Avengers: Endgame - A Satisfying Imperfect Finale

By Iman Batrisyia

Marvel Studios has finally wrapped up the thrilling Infinity Saga with an epic conclusion to tie off 22 series after nearly 11 years. Marvel Cinematic Universe was launched with 2008’s Iron Man and since then MCU has grown to establish various superheroes arcs that would eventually converge into one emotional spectacular finale.

Endgame picks up right after the events of Avengers: Infinity War with Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye, who was retired from superhero business, bemused by the mysterious vanishing of his wife and kids. The other surviving Avengers tried to deal with the fallout of The Snap that took away half of universe’s population but when an opportunity presents itself to potentially save those that vanished in the form of Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man, the old gang came together once again for the fight of their life.

Marvel Studios assembles its prominent magic makers behind the scenes; bringing together directors Joe and Anthony Russo, who joined the MCU with 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier with veteran screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. To balance the hulking amount of superheroes spectacle while making sure to keep character developments from going astray is no easy feat but with the experience under their belts, the assembled team of directors and screenwriters managed to let the plot of the movie flow smoothly. There are a few moments in the movie that might feel like fillers for casual fans but for those that have been on the bandwagon since the beginning, it feels like closure, loose threads finally knitting together.

After the crushing blow of Infinity War, fans have hoped for many reunions to happen onscreen, especially one of Iron Man and Captain America’s that had been teased long before Infinity War and the movie did not disappoint. The angst imbued reunion between the two powerhouse superheroes of the saga was heavily centered on the left over feelings from Captain America: Civil War. The movie also provided the necessary closure to the six original Avengers; Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).

Endgame is no doubt a gift to the fans, a three-hour celebration of everything that has come before and an unashamed amount of all-out fan service. Sure, there are little in-jokes and references (to both earlier movies and the comics themselves) that are going to fly over some viewers’ heads, but the rollercoaster of warmth, humor, and emotional connection work to bridge the distance. With the sense of finality that pervades the movie, there are also moments that will have fans on the edge of their seats, expecting the worst -- and in some cases, getting it.

Endgame does pull off the feat of feeling remarkably like a finale, and even the most casual fan may feel the emotional tug of those moments. For long-term, fully invested Marvel fans, Endgame will be both devastating and life-affirming, a story of sacrifice, memory, guilt, and loss that is also a mind-bending superhero blockbuster and a poignant exploration of what it means to be a hero.

Robert Downey Jr.’s Oscar-worthy performance was heart-wrenchingly beautiful to the very end. Downey’s Iron Man has always been the heart and soul of the MCU, the first in a 22 great long series so to see him being the one to also end the decade of amazing cinematic saga with a flourish was not short of a moving tribute for us avid fans.

With the Infinity Saga concluded, fans could expect one last movie in MCU’s third phase, Spider-man: Far From Home to open up another decade of superhero extravaganza.