In Defense of Marvel’s Fan-Service

Written by Shelby Edison

Picture this: it’s Friday April 26, 2019. My day full of high school classes passes at a snail pace while I try to pay attention to pre-calculus proofs instead of speculating about possible Marvel plot arcs. I do my best to avoid all forms of social media which, for the day, have turned into a massive cesspool of movie spoilers. When my last class ends, I sprint out of school faster than Pietro Maximoff to hop into my mom’s car and speed off towards the nearest movie theater. I walk into that theater, surrounded by the energetic buzz of nerds who have been waiting over a decade for this film. The lights dim, and I prepare to buckle in to the movie event of a lifetime. Avengers: Endgame is about to start. 

Watching Endgame in a movie theater on its release day was a formative, maybe even spiritual experience for me. After introducing me to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in middle school, my mom brought me to see every single movie. Most of our conversations consisted of sharing theories we read online and trying to predict the plots of the next movie before they hit the big screen. Watching Marvel movies blossomed into a full-fledged hobby, with me marking my calendar months in advance to ensure I got a seat when new movies premiered in the movie theater. These films aren’t like other films I watch where I sit in laughter, tears, or awe thoroughly entertained for 90 to 120 minutes then go home to continue with my day. With Marvel movies, I block out up to 180 minutes (plus time waiting in a dark theater for end credit scenes) of my day to sit in a state of tension and exhilaration before engrossing myself in dozens of articles analyzing the film I just watched and its connections to the wider cinematic universe. My enthusiasm contributes to a trend in Marvel films dissolving into the cultural zeitgeist. My buying opening day tickets provides Marvel with its coveted box office records. So, I have to say, it’s nice when the Marvel creators seem to acknowledge the die-hard fans and give us what we want. That’s right, I’m talking about fan-service. 

The concept of fan-service involves material included in a piece of art for the sole purpose of making the audience happy. In the MCU, fan-service surfaces in many forms, such as cameos or the fandom’s favorite heroes striking poses for an extended shot while the music crescendos. When I saw Endgame in theaters and Sam Wilson whispers that he’s on Steve Rogers’s left before entering the scene through a magical portal, the audience went nuts. The rest of the Avengers who had previously been reduced to dust in the penultimate scene of Infinity War populate the screen and strike their signature pose. Cheers bounced off the walls and echoed into my empty popcorn bucket. Steve Rogers wields Mjolnir, Thor’s magical hammer, and tells the Avengers to assemble. I could feel the vibrations of the hollers and cheers in my chest. The fans in that theater were living their best life. 

Popular criticisms of the MCU’s fan-service come from the view that these elongated posing scenes are only included in the film to pander to fans as if the only reason they are in the audience is to cheer when the whole team comes together in an epic moment. These moments add a few extra minutes onto the film that are not essential to the plot. Some critics of the fan-service may ask if the extended battle scene is worth the three hour run time of the film. Sometimes, fan-service scenes’ placement may even interrupt the natural flow of the movie. Here, I am thinking of another moment in the final battle of Endgame where the women on the Avengers team up to help Captain Marvel, saying that she’s got help. This moment aims to mimic a similar scene in Infinity War where a group of female Avengers work together to protect Wanda Maximoff that got a great audience reaction in the theaters. In Endgame, the moment is not as organic. 

However, I argue that it doesn’t really matter to me if the scenes make the run-time absurd or fit perfectly in the film. There is something nostalgic and deeply moving about seeing the characters I have watched develop over 21 different films gather together onscreen for one final hurrah. There is something empowering about seeing a gaggle of powerful women come to each other's aid with wit, power, and determination. Seeing that representation of badass women saving the day could mean the world to a younger girl sitting in the audience, especially if that little girl gets to see the audience erupt into applause like I saw in my theater. These fan-service moments make me happy, simple as that. Having invested so much time and energy into keeping up with the MCU and watching every single film and television show, it feels good to get to see moments in these films that I know were included just to bring joy to a fan like me. 

What sets the MCU apart from the experience of seeing other films for me is knowing that I will leave the movie theater having witnessed a film tailored to the tastes of nerds like me. I know that the directors will include a throwaway appearance of another beloved Marvel character, such as Daredevil’s cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home, or a magnificent battle scene featuring all my favorite characters, like in the last half hour of Endgame. The Marvel leadership is far from perfect, only recently starting to break from a history of focusing on white male heroes and still lacking in LGBTQ+ representation. Yet, I greatly appreciate their dedication to including moments in their films intended to bring their fans joy. Does every single movie really have to be a cinematic marvel? I just want to enjoy my Marvel fan-service in a movie I waited for months to see. I think that reasoning can be enough.

Thanks to Marvel’s fan-service, I got to be a part of a life-changing experience about 3 years ago. Nothing will compare to seeing Endgame in theaters surrounded by fans just as invested in a cinematic universe as I was. Okay, maybe Spider-Man: No Way Home is a close second. Nonetheless, in a world filled to the brim with so much uncertainty, it sure is nice to know that there are some things I can always count on. Political discourse breaking out at the Thanksgiving table. Midwestern springs feeling a lot like winter. A heavy dose of fan-service in every new Marvel film that leaves me with a huge smile on my face and ringing in my ears from the cheers that erupt in the theater.