Re-Visiting the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Avengers: Endgame

 "Avengers: Endgame" (2019)

This is it, folks. The culmination of ten years of films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "Avengers: Endgame" was one of the most highly anticipated movies in a long time. It had so many expectations on it. It not only had to be it's own movie but it also had to serve as an ending to the Infinity Saga, give an idea of where the MCU was going in Phase 4 and be a seemingly final farewell to some loved staples of the MCU. That is a lot to shoulder for one film. "Avengers: Endgame" became the highest grossing movie of all-time with $2,797,800,564 worldwide.

Principal photography on "Avengers: Endgame" began in August 2017 and ended in January 2018. The film stars Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America, Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk, Scarlet Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes/War Machine, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Gwenyth Paltrow as Pepper Potts/Rescue and Josh Brolin as Thanos. Plus, an appearance by basically every major MCU character of the past ten years. The film was written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeeley. It was directed by the Russo Brothers. "Avengers: Endgame" was released on April 26, 2019.

He can do this all day.

Full disclosure. I haven't seen "Avengers: Endgame" since I saw it on opening night almost two years ago. I associate it with the pretty awful fight my ex-husband and I had right after, so it has been difficult to re-visit. I tried to see it a second time, but had to leave during previews because he was setting my things on fire on Facebook live. But this is not a post for me to recount my trauma to you. I just wanted to say, I am not the type of fanboy who watches "Avengers: Endgame" over and over. Who timed it so that Tony's Thanos dusting snap happens at midnight on New Years Eve. First off, I don't have that kind of time. This is a long ass movie and it feels like it lasts for 3 hours. 

Let's get this out of the way. "Avengers: Endgame" is not a perfect movie. It has issues. It has holes. I'm not even going to bring up the time travel mechanics here because let's be real, they don't matter. I'm not one to get into the minutiae of these things because bottom line is that you are watching a movie where a grown woman regularly gets emails from a raccoon. If you are going to go bananas because the rules of time travel don't make sense or whatever, then maybe this isn't the movie from you.

I do have some issues with "Avenger: Endgame" so I thought I'd just address them right from the start.

1. Tony Stark. I have never been a huge fan of Tony Stark in the first place. He just has never clicked with me in comics or in the movies. I think RDJ has done a great job of portraying him. It's just a self-serving, snarky billionaire is not my bag. And for a movie that's emotional centerpiece is Tony sacrificing himself to stop the bad guy, they don't make him look great. His belligerent, childish attack on Cap at the start of the movie is not a great look. His self serving conditions for helping bring back everyone dusted by the snap is kind of gross. This is not a great farewell for Iron Man.

The Big Thorbowski

2. Fat Thor. Oh Fat Thor. I have an issue with this on so many levels. First off, Thor with a few extra pounds is hotter to me than ripped Thor. Like, choke me daddy Thor. The biggest issue here is that Thor has experienced a tremendous amount of trauma in a short amount of time. It is completely understandable that he would fall into a depression and he would gain weight. The main issue with this whole scenario is that it is, for the most part, played for laughs. This never would be acceptable with a female character and it shouldn't be for a male character. And there are tons of people who don't have an issue with it and don't understand why anyone would. Here's a hot take. Men struggle with body image issues. I know you've been bombarded with heavier male comics making jokes and starring in sitcoms where they have super attractive wives despite their size and that's all fine, but that doesn't make this ok. Again, Thor is recovering from trauma and at every turn his friends are making fat jokes. It never ends. Even his mother, tells him to eat a salad. What the fuck. It's not cool. It's not funny. 

3. Black Widow. This is probably the thing that infuriates me the most. The complete and total lack of respect for Nat in this film. She is the only female Avenger and she kills herself before the big battle. Every other main Avenger gets a time to shine and she is robbed of that. And why? It's basically because she's a single, barren woman who has no family aside from the one she's made with the Avengers. It feels like a re-tread of "Avengers: Age of Ultron" all over again. Clint has been going around indiscriminately murdering people for five years, but he gets to live because he has a biological family. It's so lame. Then, she doesn't even get a funeral. It's so frustrating and I hate it so much.

Oh snap.

That being said, I really enjoy this movie. The thing that Marvel really excels at is selling you a feeling and for the most part I'm buying it. I've fully thrown away the receipt. I'm fully aware that a lot of these big moments aren't supported by any of the things that have happened during "Endgame" or in the movies that preceded it, but I don't care. I'm a Marvel fanboy through and through and the type of fanboy I am is hooked by this. And I allow myself to be and enjoy it. 

Take my favorite scene in "Avengers: Endgame." The scene where the female Avengers take center stage. I freaked out in the theater and I freaked out again when I watched it last night. I love female superheroes. I have ever since I was a kid. This moment gets me. I'm ready to stand up and cheer watching these fierce bad bitches do their thing. But here's the thing. This is just pure fan service. There had been lots of complaints about the female Avengers were getting short shrift in the films. This was a way to address that but not really address it. I know that, but I'll be damned if that moment didn't get me hyped as fuck. 

I honestly think that is the magic of the MCU. It is all about that audience goodwill. It has shown that it can churn out competent superhero films that feel true to the characters if you are a longtime comics fan and are accessible to non comics fans. A lot of them are really dependent more on this feeling than original stories and coherent plots and I think to really enjoy them, you kind of have to surrender to that. I know that sounds bad, but I don't really think it is. 

Like I said, "Avengers: Endgame" is serving a lot of masters here and I'm not sure it's successful. Though, I do enjoy it and a lot of my enjoyment comes from the micro moments in the film. Tony and Nebula playing the paper football game. Cap and America's ass. Thor having a heart to heart with Frigga minus the salad comment. Cap and Natasha's convo at the beginning. Wanda going apeshit on Thanos. Carol showing up to demolish Thanos' ships. Cap finally saying "Avengers Assemble!" Cap wielding Mjolnir. Those are the things that make "Avengers: Endgame" a worthwhile watch for me. I get that isn't enough for everyone, but it is for me.

A Force assemble!

There is a long-ish epilogue in "Avengers: Endgame" and it sort of gives you an idea of where things are headed after "Spider-Man: Far From Home" wraps up Phase 4. We see people reuniting with their families. Thor abdicates the throne of New Asgard to Valkyrie and joins up with the Guardians of the Galaxy who have finding the Gamora from the past as their number one priority. We get a moment between Wanda and Clint reminiscing about Vision. Hey "WandaVision." A farewell for Tony. Oh and Loki absconded with the Tesseract, a set up for his upcoming Disney+ solo series.

Then there is Cap. He returns the Infinity Stones to their respective timelines. He's supposed to be right back, but that's not what happens. Bucky and Sam see an elderly man sitting on a bench. They walk up and it's Old Man Steve Rogers. It seems like Cap used his jaunt through time to take Tony's advice and live his life. He gifts Sam his shield and seemingly the mantle of Captain America, hello, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," and declines to tell Sam anything about his wedding ring. Then, we are transported back in time. Old time jazz playing on the radio and Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter finally having their long awaited dance. And by god, there are tears in my eyes as I watch them sway to the music. They got me again, gal. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Next up, Phase four ends with Spider-Man taking a class trip.

What do you guys think? Does "Endgame" work for you? Does it not? Hit me with your opinions in the comments.