Looking at Tony Stark (MCU) through the Christian Lens
(Another post inspired by Doxacon)
On Sunday, I mentioned that the coherence of the MCU's Infinity Saga as a whole relies heavily on a Christian notion: the Imago Dei. Because our civilization is rooted in the idea that each person is an image of God and is therefore infinitely valuable, most of us recoil instinctively from Thanos and his unfeeling calculus -- even if we aren't explicit believers. It's an open question how long this popular assumption will last given that Western society pulled out the bottom Jenga block (a personal God) a long time ago, but for now? It remains inescapable -- even, it seems, for extremely secular Hollywood.
Today, let's go further. Let's zoom in on Tony. Tony's arc, in my view, also relies on traditional ideas -- in particular, on certain critiques of modernity that Christians should instantly recognize.
Tony's baseline faults are thoroughly modern. He is --
-- promiscuous. His wit and his riches guarantee a steady stream of female admirers, and he takes full advantage of that. In this, he reflects our society's post-Sexual Revolution demand for frequent, consequence-free intercourse.
-- complacent. Regardless of what some political factions might say, there's nothing inherently wrong with being a defense contractor. Tony's chief sin is that he's too comfortable to notice the treason happening right under his nose. In this, he reflects our society's belief that we are all fine just the way we are -- that self-examination and self-correction are both needless.
-- purposeless. All Tony is doing at the start is babysitting his father's legacy. And sure, he's rehearsed some stock responses when he's questioned about that legacy, but there's no sincere attachment -- to anything. In this, I think he reflects our society's observance of democratic forms without understanding or appreciating their underlying moral principles. And I think he also reflects what's happened in our society now that our universe has been stripped of ultimate meaning.
-- proud. Tony believes he can master the cosmos through sheer force of intellect. In this, he reflects our society's conviction that all ills can be cured through science -- or through rationally managed government programs.
-- contemptuous of authority. "Following's not really my style," Tony says in The Avengers. In this, he reflects our society's extreme aversion to any moral code that places limits on our wills.
So quick question: isn't it weird that the Infinity Saga points these flaws out as flaws?
Isn't it weird, for instance, that the rutting playboy is eventually tamed? Sure: as my brother and I determined in one conversation, today's #MeToo feminists would have a field day with Tony if he were real (even though there's no evidence that his partners are anything but consenting and, oh by the way, flirting and joking are not crimes). But the movies' response to Tony's early behavior is not the feminist response. It's traditional. Tony becomes a better man not through workshops on "rape culture" and "affirmative consent" but through embracing monogamy and fatherhood. Hmm.
Isn't it weird, too, that Tony's developing heroism is so rooted in self-criticism? He puts up a front as a cocky bastard in public (especially when he's under threat), but in private, he repeatedly declares himself deficient. In Tony's own judgment, he's "not the hero type," beset by "a laundry list of character defects" that make him unworthy of both Pepper's love and Peter's admiration (among other things). And while he stumbles quite a bit, relying as he does on his imperfectly formed conscience to suss out right and wrong, Tony always - always - tries to course correct when things blow up in his face. Guilt, for Tony, is salutary -- an odd thing to observe in movies produced by a culture that is so shameless and self-satisfied.
And ask yourself too: what actually makes Tony happy? That's a hard question to answer, I know, because Tony spends so much of his arc in pain and fearful of the coming cataclysm. But there are moments of genuine joy, and they all center on his mission as Iron Man and on his family. The superficial pleasures of the playboy lifestyle don't give Tony anything real and lasting; he has to awaken as Iron Man to find what his soul really longs for.
Then there's the fact that all the fruits of Tony's brilliance eventually prove to be an insufficient response to the threat Thanos poses. Tony's technology puts him in a good position to achieve the final victory, sure, but in the end, what matters is Tony's goodness, not his smarts. This relegates science to its proper place: it is a tool, not the source of our salvation. Given the ascendancy of scientism in our culture, this should definitely make us sit up and take notice.
One by one, each of Tony's modern vices is challenged in the Infinity Saga in ways that, to me, are noticeably counter-cultural and implicitly Christian. That's very interesting indeed!
Bonus video:
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