Isn't It MARVEL•ous!
Show of hands, who likes superhero movies? Now, show of hands of who knows the difference between DC and Marvel? Ok. Now, show of hands of who has all the Marvel movies listed in chronological order on a note in her phone? Anyone? Just me? Cool, cool.
So I really like superhero movies. Specifically those in the MARVEL universe. If you don’t know the difference, here’s a brief breakdown:
DC UNIVERSE MOVIES: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, Shazam, The Justice League, Etc.
MARVEL UNIVERSE MOVIES: Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Avengers, Ant Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, the X-Men (though technically not superheroes), Etc.
I grew up watching superhero movies because my mom loved them, still does. We watched reruns of Lynda Carter wielding her golden lasso making the bad guys tell the truth. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be able to just spin around in a circle and magically change clothes?! Um, I would! Then came Christopher Reeve who leapt tall buildings in a single bound and flew faster than a speeding bullet. That ice cave/castle/house thing? Very cool. Finally there was Michael Keaton donning the black bat suit with all his super creepy, wackadoo nemeses. Once Ben Affleck started playing Batman, though, I was out. I moved on to bigger and better movies, AKA Marvel.
Honestly, I just love movies in general, especially ones with a continuing storyline in a series (well, as long as it stays interesting...sorry, Step Up 2, 3, and some others involving dancing in the streets). I dig the Harry Potters, Maze Runners, Hunger Games, Back to the Futures, Bourne series, Ocean’s series, James Bond, and so many more. I have for sure spent probably too many hours of my life watching them. But hey, sometimes you just need to escape into a fictional world for 1 hour and 55 minutes, or more. Ain’t no shame!
Not only do they provide an escape but also they can bring people together. Watch parties are the best! I have a long-standing weekly Survivor night with some of my closest friends, as well as a Bachelor/Bachelorette night with my sis and brother-in-law. I know who will go watch the latest superhero movie with me, who will quote New Girl with me, and who I can watch the scary movies and zombie shows with. The “Hunting Trip” episode (S2E10) on Parks and Recreation will forever be burned in my memory because I watched it with some of my favorite people in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. These are my people! Yes, we have a relationship beyond television and movies, but it’s so fun to have one extra thing that bonds us together.
No inspirational message here; I’m just sharing about me, about my adoration for the cinema and for those superhuman characters wearing spandex. This week Avengers: Endgame premieres. It is the FINAL movie in the Avengers series, as some of the characters are moving on. So many mixed emotions! Excited about the new movie but sad to see the end of an era. It’s like watching the end of your favorite television series, or finishing a great book (yes, I do also read on occasion 💁), terrible and wonderful at the same time. Go out and watch what will hopefully be an amazing movie and make a memory with your people.