Please excuse this commercial break… featuring my actual life. (4a2)

I’m a big fan of wasting my own time.  From coloring books to stuffed animal collecting, my days are filled with classically busying and unproductive pre-kindergarten activities. Personally, I don’t blame myself.  In a world with dizzying levels of information and responsibility, I believe most Americans would agree that it does us all some good to zone out from time to time.  Netflix and other streaming services seem practically built for it.  But when does the consuming of entertainment shift from transportive imagining to a full time job?

In the comic book world, it is undoubtedly true that universe collaborations and cross-overs have been hugely successful.  This is perhaps the most true within the movie industry.  Consider Marvels 2012 film The Avengers.  A box office smash earning over $1.5 billion dollars, the summer hit combined multiple heroes and universes, many of which had their own accompanying prequels and sequels, often three or four times over.  Four years later, that film continues to spawn spin offs and follow ups.

While this is certainly a feat of incredible marketing (one the Marvel universe largely has The Hulk to thank for), it does seem to weigh on audiences with a strange sense of responsibility as well.  In each and every film, the fate of the world hangs in the balance. And, as audience members, we hold on for dear life hoping and praying for the futures of our favorite heroes during these 2 hour journeys.  But when the film ends and we go home, how do cross-overs alter the film we have just seen?  And why does that feeling of responsibility to the characters seem to follow us?

How do cross-overs effect films individually?

Two major things come to mind.  First, cross-overs between universes make new types of content possible.  Consider Captain America in The Avengers (2012).  While his jump into the future out of WWII is explained in depth in his own film, the separate humor of his presence in a millennial world becomes a touchstone of The Avengers series.  Other characters of the modern age are able to interact with this phenomenon that only his franchise could provide.  Similarly, characters without accompanying filmed back stories–like Black Widow–nod more directly to the comic book world attracting fans of lesser known plots.  Alluded to relationships and origin stories make the film richer and more powerful.

On the other hand, cross-overs can also have damaging effects on a film’s integrity.  In that same film, Black Widow and Hawkeye were considerably under represented as complete characters.  Deep descriptions and portrayals of main characters are glossed over to make room for the incredible number of heroes present and the monumental effects of the action they create.  Somehow the effect of combining these heroes isn’t cumulative–but rather a bit thinning and cheapening to the material.  And as these narratives spiral further and further out of control, often the plots themselves seem less believable.

It is clear films are effected by this form of narrative–both positively and negatively. But…

Why does the effect of cross-overs seem to inspire a sense of responsibility in the audience to follow that franchise?

When epic characters enter the public eye, an instant obsession with their worlds and perspectives is almost guaranteed.  But more so than any other type of character, great heroes of sagas seem to beg audiences to follow their every move.  And while franchises–like the Harry Potter films–work with a finite amount of material for audiences to experience, cross-overs demand audiences to buy into a domino effect of narratives.  The first portrayal is often so enthralling and captivating that their is an almost obligatory like effect on fans.  Not only do they want to see what happens next, they must.  Suddenly, that one film you loved can spiral into as many as a dozen separate trips to the movies.

As plots evolve and more and more characters are introduced, comic book worlds can feel a bit more like overcrowded Thanksgiving dinner than a form of entertainment.  The Hulk began this craze in the 60’s and now appears in The Avengers films himself–the next installment is set to hit screens in 2018.  So in short, for all the good and the bad of the actual content of these cross-overs more than anything I am left asking… when is this gonna stop?   Will The Avengers retire first?   Or will I?