Tonight, as you read this blog post, I will be sitting down for a three-hour bonanza from the Marvel Comic Universe. Avengers Endgame has been such a huge movie release that is sure to break all kinds of box office hits, and one I have been excited about for a long time.
The release of this film has me thinking about all of the fandoms that surround us and how they can grow through online support in ways they never could before. With new episodes of Game of Thrones coming out weekly, and Fantastic Beasts films continuing on the Harry Potter universe, we are constantly being fuelled with fantasy fandom worlds!
I have been completely obsessed with Game of Thrones, having watched the entire series twice, I am very invested in how the evil creators of this show will ensure the survival of every character I love… because they wouldn’t kill them all off… that wouldn’t be like Game of Thrones at all! This world has bought new viewers in the world of fantasy, whilst fans of Lord of the Rings and other epic fantasies, have more to fuel their passion.
With Twitter and other social media platforms now at our fingertips, we can jump onto our phones and share our thoughts with others after watching a new episode. Group chats are dedicated to Thrones, hashtags trend on Twitter, it seems like it takes over the world when it goes live on TV. Would this show have had as much power without an online backing fueling it and reminding you of your favourite moments in the series through memes and GIFs? Well yes… of course it would because it’s amazing. But my point being, the use of social media has allowed us an audience to invest all the more in our favourite shows.
For fans of Potter, the magic never needs to end. When Pottermore went live, it allowed us Potterheads to continue living in a fantasy world, we could be sorted into Hogwarts houses and choose our wands, with recent upgrades we can even find out our patronus. The internet has allowed this magic to come alive in a whole new way for fans. I think it’s amazing that we can get this involved as an audience.
Of course, with the joy that social media can bring as you stumble upon discussions about plots and character deaths, it can also be a huge source of spoilers. Big releases have now taken to creating campaigns to stop spoilers, The Cursed Child launching the #KeepTheSecrets campaign so loyal fans could enjoy the surprise of the story as it was intended. But this doesn’t stop spoilers eeking into the internet. I’ve blocked all terms linked to Endgame on Twitter, I don’t want to risk it, or else I’ll end up like this GIF.
In a world of everything being instant and now, it does make it hard to remain surprised. If you’re not able to watch something the second it is released, you kind of have to resign yourself to avoiding social media until you’ve watched it. But I think being part of online communities celebrating your favourite fandoms is like nothing else. I love being able to nerd out with fellow people who love the same things as me!
I’m going to see Endgame today – really excited. The kind of excitement does remind me of when the last HP film was coming out, but spoilers weren’t really much of a big deal because of the books. I am glad most people seem to have taken the Don’t Spoil the Endgame to heart. I’ve seen much less online about it than I have every week since GoT came back.
Loving Marvel, GoT and Star Wars means this is an emotional year for me. So excited to see the next stages for all three though.