The Simpsons Takes Shot at Disney in Marvel-Themed Episode

Springfield was forced to endure the agony of the cliffhanger between epic Marvel movies as the [...]

By Joe Schmidt

Springfield was forced to endure the agony of the cliffhanger between epic Marvel movies as the latest episode of The Simpsons skewered the Avengers movies in the latest episode, including some major MCU talent in the form of directors Joe and Anthony Russo and the storytelling mastermind Kevin Feige. The episode of the Disney series managed to skewer many different aspects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially when it came to Avengers: Endgame and the incredible demand among fans. And while Feige's parodic villain Chinnos manages to wipe out all of the heroes, he's still no match for Bart Simpsons and his spoilers.

In the episode, which is complete with a reference to the epic dance scene from Spider-Man 3, Springfield is obsessed with a series of superhero movies called Vindicators. It all begins when they're watching Vindicators: Crystal Wars Part 1, which ends much like Avengers: Infinity War where Thanos snaps half the universe into dust.

But Bart, pretending to be a hospitalized Milhouse, manages to learn the spoilers for the highly-anticipated sequel from the film's actor Airshot. He then proceeds to blackmail the entire town — not because they want to know the spoilers, but because they DON'T want to know what happens in the film. Bart threatens to spoil the storyline, using his knowledge to help himself, his sister Lisa, and his dad Homer.

Bart ultimately uses his knowledge to force the town into building a treehouse in the middle of the town, prompting the Russo Brothers to trick Bart with the use of CGI and virtual reality. The two use technology to trick Bart into being a "good person" where he chooses not to spoil the film after being tricked into thinking that superheroes are actually real.

The Russo Brothers decide to leave Bart alone after realizing he is no longer a threat for spoilers, which they determined could affect theme park sales and Halloween costumes and myriad other revenue streams. They then disarm their Disney Bomb, sparing the family the wrath of their new Mickey Mouse overlords.

The episode did a good job of skewering the obsession with Marvel Studios among fans, as well as how far people will go to learn spoilers AND how upset people get when they learn said spoilers.

This is only the beginning of The Simpsons' synergy with Disney properties, as fans will get to see a brand new short film air alongside the film Onward in theaters next week.

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