You're watching a superhero movie; of course "Good vs. Evil" is a major theme. But in the case of The Avengers, things get a little deeper than "Curse you, heroes!" and, "We will stop you, you vile fiend!"
One of the really interesting things about Marvel's superheroes is how many of them struggle with what it means to be a hero and what it means to be a villain. The Hulk may be the biggest threat in the Marvel Universe…but is he evil?
Similarly, when Loki promises an era of peace when he rules, he might really mean it. (We saw in the original Thor that he can actually be a good king.) That blurring of the moral boundaries makes for some fairly interesting stuff to chew on.
Questions about Good vs. Evil
- At what points can each of the heroes be said to commit evil? Are there any exceptions? What makes them exceptions?
- Does Loki see himself as the hero of his own story? What good does he hope to do by ruling Earth?
- How does each character measure their capacity for doing good? What actions do they take in pursuit of those goals?
Chew on This
Good and evil exist within each of the characters, as well as in their external conflicts.
Each character is essentially good or essentially evil, and nothing can change that.