I’ve been on Marvel Movie Month and have hit the big blockbusters for all the favorites: Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, and Thor. I hear a bunch about how much people love Spiderman (coming next week) and non-marvel superheros as well, but I rarely hear a lot about Ant-Man. The movie was hilarious between him and the random runoff stories of his friend, Luis (I was at this wine-tasting, and it was great except there were a lot of reds, and you know I don’t love reds, but there was this awesome Rose… Get to the point, Luis!). As I went through watching the movie recently, I was trying to figure out why he’s not the favorite.
The main thing I noticed about this movie is that his story is, honestly, the most realistic. In the world of completely impossible, wise, and god-like, he is just a regular guy. He is in dire circumstances after getting out of prison and being unable to find work, those around him doubt his potential, and he has to learn to work through his new abilities. More than any other movie, they concentrate on all the times he fails and is afraid. More than any other movie, they show his weaknesses and his regular life through comedy. More than any other movie, he comes across like a regular guy, trying to figure out if he’s good enough to handle a big new opportunity in his life.
Honestly, more than any other Marvel movie, we should see ourselves in him. What do we do when a huge opportunity comes along? Do we run away and try to hide? Do we laugh it off and pretend it doesn’t matter? Do we pick fights with everyone around us and get jealous of everyone else? Or do we get in there, time and time again, no matter how long it takes, and no matter who thinks we can’t make it?
I’ve been reading a lot lately about failure. I have personally had some huge setbacks in my career and my life and sometimes considered them big issues. But the books I’ve been reading and people I have been talking to have suggested the opposite. Failure is not an end, it is a possibility. Every single fall is a chance to walk away. A chance to listen to your fears, and the doubters, and your weaknesses and let them win. A chance to wipe the slate clean and believe that this might finally be the time you get it right. But if we can stop looking at our past and get our eyes set on a clear vision, we can get to incredible new places when those opportunities do come along.
Whether you’re a super-hero or a regular guy, I hope you’ll take the chance to keep on digging, and keep on going no matter what!