Line #16 DeconstructedCharacterArchetype/MarvelCinematicUniverse


1	!''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse''
2	DeconstructedCharacterArchetype in this series.
3	----
4	[[AC:Films]]
5	* ''Film/IronMan1'' deconstructs the [[Creator/AynRand Randian]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Objectivism}} Objectivist]] hero with [[Characters/MCUTonyStark Tony Stark]]. He is an EccentricMillionaire who is also physically fit and handsome enough to successfully seduce a reporter that was trying to slander him for his shady practices, the kind of {{Ubermensch}} that Rand always wrote as the ideal. When he discovers that his work is being used in a manner that conflicts with his interests (his tech falling into the hands of terrorists) he creates a revolutionary new product (his iconic suit) and fights them off himself. Much like in the case of Hank Reardon in ''Literature/AtlasShrugged'', the government sees this amazing new tech and tries taking it for themselves under the guise of a Utilitarian agenda and they are portrayed bad for doing so (in later movies revealing the same senator that tried to rule against him being a member of HYDRA). Every villain he has faced has either tried to kill him out of jealousy for his success or tries to take what belongs to him for themselves. He butts heads with Captain America because their philosophies (Steve Rogers believing in altruism and self-sacrifice) are in direct conflict with one another. In the belief that he alone knows what is best for the world, he ends up creating Ultron, and rather than admitting that what he did was wrong, he doubles down and finishes creating Vision with complete certainty that what he is doing is right. The {{Deconstruction}} part comes later in Phase 3, when he sees where his EnlightenedSelfInterest gets him after Sokovia's destruction at the hands of his creation Ultron and the lives lost afterwards cause him crippling guilt, eventually turning ''in-favor'' of government oversight. [[spoiler:Even his death in ''Endgame'' -- sacrificing his own life to save everybody else -- fits Rand's ideas of altruism, a concept canonized as the least Objectivist thing you could ever do.]]
6	* ''Film/{{Thor}}'' deconstructs the ProudWarriorRaceGuy character with [[Characters/MCUThorOdinson Thor]], himself. He is admired by almost everyone in his culture because he is a powerful, honorable warrior that embodies their values, so they are very happy when he is about to be crowned king of Asgard. However, when a few Jotun (members of an enemy race) break into Asgard's weapons' vault right before his coronation, he storms over to Jotunheim to demand answers from their king without taking the time to investigate whether their king was behind it, or if the people responsible were acting on their own. He says things to provoke a fight with Jotunheim's king even though he and his friends are outnumbered, and then, when a random Jotun calls him a princess, [[DisproportionateRetribution uses the insult as an excuse to kill the person who insulted him, along with dozens of other Jotnar.]] It's only after he's [[BroughtDownToBadass stripped of his powers by his father]] and put through significant {{humiliation\|Conga}} and {{trauma\|CongaLine}} by various other characters that he starts to realize that he shouldn't make all of his moral decisions based on his rigid version of a warrior's honor. When he is put in a situation where he is too weak to physically fight one enemy, and gains empathy for the Jotun he killed for so little reason in the beginning, he finally becomes the hero he only thought he was, before.
7	* ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' deconstructed the MinionWithAnFInEvil with Dr. Arnim Zola. He was originally a timid scientist working under the ComicBook/RedSkull during World War II in [[Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger the original film]], who only reluctantly sided with him after [[PiggybackingOnHitler his boss killed his Nazi allies]] to start his own campaign of world conquest. By the end of the film [[HerrDoktor he defects to the Allies and rats on him]], but when he reappears in the sequel as a VirtualGhost, it's revealed that [[spoiler:he had a far greater potential for evil than anyone suspected. He spent decades rebuilding HYDRA within S.H.I.E.L.D. so they could ultimately launch a much more insidious campaign to TakeOverTheWorld. While he wasn't an overtly sadistic CardCarryingVillain like the Red Skull, his methods ultimately prove far more effective; someone who chooses to work within such an ObviouslyEvil organization like HYDRA isn't likely to be an incompetent lackey after all.]]
8	* ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2''
9	** The film deconstructs TheChosenOne with [[Characters/MCUPeterQuill Peter Quill]]. His father Ego talks big about how Meredith Quill was his one true love and as his son Peter has a grand destiny ahead of him [[spoiler:but Ego fathered thousands (if not more) children to try and have one with Celestial powers, simply murdering the rest when they didn't. The love he felt for Meredith scared him so much he decided to put a tumor in her brain to kill her, and beyond that she's later shown to just be one of Ego's many paramours.]] Peter only survived, grew into the man he is today, and saved Xandar in the first film [[SpannerInTheWorks because Yondu decided not to take him to Ego]] [[spoiler:and his probable death at Ego's hands]] and instead adopted him and raised him as a Ravager, keeping him away from his "destiny." When Ego does reveal Peter's part in his grand plan [[spoiler:Peter doesn't even have a choice to make as Ego initially hypnotizes him and when that fails, just forcibly uses Peter as a battery. Peter discovering how to use his powers doesn't let him defeat Ego all on his own, just stall him while his teammates plant a bomb. Defeating Ego also strips Quill of the powers his connection to Ego gave him, rendering him an utterly normal human being, something he is totally fine with after all Ego put him through.]]
10	** The HiddenHeartOfGold trope is also deconstructed with Yondu Udonta. As leader of a Ravager clan, he acted like a ruthless criminal at all times and repressed his softer side except for private moments. However he comes to realize that acting like a heartless {{Jerkass}} all his life only alienated most of his friends and traumatized his adopted son Peter, leading to him growing up into an emotionally stunted ManChild. Not only that, but it becomes apparent a good chunk of his crew is only loyal to the facade he puts up; when Yondu's softer side begins slipping through, [[TheStarscream Taserface]] is able to rally half of the crew to mutiny against him for having "gone soft".
11	* [[Characters/MCUErikStevens Erik "Killmonger" Stevens]] in ''Film/BlackPanther2018'' is an examination into what happens if a {{Blaxploitation}} hero in a movie with a black majority cast was the villain. Killmonger embodies every negative stereotype about black culture, from growing up in a ghetto neighborhood with politically radical elements such as the Black Panthers to helping the US government destabilize the world as a spec-ops soldier ([[{{Hypocrite}} despite his own railing against Wakanda failing to prevent the US and other Western nations from performing atrocities against communities of color]]). Killmonger in a regular Blaxploitation film would be a hero whereas here he is a bloodthirsty and ruthless murderer who wants to spark a global race war solely because he is a ''very'' {{Angry Black Man\|Stereotype}}.
12	* ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'':
13	** Later on, by the events of this film, Peter Quill becomes a HeartbrokenBadass after [[spoiler:Thanos kills Gamora to obtain the Soul Stone]], but his grief and anger only causes him to lash out at the worst possible time and thus setting off the chain of events that [[spoiler:allows Thanos to win]]. Thor also is a deconstruction of this trope for the same reason. He was {{forced to watch}} Thanos kill [[spoiler: his brother, his best friend, and half of the surviving Asgardians]] in the beginning of the film, and also lost both his mother and father not long before that. His need for revenge against Thanos most likely was what clouded his judgment enough to prevent him from realizing that [[spoiler: he would need to kill Thanos nearly instantly to stop him from using the Infinity Gauntlet. This ends up having very tragic results, for Thor and the rest of the universe.]]
14	** [[Characters/MCUThanos Thanos the Mad Titan]] can be argued to be a deconstruction of the AntiHero; Some of the villains in previous comic book films (including those in the Marvel Cinematic Universe itself) have been presented as [[VillainHasAPoint having legitimate points]], but Thanos is the first major villainous character to be an unquestionably irredeemable monster who is none-the-less convinced that ''he'' is ultimately the hero of the film. Not only does he think that he's the good guy, but he's fully accepted the belief that he's a suffering, righteous lonely martyr hero who has totally made peace with no one ever recognizing, rewarding, or even thanking him for his NecessaryEvil. Thanos doesn't even want power or leadership, with him planning on exiling himself to live a simple and humble life after he's performed his "HeroicSacrifice". He's also the VillainProtagonist of ''Infinity War'', and is given quite a bit of CharacterFocus, [[SympatheticPOV being given multiple scenes]] [[CryForTheDevil garnering him sympathy from the audience]], and is seemingly positioned as having a legitimate point at times... except both this film and its sequel (''Film/AvengersEndgame'') ultimately point out he ''doesn't'' [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist have an legitimate point]]: His Malthusian plan to solve an universe-wide OverpopulationCrisis is fundamentally flawed and broken due to being based on both InsaneTrollLogic and an obvious misunderstanding of how resource scarcity works, and he is more obsessed with proving he is right than actually being a hero and just solving the problems. In short, the film shows with Thanos that many times, {{Anti Hero}}es are often just deluded {{Villain Protagonist}}s in practice.
15	* [[invoked]] The Skrulls from ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' can be considered a deconstruction of InvadingRefugees. The UnfortunateImplications around this trope are explored by giving the Skrulls AdaptationalHeroism and showing them as literally being this trope: The only reason they're invading other worlds is because the Kree won't let them resettle on an uninhabited planet and are dogmatically pursuing them as part of a FinalSolution because the Skrulls refused to submit to Kree imperialism. The Skrulls are aware that they're a DyingRace and that war is a foolish idea, but the Kree have forced them into a CorneredRattlesnake stance.
16	* ''[[Characters/MCUNormanOsborn Green Goblin]]'' from the ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy'' in ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'' deconstructs the MultiversalConqueror and ForTheEvulz characters that you see in crossovers: because he wants to conquer and cause mayhem in the MCU he underestimates the heroes there. This bites him in the ass when he enrages MCU Peter (who doesn't have Harry Osborn as a friend, as well as having more experience at fighting superpowered beings such as aliens and gods) to the point he doesn't pull his punches, effortlessly [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown beats him to a pulp]], and would have killed him and Osborn if it weren't for Raimi Peter. In addition, because he so enjoys and wants to be in the MCU he destroys the box containing the botched spell not knowing that it will tear through reality, forcing MCU Peter and Strange to [[{{Unperson}} erase everyone's memories of Peter Parker in order to fix it.]] This ultimately shows that having these types of characters in crossover events have dire consequences for the entire world.
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18	* [[Characters/MCUKang Kang]] from ''Film/AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania'' deconstructs the DoctorWhomage. Kang is without a doubt a scientific genius who not only figured out inter-universal travel but built technology that makes him damn near close to a RealityWarper. The problem is that despite his intellect, [[TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow the complexities of the multiverse and time travel prove too big for him to properly manage]], and he’s far too narcissistic to admit it, even when his hubris has led to the destruction of [[ApocalypseHow/ClassX4 entire timelines]]. He does seem to think he has better ways of managing the time stream (and He Who Remains shows that it ''is'' possible to do so to an extent) but he is seriously lacking any kind of moral fetters to restrain his actions; he will rationalize any mistake or all-out slaughter he commits as TheNeedsOfTheMany so that he can continue to live out his delusion that he’s a put-upon ScienceHero that just knows better than literally everybody else (even his own alternate counterparts) rather than what he truly is–a dangerously powerful and irresponsible rogue with a serious case of [[ItsAllAboutMe Main Character Syndrome]]. Coming off less like a [[MessianicArchetype Multiversal Messiah]] and more of a [[SatanicArchetype Space Satan]]. Thus, he resembles not the Doctor, but instead the Master or Rassilon.
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20	[[AC:Live-Action TV]]
21	* ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD''
22	** [[http://stormingtheivorytower.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/everybody-hates-grant-ward-woobie.html This article]] makes a case for [[Characters/MCUGrantWard Grant Ward]] of deconstructing the type of AntiVillain Ward is, [[FreudianExcuseIsNoExcuse by showing that the pain of his past life does not justify him taking it out on others and making it clear that everything is not about him.]]
23	** Since the end of season two, his character arc deconstructs StuffedInTheFridge after [[spoiler:Agent 33's death]]. Given that he manipulated her into becoming his loyal aide and lover, his revenge for her is really more about him feeling self righteous about going after his former teammates who he betrayed in the first place.
24	* ''Series/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'':
25	** [[Characters/MCUJohnWalker John Walker]] deconstructs the AscendedFanboy. Walker is almost as big a Captain America fan as Phil Coulson, and is thrilled to be holding the title, even if he admits in private that they're very big shoes to fill. But while Walker understands the status and the legend of Captain America, he clearly has no clue as to who Steve Rogers was as a person. As such, he comes across as a KnowNothingKnowItAll, and believes himself worthy of the title due to his service record, training and hero-worshipping, not by any merit of his character. [[spoiler:It's only after he puts aside the idea of being Captain America that he's able to do any good and finds a more suited role under his own identity as U.S. Agent.]]
26	*** Walker also deconstructs the LegacyCharacter. While he greatly admires the hero whose persona he is assuming, a combination of his self-doubt, being seen as an InadequateInheritor by those close to the original, the pressure of the public attention his new role has brought, being a product of a different, more cynical time than his predecessor, an already troubled mental state, simply [[DramaticallyMissingThePoint misunderstanding some of the fundamental ideas behind the role as Captain America]], and, last but not least, not having some of Steve Rogers' best qualities such as his compassion, humility and restraint, sends him into a dangerous spiral that culminates in him [[spoiler:brutally killing someone in broad daylight, tarnishing the uniform and symbol of the hero whose persona he had assumed]].
27	** Lemar Hoskins deconstructs the BadassNormal. He is a highly-trained soldier wearing elite military gear but with no superpowers backing him up… [[spoiler:and the second he gets into a serious one-on-one fight against Karli Morgenthau, he gets killed instantly]]. It's a fact that the only reason "Badass Normal" type characters manage to stay relevant in a world of superpowers is a mixture of PlotArmor, supertechnology abundant in the verse, real-world abilities greatly exaggerated by fiction, most often facing off against another "Badass" with no superpowers, and use of over-the-top climactic endings. Unlike most examples of this trope present in the MCU, Hoskins is entirely normal. He doesn't have the fancy [=SHIELD=] gadgets and gear Romanoff or Barton have, nor the advanced vibranium tech of the Wakandans, or even the giftedness Frank Castle has as a soldier. An entirely normal man like Hoskins would never have lasted long in the MCU because he had no special gear or talents other badass normals would need for the trope to play in full effect.
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29	[[AC:Western Animation]]
30	* ''WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021'': Ironically, Uatu is this for TheWatcher, [[TropeNamers the very trope he named]].
31	** Having to observe multiple alternate realities may seem fun at first, but as several universes lean towards the DarkerAndEdgier territory, being unable to do anything but watch them all becomes emotionally draining for Uatu at times. He expresses a desire to punish Strange Supreme for his world-ending actions in the fourth episode, but is unable to act upon it because of his AlienNonInterferenceClause, shows visible sadness when watching the events of the sixth episode, and is practically begging for Clint to not give up in Episode 8 despite his will to live being all but gone. Overall, ''What If...?'' demonstrates just how difficult it would be for a person with human-like qualities to have to sit back and do nothing while horrible things happen in the world they're looking at.

Context DeconstructedCharacterArchetype / MarvelCinematicUniverse