By Brandon T. McClure (@btmcclure @fakenerdpodcast)

The MCU, specifically the Infinity Saga (2008-2019) has meant a great deal to me, as I am sure it has for many people. What first started as a book pitch is now a series of essays of mine that will be (hopefully) published every week. The goal is to pick a specific moment within The Infinity Saga and share with you why I believe it’s a defining moment. To revisit previous posts, visit our site HERE.

Enjoy the ride as we count down from 50 of the most defining moments and share your thoughts in the comments.

• NICK FURY STILL BELIEVES IN HEROES •

MOMENT# 46

MOVIE: Marvel’s The Avengers

DIRECTORS: Joss Whedon

WRITERS: Joss Whedon & Zak Penn

Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in *Marvel’s The Avengers*

The first few years of the MCU were a frenzy of speculation and hype. When word was announced that the first phase of the franchise would come to a close with a massive team-up film, uniting the characters that had already been introduced, people just couldn’t believe it. A collaboration film like this was unheard of at the time and had only existed in the dreams of hardcore fans for decades. Nonetheless, in 2012, The Avengers was released and with it, many defining moments that would pave the way for the MCU for years to come.

The Avengers brought together the heroes introduced in each MCU film since 2008’s Iron Man. They joined to fight a new threat in the form of a Chitauri invasion of Earth led by the god of mischief himself, Loki. Nowadays, Marvel does these types of things in their sleep, but back then it was a juggling act that fans weren’t sure would pay off. In this first Avengers film, Loki is tasked by Thanos to retrieve the Tesseract. He brainwashes Clint Barton/Hawkeye and begins a plan to bring his army to Earth. In response to this, Nick Fury (director of SHIELD) brings together the mightiest heroes the Earth has ever seen, Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and Black Widow, in the hopes to stop Loki before he can bring his army.

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) in *Marvel’s The Avengers*

In the midst of an escape, Loki kills Phil Coulson, a SHIELD agent who had grown close to the various heroes. Coupled with Loki’s escape, some major psychological and physical damage to the team (as well as the Helicarrier) made the heroes feel like everything was lost. They had failed and Loki was in the wind with no way to find him. In a rare quiet moment in the film, Nick Fury, mourning the loss of his friend and agent, lays everything on the table to Steve and Stark, both mourning Coulson’s death as well. Fury talks about how there was an idea, to bring together a group of remarkable individuals to see if they could be something more. To drive the point home, he says “Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea…in heroes.”

Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in *Marvel’s The Avengers*.

Steve Rogers/Captain America, the man out of time, doesn’t know what his place is in this new world. He looks at the bloodied Captain America trading cards laid out in front of him, wondering, is there a place for him in this time period? Tony Stark/Iron Man, coldly looks off into the distance, unsure how to face his emotions for losing his friend. Upon hearing the line about heroes, he storms out of the room. After all, how could he be a hero? All the while, Fury is running one last play that he’s not sure is going to work. He watches Stark leave and says “well, it’s an old-fashioned notion anyway.”

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) with Coulson’s cards in *Marvel’s The Avengers*.

This parallels nicely with an early conversation in the film when Coulson speaks to Steve about the new Captain America uniform. Steve is unsure how something so flashy would work in the modern-day and asks whether or not it was too old-fashioned. Coulson just follows up with “people might just need a little old-fashioned.” The callback to the earlier scene is the button on the speech that persuades Steve because that's exactly what the world needs right now. After convincing the others, they converge on New York and prepare for the battle of their lives.

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in *Marvel’s The Avengers*.

Within the film, Fury’s speech gave the Avengers the push they needed to put aside their differences and be the heroes the world needs. This was the button on the first and biggest lesson the soon-to-be Avengers would learn: no matter what happens, you get up because the world is counting on you. Divided they could be beaten but together they were stronger. This was the penultimate moment to them uniting and becoming The Avengers.

COUNT DOWN #46: NICK FURY STILL BELIEVES IN HEROES

• NICK FURY STILL BELIEVES IN HEROES •