In Avengers: Endgame, remember when all the female heroes suddenly assembled for that quick battle pose?
It should’ve been epic. I wanted it to be epic. Girls watching deserved it to be epic! But even the best storytellers fall into this trap.
The scene felt like Marvel was winking at us: “See what we did for the girls?” And suddenly…it wasn’t about the heroes anymore. Something else was happening.
When creators make themselves the hero, the audience gets pushed to the background.
Why It Felt Off
Great characters don’t need a wink.
They take us on a journey we can feel in our core.
The problem isn’t who is on screen—it’s how they got there. Moments hit hard when they’re earned by the journey: stakes → struggle → growth → payoff. Skip the journey and you’re left with a pose.
Even epic “poses” disappear fast if they live on rented land—I break down that trap here: Why Netflix lost $200M to Disney (and why to avoid building on rented land).
What Works (Actual Hero’s Journeys)
Arya Stark – Game of Thrones
We meet Arya as the scrappy youngest Stark. Tragedy detonates her world. She hides, trains, and hardens. When her moment finally arrives, we’ve lived the losses, the training, the scars. The payoff lands because we took every step with her.
The Bride – Kill Bill
Wedding rehearsal. Betrayal. A coma. A comeback forged through brutal training and a ledger of names. Each battle is a rung on the ladder. The finale hits because the journey earned it. We don’t just watch her return—we experience it.
So Who’s the Hero?
In film: Is it the studio or the characters?
In marketing: Is it the brand or the customer?
It’s tempting to make it about us. (Cue the “best-in-class” slide and a logo taller than Stark Tower.) But when the brand strikes a pose, your customer loses the spotlight.
A Quick Satire Break (You Know My Vibe)
“As someone who’s managed six-figure monthly ad budgets over 14 years, with HubSpot and Google certifications—why am I saying this?”
Because credentials aren’t a journey. They’re a pose. Useful? Sure. The point? No. The point is what the customer becomes.
A Tiny Contrast
Dualingo has a great Journey focused homepage.
- Brand-pose version (that I made up): “We’re the #1 global provider of award-winning solutions.”
- Journey-focused version (their actual line): “The free, fun, and effective way to learn a language.” One talks about itself. The other talks about your transformation.
Lesson – Make the Customer the Hero
Tell this story:
“People like you, right where you are, have transformed into where you want to be.”
That means:
- Start in their ordinary world (pain, friction, fear, desire).
- Show the guide (your brand) offering a clear path.
- Lay out the trial (the steps, time, tools).
- Deliver the payoff (measurable, desirable, believable).
- Close with the new status (identity change: “I am the kind of person who…”).
And protect the vision you just mapped—don’t let early-results campaign panic derail your strategy like it did with The Justice League – Snyder Cut.
The Brand’s True Role (Guide > Hero)
Let your customer step into the hero’s shoes. You’re the guide, the map, the tool, the trainer. When storytellers forget who the hero is, they end up striking a self-congratulatory pose on the battlefield.
This is you—quietly handing over the sword.
“Are you a sheep? No. You’re a dragon. Be a dragon.” – Lady Olenna.
Your Turn
What’s a movie scene—or a brand ad—that pulled you out of the story because it was about them, not you? Who’s the hero?