Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-26687285-20150905125650/@comment-26687285-20171202021419

(I meant to post this much earlier last year. Apologies for lagging behind so much with regards to this thread and the recent MCU films)

Looks like Marvel still haven't learned their lesson. Even though I had a blast with Civil War and it's still one of my favorite MCU films, I really hate the fact that they didn't kill off Rhodey. After I saw that shot of him crashed in that field in the first trailer, I was really looking forward to this. I was ready to finally see Tony's loyal friend exit the series in a shocking dramatic death scene. But no, he's just severely injured but is going to probably make a full recovery. And he's still boping around in A:IW. Honestly Marvel, is this what it's come to? We can't even properly kill off a supporting character that's been around since 2008 and has been in 5 of these bloody films already!? Are we really going to be THIS conservative with our death scenes!?

This is part of the reason why my innitial positivity surrounding CW has somewhat faded since I first saw it. In the theater I thought it was one of the best superhero films I'd ever seen, and I even said it was the best experience I'd had with a Marvel film since DoFP. My other major complaint about the film (which ties in with Rhodey's non-death) is that for what was supposed to be the chapter that would reshape the face of the MCU, that would re-define these characters, that would shake them and their world to their very core, CW is not nearly resolute or impactful enough to be more than just another (admittedly well-done, but) ultimately not as hard-hitting as it should have be, Marvel film.

How about this. So we have this really spectacular, exciting and suspenseful action scene at the airport, that is suddenly punctuated by Rhodey accidentally getting blasted out of the sky. Now, what if after Tony rips off James's mask in desperation, instead of the film chickening out and merely giving him a broken back that has basically already healed by the end of the film, it had gone like this:

Tony: "Read vitals."

F.R.I.D.A.Y.: "...I...I'm sorry Tony. I'm not getting anything. Emergency medical is on it's way."

Then about two scenes later we see Stark standing over Rhodey's body in Avengers HQ. Imagine what would be going through his mind. James Rhodes, the man who has been at his side for almost his entire life. Who has been his partner for most of his superhero career. Who time and again has helped him through some of the worst and most testing trials he has faced. Who has been every bit as loyal to him as Pepper or J.A.R.V.I.S. ...is dead. The thing he has become more and more afraid of ever since the events of A1 has once more been reaffirmed. The idea that whenever things go wrong it will be because he did not (and could not) do all he should've done to protect those he cares about. This would have not only ramped up the guilt and fear he has been carrying throughout most of the films and strenghten his belief in his cause and the need to bring Cap to justice, it would've made the dramatic tone of the film that much more palpable and effective and drawn-out the tantilizing ideological and emotional stalemate between these two opposing sides even further.

Then at the end of the film, instead of having the two of them exchange a bunch of dumb and unfunny jokes and Stan Lee cameos less than 5 minutes after the two men who are supposed to form the heart and center of The Avengers tried to kill each other with their bare hands, what if we'd done it like this:

Tony is sitting at his desk in the Avengers building and reluctantly opens a letter left for him from by Steve Rogers. However, instead of Cap basically saying "Sorry man. I'm still your friend. Call me if you need anything", the message should have been far more disheartning and defensive of Bucky. Something like:

''"I'm going away for a while, Tony. I don't know where I'm gonna go, but I know that sticking by Bucky is the only thing that makes sense to me anymore. He is the only life I have left. I don't want to have to fight you, Tony. I do not want to, nor will try to seek you out after what happened. But I must be honest with you that if you try to come after us again I will do everything I can to protect my people. I wish it didn't have to be like this. And I pray that we will never have to meet each other like this again. I hope that someday we can find it in ourselves to forgive each other. God speed and good luck to you, Tony.

Goodbye, Steve."''

Don't get me wrong. The idea that Steve would be so forgiving and open to Tony even after they have just experienced the worst thing that either of them has ever gone through is completely believable. It is in no way unfaithful to who Captian America is as a character. The problem is that it makes it feel like the film has just wrapped up the most profound and serious conflict in the entire MCU storyline and the end result was basically...not much. It feels far too rounded out and it removes that powerful sense of uncertainty and dread.

I just hope that we will finally get to see some proper, actual death scenes in IW next May.