On May 2, 2008, I walked into a theater for a screening of Iron Man. Little did I know that the film was the beginning of an 11-year journey, one that would birth the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A universe that will go down as one of, if not the greatest cinematic achievements of this century. That 11-year journey culminated in one of the most exceptional cinematic experiences of my life this past weekend with the conclusion of the Infinity Saga with Avengers: Endgame.
Prior to this film, 21 movies have set up the events we see onscreen. Avengers: Endgame follows up 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War to which audiences witnessed Thanos collecting all of the Infinity stones and snapping his finger to obliterate 50 percent of the Earth’s population – human and superhero alike.
Avengers: Endgame works on so many levels. While we were told in trailers and promotional materials that Endgame is a film about course correction, it is much more than that. The Russo brothers have constructed a film that also focuses on love, friendship, sacrifice, and self-discovery. Each surviving superhero deals with the grief of losing their loved ones differently and this is displayed very well by the Russo brothers in their choices and handling of the aftermath, rather than jumping to a quick resolution giving us all the more reason to root for our fallen Avengers.
Thanos has demanded my silence, and I will abide, but I will let the cat out of the bag regarding the original six Avengers. Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, and Scarlett Johannsson are sensational in this film. Each character is given their arc and nails each of their performances with such profound emotion that leaves little doubt as to why these six have been the face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Infinity War is Thanos’ journey, Endgame captures The Mad Titan’s viciousness and thanks to Josh Brolin’s out of the ballpark performance, Thanos cements his place as one of cinema’s all-time great villains.
While I won’t go much into detail regarding the set pieces and production design throughout the film, I will praise it as some of the MCU’s most skillful work. During the film’s final battle, reminiscent of a key battle in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the scope of this finale is something unmatched in not just the comic book genre, but in the film overall. Avengers: Endgame gave all fans a jaw-dropping battle at the conclusion of the film that not only brought tears of joy and sorrow to my eyes but to many others watching it. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that at six years old, I would have seen a film or any in this universe like Endgame.
Avengers: Endgame broke me, put me back together, and decided to cut me again in one of the most impactful cinematic experiences of all time. The Dark Knight has some company now. Avengers: Endgame quite frankly is one of the greatest comic book films of all time.
Despite the film’s awesomeness, I’ve seen a trend of complaints ever since the review embargo lifted that irk me. Many of these complaints revolve around that Marvel is giving fans too much service playing into what they want to see rather than sticking with canon from the comic books. Newsflash Internet trolls! Marvel is able to bring these superheroes to life and with more depth because more fans than not want to see this. While you may call it fan service, why and who else would they be creating these movies for. I, for one, found the fan service inserted throughout the film to be fantastic and important for all fans of Marvel despite the backlash that Internet trolls are giving it.
When it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an Office quote comes to mind. Andy Bernard states, “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.” When it comes to the MCU, the good old days were right in front of us, and years later, comic book fans across the world can unite in one single thought – what Marvel and the MCU have done will never be done again.
