*Leave it to Marvel to get me back onto my blog…hope you see the film and enjoy the MCU as much as I do…*

In 2008 we had been living in West Fargo for four years. I was in my fourth of ten years at C.H. Robinson. Brenda was running a home day care. We had seven and four-year old daughters and lived in a small but comfortable house. And a little movie called “Iron Man” debuted in theaters.

It would change the course of film history forever.

Our biggest thrill for the first Iron Man was that it appeared to mark, at long last, a professional and personal recovery for one of the most talented actors of our generation, Robert Downey Jr. Those familiar with Downey know that he has battled addiction problems for most of his adult life, going in and out of treatment facilities and occasionally doing jail time. Every time he appeared to have a career comeback, it seemed to be followed by a personal set-back. Things got particularly bad for him in the late 90’s, and led to his firing from his comeback on the TV show, “Ally McBeal.” He stuck with treatment after that, and eventually emerged to not only rehab himself, but his career. In 2007 he starred (along with the future Bruce Banner, Mark Ruffalo) in “Zodiac”, which established once more that he was a key talent in acting.

A year later came “Iron Man.” It was the ultimate role for him, and set him as the bedrock member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His career took off again, playing Sherlock Holes and staring several critically successful movies beyond Marvel. But, while it was Tony Stark’s character who delivered the ad-libbed closing line of the film, it might as well have been Robert Downey Jr., “I am Iron Man.” No one else could be.

Followed quickly by “The Incredible Hulk”, featuring a decent story and performance by a one-and-done Ed Norton as Bruce Banner, and a little too quickly by 2010’s “Iron Man 2,” the Marvel Cinematic Universe was born. Perhaps the best contributions of The “Iron Man” sequel was bringing in Don Cheadle as James Rhodes, along with the critical introduction of Natasha Romanoff, AKA Black Widow, portrayed by Scarlett Johansson. 2011 saw the final pieces of Marvel’s upcoming team fall into play, with “Thor” not only introducing us to the God of Thunder, but also in a brief scene, Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner. And then “Captain America: The First Avenger” landed. And much as Downey Jr. came to be Iron Man, I can’t imagine any other Steve Rogers beside Chris Evans.

These were the first installments in a never-before-seen on film or television attempt at world building. Taking major characters, perhaps not as major as DC’s Batman or Superman, or the well-established film X-Men, and giving them their own separate stories while connecting them all to the same world. Providing attempts to interact, either as guest in other’s movies or merely through name dropping and the now famous post-credits scenes, or the ultimate risk for Marvel, the planned 2012 “Avengers.” For Brenda and I, this was the ultimate series of film, a successful formula that guaranteed that our butts would actually be in theater seats when an MCU film hit, and not sitting on the couch at home when it came out on video. I have always preferred episodic story-telling, which is normally best on television, where seasons allow for better character development. Brenda typically prefers the “mission or monster of the week” formula. It is what made her a big fan of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Star Trek: Voyager”, while I preferred “Deep Space Nine” and “Battlestar Galactica.” Marvel had us both hooked, with strong, action packed individual films that actually built on a greater, and deeply interwoven storyline. So far, we have only missed one MCU film in theaters, the first “Ant-Man.” With our older kid being just a big, or maybe bigger, geek than I am, and a huge fan of the series, and our younger daughter a casual fan, I don’t see us missing any upcoming Marvel event.

And that is what the MCU has become, at least in terms of their “team-up” movies. Events. Perhaps the biggest movie events in history. Films that virtually everyone I know wants to see, to talk about, to be a part of. All four Avenger’s films are in the top ten opening weekend box office list, with “Avengers 2.5”, otherwise known as “Captain America: Civil War”, taking up a fifth spot. This is a record of dominance not likely to be challenged in the near future, not even by future Marvel films.

While all of the Avenger team films have been incredible movie experiences, especially for their ability to juggle so many characters and plotlines, two of the MCU’s franchise stand above the others in terms of simply being good movies. The Captain America series, highlighted by “Winter Soldier”, and the James Gunn-directed “Guardians of the Galaxy” are quality films outside of all superhero considerations. “Winter Soldier” is perhaps one of the best movies of the 21st century. Beyond the high technical quality of the films, there is another element that has been a key factor in these films success. Perhaps a more intangible reason as to their dominance over, until recently, the DC Universe’s films.

It all seems real.

I know. Real? In a universe with essentially immortal Asgardians, plenty of aliens, and the introduction of magic?

But these heroes, if super powered or just damn talented, are grounded in mostly real places on the map, and all have very real relationships. From the deep, I-will-be-there-for-you-and-kick-you-in-the-ass-when-you-need-it-no-matter-what friendships that Romanoff has shown along the way, to the unwavering convictions and commitment shown by Steve Rogers, to the buried guilt and foreknowledge that drives Tony Stark, and the pained loss covered by stoic humor in Thor, to all the complex friendships and rivalries between the vast numbers of supporting characters. There is heart, soul, love, and family. Realness that connects with the audience beyond the Iron Man suits, Cap’s Shield, or Mjolnir. Realness in an ability to set aside differences, to come together, to provide some sort of hope when all seems hopeless, and to see each other through to the end, whatever it takes. When Cap says “Avenger’s, Assemble”, he is calling all of us to tackle the challenge of the day head on, to not back down, to work together and make the most of our individual strengths as a team. To care for each other as much as you care for their fictional characters.

“Avengers: Endgame” opened this last weekend to record setting attendance and dollar figures, earning $1.2 billion on an estimated cost of $400 million. It was a stunning film, directed by the best in the Marvel stable, the Russo Brothers. It successfully wrapped up several storylines for the major characters we have known since 2008, while building up for adventures to come from their newer additions to the MCU. It was an emotional roller coaster of a film, from comedy to drama to action, and yes, with several Kleenex grabbing emotional scenes built in. As a stand-alone movie, it is probably number two on my list of best Marvel films, with “Winter Soldier” still taking the top spot. Combined with “Infinity Wars” from last year, as a feat of story-telling magic, “Endgame” will be hard to beat, if it ever is. Combining dozens of characters, any of whom could command their own movie, allowing them all room to shine, even if for a brief moment, and interweaving them into a cohesive dramatic whole? Not for the faint of heart. And it was done incredibly well.

It is 2019 now. We have been here for 15 years, and now live in a slightly bigger house in Fargo. I have a different job. Our kids are 18 and 15, one on the verge of heading off for college. Filling our lives for eleven of those years, the MCU is still going strong, bringing us together several times a year as we assemble with our favorite heroes. I hope you have enjoyed their journey as much as we have.