By Nathanael Smith2019-03-18T00:00:00
As the phenomenally popular Marvel film franchise continues this month with the release of Avengers: Endgame, film critic Nathanael Smith explains why he believes the franchise stands for very little and resists substance at almost every opportunity
At the end of April, Avengers: Endgame will be released into cinemas, destroying all box office competition with a click of its fingers. Forget trying to see anything else at the multiplex, Captain America, Iron Man and co will be filling every screen and raking in all of the ticket money in the country. There’s a strong chance that it’ll be the most financially successful film of all time.
Of course, its certain success doesn’t exist in isolation; Marvel has been building to this moment since Iron Man was released in 2008. There are now 21 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), with Captain Marvel the latest entry (and the first to be led by a female superhero). Marvel films, which feature a litany of superheroes, including Spiderman, Thor and Ant Man, have so far raked in over $17.5bn at the box office. Audiences are flocking to these movies en masse, lapping up every frame that the studio has released and buying all the merchandise, too.
2022-05-11T08:30:00Z By Nick Mance
Robert Eggers’ new movie is graphic and brutal. But in it, Nick Mance found a strong reminder of the grace of being saved
2025-07-18T10:29:00Z By Billy Hallowell
It’s easy to celebrate when high-profile people express faith in Christ. But what about when they falter? We should be slow to judge and quick to pray for them, says Billy Hallowell
2025-07-17T11:11:00Z By Tim Bechervaise
Maro Itoje captains his club, his country and now, the British and Irish Lions. The 30-year-old rugby player says he hasn’t always taken his faith as seriously as he should. But he is now - and it shows on the field, says Tim Bechervaise
2025-06-25T10:05:00Z By Martin Saunders
Sarah Wynn-Williams’ explosive memoir exposes a dangerously dysfunctional culture at social media giant Facebook. But before we throw stones, the Church should consider what it can learn about unchecked power and unchallengeable leaders, says Martin Saunders
2025-05-29T14:28:00Z By Martin Saunders
The world’s longest-running research project is (still) trying to find out what makes humans happy. Martin Saunders distills years of study, ancient biblical wisdom, endless self-help books and that Ken Dodd song to finally give you the answer…
2025-05-01T12:11:00Z By Martin Saunders
As the hit Netflix series Adolescence prompts a national debate about toxic influences on young men, Martin Saunders suggests practical solutions the Church needs to adopt now
Site powered by Webvision Cloud