House of R - Our Favorite MCU Memories and Moments

Episode Date: October 13, 2023

To celebrate the release of our cohost Joanna Robinson's new book, 'MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios,' we assembled our own team of Ringer Avengers to relive their favorite moments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whether or not your top moment made the list, you'll find something in 'MCU' that helps you better understand how these stories came to dominate pop culture for more than a decade. Host: Mallory Rubin Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Additional Production: Arjuna Ramgopal Social: Jomi Adeniran Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hi, this is Ben Lindbergh. And Jessica Clemens. And we are the hosts of Buttonmash, the ringer's video game podcast on the ringerverse feed. We are in the midst of the biggest blockbuster gaming month, either of us can recall. We're talking about Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Bros, Alan Wake, Five Nights of Freddy's, Assassin's Creed Mirage. We will have our hands full, you can have your ears full with us talking about these wonderful video games. On the ringerverse feed, weekly throughout this month, on Spotify or wherever you get your podcast. The playoffs are here, and you can predict the action all the way to the finals with Fandul predict.

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This episode is brought to you by WeatherTech. Everyone knows winter is the MVP and making a mess. You don't need WeatherTech floor liners in the summer unless you hit the beach or go camping. Then you'd want a cargo liner. Or a road trip goes sideways, ketchup goes rogue, ice cream drips. Yeah, you'd be pretty happy about those weather tech seat protectors. So just to be clear as the mud, you're inevitably going to step into the summer. You don't need weather tech unless you plan on doing summer.

Visit weathertech.com today. And welcome to House of Ar, a ringerverse podcast on the Ringer podcast network. I'm Mallory Rubin and it is my absolute pleasure to invite you not only back to Avengers HQ, but also to our new House of Our podcast feed. My beloved co-host, Joanna Robinson, is not here today. She is on book tour and thus unable to be on this Zoom with us. But she's here with us in spirit. She's here with us in inspiration,

as you will hear all about in just one moment. Before Steve and I share what we have cooking today, some quick programming reminders, it is a huge month for video game releases. Ben and Jessica will have you covered on button mash all month long. This coming Monday, they are revisiting Marvel's Spider-Man. Marvel's Spider-Man Miles Morales. And in the coming weeks, they will be covering the anticipated releases of Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Super Mario Wonder, and all sorts of other games.

Check it out on the Ringerverse. There is also Loki coverage plenty all over the Ringer, the Midnight Boys. Beo-bue! Already have their instant reaction up for you on Loki episode 2. You didn't have to wait. It's already there. Jessica Clemens will have an Easter egg video breakdown on the Loki's second installment for you today, Friday. on the ringer YouTube channel

and on the ringerverse podcast feeds. And then Joe and I will be back here on Monday for our deep dive into the second episode of Loki right here on the ringerverse. Hey, Steve, I usually ask Joe this. But how can the people follow all of that? Oh, well, it's so simple, Mallory Rubin. So glad you asked.

What a helpful pal you are. Look at this. I do my best. They can be found on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, all the great places that you know and love. Run by Joe Meadineron. All great places and all great ways to talk to our fellow bad babies.

Love it. What's up, bad babies? Oh, do I need to play it now? Yeah, let's do it. Let's keep it going. It feels odd to do that to myself. Follow the pods. Follow House of R.

Follow the Ringiverse. Follow on Spotify or wherever you get your podcast. Steve, if people would like to send us, their theories, their thoughts, their questions, their Apple preferences. If they want to sign it with their pickle, where can they reach us? They can send all pickle and Apple Wars thoughts to Hobbits and Dragons at gmail.com. Same bat time. Same bat channel. You know exactly how it goes. What new pieces of food will we be asking you to sign it with next time? Who's to say? That's why you have to tune in. That is actually why.

you have to tune in. Should you tune in for the deep dive? Sure, but that's really why you need to follow along. Usually the final programming reminder is the friendly neighborhood spoiler warning. Here's your friendly neighborhood spoiler warning for today. It's Marvel. It's the MCU. It's anything that's ever happened in the MCU. Anything from Iron Man through Endgame and beyond into the multiverse saga. Why? Well, we're glad you asked. We are here today to celebrate of Marvel Studios, the book that hit shelves this week, October 10th. We are so elated, so thrilled for our brilliant co-hosts, Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzalez, follow trial by content while you're at it, and their co-author Gavin Edwards, who worked on just like for literal years,

worked astonishingly hard on this sublime book. Sublime. Sublime! Sublime! Sublime! Who is this book for you? You might be wondering. Glad you asked. a Marvel obsessive. This book is for you. Are you a Marvel skeptic? This book is for you. Are you a Hollywood insider expert? This book is for you. Are you a more casual consumer? You may be Peru's industry news. Maybe you're thinking of starting. This book is for you. No matter where you fall, this book will inform you, it will engage you, it will compel you, it will entertain you. there is no better way to wrap your arms around the astonishing landscape-altering emergence

and domination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We're ready yourself for all that's yet to call them on the MCU from because we're right here in the thick of it still. And so we thought today it would be fun and it would fill us with joy to celebrate and support our dear pals Joe and Dave and Gavin. We don't know, but we're sure is also.

wonderful. By reliving some of our fondest MCU memories, there was an idea. Steve knows this, called the podcast initiative. We asked our ringer pals, our colleagues,

we asked the ringers MCU experts, podcasting Avengers to assemble to look back at their top moments from the MCU run to date. These could be in universe, story moments, Could be moments that connect to the memory of watching or sharing something for the first time. Anything, everything.

Everybody got to pick. After you listen to these quick reflections on the many ways in which the MCU defined the last decade and a half of pop culture for so many people, go pick up MCU the reign of Marvel Studios from your favorite bookseller. Listen to the audiobook. Consume it any way that you prefer to consume it. it will help you better understand how everything that we highlight today, and here's the thing, how literally any moment that you would have picked, if you had been on this podcast to reflect your own Marvel memories, came to be, how Tony Stark was able to build this in a cave with a box

of scraps, how Cap could do this all day, anything that has happened, you will better understand, you will better appreciate after reading this book. We are so proud of our beloved pals. shout out Gavin, shout out Dave. Joe, we love you, 3,000. This episode is brought to you by Spectrum Business. Fast, reliable internet means everything for your business. And even this podcast, that's why I trust Spectrum Business. They keep companies of all sizes connected with internet, advanced Wi-Fi, phone, TV, mobile services, plus 24-7 U.S.-based support. Millions of business owners already trust Spectrum business. So visit spectrum.com slash business to learn more.

Restrictions apply. Services not available in all areas. What's up? It's me Van Laithen. Okay, so this is my favorite moment. And I think it encapsulates what I love about the MCU so much. It's Cap summoning me and near. Milnear.

I never know how to say it. In game. And admit so much, not just because of the way the moment made me feel in the theater, but because it is a picture perfect example of what the MCU gets right. It had been foreshadowed with Cap managing to slightly budge the hammer in the age of Ultron, so it wasn't completely out of left field. It also represented the end of the arc for a character that you really didn't think could take another step.

forward. Cap was holding on to some really, really, really, really desperate and ugly secrets. And even though Steve Rogers represented this beacon of American exceptionalism and truth and justice, sorry Superman, but he's that for Marvel, there was still something that was stopping him from completing his hero's journey. And that kind of happened when he was able to come clean about what he knew about Buck's involvement in Tony's parents' death.

Right? And that moment where our hero, Captain America, who we all know is inherently worthy, prove that he's worthy on a different scale and summons that hammer really was the formation of the event. in a really specific way. It was all the powers collided.

And even Thor went, I knew it. And so did it. Hey, everybody. It's Chris Ryan from The Watch Podcast. Happy to be here to talk about my favorite Marvel moment, which is also one of my favorite moments in Joanna Robinson's new book, MCU, The Rain of Marvel. And it's about when Edgar Wright left Ant Man.

Now, this is a great chapter of the book, and I want everybody to go read it. So I won't get too deep into it, but I'll just say that for me, part of the interest that I have in following the MCU and Marvel in general is the transactional nature of it. It's the same reason why people follow the NBA just for their trades is Marvel's relationship with the creative community, the push and pull between wanting to get these interesting individual voices involved and then also wanting to sort of govern those voices with committees, with studio notes, with needing to connect to other films, other stories.

It's so fascinating to me. It's such an interesting attempt to revive the old Hollywood system while also tell this long-form story over the course of years and years and movies and movies and TV shows. And Eger Wright was one of the first moments when I kind of perked up my ears because I was like, what's going on? Why did this guy leave this project? And we've had so many stories since then of people being involved with a Marvel movie

or a Marvel show and they wind up not seeing I'd like. eye with the mothership and walking away from the project. It's just a fascinating subplot of this whole thing. And that's my favorite Marvel moment. Carlos says, yo man, this guy's got a big ass safe just sitting in the basement. Just chilling. Of course, Ernesto comes to me because he knows I got mad demons. Of course, I asked him, did Emily tell Carlos to tell you to get to me what kind of safe it was? And he says, nah, dog, all she said is that it's like super legit and whatever's in it It's got to be good. What?

Yo, this is Charles Holmes, aka Coke Baby Chuck of the Midnight Boys. Pibiu! And my favorite moment in the MCU is dedicated to Joanna Robinson, who since joining the Ringerverse has been my chief advocate, especially when it comes to my more intense

and controversial opinions about various properties that we don't have to get into right now. But anyway, my favorite moment is from Endgame. You see Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, they're slowly walking dramatically to Thanos who was sitting there like a fucking G. And he says the words that have become etched into my brain, one of my favorite memes, laugh every single time I see it. You couldn't live with your own failure. And where did that bring you back to me?

So yeah, that shit makes me laugh every single time. But with all that being said, yeah, I want to send so much love. to Joe and Dave for MCU, The Rain of Marvel Studios, a phenomenal book. Make sure you get a copy. Can't wait to dig into it. Just got it in the mail. Be-boo! You could not live with your own failure.

Where did that bring you? Back to me. I thought by eliminating half of life, the other half would thrive. But you've shown me that's impossible. And as long as there are those that remember what was, There will always be those that are unable to accept what can be. They will resist.

Yep, we're all kinds of stubborn. Hello, friends. I'm Neil Miller. You may know me as the third host of trial by content here on The Ringer, alongside Marvel Maesters, Joanna Robinson and Dave Gonzalez. In honor of their fantastic book, MCU, The Rain of Marvel Studios, I'm here to tell you about my favorite MCU moment. and honestly, one of my all-time favorite life experiences. It occurred in late July of 2007 at San Diego Comic-Con. There, on a breezy Thursday afternoon, after waiting in line for several hours,

myself and about 6,500 other nerds had assembled to witness, among other things, a series of teases for the upcoming movies of Paramount Pictures. Included among the big announcements about the future of Star Trek and Indiana Jones was a moment in which John Favro, the director of, Elf and Zithura, a space adventure, took the stage with the camcorder in hand and asked the audience if they'd like to see a few minutes of his new movie, Iron Man. And it would be easy to say that over the course of the next four minutes, we all shared in a transcendent moment, excitedly basking as we witnessed a seismic shift that would define the next decade plus of blockbuster entertainment. But that wasn't the case. In fact, the thing I remember most is the sense of relief. because up to that point, it was all a very risky proposition.

Iron Man featured a B-tier character from the comics, led by a troubled star whose career was in need of a bit of a resurgence, produced by an untested studio that was making its own decisions about their movies for the first time. Up to that point, the potential of having an interconnected universe of superhero stories at Blockbuster scale wasn't just hypothetical. It seemed like something Hollywood would never go for. But somewhere in the middle of that four-minute ride,

as footage rolled of Tony Stark making his escape from the cave in the lumbering Mark I armor, all the nervous energy in the room slipped away. I'll always remember the final moments of that trailer in which Iron Man flies through the sky in his bespoke red and gold suit made by the genius Stan Winston. And the way the walls of the cavernous hall

were rattled with the cheers of pure, unfiltered excitement. Or the look of delight on Robert Downey Jr.'s As the lights came back up, as he, too, was seeing the finish footage for the first time. For everyone involved, it was the moment when this ambitious adventure

first became tangible, and it was awesome. Perhaps the person who experienced the most relief in that moment was a baseball cap wearing producer named Kevin, because he was the only one who had any idea what could become of this Marvel cinematic universe

if Iron Man was successful. For everyone else in the room, we just wanted to watch that footage a second time. And John Favreau, the nice guy that he is, happily obliged. Is it better to be feared or respected? And I say, is it too much to ask for both? With that in mind, I humbly present the crown jewel of Stark Industries' Freedom Line. It's the first missile system to incorporate our proprietary repulsive technology. They say the best weapon is one you never have to fire. I respectfully disagree. I prefer

the weapon you only have to fire once. That's how Dad did it. That's how America does it. And it's worked out pretty well so far. Find an excuse to let one of these off the chain, and I personally guarantee you the bad guys won't even want to come out of their caves. For your consideration,

the Jericho. Hello! Jomey here, and I wanted to share my favorite moment in the entire day. of the Marvel Center Manning Universe. I was a wee 15-year-old when I went to see the Avengers. I remember the exact time

it was a 9 o'clock showing at the Delamo AMC shout out. There was a moment in that film when my life changed. Tony Stark shoots the missile at the Leviathan. It falls over and you see for the first time

the Avengers in that circle. When I tell you, my life changed. I had never in my short 15 years of life. I've seen something so powerful, so imaginative, just so incredible. It made me dedicate my life to this stuff and look where I am now. So when I think back at the MCU and moments that made me,

that's the first time where I was like, wow, this means something to me, man. This is it. This is what I love. So, yeah, the Avengers. in that circle with the music going around. That's my favorite moment in the entire MCU.

Hello, this is Rob Mahoney and my favorite MCU moment is the single best scene in the single best MCU movie. And that's the elevator fight in Captain America Winter Soldier. But before we get started, does anyone want to get out?

There's so many reasons to love this fight. For me, it was the first time the MCU really nailed the idea of action as character. The best set pieces aren't just pew-pue lasers or punch-punch choreography. They teach us something about who these people are. And in that elevator, we learned that Cap is actually a pretty good detective. We know that he's stepping into a trap from the way that scene is shot,

but Steve knows it's a trap because he starts putting all the pieces together. A hand on a weapon, a bead of sweat. And in the way all of that is staged, we're learning just how badly outnumbered Cap really is. More and more guys are just pouring into the elevator every time it stops, and that's feeding the paranoia that the whole movie runs on. Because the big bad of Winter Soldier isn't the Winter Soldier. It's everybody. It's anybody.

So when Steve is calm in the face of all that, we learn that the Boy Scout is actually kind of a badass. It takes five guys just to hold him down, and when it looks like they might actually finally cuff him, he fights his way loose, and he keeps breaking loose. It's the classic cap never gives up shit, but you make it new by creating a scenario that prevents him from doing his signature thing.

You put him in a tiny little box where he can't even use his shield. And so you're telling us it's not about the shield. You're telling us who this guy is and what he's up against. And to be honest, until this movie, I didn't care who Captain America was. And after just four minutes of punches and kicks and elbow, I did.

Before we get started, does anyone want to get out? Ben Lindbergh here to tell you about one of my most memorable MCU moments. About half an hour from the Endgame of Endgame, our heroes are having a hard time. Thanos' warship posts up and starts bombarding the battlefield. The iron spider suit gets totaled. Gruton rocket embrace and wait to be blown up. Everyone's taken cover and cowering.

And then, without warning, the firing stops. The guns take it. It's something we can't see. Something in the sky. No, it's not Sam Wilson or Pepper Potts. It's a bird. It's a plane. It's a comet? No, it's Captain Marvel. She flies straight through the ship. Admiral Holdo style. It completely crashes and burns. Just like that, the tide has turned. Granted, the subsequent fist fight with Thanos doesn't go so great for Carol. But forget about that. The way she shows up is a mic-dropping, planet hopping, warship chopping moment. One of the coolest comic book movie entrances. of all time. And you know what? It's just like Joanna joining the ringer two years ago. Let me take you back to late 2021. It was peak TV plus peak IP. The releases were relentless. Our podcast couldn't repel content of that magnitude. Like Cap, we pleaded. We need an assist here. And the next thing we knew, the cosmic level cavalry arrived. Joanna Robinson. The Joanna Robinson was a senior staff writer for the ringer.com. What a great website. The Queen of Culture was on

our side, and now nothing could stop us. Suddenly, Joe is appearing on every pod, ringerverse, prestige TV, trial by content, big picture, the watch. She was bobbing from Book of Boba Fett to Euphoria, Batman to Mrs. Maisel. She was blogging about Andrew Garfield. Hollywood, you want to throw House of the Dragon, Rings of Power, and or Anne She-Hulk at us all at once, do your worst. We're ready to react and deep dive into it all. Our ally is Joanna and a powerful ally she is. And now, in late 2023, the MCU itself is in crisis. Everyone's wondering, what went right, what went wrong, how did these dark times arrive? And just when we most need answers instead of speculation, reporting in place of rumors, analysis

instead of surface level takes, a new hero has arrived in our bookstores and Kindles and audiobook collections, MCU, the reign of Marvel Studios. If you want to find out how Brie Larson became Carol Danvers, why Captain Marvel ended up in endgame, and what it's like to learn from the wisdom, discernment and scholarship of our colleague and co-hosts, which the bad babies out there already know. Go get this book before every copy gets snapped, pun partly intended, off the shelves.

Joe, we are so happy to have you in our found family. We're proud that you've published the definitive book about a topic that's close to our hearts, and we hope you sell way more than 3,000. Rain fire! But silent, our troops just do it! Friday, what are they firing at? Something just entered the upper atmosphere.

Artuna here, and my favorite moment from the MCU isn't a direct movie. It involves my favorite movie, or one of my favorite movies, Guardians of the Galaxy. But it's just the memory around that movie. That was a movie I saw a lot of times. I saw it seven times in theaters, and I just really enjoyed it. It was the first time within the MCU that I was like, wow, they can get me to care about characters and a story that I know nothing about, right? Before Guardians came out, I was familiar.

familiar with a lot of the characters and the stories. It was really excited about it. But the first Guardians was just like, I don't know what this is. And I don't know if this is going to work. But I saw the movie. I loved it. And then I just kept seeing it. It was a really fun time.

It was a really fun group within that movie. And I just enjoyed every second of it. And I enjoyed following the Guardians through the various sequels and the holiday specials and everything, too. So the first Guardians of the Galaxy and seeing it seven times in theaters. Has to be my favorite moment from the MC. Oh, child, things are gonna get easier. Ooh, child things will get brighter.

Listen to these words. Ooh, child, things are gonna get easier. Ooh, child things will get brighter. Now bring it down hard. Someday, put it together with you doing. Dance off, bro. Me and you. Come more. Settle. Take it back.

What are you doing? I'm distracting you, you big turd blossom. I'm Jessica Clemens, and my favorite moment of the MCU, I'll say any moment with Vision. Vision, arguably, is one of the best characters of the MCU. We love someone that is always going to be correct because they're a supercomputer. computer, but he also just has that straight confidence, but also that love for Wanda that we need. I know that it seems like Wanda went crazy because of him, but I just think that it was because

he specifically Vision. I don't think Wanda would have lost it for anyone else, I think because Vision is so caring and compassionate and a great partner in life that it was so important for him to survive in the MCU, and he didn't. And we had to kill him. I don't know why Kevin Feigy murdered him. Murdered him like three times in the franchise. We had to see him die a million times. We I had to see memes of him dying a million times. We had to see him be like, what do we call him? The Black Vision? I don't even know.

When he's in the turtleneck, smiling in Wanda Vision, we had to do all these things just for this man to die again and again and again. I hate those moments, but I love him too much to say that he isn't my favorite part of the MCU. I've always been alone, so I don't feel the lack. It's all I've ever known. I've never experienced loss because I've never experienced loss because I've never. never had a loved one to lose, but what is grief? If not love persevering. Hey, this is Daniel Shin. I just wanted to start off by saying congratulations to Joanna,

Dave, and Gavin on the release of their new book. I can't wait to check it out. As for my favorite MCU moment, one of them at least took place in 2016's Captain America Civil War, the first time we're reintroduced to Peter Parker. Now that we're seven years and several spidey films removed from when this movie came out, it's easy to take for granted the near decade that Spider-Man and the MCU remained separate due to Sony owning the film rights to the character. There was always this question of how or when that crossover would ever happen, especially when Sony was still producing their Spider-Man films with Andrew Garfield as Marvel continued to build the cinematic universe around the Avengers. But I'll never forget sitting in theaters for Civil War as it cut to Queens

with the left-hand free needle drop and just the whole crowd knowing that Spider-Man was about to finally share the same screen as Tony Stark. I'm very excited to read more about how that deal actually went down between Marvel Studios and Sony and what I'm sure were very reasonable

level-head negotiations. Congrats again to Joe, Dave, and Gavin. Hey, mate. Hey, I'm a school today. Okay. This crazy car parked outside. Oh, Mr. Parker. Um, what...

What are you doing? Hey, I'm Peter. Tony. What are you, what are you doing here? It's about time we met. You didn't get my emails right? Yeah. Yeah.

Regarding the... You didn't even tell me about the grant. About the grant. The September Foundation. Right. Yeah. I approved. So now we're in business.

You didn't tell me anything. What's up with that? You're keeping secrets from me new? Well, I just... know how much you love surprises, so I thought I would let you know. Anyway, what did I apply for? That's what I'm here to hash out. Okay.

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it earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. Say it with me, the Active Cash Credit Card from Wells Fargo. Be a 2%er. Learn more at Wells Fargo.com. forward slash active cash terms of play. Hi, this is at Kram, and I have to admit, I wasn't especially enthused to see Thor Ragnarok in theaters. The first Thor was only okay, and despite what Dark World Superfan Maliketh the accursed

Rubin might tell you, the sequel is considerably worse. And yet, one of my favorite MCU memories is watching the third Thor movie, because that's the one that finally cracked the comedic code to make Chris Hemsworth shine. Thor Ragnarok had Corg, it had Jeff Goldblum, it had Kate Blanchett and Turpy visuals, and enough Thor Hulk-Loki banter to become arguably the most fun of all the MCU movies. And I'm so excited to learn more in this book because, to quote the movie, the authors and I know each other. We're friends from work.

Listen, my people are in great danger, and you and I, we have to fight this really powerful being who also happens to be my sister. Okay, that is so wrong on so many. I don't want to fight your sister. That's a family issue. She's an evil being. I don't care. What she is.

I'm not fighting any more beings. I'm sick of it. I just told you, if I turn into the Hulk, I am never going to come back again. And you don't care. No, no, no. I'm putting together the team. Hulk is the fire.

Wait, you're just using me to get to the Hulk. That's gross. What? No, no. You don't care about me. You're not my friend. No, I don't even like the Hulk. He's like, I smash, smash.

I prefer you. Thanks. Hello, Steve Allman here. with my favorite MCU moment, and it's taking you back to April 4th, 2014, also from Captain America, the Winter Soldier, the day after my birthday. And we could talk about elevator scenes.

We could talk about international espionage. We could talk about the MCU debut of Robert Redford. But if you take all of that away at the end of this movie, it's about your best pal, Steve, staying with you until the end of the line. to be a decade-spaning brainwashed assassin is one thing, but when he's your best friend from World War II, Captain America is going to stick by your side no matter what.

Some people say through too much, but I say it's one of the best emotional payoffs that the MCU could ever possibly muster. It's what makes Captain America so great as a character and one of the fundamental lessons that he can impart on anybody wanting to be a hero. Sometimes doing the right thing isn't so simple, But for Cap, doing what's right for Bucky is clear as day. Therefore, my favorite MCU moment, you're my friend, you're my mission.

I'm not going to fight you. You're my friend. Finish it. Because I'm with you to the end of the line. Hey, pals, it's Malagan. I'm back with my top MCU memory and moment, which comes from my second favorite MCU movie. I'm here to talk about Thanos's snap in Avengers Infinity War

long before we time heisted our way back to collect Infinity Stones and rebranded to the blip. We watched breathless with astonishment as so many of our beloved heroes turned to dust in front of us. I will never forget watching Infinity War for the first time on opening weekend at the Arklight in West Hollywood. I went with my dear friend and colleague Chris Ryan, who you're also hearing from today,

and who has no memory of having seen this movie with me, which is deeply, deeply painful. I'm just going to tell myself that Chris blipped. Anyway, watching this in real time for the first time, I was bolted to my seat. My mouth was gaping. My fingers were digging. into the armrest and Chris's arm alike, I was staggered.

As we watched Bucky and then Tchala and then Groot and then Wanda and then Sam and then Mantis and then Drak's and then Quill and then Dr. Strange and then, of course, Peter Parker, disintegrate before our eyes as we realized that these intimate and individual moments of shock and loss were repeating and reverberating on a global and galactic and universal scale. I, like young Peter Parker, did not feel so good. It never mattered to me that our surviving heroes would inevitably find a way in the culminating saga to restore their pals. Of course they would.

But the losses that they suffered, the grief that came to define those intervening years, it still shaped them. It still shaped us. Just as the MCU to that point shaped this moment, I love thinking back to this. I love rewatching Peter say, I don't want to go. I don't want to go, sir, please, I don't want to go as he stumbles into Tony's arms. Not only because of the absolutely shattered state it left us in back in 2018, but because it speaks to the true rarity of what the MCU at its peak managed to achieve. Earlier in Infinity War, Dr. Strange explains to Tony and Coe

that he went forward in time to view alternate futures to see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflict, and Quill asked him how many? Stephen Strange said, 14,605. Tony asked him how many they won,

and Dr. Strange told them won. It's the one we saw in endgame. But in a meta sense, it's also what the MCU managed here. As Stephen Strange turns to Thanos Confetti, he tells Tony there was no other way, but there were so many other ways that the climax of Infinity War could have gone wrong. So many ways that this sprawling cinematic universe could have failed to build towards such a pinnacle

or fail to deliver from there, even if it had. So in endgame, Tony reminds us that part of the journey is the end. But part of the journey is also the journey. And as we move through the MCU's fifth phase and journey deeper into the multiverse saga, the snap stands as a reminder of where that journey took us. Thanos told Thor that he should have gone for the head. But with the snap, the MCU went for our hearts. And we'll remember how it felt until we turned to dust, too. I don't feel so good.

You're all right. I don't know what's happening. I don't know what's happening. I don't want to go. I don't want to go, sir, please. Steve, what a trip down MCU memory lane that was. Absolutely delightful. That was really fun.

A joy. Oh, man. Steve, thank you. We always say thank you, but you had a lot of assembly to do today. It wasn't just the Avengers who assembled. It was this podcast, thanks to you. So thank you for assembling this. Thank you to everybody, all of our ringer pals,

who shared an MCU moment with us and helped us. put together this little surprise for Joe. And once again, congratulations to Joe, Dave, and Gavin on the release of MCU, the reign of Marvel Studios. Steve, I know you have your copy. Oh, yes. Signed by Joanna Robinson. You're a lucky one.

You're a lucky one. I am the baddest of babies, the luckiest of lads. We got to be at Joe's book tour event this past Monday in Los Angeles. It was absolutely remarkable and wonderful to see how many people were there, to celebrate Joe, to celebrate this book. You still have time. Check Joe's social handles to see what other stops remain on the book tour. You still have time to see if there's something in a city near you

and to go celebrate this wonderful achievement in person with Joe. And Dave and Gavin. Grab your copy today. All right, Joe and I will be back together on Monday. We will be together on Monday for our House for our Deep Dive into Loki episode two. Until then, remember, what is podcasting, if not love, persevering? Aww.