Itās really interesting to me how much significance has been placed on The Benatar in the two Endgame promotional posters and the trailer:
Why so much emphasis on The Benatar floating in space? Enough to depict it in two of the major theatrical posters and prominently in the trailer?Ā
As this twitter thread by @biggreenasshole pointed out, the silhouette of The Benatar is reminiscent of the symbolic swallow many sailors have tattooed on their bodies:Ā
Hereās what one tattoo article stated about the popularity of this symbol:Ā
āThe historic designs of swallow tattoos goes back hundreds of years and begins with the plight of sailors. When a crew was sailing a long distance on the ocean, typically 5,000 nautical miles or across the equator, the travels were often full of hardship, sickness, starvation, and quite commonly, death. One sign that their travels were nearing an end was the appearance of swallows. Because these birds never traveled far out to sea, their sighting meant that land was near and the long voyage was coming to an end. This fact led many sailors to start adopting swallow tattoo designs as a symbol of hope and a successful finish to a long journey. As a followup to this story, having a tattoo depicting 2 swallows indicated going on a very long journey (10,000 nautical miles or more) and a swallow tattoo with a dagger through its heart symbolized a memorial for a friend lost at sea.
ā[ā¦]Ā As time passed, swallow tattoos have come to symbolize different meanings to different people. Some see the swallow art as a symbol of success or triumph. Others decide to get swallow bird tattoos to signify the return home after a long departure, such as a soldier coming back from war. Another popular meaning is that of freedom, as some people released from prison have chosen this bird tattoo as a sign of their entrance back into society. Yet another interpretation is for an everlasting love and loyalty, related to the fact that swallows mate for life.ā
Itās very possible this image could be to evoke the ending of a journey. After all, this film is wrapping up what Feige calls The Infinity Saga, which has been ongoing since 2008.Ā
ā¦ But I think itās worth noting the imagery is thematically tied to Tonyās arc. Tony is the one in the trailer who says,Ā āPart of the journey is the end,ā and lamenting the fact he fears he wonāt be able to return home to Pepper.Ā
I think thatās in line with Tonyās similarities to the hero Odysseus (from The Odyssey).Ā
āYouāre a hard man, Odysseus, stronger than other men, and you never wear out, aĀ real iron-manā - Eurylochus (The Odyssey)
Iāve discussed this before, but the two characters (Tony and Odysseus) share a lot in common. Both came from a wealthy upbringing. Both were āgood with the ladies.ā Both are characterized by extreme wit and intelligence. Both were trapped in a cave and had to use their craftiness to escape. Both were extremely arrogant at the beginning of their stories only to become humble by the end.Ā Both long for returning homeāto their ride-or-die partnersĀ (Pepper and Penelope).
For this reason, it seems significant to me that Tony says in the trailer,Ā āGod, it seems like a thousand years ago. I fought my way out of that cave. Became Iron Man. Realized I loved you.ā Itās summarizing the journey Tony has been on for the past decade (the same length of time Odysseus was away from homeāten long years). Tony evokes moments of his journey, musing over how far he has come, and he even emphasizes how his journey began in a cave (not dissimilar to when Odysseus tricked Polyphemus, which was the catalyst for Poseidon doing everything in his power to thwart Odysseusās path).Ā
Ultimately, Odysseus returned home to Penelope. I am hopeful that all this imagery (The Benatar evoking the sailorsā swallow; The Odyssey parallels) indicates Tony will, likewise, return home to Pepper.Ā
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