Christ Figures in Captain America, Iron Man and Thor
The Case for Christ
The concept of the Christ figure is certainly not new to pop culture. Many popular franchises have included such figures, including The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, and even The Matrix. Superhero franchises are no different. Throughout the many years of its existence, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has created and developed a huge number of characters, and among these, many that can be seen as Christ figures. With Infinity War being the culmination of the entire Marvel Universe, it very well may also be the culmination of our favourite Christ figures. Let's discuss the three that stand out in the film: Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor.
Tony Stark - Iron Man
Tony Stark is undoubtedly one of the most important Marvel characters, but perhaps for even more reasons than we previously thought. Tony possesses many characteristics of a Christ figure. Firstly, Tony Stark is very self-sacrificing. For example, in the first Avengers movie, he risks his own life to send a missile through a collapsing portal to space in order to save the world. In Infinity War, Tony leaves his fiancée and life on Earth to pursue the incoming threat and to rescue a fellow hero. Also in Infinity War, Tony Stark is one of the first heroes to face down the evil of Thanos, as he seeks him out before he can come to Earth on his home planet of Titan. He puts his life on the line time after time to ensure the safety of the world. In addition to this, Tony was also basically resurrected in The Avengers, as he falls unconscious from the sky after narrowly escaping the collapse of the aforementioned portal. The rest of the team believe that he is dead, however he is awakened by the Hulk. Tony also has a dual identity; he is Tony Stark, the man, as well as Iron Man, the hero. This duality reflects how Jesus is at once a man and God. The element of betrayal is also present in Tony's story: first, he is betrayed by his friend and business partner, Obadiah Stane, in the first Iron Man movie, and later feels betrayed by his teammate and close friend Steve Rogers in Captain America: Civil War. Tony may also be prophetic, as he is plagued by visions of the incoming threat and destruction that Thanos brings, and has been since the events of the very first Avengers film. Even so, he bears this responsibility and constantly fights against the evils of the world for good. He faces critique from the world and his teammates for his paranoia and attempts to protect the world at all costs, as he is the only one who knows that something much bigger is coming. And of course, Infinity War proves him right ("Iron Man," n.d.). For these reasons, Tony Stark is certainly a Christ figure. If all of this isn't enough to convince you, do you really think it's coincidental that the promotional poster below depicts him centrally, with arms spread, in a suspiciously familiar pose?
Steve Rogers - Captain America
Steve Rogers, or Captain America, can be seen as another Christ figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. First of all, he certainly exemplifies all of the morality and goodness one could want in a character. He is kind, righteous, and he values justice above all. Captain America was the original superhero in the Marvel Universe, rising to fame in the WW2 era. He is arrives in the present day universe just in time to save the world in the first Avengers film. Steve Rogers also has the alternate identity of Captain America, and therefore dual identities just like Iron Man. Also like Iron Man, Steve is incredibly self-sacrificing. He originally becomes Captain America after volunteering himself for experimentation and being injected with "super-soldier" serum in Captain America: The First Avenger. Also in this film, he risks his life to rescue his best friend Bucky Barnes from the clutches of HYDRA, an evil organization. Finally, in the end of this film, he purposefully sacrifices his own life by crashing a plane into the Arctic in order to stop it from destroying New York City. However, Steve does not truly die; he is frozen and later found and defrosted in the modern world. This is his resurrection. Throughout both the films Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, Steve is persecuted for his beliefs, even to the extent of him being arrested for attempting to save the world and prove the innocence of his best friend. This eventually leads to him breaking apart from the Avengers in Civil War to work with his own small team as fugitives, still focused on helping the world and ridding it of evil - although the choice to fight for good has truly cost him everything. This is how we meet him in Infinity War. However, when the world is once again in danger, Steve shows up to New York when he is called by Bruce Banner, risking his own safety and freedom. He still does everything he can to stop Thanos, even fighting him with his bare hands in the climactic final battle of the film. In addition to this, Steve has also frequently been betrayed by those close to him: by the SHIELD agency with which he works when he finds that they are secretly harbouring the evil HYDRA organization, by his best friend Bucky Barnes (brainwashed by HYDRA as The Winter Soldier) who tries to kill him, and later by his friend and teammate Tony Stark when he attempts to apprehend him, ending in a massive fight in Civil War ("Captain America," n.d.). In these ways, Steve Rogers definitely makes a strong case to be considered as a Christ figure within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Thor
Thor, of course, is already the God of Thunder. But could he also be a Christ figure? Well, Thor certainly has special, even divine, parentage; he is the son of Odin, the ruler of Asgard. Thor is designated as a protector of Earth, and frequently leaves his home realm of Asgard to save Earth, either by teaming up with the Avengers or on his own. Thor chooses to always fight for good. Just prior to Infinity War, Thor has succeeded in saving his own people in the events of Thor: Ragnarok, even though the personal risk was great, as well as the cost - his home has been destroyed. And yet, he is in the process of bringing his people to a better world when Infinity War begins and he is ambushed by Thanos. The Titan slaughters half of his people, Heimdall, his close friend, as well as his brother Loki. Just a few minutes into the film, Thor has lost everything. And yet, he continues to fight and is determined to save Earth from Thanos. He even goes as far as to risk his body and life to create an essential weapon to defeat Thanos. Thor shows up to the final battle just as things begin to look bad for our heroes, and successfully turns the tide (after a grand entrance, of course). He even lands a near-fatal blow on Thanos just before the snap, but is ultimately unsuccessful. Additionally, Thor is associated with light, as he has the ability to summon lightning as the God of Thunder. Thor has also frequently been betrayed by someone to him - namely his brother, Loki, all too frequently ("Thor," n.d.). Therefore, it is certainly also possible to see Thor as a Christ figure.