbuster films. The word ‘superhero’ is as ubiquitous as a McDonald’s branch. The Marvel monopoly has everyone raving about the latest and the upcoming installments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At the time of this writing, that particular installment is the upcoming Avengers sequel, Age of Ultron.

Everyone’s favorite superhero team is back to face the new threat to the human race, Ultron. His goal is to make the same race extinct. Introducing themselves to the Universe are the mysterious dark horses, the Maximoff twins, or as they’re more commonly named, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, and the Vision. Nick Fury and Maria Hill return for supporting roles. The film is set to be released on April 22 in Philippine theaters.

But what of this trend? Caught up in the glitz and glamor of it all, it’s easy to overlook the underlying thread behind the massive trend. Is it just a matter of what’s hip and chic? Or has the public emotional and mental intelligence pervaded the zeitgeist? It has often been said that the zeitgeist is a reflection of the times. Pop culture is the mirror into the soul of the masses. If that’s true, what can we say about Age of Ultron?

Karl Marx once said that media is used to control the masses, that entertainment is blind escapism from the real problems of today. If that’s true, Marvel’s doing a lousy job of entertaining the masses away to forget their deep-seated issues and dilemmas. We are in the midst of a zeitgeist revolution. Although anyone could argue otherwise, the modern superhero has evolved from being blind entertainment into something smarter and more reminiscent of the changing times. And since we’re here, we can do just that with the Marvel Cinematic Universe framework in mind.

The MCU is divided into three key phases, simply named Phases 1, 2, and 3. Age of Ultron is the culmination of Phase 2. The perceived implications of Phase 2 is bound to shake the entire MCU right from its very foundations. Besides the threat of impending doom, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes face an even tougher threat: themselves. And they might tear apart the Avengers Initiative in the process.

Phase 1 was all about origin stories. It’s the classic good vs. evil fight par excellence. Remember the superhero movies of old? From Adam West’s comic iteration of Batman to George Reeve’s Superman, the superhero universe was friendly, light-hearted, and colorful. Superheroes weren’t the zeitgeist then, but the little that they had were, in a word, comic (excuse the pun). That entire era can be summed up with a GIF of Adam West running around a town and trying to get rid of a cartoon-style bomb he’s holding above his head. Phase 1 mimics this vibrant feeling whilst adding its own take on the superhero genre. Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and The Avengers. These films are origin stories. While their plots are human and down to earth in essence, it’s the classic good vs. evil archetype. The good superhero fights against the bad supervillain. With complementing spots of humor, Phase 1 personified the light-heartedness of the movies of old.

“Problems? Take it with a grain of salt. Fight! You’ll get through it,” Phase 1 seems to say. Here is where we can argue that superhero movies are a form of escapism for the troubled masses. Troubled by everything in your life? Watch The Avengers! Guaranteed entertainment, enlightenment, and inspiration! The audiences loved Phase 1. It set the stage for the massive superhero trend. It’s a compelling argument. But does it still apply? Phase 2 wants to turn the trend on its head. Phase 1 was just the vehicle to introduce Marvel to the crowd. Phase 2 is much darker.

Phase 2 is darker and grittier. It’s reminiscent of Michael Keaton’s and Christian Bale’s renditions of Batman. Both renditions emphasized the fact that Batman could die or that he’s not the lovable superhero that everyone should adore. Phase 2 reminds us that these superheroes are essentially human, in nature or in nurture (as is the case with Thor and Superman). It’s time to dismantle the illusion. Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, and the forthcoming films, Age of Ultron and Ant-Man. Only Guardians of the Galaxy broke away from the brooding nature of Phase 2. Ant-Man is essentially an origin story, but it will definitely contribute to the dismantling of the superhero archetype with its thieving antihero. Tony Stark and his isolation and eventual turning away from his Iron Man suits were the focal point in his sequel. Thor’s was all about death and loss: of his mother, of Loki’s eventually faked but emotionally felt death, of Jane Foster’s potential end, of his father’s unperceived disappearance, and his voluntary relinquishing of royal birthright and “exile” to Earth. Steve Rogers suffered the dismantling of his beloved S.H.I.E.L.D. This sets the stage for the Avengers being truly alone and human in their fight against Ultron.

As Dorothy said, we’re not in Kansas anymore. We’re far from the friendly fun of Phase 1. Phase 2 could truly end the Avengers as a unit. In fact, Joss Whedon, the brains behind The Avengers, teases that someone will die in the upcoming movie. The implications of Phase 2 are going to be so over-reaching that we’re going to feel them well inside Phase 3. The third Captain America film is subtitled Civil War. Comic books geeks will know this as the massive Marvel Comic Universe crossover between all the superheroes divided against each other. The dismantling will continue. And it starts with the existential conflicts of Phase 2. We’ve got superheroes asking themselves, “Am I really a superhero? Do I really deserve this limelight?”

The trailers are a glaring indication of this. Except for the third trailer, we barely see any scenes of the Avengers fighting together as a unit anymore. Most are scenes of each hero alone fending for themselves. The only scene we see of the Avengers as a unit is the party scene at Stark Tower, that is, before Ultron crashes the party. It goes so far as to show the much-awaited fight scene between Tony Stark in his Hulkbuster suit going against the Hulk in all his green glory. The trailer talks about the end, loss, and the tearing apart from the inside. We see Avengers going against each other. We see a grittier tint. There is no ray of sunshine shown with the tinge of hope. The Avengers are truly alone.

That’s what makes Age of Ultron a more thought out, if not smarter, film. Facing one’s problems is never easy. No likes answering the existential questions. Who am I? Why am I here? Will we be alright once everything is taken from us? Will we ever answer these questions? But we have to. It’s no longer me vs. him. It’s me vs. myself. To defeat the world, I have to defeat my inner demons first. That’s what Phase 2 is all about. We’ll still see and enjoy the thrill that the movie will surely bring, but within it lies a message or a mirror to the zeitgeist. Play time is over, time to clean up.

It’s time to wake up. The illusion of fun is over. It’s time to face your problems. Start from the inside. Work your way up. And we are working our way up. Revolutions, exposés, truth, hard work. That’s the zeitgeist. Phase 2 will shatter the former zeitgeist.

And with Phase 3 comes the dream of hope. The hope that everything will be alright. The hope to defeat even bigger threats. The hope to rise from the ashes and fight back. The Titan Thanos lies after Phase 2. He aims to hunt for all the Infinity Stones and wield untold power. The only way for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes is to get through Phase 2 is to shatter everything. Then rebuild.