Last night I went to bed in shock after watching Avengers: Endgame, but this morning I’ve come to a place where– now that I’ve had time to process– I can say that, although it was surprising, it was a truly satisfying ending for the era.
As I said above, I found Endgame terribly surprising. While there are some things that happen that we all knew would happen, the ending was something I just was not expecting. In hindsight, however, it makes a great deal of sense and closes the arcs of a number of key characters. The film is well-crafted, and while you feel those three hours it is not because the movie isn’t enjoyable.
While Avengers: Infinity War (2018) had to balance a massive cast acting across the universe, Endgame has a much smaller group to work with following ‘the snap’. As a result, the pacing feels less crowded and much closer to other Marvel Cinematic Universe films, full of both action and banter, with some truly touching moments. The film begins with a touching cold open that sets the tone for the beginning of the film, but the end of the final battle will have you cheering. There are great callbacks to other moments in the MCU sprinkled throughout and just about every character is given at least a small moment to shine. It was also fun watching characters interact that don’t typically do so, or haven’t done so previously, and see how they affect each other and grow.
I saw one headline call Endgame “a love letter to the fans” and that’s absolutely true. While it did not end how I expected, the ending is a satisfying end to the narrative arc and makes a great deal of sense in the context of each character’s journey. The movie truly is enjoyable (and now that I’ve come to terms with it and moved past my shock, I may need to see it again) and I’m excited to see what’s next.
This film completely changes the franchise (and not just on Earth as some of the others have). Although announcements have been made regarding mini series and movies, there are still a number of open slots that have not been named yet (May/November 2020, February/May/November 2012, February/May/July 2022). This year’s San Diego Comic Con, which is known for its big reveals and announcements, will (hopefully) be enlightening. Meanwhile, knowing what is slated to come next also has me curious to see how they will make it work in light of the events of Endgame.
Basically, I left the theatre mostly in shock and eager to see what will happen next, but Endgame is absolutely an enjoyable and well-crafted film that is unlikely to disappoint.