At a preview screening of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, I found myself thinking: “How did we get here?”
Perhaps it was due to the fact director James Gunn legitimately wanted me to empathise with a cybernetically-enhanced raccoon.
Perhaps it was due to the fact that Marvel Cinematic Universe films are increasingly living up to the meme of resembling Spy Kids 3.
Or maybe it had something to do with the one that inadvertently started it all, the one we owe the current landscape to: Jon Favreau’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr, Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
16 years ago on this very day, Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures’ $140 million gamble premiered in the form of a blockbuster about billionaire/playboy/industrialist Tony Stark, whose search for moral redemption mirrored that of Robert Downey Jr’s — one of Hollywood’s most prominent comeback stories to date — and its existence is a bleak reminder of what we’ve lost.
The visuals never looked better (particularly the Iron Man suit) because back then, they still put in the hard yards to blend practical effects with the digital.
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The storytelling was never more impactful, because at this stage, it was still about compelling narratives as opposed to building a cinematic franchise, backdooring future properties, selling merchandise, or providing context for whatever Disneyland ride was coming that summer.
But more importantly, 2008 was an era where superhero movies still meant something. There was a sense of occasion when you hit the cinemas to witness Spider-Man, The Dark Knight, or indeed, Iron Man. These flicks were crafted with passion, careful thought, and careful detail, instead of coming straight off the production line in serialised batches like your iPhone.
Sadly, those days are — for the most part — long gone. I guess it really is true what they say: time plus money makes everything less cool.
Now granted, Iron Man is by no means a perfect movie.
While there was a measure of self-awareness when it came to exploring US imperialism, the military-industrial complex, as well as revealing the true enemy to be another old white guy sitting in the boardroom, certain elements of the underlying politics surrounding Afghanistan are rather dated. Although I suppose the point of art is to serve as a snapshot of its era.
In terms of gender politics, not much elaboration is required here. From that air hostess/stripper sequence to seducing a direct employee, it’s all a bit questionable from a post-#MeToo perspective. But let’s not linger too much on this point. I think everyone can agree there are far more appropriate arenas for this discussion than an article about a goddamn superhero movie.
That being said, nothing (nothing) the MCU has released since then has captivated my attention the same way the prologue to its ongoing screen canon has. Because at the end of the day, no amount of cosmic warfare, clashes between gods, and large-scale battle sequences will resonate with an audience as much as an admittedly flawed dude setting aside his personal baggage to just figure shit out, take matters into his own hands, and ultimately fight for what’s right.
