The Poster Memorabilia blog

The MCU’s Final Glory Days

One last crush at the Endgame premiere, before the wave broke.

By an anonymous Hollywood insider

At the risk of pissing millions of Marvel fans off, I'm just gonna come right out and say it: the MCU's glory days are long gone. I'm not saying the Marvel movies today are bad, but they're just not at the same level as before. The hype has died down, and while they're still very commercially successful, many have grown tired of the franchise.

I say this confidently since I was there when the MCU ruled the world. It was crazy! Practically everyone and their mother watched and talked about the Avengers. And we all waited with anticipation until Avengers: Endgame went into theaters and demolished the box office.

In fact, I think I foresaw the end of the MCU's peak at the premiere of Endgame. There I was, fighting for my life at the fan pit at the movie's Los Angeles premiere. I've been to many Marvel movie premieres in the past, but this was the only time I truly feared for my life. I really thought I was gonna suffocate to death in that huge crowd.

This is what I mean when I talk about Marvel’s glory days. The hype and the energy for the franchise were at an all-time high, and the movie and its stars were virtually inescapable. You can't say that about the MCU today. And even when they bring back some of the biggest stars from Phase 3, I doubt they'll ever get the same level of enthusiasm.

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Since I felt that that moment was never gonna happen again, I braved the crowds to get as many autographs on my movie poster as possible. I'm sure these actors will remain famous for the rest of their lives, but I don't think they'll have a moment like this again. I had to get their autographs at the peak of their fame, and luckily for me, they were all too ready to give them.

“I had to get their autographs at the peak of their fame.”

The heavy-hitters were all there: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Zoë Saldaña, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Sebastian Stan, and more. Surprisingly, it was one of the easiest bouts of autograph-hounding I ever had. I barely had to work to get their autographs. They just signed whatever came their way, including my poster.

For those who are curious, I don't have many deep impressions of the stars up close. They were the same as always, looking cool in front of the cameras and very nice to us fans. And besides, my interactions with them were always so brief that I could never accurately say how they are in person.

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With that said, I didn't get all of the cast's autographs that night. The two Toms, Holland and Hiddleston, were notably absent. I forgot why Hiddleston wasn't there, but from what I remember, Holland was busy filming something else. In any case, I did eventually get them to sign the same poster at later events. It took me a while, but it was well worth the wait.

The MCU's Phase 3, which included Infinity War and Endgame, was truly a time. It was the franchise's ultimate glory days, and I'd even go so far as to say it was also the peak for superhero movies. I doubt Marvel could ever equal it again, but I'm still gonna watch their latest movies because, well, I love them!

Some things you watch. This one you keep.

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