Marvel's Mind-Blowing Phase 5 Shatters The Avengers Beyond Imagination

Summary

The events of Secret Invasion have significantly damaged the Avengers, surpassing the impact of Civil War.

Secret Invasion returns the Marvel Cinematic Universe to its core theme of fear, with alien invaders posing a significant threat. This storyline also portrays Thor as a public enemy, thereby undermining the importance of the Avengers.

Avengers 5 encounters a significant hurdle, as it must find a way to rebuild the team's tarnished reputation and address the uncertainty surrounding its current members.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Secret Invasion. The devastating impact of the first MCU crossover in 2023 has caused more harm to Marvel's premier super team than the events of Captain America: Civil War, which took place 7 years ago. Civil War was a necessary evil, dividing the Avengers to pave the way for the events of Infinity War and the realization that teamwork was crucial. This set the stage for Endgame's climactic battle, which provided a much-needed uplifting moment.

From the beginning, Nick Fury's speech about the Avengers Initiative hinted at a redemptive payoff in Endgame. The journey of the superhero team, fraught with challenges, was specifically designed to enhance the impact of their victory and make Iron Man's death even more powerful. Few moments in the MCU are as poignant as Captain America, portrayed by Chris Evans, silently shedding tears while Robert Downey Jr's character takes his last breath. Iron Man's sacrifice highlighted the price of superheroism, the willingness of heroes to face peril for the greater good, and the true importance of the Avengers as Earth's protectors. However, four years later, the MCU is dangerously close to diminishing the significance of the Avengers, reducing them to a mere joke.

Secret Invasion Fatally Insulted The Avengers

In 2012, Nick Fury gathered the Avengers in response to the urgent needs of Earth. Despite previous objections, Iron Man was included, and Thor's presence was notable as well, considering his past involvement in causing fear about intergalactic invaders. Fury's determination to form the Avengers overshadowed his prior relationship with his Skrull agents, who were the hidden protectors of MCU Earth for many years. The Avengers proved their worth by defending the Earth against the invasion orchestrated by Loki, the world-level genocide attempt by Ultron, and the attacks by Thanos, gaining both fame and criticism for the collateral damage caused and their unregulated status.

However, during the time of Secret Invasion, Fury's stance towards the Avengers abruptly changed without any apparent reason. Despite a looming global threat in the form of Gravik, Fury callously disregarded pleas to involve "his friends" in dealing with the crisis. Initially, he justified his actions out of fear that the Avengers would be replaced and their powers replicated. Later, it was revealed that Fury had taken their DNA, and he surprisingly argued that Earth should not rely on superheroes to fight its battles. This is particularly puzzling considering that Fury quickly went back on his promise and enlisted the help of G'iah, while banking on a risky plan involving the Super-Skrull machine to match Gravik's powers in a final confrontation. This solution appears far less preferable than simply bringing in the Avengers.

The Secret Invasion had a significant negative impact on the Avengers, and its ending pushed the MCU back into a state of fear towards "alien invaders" that existed before The Avengers in 2012. One of the original heroes, Thor, becomes a hunted public enemy simply because he is not from Earth. However, even earlier in the story, Fury dismissively jokes about the Avengers being a result of his midlife crisis, suggesting that allowing the stars to align for G'iah to defeat Gravik is somehow better than involving the Avengers. This insult to the Avengers' value culminates when Sonya Falsworth questions Fury about whether he has called upon them:

"This is personal. We cannot rely on these superheroes to constantly come and save us. None of them have experienced the life I have, and none of them can protect the world the way I can. The only power I possess was instilled in me by a single mother and molded by an exceptional woman who surpasses anything I could ever aspire to become. If that is not enough, then I am uncertain what hope remains."

This was intended to be a pivotal moment of empowerment for Fury, but it fell short because he failed to take responsibility for the consequences of the Secret Invasion. Ultimately, it was his duty to resolve the situation. However, G'iah intervened to satisfy Kevin Feige's desire for a grand superhero showdown, changing the meaning of the moment. It becomes difficult to overlook the fact that none of the Avengers had experienced personal trauma comparable to Fury's, as evidenced by the following examples: Sam Wilson, a veteran who witnessed the death of his closest companion in combat and subsequently provided guidance to those suffering from PTSD.

Carol Danvers was torn away from Earth and had her life, friends and family basically removed from her

Thor had possibly the most high profile breakdown of any superhero ever

Hulk's entire life is trauma up to Endgame

James Rhodes literally sacrificed his body for the cause, only to be kidnapped and replaced by the Skrulls

Spider-Man's entire family was lost, although it is believed that this has been erased from everyone's collective memory.

Although Iron Man was a privileged hero, he too experienced the loss of his parents due to murder, committed by Bucky/The Winter Soldier, who was deeply traumatized. Fury's comments, intended to strengthen his own position, become simplistic and demeaning. Importantly, Fury's shift from promoting his brilliant idea, The Avengers Initiative, to suggesting that the heroes may not be deserving, causes a division within the Avengers, similar to the internal conflict in Civil War.

Avengers 5 Has A Huge Problem To Overcome

The issue with Avengers 5, titled The Kang Dynasty, extends beyond the problem of placing Jonathan Majors at its core. It also relates to the story itself. Despite the additional setup provided by Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania and Loki season 2, the Kang narrative fails to create a sense of culmination, something that should be expected from Avengers crossovers now. We should have moved beyond the initial team-up stages of Phases 1 and 2, given the precedent set by the conclusion of the Infinity Saga. However, the challenge lies in the fact that Endgame signaled the end of the first (and second) iteration of the Avengers team, retiring some members and leaving others' future uncertain. Furthermore, the introduction of various Marvel superheroes has added confusion to their potential Avengers status, as it seems unlikely that all of them would become members.

In reality, Avengers 5 should be a second team-up film. This approach is necessary not only due to the current state and ambiguity surrounding the Avengers lineup but also because of the damage inflicted upon the brand of the superhero team since the events of Endgame. Phase 4 deconstructed the Avengers, removing them from active duty together to focus on individual storylines within the MCU. Now, in Phase 5, the very existence of the Avengers has been undermined. While the Avengers brand has faced challenges before, such as in Civil War, where Infinity War served as a deliberate way to bring the heroes together, there was proper buildup and storytelling. In contrast, The Kang Dynasty feels like a deliberate attempt to rectify the damage done to the MCU's primary hero team and lacks a genuine narrative purpose.