avengers – My Geek Wisdom

“The hardest choices require the strongest of wills.”

From: Avengers: Infinity War

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Thanos

The story behind the quote: While I have touched upon a lot of quotes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the past, this is the first quote from a villian. Avengers: Infinity War focuses on Thanos (played by Josh Brolin) and his quest to gather the Infinity Stones to fulfill his plan to eliminate half the galaxy’s population to prevent suffering from a lack of resources. The Avengers stumble upon the plot and try to stop him.

The quote comes from the third act of the film. Thanos arrives on Titan to retrieve the Time Stone from Doctor Strange (played by Benedict Cumberbatch). Thanos explains to Doctor Strange how his planet used to be glorious but his plan to half his world’s population to prevent its annihilation was scoffed at. He then explains how, after he achieves his plan to do it on a universal scale, he’ll finally rest. This is when he delivers the quote.

Geek wisdom: Sometimes, it feels so much easier to just quit when the going gets tough. However, only the people with really strong willpower will push though when the going gets tough.

“No amount of money ever bought a second of time.”

From: Avengers: Endgame

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Tony Stark/Iron Man

The story behind the quote: This quote comes from Avengers: Endgame. This was the closing film for the entire Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The quote comes from the middle of the film. Tony Stark/Iron Man (played by Robert Downey Jr.) has travelled back in time in order to recover the Space Stone that is encased in the Tesseract. While retrieving the item, Tony runs into his father, Howard Stark. Tony then bonds with his father, even though Howard doesn’t realize he’s actually talking to his yet to be born child. Howard asks Tony for advice on how to raise his soon-to-be born son. Tony then comments he had to wing it most of the time and he then tells his father the quote.

Geek wisdom: Even if you have all the money in the world, we cannot use it to buy back whatever time we’ve lost. We are only on this planet for a limited time and we have to cherish whatever time we have with them.

“For years, I’ve been treating the Hulk like he’s some kind of disease, something to get rid of. But then I started looking at him as the cure.”

From: Avengers: Endgame

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Bruce Banner/The Hulk

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe film, Avengers: Endgame. The movie was the climax of a decades long story that started way back in 2009 with Iron Man. The heroes have been defeated but it turns out there is still something they can do to, at the very least, set things right to the way things were.

The quote comes during the start of the movie. Captain America and Black Widow take Ant-Man to see Bruce Banner (played by Mark Ruffalo). However, instead of seeing a mindless monster or a meek scientist, Banner finally figured out how to merge both his Hulk side and his normal side into one being. He explains that, when they lost in the previous film, it was doubly hard on him as he lost twice. This is when he delivered the quote.

Geek wisdom: Sometimes, the thing you think is your greatest weakness can actually be made into your greatest strength. It’s just all about how you can utilize whatever you have in yourself and make it work for you.

“Part of the journey is the end.”

From: Avengers: Endgame

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Tony Stark

The story behind the quote: This quote comes from the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Endgame. The film has received both critical and financial success and has surpassed Avatar as the highest grossing films of all time.

The quote comes near the end of the film. Iron Man/Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey, Jr.) has recorded his own eulogy in case of his untimely demise, which does happen. He does realize the riskiness of his plan and there’s a chance it will not go well. He does rationalize it by deliver the quote before, somewhat jokingly, reassures everyone it’s all going to work out.

Geek wisdom: Everything in the world and in this universe is finite. That is why we have to appreciate everything we have right now, both the good and the bad.

“But what is grief if not love persevering?”

From: WandaVision

Genre: Television

Who said it?: Vision

The story behind the quote: This week’s quote comes from the recently concluded WandaVision on Disney+. This is the first entry in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the first live-action television series to be released featuring Marvel’s characters. The show features Wanda Maximoff and Vision, two of the Avengers that have appeared in the earlier films.

The quote comes from the 8th episode “Previously On.” As seen in a flashback, Wanda (played by Elizabeth Olsen) is grieving over the death of her twin brother, Pietro, during the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Vision (played by Paul Bettany) tries to comfort her. Wanda tries to explain the metaphorical weight of her sadness to Vision. Vision tries to explain that he’s never experienced grief like Wanda’s as he’s never really lost anyone. This is when he delivers the quote.

Geek wisdom: Grieving is known for being a negative emotion as it’s overwhelming sadness. However, the only reason why we feel this level of sadness is because of the love we feel for that person we lost. The grief is actually the love we feel for that person. It’s a reminder that we loved once and that love will remain within us. Hence, grief is love persevering.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

From: Marvel’s Avengers

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Nick Fury

The story behind the quote: This quote comes from the first Avengers movie. It was the culmination of separate superhero films made my Marvel and put together their best superheroes, who each had their own standalone films, in a live-action movie.

The quote comes at the start of the film. Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson) in confronted by Maria Hill (played by Cobie Smulders). She asks the leader of SHIELD if they really should be concerned about getting prototype weapons out of the base when they do need to evacuate the area. This is when Nick Fury delivers the quote.

Geek wisdom: Even when things look hopeless, that should not mean we give up. We have to trudge on even if it looks like the odds are against us. Because there’s always going to be a chance our efforts might not be in vain.

“You should have gone for the head.” AND “I went for the head.”

From: Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Thanos and Thor

The story behind the quote: This week, we are going to look at a couple of quotes from the Marvel movies that are linked to each other. They come from the two-part Avengers films, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

The first quote comes near the end of Avengers: Infinity War. Thanos (played by Josh Brolin) had just gathered all the Infinity Stones and is about to snap his fingers to extinguish half of all living things in the universe. Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) tries to stop the Mad Titan and he seemingly is successful by stabbing Thanos in the chest with his axe. As Thor gloats, he doesn’t realize that Thanos still has enough strength to snap his fingers, which he does but not before delivering the quote.

The second quote comes from the opening moments of Infinity War’s sequel, Endgame. The Avengers managed to track down Thanos and, in the hopes of undoing what had happened, confront the Mad Titan. However, Thanos informs them that he destroyed the Infinity Stones. In frustration, Thor chops off Thanos’ head. When asked if he knew what he was doing, Thor delivers the quote.

Geek wisdom: As there are two quotes, there are two pieces of GeekWisdom to tackle. However, they are both connected. You should never go for half measures when it is important. Always take the time to ensure that something is truly complete and nothing can be left to chance for those things that are important.

For the second quote, doing things you should have done may feel cathartic but ultimately useless. While Thor did get some form of revenge on Thanos by chopping off his head, this did prove to be ineffective since it won’t bring back the Infinity Stones. Take the opportunities when they present themselves so that you don’t have any regrets later on.

“I love you 3000.”

From: Avengers: Endgame

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Tony Stark and Morgan Stark

The quote comes near the start and the end of the movie. The first time it’s uttered, Tony Stark/Iron Man (played by Robert Downey) is tucking in his daughter, Morgan Stark, in bed. Tony says that he loves her a lot and Morgan delivers the quote to her dad.

The quote is said once more by a recording of Tony Stark during his wake. In a holographic recording to both Pepper Pots (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) and Morgan, he delivers the quote.

Geek wisdom: We may think we have all the time in the world but we don’t know when life may just suddenly be cut short. So never forget to tell the people you care about how you feel.

“But a thing isn’t beautiful because it lasts…”

From: Avengers: Age of Ultron

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Vision

The story behind the quote: Since we still have Avengers: Endgame fever, I might as well include another quote from the Marvel Cinematic Universe… specifically, Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The quote comes from the end of the film. Vision (played by Paul Bettany) finds the last version of Ultron (voiced by James Spader). With Ultron’s plan to save humanity by destroying it failed, Vision comments that, while humans are flawed, there is a certain grace to their way of destructive thinking, which Ultron doesn’t understand. Ultron comments that the human race is doomed. Vision does agree with Ultron but he retorts by delivering the quote…

Geek wisdom: Life is beautiful and we only have a short time on this world. We have to make the most of our time while we can still enjoy it. While death is inevitable, that just makes living more precious.

“Dread it. Run from it. Destiny still arrives.”

From: Avengers: Infinity War

Genre: Movies

Who said it?: Thanos

The quote comes from the early part of the film. Thor’s ship, from the end of Thor: Ragnarok, is attacked by Thanos. As Thanos surveys the carnage, he explains that he knows the pain of losing, despite knowing their in the right. This is when he delivers the quote.

Geek wisdom: Time marches on and waits for no one. Whatever the future will hold, it’s something that’s going to happen and, while you can try to procrastinate and delay the inevitable, it will come despite your attempts to stop it. That’s just the way time works.