It is the end of an era. There is no question that Avengers: Endgame brings many storylines to a conclusion, including some which started right back at the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, eleven years earlier. Fortunately for those of us who have enjoyed the unfolding of that universe and those large storylines, it was a worthy conclusion to the saga.
**Some minor spoilers ahead
Avengers: Infinity War ended with Thanos making his “snap” with the Infinity Gauntlet, using the Infinity Stones to eliminate half of all living beings. This included the rosters of the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy, which were reduced to a fraction of the characters we have met over the preceding 21 movies. Notably, all the original members of the Avengers survived: Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye. Captain Marvel is present; her return to Earth, depicted in the post-credits scene in her own movie is assumed. Rocket and Nebula from Guardians of the Galaxy, and James Rhodes, round out the opening cast.
Endgame starts with a moving scene, which chronologically would happen during the final moments of Infinity War, but with a character that did not appear in that movie. From that emotional moment, which noticeably silenced the audience where I was, the movie continues with a three-hour rollercoaster. The action is outstanding, there is humor throughout, there is character development, and there is real pathos. For everyone who has gotten to know these characters over the course of the last decade-plus, the losses they have endured are palpable.
Family is an overarching theme of Endgame. The role of Tony Stark (Iron Man), Clint Barton (Hawkeye), and Scott Lang (Ant-Man) as fathers is a critical driver to the plot. Trying to be a good father makes men into heroes, which is true in our universe as well as in the Marvel Universes. Tony Stark’s relationship to his father and Thor’s relationship to his mother are also key points. On the other hand, Gamora and Nebula’s relationship to each other and to their adoptive father Thanos also is a vital element.
G.K. Chesterton’s novel The Man Who was Thursday includes the theme that when you think you are alone fighting against the darkness, there are always others out there that are doing the same. Endgame reminded me of the closing scene of that novel, in which those who had suffered but persevered were told, “You did not forget your secret honour, though the whole cosmos turned an engine of torture to tear it out of you.” That is what happens in Endgame; the power of the Infinity Stones truly seems to have plunged the entire cosmos into death and defeat. We see the fear, anger, despair, and desperation of people who seem to have truly lost; the defeat that occurred at the end of Infinity War is confirmed and completed before any dawning of new hope.
The Endgame is also about sacrifice. The chance the Avengers have at putting things right comes at a great risk, and it is not just about making difficult choices. Several different characters willingly accept deep costs in order to make the plan work.
Both J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis wrote about how myths reflect fundamental realities. In many ways, superheroes are the myths of our day. The most compelling superhero stories contain these echoes of truth, not as strict allegories but with this typological relationship to what those authors called the True Myth. A complete self-sacrifice in order to save the world, embraced out of love, happens more than once in the Endgame. I do not know whether the writers and producers planned this, but it does not seem coincidence that this movie appeared during the Easter Octave.
The defeat of death is another mythic element of Endgame. Tolkien, in describing the “escape” element of fantasy stories, said that one of the oldest and deepest human desires is the escape from death. The “snap” from Thanos caused the victory of death. Thanos argues this is inevitable. However, the heroes embrace hope and courage, and death does not get the last word. Likewise, in our world, death has been defeated and the grave has lost its sting.
Overall, Avengers: Endgame is an exceptionally entertaining movie. Marvel Studios has built up expectations over many years, and they delivered something that will be satisfying to fans. The action and the character development are well paced; it is a great story. Of course, it will be most appreciated by those who have enjoyed the preceding parts of the story arc. It builds strongly on the previous Avengers titles, Captain America: Civil War, Thor: Ragnorok, and the first Guardians of the Galaxy. However, they also made significant efforts to include people and places from all the preceding movies. Tolkien wrote about how a good storyteller creates a secondary world, or sub-creation. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has successfully done that, deliberately interrelating a wide variety of stories with a diverse array of characters. The last few years of those movies have deliberately built up towards the confrontations with Thanos that occurred in Infinity War. Endgame provided an outstanding climax to the main parts of that story, with fulfilling conclusions for the parts that are ending.
Matthew Heffron
Matt Heffron is an Iraq veteran and an attorney. He lives with his wife and nine kids in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and loves Catholic tradition, practicing martial arts, riding motorcycle, and superheroes.