Huffpost Entertainment The Blog   Dan Mecca Headshot   Posted:
Updated:  Up to this point, Marvel's The Avengers has grossed an
amount of money that feels unreal. And the worst part? It's
pretty good. Fanboy lothario Joss Whedon dutifully delivered a
piece of entertainment that appeases the vast populous, young
and old, boy and girl. It's just enough to keep us rolling in
menacing chemical spills and burgeoning mutant powers for years
to come, sequel after prequel after reboot. Or, wait, are we
calling it re-imagining now?  In the short term, The Avengers is
an impressive enough feat that it should be celebrated (and it
has been, ad nauseam). In the long term, it is tragic stuff. It
represents the perfect excuse for mediocrity, whether it be the
past, present or future. Things like The Incredible Hulk are
brushed off as world-building while poor, expositional writing
like Cobie Smulders' entire character Maria Hill are excused as
unfortunately necessary to the macro-plot. And you can be sure
lazy spin-offs fo