Review written by Christian Garcia
The MCU Revisit culminates as I look at Avengers: Endgame!
Endgame is the culmination of the MCU’s ten years’ worth of storytelling in one epic finale. It is the biggest film in Marvel’s history and brought an end to some of Marvel’s biggest stories and characters.
When I first started this revisit, I was excited to show my girlfriend Endgame and Infinity War. I am jumping the gun by saying that Endgame is one of if not the best of the Marvel films. While I personally will always love Infinity War just a smidge more, Endgame was an excellent follow up. It went on to become the second highest grossing film of all time and was the apex of the Marvel hype train.
I remember going to see it on opening night and it was one of the greatest experiences I have ever had in a cinema. While I would put my experience seeing Infinity War at number one for my all-time best movie going experience, Endgame is not far behind. The audience reactions added to my experience and made the film feel more epic and emotional. While Infinity War left me speechless, Endgame left me feeling emotional and proud to be a Marvel fan.
Let’s take a closer look at this epic finale and see why it’s so great.
I will add a major SPOILER WARNING to anyone who has yet to see it, (all two of you) as I will cover some major spoilers.
The Avengers' Journey
In my review of Infinity War, I focused mainly on the journey of Thanos as I felt that the story of that film was more about him than the Avengers. After the events of Infinity War, the Avengers are left to deal with the consequences of their loss to Thanos and each handle it differently. Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, and Thor take the loss the hardest and I see this film as a redemption story for them and serves as a conclusion to the story arcs of Captain America, Iron Man, and Black Widow.
Iron Man's Journey
Since the first Iron Man¸ Tony Stark has devoted himself to protecting people while also longing to live a peaceful and normal life.
After their defeat on Titan, Tony Stark and Nebula are all that is left of their team after Thanos’ snap. Tony is consumed with grief and failure, especially given the loss of Peter Parker. He and Nebula are stranded in space until they are saved by Captain Marvel and returned to Earth. Upon seeing Captain America again for the first time since Civil War, Tony takes out his grief and frustration on Rogers before completely breaking down.
The film jumps ahead to five years later where Tony is now retired from being Iron Man, married to Pepper Potts and has a daughter named Morgan. In that time, Tony has accepted the loss to Thanos, moved on from hero work and found the peace he had been longing for. His peace is interrupted by the arrival of Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff and Scott Lang who approach him with a Time Heist that could possibly undo the damage caused by Thanos. Stark is reluctant to help them, and Rogers tells them it's their second chance to which Tony retorts that Morgan is his second chance. However, after seeing a picture of him and Peter Parker, Tony’s curiosity gets the better of him and he eventually figures out the key to time travel. He talks with Pepper about what he should do, and she tells him that he won’t be able to rest unless he gives the Heist a shot and gives him her support. Tony knows what’s at stake as he has the peace and normal life that he has longed for yet the opportunity to bring back everyone is too great a chance to pass up. This is where his longing to protect and serve outweighs his own personal desires.
This discovery leads Tony to rejoin the Avengers and conduct the Time Heist. Tony, Rogers, Lang, and Banner travel back to New York in 2012 (The Avengers). While Rogers retrieves the Scepter and Banner gets the Time Stone, Tony’s plan to retrieve the Tesseract is ruined by the 2012 Hulk. However, being the genius that he is, Tony thinks of a plan on the spot and he and Rogers travel back to 1970 to get the Tesseract and more Pym Particles to get them home. While back in 1970, Tony encounters his father Howard while on the mission and gets to have a tender moment with his father. Tony mentions that the one thing that can’t be bought is time and gives his father a hug before departing. This is an important arc for Tony as he got closure with his father who he always had strong feelings towards, both good and bad, and this time to talk with him was the closure that he always wanted as alluded to in Civil War.
Upon returning from the mission, the team mourns the loss of Natasha Romanoff before they assemble their own Gauntlet and use the power of the stones to bring back everyone. Before they can celebrate, they are ambushed by Thanos who was brought from 2014 but an alternate Nebula. Tony, Steve, and Thor confront Thanos together and despite their efforts, he still proves to be a tough match. However, they are soon joined by their allies who have been brought back. During the epic battle, Tony reunites with Peter and gives him a hug. In the final moments of the battle, Doctor Strange signals to Tony that this is their one chance to win. Tony realizes that he is the one who must stop Thanos and makes the ultimate sacrifice. He fights Thanos to prevent him from getting the gauntlet, but Thanos overpowers him and believing he has won declares that he is inevitable before snapping his fingers again. This time, however, nothing happens and to his horror realizes that Tony has the stones. With the power of the stones surging through his body, Tony declares that he is Iron Man and snaps his fingers.
The day is won, and Thanos and his army disappear. However, the power of the Stones was too much for Tony and he slowly dies. Before he dies, Pepper tells him that she and Morgan will be okay and that he can rest now. Tony dies with the peace he always longed for finally having fulfilled his desire to help the greater good. Tony had always been worried about protecting people and in his final moments made the ultimate sacrifice for the betterment of the world. Tony has come a long way since the first Iron Man film, and he leaves behind his wife, his daughter, and a legacy as one of Earth’s greatest heroes.
Captain America's Journey
Since being unfrozen in 2011, Steve Rogers has never truly fit in the modern world. He has had to deal with the fact that everyone he knew and cared for are gone. He lives with the fact that his final sacrifice while it did save the world, cost him everything that he wanted, especially his love Peggy Carter. His arc throughout the films has been that of doing what is right no matter what the cost and finding his purpose.
In the film’s opening, he and the remaining Avengers find Thanos but to their dismay, he has already destroyed the Infinity Stones, meaning they cannot undo the Snap. After their loss to Thanos, Rogers was hit especially hard but tries to keep going and help others keep going. He talks about going into the ice after meeting the love of his life and having to move on to keep going. He comforts Natasha with the same advice until they are interrupted by Scott Lang, whom they are shocked to see alive. Lang’s theory about the Quantum Realm and time gives the group an idea for a Time Heist that could potentially undo what Thanos has done.
They seek out Tony Stark who rejects them which then leads them to seeking out Bruce Banner. Banner, during the five years, underwent gamma experimentation that balanced his two lives of Banner and Hulk, now existing in the body of the Hulk but with the mind of Banner in control. Banner agrees to help them although he admits that Quantum Physics and Time Travel is outside his area of expertise. Their first few tests of the plan don’t go well but things turn around when Tony arrives. Tony and Steve have an important moment where they finally bury the hatchet and come together again. They seal the deal with a handshake, but Tony takes the moment a step further and gives Steve back his shield.
After successfully assembling a team, Steve, Tony, Banner, and Lang travel back to New York in 2012 to retrieve three of the stones. Steve is successful in retrieving the Mind Stone having tricked the S.H.I.E.L.D. turned HYDRA agents as well fighting off his 2012 counterpart. However, Tony was unsuccessful in retrieving the Tesseract but thinks of a Plan B on the fly which takes him and Rogers back to 1970. While there, in one of the more emotional moments, Steve sees his lost love Peggy and sheds a tear.
He retrieves the Pym Particle while Stark retrieves the Tesseract and the two return to the present day, where they learn of Natasha Romanoff’s sacrifice. The Avengers mourn her death, with Steve taking it especially hard given his close friendship with Natasha. But not wanting to have let her die in vain, he is determined to make her sacrifice worth it. The team successfully builds a gauntlet and undoes the Blip but before they can celebrate, Thanos and his army arrive and destroy the compound.
Cap, Iron Man, and Thor take on Thanos together in the film’s climax. In the the coolest moment of the whole film as well as the moment that got the biggest pop in the theatre, Thanos has Thor pinned down and attempts to kill him using Stormbreaker. Thor is saved after Thanos is hit by Mjølnir which then flies back and is revealed to have been thrown by Cap, revealing that he was deemed worthy to wield the hammer. Cap battles Thanos using the new combination of his shield and Mjølnir. Despite this, Thanos still proves to be a tough opponent even without the Stones in his possession and bests the three Avengers. Thanos summons his army and despite the odds being stacked against him, Cap tightens his shield and prepares to battle them alone when he suddenly receives communication from Falcon and then witnesses a portal open revealing all his allies have returned. With their allies all united, Cap utters the famous words that Marvel fans had been longing to hear, “Avengers. Assemble,” and the final battle for Earth takes off.
Thanks to Tony Stark’s sacrifice, the Avengers defeat Thanos and his army. After witnessing Tony’s sacrifice, Steve decides to not let Tony’s sacrifice be in vain and make the most out of the second chance that he has been given. Having never fit in the present time and longing to do right by himself after always doing what’s right for the world, Steve makes the bold choice to remain in 1949 after his mission to return the Infinity Stones is completed. He chooses to live out the remainder of his life settling down and living a normal life with Peggy. After putting the needs of the world and greater good before himself, Steve Rogers finally chooses to put himself first and as he said, “Maybe I'll try some of that life Tony was telling me to get.” He returns to the present as an old man and passes on his shield to Sam. The final scene of the film shows Steve and Peggy getting the dance that they always wanted. My girlfriend got very emotional at this moment as she had felt bad about Cap and Peggy never getting their dance since the first Captain America film and was happy to see them finally get it here.
After sacrificing his desires for the betterment of the world, Steve Rogers finally gets the happy ending that he has longed for knowing that he has done his part to save the world and can now focus on making himself happy. It is a touching end to the story of Marvel’s first and most iconic hero.
Thor's Journey
Thor took the loss to Thanos harder than any of the other Avengers. At the end of Infinity War, Thor had Thanos in his clutches, but Thanos was able to snap his fingers despite being wounded by Stormbreaker and the words “You should have gone for the head,” haunt Thor. When the remaining Avengers track down Thanos, they are horrified to learn that he has destroyed the Infinity Stones and his work cannot be undone. In a fit of rage drawn on by his anger and failure, Thor decapitates the Titan and walks away in defeat.
When the Avengers track him down five years later, they discover that the once mighty God of Thunder has become an overweight, drunk recluse. Thanos’ victory has affected Thor physically and mentally as even the utterance of Thanos’ name triggers Thor. While fat Thor is played for a good portion of comedic relief, there is a tragic side to him as we can see that he is hurting, and his suffering has led him down a road where he no longer feels worthy of his name. It’s a great example of what can happen to someone when they stop loving themselves and how it can affect them mentally and physically.
When the Avengers launch their Time Heist, Thor and Rocket journey back to Asgard to retrieve the Reality Stone. While there, Thor begins to have a panic attack seeing the pressure he is under to complete the mission and letting his self-doubt get the better of him. He finds unexpected comfort when he runs into a familiar face, his mother. This scene packs a great combination of emotion and a bit of comedy. Their introduction gets great laughs but immediately we see Thor pour himself out emotionally to his mother. His mother encourages him to be the man he is meant to be and encourages him to be himself and not who everyone says he’s supposed to be. Right before he and Rocket head back to the present, he summons his hammer, Mjølnir, and is ecstatic to know that he is still worthy.
The death of Natasha Romanoff hits all the Avengers hard, but Thor’s reaction is of denial. He believes that they can bring her back with the Stones and refuses to admit that she’s really gone until Clint sets him straight. Still feeling like he’s failed, he volunteers to use the Nano Gauntlet to bring everyone back but Tony Stark refuses to let him, as he believes the energy would kill him and that he is in no condition to wield it. Banner uses the Gauntlet and his successful in bringing everyone back but before they can celebrate, the Avengers compound is attacked by Thanos’ army and destroyed.
Thor and the Avengers take on Thanos in the Battle for Earth and defeat him thanks to Tony Stark’s sacrifice. After Tony’s funeral, Thor prepares to leave Earth and go on a journey to find his true purpose. The film ends with Thor for once not having a clear path to follow and he decides to make his own path and discover who he really is.
This journey for self-discovery will be shown off in Thor: Love and Thunder and I am excited to see where he goes from there.
If you have not seen this film, any of the MCU films that followed or specifically the recent Disney+ shows Hawkeye or the film, Black Widow, I am going to give you a major..
Black Widow's Journey
Tony Stark and Steve Rogers are not the only two Avengers who’s journey ends here. Endgame was also the canonical swan song for our favorite spy, Black Widow.
After their failure to stop Thanos, Natasha spent the next five years leading the Avengers despite the absence of Stark, Thor, and Banner. In an emotional scene, she tells Steve Rogers about how she has been alone all her life until she was a part of the Avengers and saw them as family. She tells Steve the even though they lost a lot of people, she was still trying to be better. Ever since the first Avengers film, Natasha has been on a journey to be a better person. Having been raised as a trained assassin and committing many crimes in her past, Natasha uses every mission to redeem herself. Although as shown in Age of Ultron, her major flaw that keeps her from feeling fulfilled is her lack of self-love. Natasha wants to redeem herself yet also believes that no matter what she does, she can never be redeemed despite her friends Captain America and Hawkeye telling her otherwise.
When Scott Lang shows up with his idea for the Time Heist, Natasha is willing to give it a try seeing it as another chance at redemption, not just for her but for everyone. After getting Tony Stark and Bruce Banner on board, they had to reassemble the team. Natasha personally went to search and find her best friend, Clint Barton (Hawkeye) who had gone rogue since the Snap. She tracks him down in Tokyo and witnesses him killing a Yakuza boss. She tells him that they have a chance to fix everything and at first, he dismisses it telling her not to give him hope. She tells him she wished she could have given it to him sooner and comforts him and gets him to return to the team.
After planning out the Heist, Natasha and Clint are assigned to retrieve the Soul Stone from Vromir in 2014. While travelling to Vromir, the two friends laugh and reminisce on old times. When they arrive on Vromir, the Red Skull informs them that to take the Stone they must sacrifice what they love. The two take a moment to let the severity of the situation sink in and then argue over who should be sacrificed. Natasha wants to sacrifice herself so she can fulfill her goal of bringing everyone back and also sparing her best friend’s life. Clint argues that he should be the one to do it as he believes that he has gone too far down the wrong path. Natasha tells him that she doesn’t judge people on their worst mistakes and reminds Clint that he did the same for her when she felt she had been too far gone. Knowing Clint has a family waiting for him when he comes back, she is determined to not let him sacrifice himself.
After one last fight, Natasha and Clint both dangle from the cliff. Natasha asks Clint to let her go but he refuses, not wanting his best friend to die. But she knows that there is no other way and that this final act is her final act of redemption, completing her goal of bringing everyone back, and repaying Clint for sparing her life when they first met by sparing his. She tells him it’s okay and kicks off the cliff forcing him to let her go and she falls to her death.
Natasha’s death hit the rest of the team hard but also inspired them to make their chance count as to not let her have died in vain. Ultimately, Natasha’s final sacrifice paid off and they were able to use the Stones to bring everyone back and defeat Thanos. Having always strived to redeem herself and be better, Natasha’s final sacrifice fulfilled her goal, and she will be remembered as one of Earth’s mightiest heroes because of it. While this is not the final appearance of Black Widow as she would get her own movie released in 2021, in terms of canon, this was the final chapter in Natasha Romanoff’s story and a very fitting end to one of Marvel’s best characters.
Black Widow’s death in this was unexpected and hit hard. I remember getting glossy eyed the first time I saw it in theatres and my girlfriend got emotional when I showed it to her. Black Widow was Marvel’s first real badass female hero and while it took until after Endgame for her to finally get her own film, she will always be remembered as a tough woman who could hang with the rest of the Avengers in terms of combat and personality. She was always as a welcome face to see throughout the MCU, and Scarlett Johansson’s performances really brought the character to life showing why she is one of the best in Hollywood.
The Villain
The interesting case of this film is that there are two versions of Thanos.
The Thanos that won the day in the previous film is present only in the opening moments of the film. After successfully wiping out half of the universe, Thanos escaped to another planet. The remaining Avengers, Captain Marvel and Rocket and Nebula arrive on the planet and attack the visibly injured Titan. He reveals that he has destroyed the Infinity Stones, having used the stones themselves to do it and having nearly killed himself in the process. With his work now irreversible, he declares that he is inevitable before he is decapitated by Thor.
The death of Thanos so early in the film shocked me and most movie-goers as no one expected it to go down that way and was a great device in making the film more unpredictable. After his defeat, I remember gasping with the rest of the audience when the film jumps to 5 YEARS LATER.
While the Avengers are in 2014 searching for the Stones, the two Nebula’s networks cross paths and the Nebula from 2014 reveals the Avengers’ plan to the Thanos of 2014. The Thanos of 2014 takes on the role of the antagonist as now being aware of the Avengers’ plot, plans to bring himself and his army to 2023 and fulfill his destiny again.
The Film's Pros
The Final Battle
The final battle of the film is the most epic encounter in any Marvel film and any film in general. The film does an excellent job of making you forget that their plan to undo the snap actually worked. Immediately after using the gauntlet and seeing that the plan worked, Thanos’ army destroys the Avengers compound and with the craziness of that along with the awesome battle between Thanos, Iron Man, Thor and Captain America, you forget that the other heroes are back.
I went to see Endgame the night it came out and when the final battle began, the theatre erupted with cheers and applause from the first moment that Sam calls in to Cap. The return of all the heroes lost at the end of Infinity War was still surprising despite audiences expecting it. The battle is the largest gathering of Marvel characters ever as every MCU hero appears in this fight. I mentioned how Infinity War was a few heroes shy of the biggest gathering. Literally EVERYONE IS HERE and each hero is given a moment to shine and pays off little moments such as Tony hugging Peter or Wasp calling Captain America “Cap” and we even got to see Pepper Potts done an Iron Man (or I guess Iron Woman) suit.
The final moments of the battle are great with Tony outsmarting Thanos and his last chilling words being (the same words that ended the first Iron Man film) “I am Iron Man.” The death of Tony Stark was a heartbreaking but noble end to the MCU’s greatest hero. I remember getting emotional watching Tony take his final breath. I still got emotional years later watching it again with my girlfriend who got very emotional.
Some critics have argued that because the Thanos that is defeated in the end is a different Thanos than the one from Infinity War, that the victory feels empty. While I can see how some would feel that way, the defeat of Thanos still feels like a hard-fought victory. Since Thanos was victorious in the first film, the audience now knew what he was fully capable of and because it left such an emotional impact, they didn’t want to have to endure it again. When Thanos got the gauntlet, people were scared he won again and that fear soon turned into relief when Stark outsmarted him. Even though it was not the exact Thanos getting defeated here, it was still a satisfying ending to Marvel’s best villain.
The final climax is everything this film and the MCU had been building to of seeing all of our favorite heroes together on the big screen and it paid off and then some. It had the action, emotion, drama, and a bit of comedy thrown together to create one of Marvel’s most iconic moments and the greatest climax of any Marvel film.
The Culmination of 10 Years of Storytelling
Ten years is a long time and many studios have tried to copy what Marvel has accomplished but have not been nearly as successful. The title of Endgame has a lot of meaning and weight behind it as it is the culmination of ten years’ worth of storytelling in one grand film. Ever since the first Iron Man film, Marvel has been building to this moment with hit film after hit film turning beloved comic book characters into household names. The MCU is an example of great world building, character development and storytelling paying off in a major way.
The film serves as the conclusion to the Infinity Saga of Marvel and took the big risk of writing off two of its biggest heroes. Endgame is a turning point in the MCU and the end of an era as two of Marvel’s most famous heroes take their final bow here. The stories of Iron Man and Captain America carried the MCU through its growing years and reestablished Robert Downey, Jr., and Chris Evans as big Hollywood names. Downey set the MCU in motion in the first Iron Man and his final performance as Tony Stark sends off Marvel’s greatest heroes in style. Chris Evans’ final performance as Captain America gave Marvel’s first Avengers his deserved happy ending.
The exits of Downey and Evans while bittersweet also opened the door for a new generation of Marvel heroes to take center stage and keep the Marvel Universe growing and prospering for years to come. The MCU is still garnering big numbers as of now and turned superhero films from an undesirable genre into big box office blockbusters. And it all started with a rich billionaire building a suit of armor in a cave. Downey and Evans’ contributions to Marvel laid the groundwork that current Marvel heroes are now following and carrying into the next generation. The future for Marvel is bright and it rose to its heights after taking its time and carefully crafting a universe that kept fans interested and wanting more.
The Film's Cons
Time Travel Plot
Time Travel has always been a plot device that, if not done correctly, can hurt a film tremendously. Since Back to the Future, most films have followed the rules of time travel that were established in that film both in serious time travel adventures and comedies. Many tv shows and films have played with the butterfly effect and how changing one thing can affect the future. Marvel took a very bold step in tearing down those rules of time travel and creating their own to fit the narrative of this films. A step like this if not handled carefully can easily go wrong and could have ruined the film. Thankfully their time travel plot stuck the landing, for the most part.
For me personally, I thought Marvel handled the rules of time travel in a competent manner that made enough sense to me that I didn’t find myself being taken out of the story or questioning the logic of it. However, many of my friends have criticized the film for their time travel plot being too confusing and having a lot of holes in it. I will agree that their logic of time travel is not perfect, and if one were to really analyze they would find plenty of problems. I’ve had people ask how their rules of time travel work and I have had a difficult time explaining it to them in a way that doesn’t leave them scratching their heads.
While the time travel elements don’t bother me enough to take me out of the story, if other people have had a hard time grasping it, that is a problem. However, it is not a big enough problem to bring the film down or ruin it as the characters are strong enough to get the logic across and keep you interested in their story. While not a perfect telling of time travel, Marvel’s bold attempt to rewrite the rules of time travel is still something to be admired and applauded for.
Long Run Time
A recent trend in Hollywood that is becoming tiresome is the ever-growing length of films. Marvel has been guilty of this with movies these days going above the 2-hour mark. I personally believe that movies should not go longer than 2 hours as to avoid viewers losing interest and believe that less is more.
Endgame is the longest Marvel film to date running at 3 hours and 2 minutes. On paper, someone hearing a film being 3 hours can instantly turn them off to the idea of seeing it. 3 hours is a long time to commit to a film and if it’s not interesting enough, can lead to people falling asleep or abandoning the film halfway through. There are cases with classics like Lord of the Rings where there is so much story to be told that the run time fits. And then there are films like Pirates of the Caribbean, or a few Quentin Tarantino films where while there is interesting stuff going on, can drag and will have you checking your watch to see how much time you have left.
Thankfully, Endgame has enough of an interesting plot and its great characters are so strongly established that this film does not feel like a 3-hour slug for me personally. This film is the culmination of ten years’ worth of stories, so its long run time makes sense. They take the time to give closure to long running storylines as well as setting up the future of the MCU. I recommend not letting the run time intimidate you as the film keeps you interested most of the way through and while it does slow down at points, it doesn’t drag enough to come off boring. While 3 hours is asking a lot of time to commit, I promise that it is worth doing so.
Final Thoughts
Avengers: Endgame is the ultimate Marvel experience for fans of the comics and for fans that followed the films from the beginning. It is chock full of fan service and is a love letter to the Marvel fans for their loyalty and support throughout the years since the first Iron Man. The Marvel Cinematic Universe turned Marvel into a money-making juggernaut that helped the superhero genre cross over into pop culture. Before the MCU, superhero films were not always given the proper love and respect from Hollywood and at times became laughably bad. Marvel took its time with its world building and character development to create an incredible library of films that have left a lasting mark in history.
Endgame was the culmination of the Marvel fans’ time and dedication in an epic and satisfying conclusion. It brought all our favorite heroes together on the big screen and with its great attention to detail shows why the MCU is a great success story in the world of writing and creativity. Other studios have tried to do what the MCU has done but none have nearly come as close as to achieving what Marvel has.
After we finished the film, my girlfriend told me that she was very happy to have watched all the movies building towards it and that it was her favorite Marvel film of them all. Getting to reexperience these films while also getting to show her the films has been an incredible experience for me and one that I will always be thankful for. It gave me and girlfriend great memories that will stay with us. For me, being a fan of Marvel since the comics and TV shows, the MCU delivered more than I could have ever wanted or imagined, and Endgame left me applauding and forever thankful.
If you have followed the MCU since the first Iron Man, Endgame is the payoff you’ve been looking for and leaves you proud and happy to be a Marvel fan and will have you looking back on the experiences fondly.
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