While the popularity of The Avengers: Endgame in Korea has been so high that it is being called Marvel Korea, the Avengers craze is causing changes at movie theaters. It is the final installment in the Avengers series, where the heroes became the last hope to save the universe. It surpassed 10 million viewers in just two weeks after its box office release. As a result of its popularity, movie theaters and viewers alike are thoroughly preparing for the movie.
  At the entrance of movie theaters such as CGV, Lotte Cinema, and Megabox, there are notices that read there is no post-credits scene after the movie. It is unusual for a theater to announce such a thing. A staff member from a Megabox branch near CBNU said, “There were so many viewers who were asking if there is a post-credits scene, so I could not respond to every one of them.” Also, some theaters posted similar notices to help viewers who might have to pay parking fees because they have only three hours of free parking.
  Theaters are effectively screening the movie 24 hours a day to increase the number of screenings as the Avengers’ running time is 3 hours and 57 seconds. They offer screening times that are not common, such as 2:00 a.m. or 4:00 a.m., so they rushed to hire late-night part-timers. CGV’s recruitment notice boards in each branch have posted that they will employ ‘smilers’ (CGV part-timers) who will work for a short period. The hourly wage is 8,350 won per hour, but the company has offered a condition under which it will add 50 percent to overtime work or night work.
  Audiences, as well as the theaters, are preparing to avoid spoilers during their daily life. People are wearing headsets or earphones in the theater bathrooms or the elevators, and they even avoid restaurants or cafes near the theaters. Moreover, in Internet communities or on social media, there are tips to prevent spoilers, such as avoiding comments on the Internet and going to the theater bathroom. Miss Lee (26), who watched the movie recently, said, “When someone mentions about the movie, people’s responses are sensitive. The people who still haven’t seen the movie are extremely reluctant about hearing about the movie’s plot.”
  Also, as the popularity of the movie has risen, there have been deals where some people buy bulk tickets for certain theaters or times and then sell them at a higher price. There has   reportedly been much demand for reservations for movie theaters with good picture and sound quality as well as reservations for specific times. As a result, the number of people who want to buy tickets on behalf of others for a small profit is increasing. Also, people who use trading sites are selling tickets by posting messages such as, ‘Avengers in Lotte cinema: I’ll book a ticket for 8,300.’ Also, on Ticket Bay, a ticket trading site, scalpers’ ticket sales are booming, with IMAX movies with a regular price of 21,000 won being sold for 60,000 won. Many people are even watching The Avengers: Endgame multiple times. As the movie features a vast action scale with the last battle of the heroes against Thanos, many people want to see it in special theaters to enjoy it more thoroughly, so a growing number of people are visiting premium theaters to watch the movie  in a more comfortable and luxurious environment. In fact, according to Megabox, The Avengers: Endgame has a 15 percent re-viewing rate based on membership statistics. The movie has created many unique viewer habits, making it a box office hit.
  Park In-young, who gives lectures about films, said, “The Avengers: Endgame is a movie for the people who have loved the Avengers’ series so far. We can see the relationship between the audience and the film is different from the past. The audiences’ enthusiasm for the movie is active, voluntary and participatory, not passive. This is why they are such loyal viewers. However, I worried about the screen monopoly while watching this situation. Many non-mainstream movies are   shown much less than the Avengers. Thus, the tastes of people who want to see other movies cannot be respected. It can result in narrow artistic experiences, so we have to worry about this. I want students to experience various movies and not just the pleasure of the Avengers. As we consume balanced nutrition, we have to encounter a variety of values and times and spaces through movies to be healthy audiences.” Thus, if the positive effects of the avengers on the audiences also affect other films positively, this could cause a genuine cinema craze.

By Kim Min-ji l mj39@cbnu.ac.kr