Magic In The Marvel Universe-Phase 1

So, with all of the fan casts and theories about Spider-Man littering CBM, I thought it might time to breathe some fresh air into the editorial section.  —a spot that surprisingly, I haven’t seen a lot of coverage about:  Magic in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
 
When you think about it, Marvel has barely grazed the surface with Magic, Mysticism, and Sorcery.  Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers, Agents of Shield, and now Spider-Man—all of these are strongly rooted in science and the cosmos.  To some, magic seems to be alakazam-ing its way into the movies without an invitation.  This series will aim to help clear up some of the confusion and help viewers to see the mystical links already weaved into the films we’ve seen. 
 
In this article, we will take a look at what role magic has in Phase 1 of the Marvel Cinematic universe, the rules by which it abides, and begin to form an idea of what place it has for future films.
 
  
 
Thor (2011)—I Can’t Believe It’s Not Magic!:
Thor is the first breath of life for MCU Magic and as such, it will probably be the lengthiest section of this article.  You see, When Padme Amidala and the Huntsman are chilling by the fire (presumably eating fondue), Thor busts out this little bit of romance:
 
 “Your ancestors called it magic but you call it science.  I come from a land where they are one and the same.”
 
While some fans were a bit miffed at this explanation (I guess they were hoping for something a bit more Gandalf than Yuri Gellar), it helps address the problem of introducing magic to the table in the first place.  Magic needs limits.  Without limits, it becomes the notorious deus ex machina of story writing—Luke Force-pushes the blast into the Death Star, Harry pulls the Sword of Gryffindor out of a talking hat, singing animals, a song, and Huey Lewis’ power of love solve every Disney Princess’ problems.  By establishing boundaries, magic can become as palpable an element in story telling as the super science and cosmic power that we see displayed in the rest of the Marvel universe. 
 
That being said, Thor is chock full of good ol’ buttery magic with little regard for explanation (come on guys, it’s still magic.  Did you really expect to have all the answers?). 
·         Mjolnir is enchanted by Odin for all sorts of butt-kicking and son-disowning.
·         The Odinsleep magically restores the All-Father to his full power, and that Odinforce protects Asgard. 
·         Yggdrasil is a cosmic/magic link that channels the worlds together and the Bi-Frost opens portals between these worlds that could never be connected by science. 
·         The Casket of Ancient Winters turns any non-Frost Giant to ice and seems to have an endless supply of mystic power. 
·         Heimdall’s mystic ability to see to the nine realms is rivaled only by his uncanny power to instill internet rage at an ethnicity change for a fictional character (I can’t believe people are still upset by this). 
 
Each of these examples showcases the power of magic, but within the confines of the Marvel universe, they can be explained as advanced/alternate forms of science.
 

 
Perhaps the most interesting example of magic is Loki. Unlike the other examples of magic, Loki showcases true sorcery—none of this hat-trick “Mjolnir” garbage.  He can alter his appearance or create duplicates of himself.  He can hide himself from other magic abilities.  He can teleport vast distances and wield weapons that may overpower other characters.  Loki’s abilities seem to be limitless and would seem to contradict the point that I made earlier about magic needing limits.  This is where things get tricky…..Some characters will break the limits.
 
Let’s think about this scientifically—Tony Stark is the epitome of armored weaponry and robotics.  What he can do with science is far beyond what others can do—as seen in Iron Man 2 when others spectacularly fail to build similar suits.  It takes someone particularly adept with technology to really stand up to Tony’s sexy technological mind.  Mickey Rourke may have a cockatoo familiar, this does not make him magic—he is just as good as Tony at breaking the scientific limits.
 
Loki is magic adept.  He manipulates the energy on a level on par with Tony’s brain, Cap’s tactical strategy, and Hulk’s smash aptitude.  Loki sets the precedent that magic may be utilized by many, but only a few in the whole universe will be able to wield its power effectively.  Characters like Scarlet Witch, Doctor Strange, and others will be the ones to realize magic’s full potential in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
 
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)—“While The Führer Searches The Desert For Trinkets…”
 
While Steve Rogers spent his film debut teaching Nazis to keep up with their dental insurance, Red Skull was reading legends to find magical weapons.  Apparently, he had one bony earhole to Thor’s fireside chat, because when Red Skull is talking to Tower-Keeper Walder Frey, he remarks:
 
“What others see as superstition, you and I know to be of science.”
 
Here, our buddy Schmidty acknowledges that there is a distinction between science and legend.  To be honest, I find this to be part of Red Skull’s hubris.  He doesn’t think there is anything that he couldn’t comprehend.  Here’s where I posit another theory: the Infinity Stones are not just scientific and cosmic, but also magical.  This will be addressed later in these articles, but let’s just say it gives Doctor Strange more of a reason to help bring balance to the world.
 
Of course, until we see he comes back, everyone will be posing their theory as to whatever happened to this stunning Red Head.  I personally think it would be cool to see Red Skull gain magical abilities, taking over the role that Doctor Doom would have as Mystical/Cosmic/Scientific conqueror if Fox didn’t have the rights!
 
 
 
Avengers (2012)—The Two Sides of Shwarma
 
The Avengers had a little bit of everything.  We were operating on a global scale, and Loki cooked up scheme that utilized scientific, cosmic, and I would argue, magical elements.  Those portals were not going to make themselves! 
 
Perhaps the biggest contribution that the Avengers brought to the magic roulette was Loki’s offhand comment to Goldilocks…
 
“How much dark energy did the All-father have to muster to conjure you here?”
 
So what does this imply?  In an interview, Hunky Hemsworth stated that “It’s not really explained, but it’s assumed that he can only be there for a window of time. Odin has had to call in some favors from around the realm. And he turns up. That or the bus."  While I’m all for a crossover with Ms. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus, I don’t think that is the direction that Marvel is intending to take.

This idea is furthered in the Thor:  The Dark World comic book (I know, getting ahead of phase 1, but it's necessary).  Apparently, Odin has oodles of this Dark Energy stuff chilling in Asgard.  However, taking into account Hemsworth's comments, I'd still reckon that Odin didn't intend on using magic like this. 

 
So, Odin had to call in favors; these favors may or may not have been “Dark energy.” Since I’m assuming this has nothing to do with Pokémon cards, we can infer that there is also “Light Energy.”  It appears that Dark Energy has a cost upon characters, but it remains to be seen exactly what that cost is.  I’m certain that as the MCU opens the pages of its magic spell books, we will explore both the dark and light sides of magic.  Man, I am really getting stoked for what Doctor Strange is gonna bring to the table….more on him later.
 
 
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Well, that wraps up Part One of this series.  Post your thoughts down below!  I’m a longtime reader, first-time poster on the site, and I’d love your feedback!
 
TheRose