The Avengers (2012 film)

A convenient symbol of the worst problems of the Marvel Universe, a bad film of its time that's aged like milk. The one guy who spends the entire film pissing everyone off receives a fatal blow from G-tier villain and the film’s primary antagonist, Loki, who he shoots with some sort of shiny gun. His last line: “So that’s what it does,” as though it is a reference we’re supposed to be familiar with (we’re not). This death is framed as a tearjerking moment. Also, adoption is a punchline. Yeah, this deserved to gross over a billion dollars. Disgustingly self-impressed.

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