The Avengers Need a Union

Thanks to the miniseries format, Disney+’s Marvel series allow time to further delve into the personal lives of the Avengers. WandaVision was a meditation on grief and trauma, giving center stage to Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff, who was frequently given short shrift in the films. And The Falcon and the Winter Soldier spent its pilot delving into Sam Wilson’s and Bucky Barnes’ adjustment post-Blip. We see Bucky working towards making amends while Sam fights to save his family’s fishing business in Louisiana.

Both series have made one thing abundantly clear: the Avengers need a union.

You're telling me that one of the most powerful Avengers drives a fucking Buick?#WandaVision pic.twitter.com/lI5eUTI7hK

— Joey Jo-Jo Junior Shabadoo (@JoeyMoser83) March 8, 2021

We first suspected it when we saw Wanda driving around the Tri-state area in a Buick Verano. It was later confirmed when Sam Wilson was rejected for a bank loan despite being a literal Avenger. But honestly, we should have known this entire organization was suspect when Tony Stark recruited Peter Parker, a minor, to work in his organization. How many child labor laws is Stark Industries violating? He certainly wouldn’t be the first CEO to exploit unpaid interns.

“We demand dental insurance!”

Tony Stark’s death left not only a leadership void in the Avengers, but it also left a financial void as well. With the Avengers headquarters demolished during the final battle in Endgame, we’ve yet to see it rebuilt. And while Pepper Potts is obviously in charge of Stark Industries, it’s unclear how much she is involved with the Avengers. They’re clearly not on Stark Industries payroll, as Sam Wilson mentions government contracts as proof of income.

Only in America could #TheFalcon not qualify for a loan after defending the galaxy as an Avenger fighting against Thanos.

— Prentice Penny (@The_A_Prentice) March 20, 2021

This is exacerbated by the Blip, which saw billions of people returning 5 years after they were dusted. Something that massive surely throws the financial markets into chaos, not to mention the massive unemployment/financial loss that comes with being legally dead for half a decade.

Honestly, the most believable part of TFatWS was when the bank lender tells Sam that he’s not eligible for a loan because he can’t prove income from the past 5 years. You would think that the governments of the world would have some sort of safety net for these people, but as we’ve seen over the past 13 months (especially in America) folks are just expected to suffer through. I can easily imagine Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul arguing that blipped folks should just pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

Captain America trusted Sam Wilson with his shield but the SBA can’t trust him with a loan?

— Ian McLoud (@KindaScottish) March 20, 2021

And where is S.H.I.E.L.D. in all of this? I know Nick Fury is flying around the galaxy, but he couldn’t set up some sort of contingency plan or W-2 situation for his people? Do they not have human resources in S.H.I.E.L.D.? The idea that the very heroes who saved the world and brought back billions of dead people are freelance contractors is truly bananas. Get these heroes on a payroll already! Good will doesn’t pay the gas bill.

Iron Man invented time travel and two sentient AIs but didn't know how to put an HR team together

— alex (@alex_abads) March 19, 2021

(featured image: Marvel Studios)

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