The Endgame? Understanding Grief and Loss with the Avengers

[Minor spoilers ahead]

The whole of May have been abuzz with activity online when Avengers: Endgame was released in our local cinemas. At long last, the epic conclusion to the 11-year old franchise!

Cinematography and the charm of the actors aside, there was something in the movie that was expressively and beautifully portrayed by the cast and the plot, and that was how the characters in the movie experience grief and loss, and being vulnerable.

(Spoiler warning!) 5 years after that fateful snap by Thanos, the world as everyone knew it became a foreign place. People are still coming to terms with the sudden disappearance of their loved ones, and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are not excluded. To help them cope with their loss, Captain America and Black Widow took on nurturing and supporting roles where the former started a support group for civilians who lost people after the snap and the latter took on the helm of the Avengers business to ensure peace is maintained in this new, dark world. Iron Man and Hulk seem to have come to accept the reality of things, and they have learned to move on with their lives. Iron Man married the love of his life started a family and Hulk has learned to make peace with both his personas and ultimately integrate both his human and Hulk form. Thor on the other hand, seem to still be caught up with the trauma of not being able to defeat Thanos, and blamed himself for how things have turned out. He resorted to drinking and distancing himself from everyone.

Everyone has their own way of dealing with grief and loss. If you feel that you are overwhelmed by it, never be afraid to speak up and talk to someone about it. Confiding in someone can be the support you need to ride through these dark times.

Reference:
https://www.shrinktank.com/different-ways-the-avengers-endgame-team-deals-with-loss-trauma/
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief/coping-with-grief-and-loss.htm