So I just finished watching Avengers Infinity War… again. Of course I’m prepping for the long awaited next chapter, Endgame. In fact, the last couple of weeks I’ve been watching many of the MCU films, in no particular order. And in this unofficial random Avengers movie watching, I’ve also been reflecting and thinking about what this franchise has come to mean to me in the last 11 years.

When my son was a toddler I started digging up every 90s cartoon variation of the Avengers I could and loved that he fell in love with my favorite Marvel character, Iron Man right off the bat. He became obsessed with Iron Man and Black Panther and would not only watch the cartoons over and over again, he would draw pictures and create all of Wakanda out of Legos… all in the pre MCU days 2006 and beyond.

So when the creation of Marvel Studios and it’s first film, Iron Man was announced, he was beyond excited. When opening weekend finally came he dressed up in the cheap Iron Man costume he’d worn for Halloween the fall before and off to the theater we went.  

He was in awe. I had never seen a Superhero movie like that before. AC/DC? Black Sabbath? Suicidal Tendencies? Was this soundtrack written for me? And Robert Downey Jr.? One of my favorite actors making the comeback of a lifetime. He was, and is, Tony Stark. I remember driving home with my little guy in the backseat asking, “Mommy, when is the next Iron Man movie?”

At that point I had no idea that this was the beginning of one of my most beloved chapters in life. This was the beginning of inside jokes, traditions, long conversations, trips to Comic Con, and many many many trips to the theater on opening weekends. This was the beginning of the MCU.

My now teenage son and I remain close. And we have continued our tradition of Marvel opening weekends with almost all of the Marvel movies that have come out since Iron Man. The tradition had opening up to a circle of close friends (including some of my life long friends) and my daughter.

Our life has changed so much in the years since that opening weekend. The world has changed. Soon, my son will be at college. He’s no longer the little boy snuggled up next to me on the couch with his blankie telling me the history of Wakanda. Or why Hulk is green. Or about all the different features of all of Tony Stark’s suits. But thanks to Marvel we have shared this love for this fandom, that will always be a part of us.

The MCU has been in the background of my life as a mother almost from the beginning. It has been the source of so many conversations, adventures, laughs, and memories, I don;t know that I could even count them all. Moments when parenting has been tough, there has always been an MCU movie to watch. Or a trailer to dissect. It has served as a bridge between me and my teens when I felt really far apart. And for a parent, that’s priceless.

So here we are, facing the end of an era. One of the sweetest era’s of my life. But we also face a new phase of the MCU, as I face a new era of my life as a parent. And it’s hard not to acknowledge that for me, these have never been “just movies.” They have been the backdrop of my life as a parent. And they have been a comfort and joy. And the source of some of my favorite memories.

I’d love to know, as we await Endgame, what has the MCU meant to YOU?