Avengers Endgame
Marvel Studios
Written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Directed by Jo and Anthony Russo
Starring Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Karen Gillan, Tessa Thompson, Danai Gurira, Gwyneth Paltrow, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chaadwick Boseman, Brie Larson, Tom Holland, Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Evangeline Lilly, Letitia Wright, Jon Favreau, Cobie Smulders, Samuel L Jackson and Josh Brolin
Rated PG-13
The grave course of events set in motion by Thanos that wiped out half the universe and fractured the Avengers ranks compels the remaining Avengers to take one final stand in Marvel Studios’ grand conclusion to twenty-two films, “Avengers: Endgame.”
The remaining Avengers, with the help of Ant-Man have developed a risky plan to try to reverse what Thanos has done and hopefully return the missing. It’s a plan that will require a high stakes, coordinated heist that has a huge reward if they succeed and an even higher possibility of failure.
The culmination of 10 years and 22 films, Avengers Endgame sets out to do two thing; complete the saga of the original Avengers and set up the new generation of heroes for adventures to come. It does both of these things with charm, wit, thrills, heart and a heaping helping of fan service.
Jo and Anthony Russo know this audience and after the emotional gut punch of Avengers Infinity War, they knew that the conclusion of this epic saga had huge stakes. They knew that audiences have formed an emotional bond with these characters and this world. They knew that not everyone would be pleased, but they knew they could satisfy the fans of the MCU with epic, larger than life heroics and heart. They succeeded magnificently.
The story was the perfect mixture of highs and lows with an opening that showcased the remaining Avengers doing some actual avenging and realizing that it is a futile gesture. The Russo’s make both the Avengers and the audience deal with the trauma of their loss instead of rushing into a resolution that would cheapen the events and emotional stakes of the last film. What follows is a celebration of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on-screen with trips to different points in the MCU timeline, the return of familiar faces and resolutions of unresolved character arcs.
Avengers Endgame is a satisfying love letter to every fan who has followed these characters since Iron Man debuted 10 years ago. It is a satisfying and bittersweet conclusion to this particular part of the MCU and a hopeful reminder of all the possibilities of the stories to come.