No One Left to Accuse

I finally discovered a flaw in the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie. I'm sure there's a lot of flaws in the movie, ones caught by other comic enthusiasts and movie-goers alike, but unlike those flaws, this is one I caught, one I care about. I'm not saying the movie (and franchise) are now tarnished, only limited. The reason? Ronan the Accuser is dead.

Played by Lee Pace in Guardians, Ronan the Accuser is depicted as a terrorist, a rogue, judge-like soldier. Hellbent on destroying the planet of Xandar, Ronan sets off in search of an Infinity Stone, a tool that will allow him to get what he wants. As villains go, Pace plays the part of the cold-hearted menace well, leaving no options in his character's motives except for betrayal.

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Something changed drastically in my outlook of this character after watching the movie. Funnily, my outlook changed BECAUSE of the movie. I loved Guardians of the Galaxy so much, I wanted to get a better understanding of the Marvel Cosmic Universe. I dove right into what many believe to be one of the best stories in the MCU comics, Annihilation. Enthralled, I read on past Annihilation, through Conquest, War of Kings, and finally The Thanos Imperative. I fell in love with many of the heroes in these stories including Star-Lord, Nova, Warlock, Phyla-Vell, and... Ronan the Accuser.

What!? Ronan? I could hardly believe it as I read. Ronan's no hero. He's a terrorist and a killer. Isn't he?

 Maybe once... long, long ago, but beginning with Annihilation, Ronan revealed himself to be what he truly is. He's an anti-hero, much like the Punisher. He's willing to go to any lengths to fulfill his duty, but not like his character in Guardians. No, the Ronan in the comic universe is someone possessed of much more honor.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe portrays Ronan as a ruthless killer, but the Comic Universe gives him much more depth. Fearless and strong, Ronan is a powerful leader, a brutal warrior, and conversely, a loving husband. He helped lead the universe to victory against the forces of Annihilus and on two occasions that I know of, he defied the will of his leader, the Supreme Intelligence, in order to do what he believed right.

Looking back, I wonder if Ronan's character was wasted in the Guardians movie. Of course, characters can vary wildly from one Marvel Universe to another. In the Ultimate Universe, Ronan is the son of Thanos. But seeing how wide and fantastic the Marvel Cosmic Universe really is and how deep its characters are, I feel like Ronan's character was misused in the Cinematic Universe. Sure, he opened doors to the Kree, Nova, and even Adam Warlock, but another character might've sufficed as a villain. Thanos has more than enough lackey's to pull from.

In future movies, I wonder how the Kree will be represented without their Accuser.