How an ‘Avengers: Endgame’ quote helped me overcome my biggest fear
Part of the reason I’ve gone two months without posting a blog relies upon the theme of this one. You see, a lot of my blogs revolve around mortality, death, and the inevitable. It sounds grim but I try to make positive use out of these dark terms. I ‘flip the switch’ so to say — turn death into a somewhat positive thing. The last couple of months a couple of people who I knew died — these were people who weren’t in my immediate circle, but both touched my life in a small but significant way, and both died prematurely. You see there’s a reason why I write about this topic, and it revolves around a quote — a quote from an Avengers quote — of all movies — that helped me overcome my biggest fear.
So you’re probably wondering, what kind of Avengers quote could genuinely help someone overcome their biggest fear. What quote is it? What fear? — the two questions that might be on your mind. Well, let’s jump to it.
“Part of the journey is the end”
That’s right. 7 simple words. Yet from the moment I first saw the advertisements for Avengers: Endgame, to the actual moment I first saw the movie, this particular scene touched me more than anything. You see the relevance to this Tony Stark quote is that Tony himself ends up with the heroic death at the end of the movie, summing up Robert Downey Jr’s time in the role in a beautiful yet upsetting manner. Interestingly though, we see this quote at both the beginning and start of the movie, before Tony’s death, and then in a recording to his daughter after his death.
But how can a simple Avengers quote have the power to overcome a fear? …
Well, 2018 when I was in Europe for 4 months, I had a great time — however, as I’ve written before — I was struck constantly with the thoughts of my own mortality, and whether there was even purpose to my life because, in reality, I was going to die one day anyway. This fear turned constantly from depression to anxiety, and back and forth — sometimes the experience of both feelings.
When I came home from Europe and saw the Avengers: Endgame trailer for the first time, it was a game-changer. That quote struck a chord with me, and at the time I couldn’t quite work out what it was. Fast forward a few months when the movie came out, and at the conclusion, it all made sense to me. The way Tony spoke those words and the way Tony died graciously, despite the fact his death was in a sense premature, sparked something for me. What had occupied my mind for over 8 months and was at this point, my biggest fear, suddenly evaporated — like a click of a button.
I know Avengers is just a movie, Ironman is a character, and in reality death can be a lot more gruesome and not painted quite beautifully like it was in the film. However, that quote “part of the journey is the end” — made me realise that this is a journey we are all on. No matter how you die, when you now, even where you die — the fact of the matter is — you will die. Someone you know will probably die halfway across the world from you, you might die 80 years after someone that you have already lost, some might die in their sleep, and some might die in much more tragic circumstances. The truth is — we all die. Death is what makes life so beautiful. The limited-time we do have makes life worth living. Life is a journey, and death is just the full stop to it.
It’s crazy how an Avengers: Endgame quote is literally what changed my perspective on death. It’s weird to have a movie quote be the sole reason why your depression disappeared. But I’m glad it is, and it’s something I’m forever grateful for.
Thank you for reading into my insight and taking time out of your day to read this, I leave you with another MCU quote.
Death is what gives life meaning. To know your days are numbered. Your time is short. — The Ancient One, Doctor Strange (2016)
