The MCU's Trademark Humor Makes Its Tragedy More Meaningful

Across more than thirteen years and twenty-three movies, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has given fans their fair share of comedic highs and tragic lows, with the trademark former often making the latter far more impactful when it occurs. The necessity of having a balanced blend of both comedy and tragedy is well-documented throughout cinema history, but it has become something that the MCU has perfected. That same humor looks set to continue with Eternals. With the exception of Thor: Ragnarok, which could be construed as the funniest Marvel movie to date, there is almost always a great balance of comedy and tragedy that makes those tragic moments feel all the more meaningful for fans of the franchise.

Some heroes in the MCU have proven to be funnier than others, but almost every director to have become a part of the franchise has perfectly understood that for these films to succeed, there has to be a balance between humor and tragedy. Aside from keeping things fresh, this balance also serves a second purpose; to humanize the characters themselves. These characters are often human, the same as those watching them on the big screen. By contrasting their hilarious nature with tragic moments of grief á la WandaVision, audiences are able to relate far easier to the heroes themselves. This will no doubt be especially important as the MCU moves into a more cosmic phase with grander plans than ever before.

Fans of the MCU have come to expect both comedy and tragedy to go hand in hand across its entire existence, with particular moments standing out as either particularly funny or particularly tear-jerking. Some scenes perfectly capture the balance in one, such as Yondu's infamous cry of "I'm Mary Poppins y'all!" in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. As Star-Lord questions his father figures, there is the aforementioned hilarious moment which is then quickly followed by one of the MCU's most heartbreaking farewells as Yondu (Michael Rooker) subsequently tells Quill that Ego (Kurt Russell) "may have been father boy, but he wasn't your daddy." The balance here serves to make the character of Star-Lord that much more human, and it is a trait that can be seen across the MCU.

Avengers Endgame Iron Man Tony Stark Death Robert Downey Jr

Another key example can be seen in the budding relationship between Tom Holland's Spider-Man and Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. The former features the pair in a myriad of masterfully funny scenes alongside Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and the Guardians of the Galaxy but ends with Spider-Man falling victim to Thanos' (Josh Brolin) snap. Avengers: Endgame, on the other hand, shows a returning Spider-Man and Iron Man hugging it out on the battlefield. Just moments later, Peter Parker is then forced to watch Iron Man die before his very eyes, surely one of the MCU's saddest moments. The juxtaposition of humor and tragedy here is nothing short of exceptional, and the loss experienced by both Spider-Man and Iron Man serves to humanize them for audiences, rather than keep them distant as god-like heroes.

Finally, perhaps one of the best characters to balance humor and tragedy is Thor (Chris Hemsworth). The God of Thunder has seen more than his fair share of sorrow, having lost most of his Asgardian race, and many of the closest members of his family, including witnessing the death of his father Odin. Yet, his character is humanized through both his humor and his loss. In the heat of the Wakandan battle against Thanos' army, Thor finds time to compliment Captain America (Chris Evans) on his beard before subsequently failing to stop Thanos snapping his fingers and thereby entering a downward spiral of depression. The balance of humor and tragedy throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the franchise's most powerful tools, and will no doubt become even more helpful as the heroes in Phase 4 become more cosmic, more powerful, and more god-like.

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