‘Infinity War’ Proves That Teens Are the Best Part of the MCU

Avengers: Infinity War promised it would completely change the stakes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it didn’t lie. But apart from finally selling me on a bearded Cap and proving that Marvel could make a decent villain, Infinity War convinced me of one major thing. The best part of the MCU is its teenagers. Spoilers ahead.

I’m talking, of course, about the trifecta of teenage angst and sass that is Peter Parker (Tom Holland), Shuri (Letitia Wright), and the newly revealed teen Groot. In their own ways, all three have injected the MCU with a happier energy, but their domination of all things Marvel is more subtle than that. While giving the MCU a path for the future, these characters have added heart-ripping stakes to a universe that seems incapable of (permanently) harming its heroes.

Anyone with even a passing knowledge of Marvel’s future plans likely found a reason to roll their eyes at Thanos’ snap. Though the movie ends with the villain wiping out half of the Marvel universe, including Black Panther, Bucky, Scarlet Witch, Doctor Strange, most of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and yes, Spider-Man, Marvel’s upcoming movie plans have all but promised that most of these characters will be fine. Both Black Panther and Spider-Man: Homecoming are getting sequels, and Sebastian Stan has a long contract with Marvel. Because of these facts, the snap was a big moment that had no teeth for any viewer in the know. Yet Tom Holland was able to take Peter Parker’s fake-out death and transform it into something devastating.

As his mentor and father figure Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) cradles him, Peter says “Mr Stark, I don’t feel good,” before adding “I don’t want to go.” It’s a heart-breaking performance that should land Holland among the best lead actors in the MCU. But it’s not just Holland’s performance that makes this moment work so well; it’s what it represents. Peter Parker’s death stands as the possible extinction of promise.

Most of the heroes on the MCU’s roster are young, but they’re still firmly adults. They’re people who may have messed up in their pasts, like Tony Stark and to a lesser degree Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), but they’ve had enough time to mess up and possibly live out their own redemption arcs. If Tony Stark died, it would be sad, but it would hard to argue that the character didn’t have a complete story. Steve Rogers’ (Chris Evans) death would be pointedly more tragic, but it wouldn’t feel unnecessary or heart-breaking. He’s lived. He’s been in love. He’s had meaningful friendships. Peter Parker and Shuri, by virtue of their ages, haven’t.

The fact that these characters even exist in this universe and have to carry the unbelievable weight of trying to protect it is sad. Peter and Shuri are kids. They should be concerned with homework and making their families proud. Instead, they’re being dragged into wars that were created by people decades older than them, and they’re expected to hold their heads up high and help, no questions asked. They do it, too. They rise to these

insurmountable task with smiles on their faces, and that’s what makes these characters, who are willingly sacrificing their innocence without fully realizing the cost, heroes.

And they’re able to do all that while still being the funniest part of almost every scene they’re in. Spider-Man: Homecoming was such a success partially because it fully embraced Peter Parker as the teenage dork he is. He made bad jokes, and he fretted over what his friends and teachers would think of his disappearances even when the stakes were so much higher.

In a movie teeming with racial commentary and a power divide that threatens to tear apart an entire civilization, Shuri was consistently the heart of this story as well as the funniest character. Whenever she made fun of her brother T’challa (Chadwick Boseman), she reminded audiences that Black Panther wasn’t just a king; he was also a good person with a kind heart. Likewise, Shuri was never just the little sister. She was the mastermind of a realm that praised genius, a powerhouse able to back up her very big bark. It would be difficult for any actor to pull off this complicated duality without creating a character who’s too perfect, but Wright always makes the taunting Shuri delightful and oddly grounded instead of precocious, in spite of her clear superiority. Just imagining how she’s going to respond to the death of her older brother (if she did survive Thanos’ snap) gives Black Panther’s disappearance even more weight.

And then there’s the newest and most random addition to teen-squad, Teen Groot. Infinity War had tons of room for funny moments, but Teen Groot moodily playing his video game in the background was always a welcome running gag. But there was even nuance and sadness baked into this seemingly one-note character. After all, it’s Groot who sacrifices his arm to give Thor’s axe a handle, and it’s the translated version of his final “I am Groot” that delivers one of the biggest post-movie punches.

Marvel’s teens are a huge departure from the brooding heroes whose stories have come to define the MCU. Sure, there is a darkness to their heroics, but there’s also an innate sweetness and and an uplifting sense of confidence. If Marvel’s teens are our future, then we’re going to be in for some excellent movies.