Avengers: Endgame is the highly anticipated finale, and it does not disappoint

By Maddy Raven, First Year, Theatre and Film

Avengers: Endgame is more than just a simple action film, but a brilliantly made finale to a franchise that has changed the genre forever.

Anthony and Joe Russo have done the near impossible: brought the Marvel universe into perfect balance, as it should be. While we bid a not-so-bittersweet farewell to the heroes we grew up watching on the cinema screen, it’s in a way that allows for a future. Which, after all, was what the remaining Avengers are fighting for after their devastating defeat at the end of the first film.

After Avengers: Infinity War (2018), many of us were left with what felt like an irreparable loss, and sense of exhilaration at the sheer scale of the film, but somehow, Avengers: Endgame one-ups this triumph. There’s even more aliens, even more action, definitely even more cool gadgets and a choice selection of witty one liners and moments which had me jumping up and down in my seat.

It’s difficult to compare the Marvel Cinematic Universe with other films in terms of quality: mainly because it has created a space for itself. It’s not re-defined the ‘action’ genre, but created its own, and actually, many of the films do manage to be objectively enjoyable and good, including this one. Sitting in the cinema, I didn’t feel like I was there for three hours - I felt like minutes passed. The cast and directors of this film are right to be so rigid about spoilers for this film, because knowing the plot won’t match up to the emotional value of seeing this on the big screen.

I definitely won’t be disclosing any plot points here, but what Endgame does best is to show the variation of human - and raccoon - experience when faced with incredible loss. Marvel films have always been a reflection of the struggle of humanity when faced with seemingly impossible challenges, raising questions about the morality of preventative measures and vigilante justice while being riotously enjoyable. Some of us get lucky and manage to make some sense out of all the mess, while others find themselves stuck, slowly being eaten away by their resentment at what could’ve been.

Revisiting the few characters we’ve been left with after Thanos snaps his fingers, we discover that some, like Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), are of the make-do kind, while others, such as Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) find their own coping mechanisms: throwing themselves into copious video gaming and/or work.

It’s fitting that some of the heroes we started our journeys with in the first few baby steps of the MCU finally achieve some kind of rest. At times, it has felt somewhat endless, their struggle against chaos and the forces of darkness - and purple men with seriously warped ideals when it comes to resource management - and I’ve wanted to ask 'why can’t everyone just leave Tony Stark alone?', but I don’t feel that Endgame bites off more than it can chew. I felt very much in safe hands as I watched, knowing that whatever happened, it’d be magnificent.

It’s important to remember the meaning of the word ‘endgame’ when watching this film. Nearing the end of a chess game, very few pieces are left on the board. Tony Stark is the king: the most important piece, having brought everyone here all the way from Robert Downey Jr’s debut as his iconic character in Iron Man (2008), and the remaining pieces range all the way down to Scott Lang - Ant-Man - as the pawn, unpredictable and with a decisive, winning advantage. The point of Endgame is not primarily to introduce newer characters which we will be moving forward with. Its purpose is to address the futures of the remaining chess pieces, lest they remain, never aging and constantly fighting chaos until one of their actors keels over from the weight of their contract.

What has happened here is a historical moment, bringing to a close the third phase of a promising franchise which has changed the face of the film industry, for better and for worse. What the Russos have managed to do is fulfil not only Thanos’ destiny, but those of our favourite heroes, laying to rest old friends and giving us a glimpse of what is to come in a magnificent swan song for both them, and our heroes.

Avengers: Endgame was released on 25th April and is showing in most cinemas

Featured Image credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images

What did you think of the finale to the third phase of the MCU?

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