The Avengers Singing ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ Is The Best Way To Prepare For ‘Endgame’
The most musical way to catch up on 11 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Marvel cinematic universe is a complicated story involving a plethora of overlapping characters, each of them with their own place in history and their own impact upon it. Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ is exactly that, but in song form. It’s also a handy way to prepare for Avengers: Endgame.
Indeed, what song better captures the infotainment dump style that dominates both our news and entertainment cycles than Joel’s magnum opus? ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ isn’t just the favourite song of every substitute history teacher with no lesson planned, it’s a straight up prophetic glimpse into the backstory and lore-heavy nature of our cultural stories.
Anyway, long story short, the assembled cast of The Avengers appeared on Jimmy Fallon to spruik Avengers: Endgame, and in the process they sang an adapted, Marvel-friendly version of the classic pop hit.
“Tony Stark, Iron Man, Nick Fury has a plan,” begins the song. “Big shock, Pepper Potts, arc reactor core.”
From there, it goes on to recap the complex mythos of Thor, the backstory of Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner — who, it should be noted, still hasn’t gotten a film of his own — the largely underdiscussed comings and goings of Hawkeye and Black Widow, both of whom kinda get fogotten in these things, and Captain America’s hero-defining fight against the Nazis.
Some key takeways: most of The Avengers are actually really good singers! We always knew this about Jeremy Renner, of course, who has made no secret of his incredible vocal chops. But kudos must go to Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Hemsworth, both of whom carry the tune with aplomb.
Oh, and the other big takeway? Goshdarn there are a lot of these movies. I mean, a lot. Watching 11 years worth of plot condensed into a single jaunty song is enough to give you honest-to-God vertigo.
Avengers: Endgame is in Australian cinemas right goshdarn now.