Avengers: Endgame
Assembled.
Outside of one’s opinions on superhero films, watching what Marvel Studios has been able to do in the last decade has been an absolute thrill. To take such a risk with Iron Man, and then to turn that success into multiple franchises featuring an interconnected story and more or less consistent continuity — not only is this an unprecedented feat in filmmaking, but they’ve managed to introduce and maintain characters that have connected with a lot of people emotionally.
Through moments that work and even some that fall flat, the characters are why audiences have flocked to these movies for over a decade. To see the culmination of all of these stories with Endgame is fascinating. This hasn’t happened before. The level of excitement is absurd. If you’ve avoided spoilers (Don’t worry, I won’t ruin anything), this story is probably something you’re at least vaguely related in seeing, even if just to experience the end of this huge narrative experiment.
I really wasn’t sure to expect. The marketing has a somber tone, and the end of the previous film certainly lent itself to rabid speculation and endless fan theories/debates. I was afraid the need for crazy comic book logic and deus ex machina plot developments might overshadow the emotional investment so many have put into these characters. Thankfully, for the most part, my fears were assuaged.
Endgame draws liberally from ten years of stories and memorable moments to deliver something special. I remember how much of an event The Avengers was — this movie takes the grand, epic scale of that blockbuster and absolutely dwarfs it by comparison. One could argue that almost the entire movie is fan service, and they would have a fair amount of evidence to support their claim. In terms of storytelling and inherent logic, this may not be the absolute best-written film of all time (though it’s certainly better than I could do), but in terms of emotional payoff, Endgame excels, maybe more than any major studio movie I’ve seen in a theater.
The Russos genuinely care about these characters. Their focus, along with a suitably affectionate script from the team of Markus and McFeely, allows them to celebrate these larger-than-life heroes, while also putting them through the ringer, for what is easily their most taxing journey. In case you had any doubt, the main six Avengers all get their time to shine here, and the acting across the board is something special. The growth these actors have shown in their characterization is great, and experiencing each step of Black Widow or Captain America’s development has been an experience unlike any other in modern movies. Chris Hemsworth is a delight in this regard, showing new shades to Thor’s personality and continuing the vibrant, exciting evolution from Taika Waititi’s offbeat Thor: Ragnarok. To see the full culmination of each character’s growth here is the real draw of the movie, not the action and setpieces (though, if that’s what you’re here for, you won’t be disappointed).
For all the excitement and wonder, Endgame is a surprisingly somber affair, lingering on loss, grief, and the struggle to move forward. The dour opening might rub some the wrong way, but I’d argue it’s crucial to making the events of Infinity War make a genuine impact. And, make no mistake: they do make an impact. Robert Downey, Jr. and Chris Evans do some incredible stuff to show us the depth of sorrow these characters feel. Iron Man and Captain America get the most time in the spotlight, and with good reason. Downey in particular has carried this franchise (with special help from Favreau, Whedon, the Russos, and Feige), and the film gives him some great material to work with. He’s always been the best thing about the MCU, and he’s easily the best thing about Endgame. His performance took a character that most people either didn’t know, or considered a B-tier hero, and made him the face of a multi-billion dollar franchise. The film celebrates Iron Man, and I’ll be seeing it again just for how good his scenes are.
The movie can be silly, too. Maybe to a point where it’s detracting from the emotion in certain moments, which is kind of par for the course in a Marvel film. But a few minor hiccups aside, the balance of bombast and restraint is surprising — the Russos deliver moment after moment of both solemn introspection and huge, emotion-fueled action. It’s the sort of grand conclusion that I hoped it would be. I legitimately have no idea what Marvel movies are going to look like moving forward. I find that very exciting — for all the talk about “The Marvel Formula”, we now have no idea what that is going to be. Maybe Spider-Man: Far from Home will give us our first glimpse.
Maybe they slow down. Maybe there are less Marvel movies, at least for a little while. That would be okay. This decade of films has seen highs and lows, but clearly, the movies have had an impact, both on the industry and the millions of fans around the world. Maybe pumping the breaks a little bit will allow for some fresh voices to step in when the movies inevitably do ramp back up.
Whatever happens, we’ve had these stories. Endgame is the closing chapter of so many of them, and I am glad to have experienced it. Go see this on the biggest and best screen you can.
