For the past year, Marvel fans have been scrambling and theorizing on the internet about how this epic saga could conclude. Everything from time travel, to Ant-Man shrinking between the molecules of the Soul Stone, to entering the Soul World itself, there was no shortage of potential explanations of how all the lost characters would be saved. And one of the greatest things Endgame does right off the bat is subvert any and all expectations we might have had. However fans thought Endgame would go, the film takes a hard left turn and gives us something even better!

More of an Avengers Film

Infinity War was very much Thanos’ film. His quest for the stones drove the plot, and the Avengers were all reacting to him and his actions, none of them having character arcs themselves. But to be fair, that’s not what that film was supposed to be about. It was meant to feel more like a TV Special Crossover Event, and in that area, it’s a brilliant success. Endgame on the other hand, is the emotional, character arc driven story we’ve all been waiting for. It opens in the aftermath of The Decimation, as each character deals with the melancholy feeling of defeat. But there is still hope, as they discover a possible way to make everything right again, or at least as right as it ever can be. Honestly, there’s nothing more that can be said about the plot without giving away spoilers!

Dealing with Loss

After losing half the population of the universe, each character must deal with the grief, loss, as well as guilt for failing to stop Thanos in the first place. We’ve seen these characters grow over the last decade, and it’s really fascinating to see how each one processes this. Tony tries to find peace, and even remains hesitant to act when the rest of the team wants to move forward with their one chance to fix everything. Which falls perfectly in line with his PTSD we first saw in Iron Man 3. Cap and Black Widow adopt a veil of normalcy, but they both remain restless and feel the urge to act. Perhaps the one who takes it worst is Thor, who finally succumbs to the endless slew of losses he’s experienced (his parents, his home, Heimdall, and Loki). He becomes a shell of his former self and must gain the strength to be a hero again.

All in all, the characters are handled exceptionally well, as their emotions and arcs are what drive the story. Perhaps one of the issues with Infinity War was that it had so many of them and jumped around from place to place so much. But here, there’s a central focus on the ones that are still here. Fans of Captain Marvel may be a bit disappointed as she doesn’t get very much screen time. It makes sense for a few reasons however. Endgame was always meant to be the final chapter for the original 6 Avengers, so they needed to be the focus. Plus, as Carol Danvers even points out in the film, the rest of the universe is suffering as well and she needs to be there for all the other planets, so that’s where she is for much of the film.

The End of an Era

Perhaps the best word to use when describing Endgame is bittersweet. These stories and film have been such a huge part of pop culture, as well as our lives for the past 11 years, and in many ways this feels like a true ending. Of course, the MCU will continue on, but with newer characters taking the lead (Captain Marvel, Spiderman, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, etc.), but with their contracts being up, and their characters moving on in one way or another, this marks the last time we’ll see our beloved original 6 on film. And if that wasn’t enough, this film also marks the last cameo from Stan Lee. In a strange way it’s almost fitting that his last appearance be in a film called Endgame…

As far as epic climaxes go, Endgame doesn’t disappoint. While the first hour is a bit slow, and more focused on setting the stage and spending time with grieving characters, the last hour is anything but calm. The final showdown doesn’t disappoint, and while there’s a ton of fan service, Marvel has certainly earned the right to do so. But it’s not just about the ending either. All throughout the film, we’re bombarded with callbacks to the earlier chapters that we never thought we’d see or hear again. For Endgame isn’t merely just a follow-up to the cliffhanger of Infinity War, rather it’s a sequel and conclusion to the entire franchise as a whole!

David Pierdomenico is a former History/English Teacher, and a current HR Professional. His dorky passion is an absolute love of film, especially horror and comic book. He is also the author of horror novels Kushtaka and Veritas.

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