And as per Marvel formula, the grand finale to the aptly-named Infinity Saga is littered with allusions subtly recalling a decades-worth of movies leading up this point while hysterically brushing away the logic of the plot by name-dropping other time-traveling movies. The premise of our heroes doing a time heist allows them this opportunity in the most ingeniously imaginative and effective ways, both hilarious and surprisingly moving. Other characters also enjoy a moment of closure and a sense of redemption in their respective hero journeys, particularly that of Evans' Cap, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), making the Endgametitle all the more on point and poignant. This is what ultimately makes the climactic conclusion so heartbreaking because we've been with him on this journey to becoming a better person from the beginning, and he's earned a well-deserved rest. And his Iron Man alter ego is basically a metaphor for masking his fragile psyche and his reluctance to make the tough choices, as Captain America (Chris Evans) pointed out in The Avengers. Through the course of several movies, he has been haunted by his past and challenged by the consequences of a hubris clouding his judgment. Without realizing it until these last two installments, this has been Stark's journey - a pompous, egotistical industrialist who also happens to be a genius navigating and negotiation his way through the repercussions of his arrogance, greed, and decisions. I will admit to suddenly feeling like a feverishly thrilled child when a certain someone unexpectedly wielded a certain magical hammer and when that same certain someone finally said, "Avengers, assemble!"Īt the center of this monumental endeavor is Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), a second-tier comic character who over the last ten years, has risen as the face and emotional marrow of the entire franchise. MCU movies are greeted by excited audiences dressed in costume eager for another action-packed escapade, teased about the next episode by a post-credits scene that's really the modern-day cliffhanger, and they cheer, laugh, clap, yell and even shed a tear.
More fascinating still, this ambitious fantasy epic is essentially a return to the classic film serial of old, the weekend matinee where devoted fans relish with giddy delight at the latest adventure of their larger-than-life screen hero. These films have once again turned the theater experience into a cinema event, an outing with friends to revel in the newest Tinseltown attraction that's fodder for the watercooler chitchat the following day. Of more interest and fascination, for me, is seeing the MCU become a gigantic mainstream cultural phenomenon, significantly impacting storytelling expectations while reigniting a love for the Hollywood blockbuster. Realistically, a movie of this magnitude with such a vast ensemble cast of characters should not exist let alone be as terrifically entertaining as it genuinely is. Yet directors Anthony and Joe Russo, working from a script by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, miraculously pull off the impossible and satisfy those expectations marvelously.
Over the course of several films, starting with Joss Whedon's The Avengers, each entry to the Marvel Cinematic Universe not only expanded on an incredibly engaging fantasy of superheroes into a massively inflated world where those same superheroes interact with one another - but they have also been patiently and meticulously building towards this moment, with each installment upping the stakes of its predecessor and persuading audiences into expectations that could not possibly be met.
What Marvel Studios has accomplished with Avengers: Endgame is nothing short of phenomenal, a remarkable feat in filmmaking and cinematic history.