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Nicole and Erin both saw Avengers: Endgame and they have thoughts. You’ve now had plenty of time to see the blockbuster movie, so… fair play to start talking about it, right? Below, a conversation between two Marvel Cinematic Universe fans about the best moments, missteps, and most tear inducing sequences in Marvel’s twenty second outing. Beware, there will be many, many spoilers.
What was your biggest takeaway from Avengers: Endgame?
Nicole:
Ooof, that’s a good question.
I think it’s the fact that there were a lot of surprises, even with events that I anticipated before going in. The plot unfolded much differently than I thought, and Tony’s death (which I expected) didn’t happen how I imagined.
The cold open with Clint’s family—and the fact that they kill Thanos in the first, like, 10 minutes—was nuts and way out of left field for me. But it was a good way to stick it to all the people who, post-Infinity War, were like “They’re gonna bring everyone back, so there are no stakes.” They shook things up right off the bat, and it paid off.
Erin:
Agreed on the surprise! I had been so convinced that Cap would get the hero death. Everyone had talked a lot about Chris Evans being done, and I feel I didn’t hear that same conversation happening with RDJ. So I figured it would be like, Cap dying in battle and Tony retiring and being a mentor. Obvi Tony/Iron Man is my favorite so that hit me super hard.
What were some of your favorite moments?
Nicole:
Definitely my top pick is the lady squad getting in formation when Carol has the Infinity Gauntlet —I almost shrieked because it made me giddy! Then, when Spider-Man comes back/when Tony hugs him, and seeing Korg again, lol.
Oh! And an honorable mention to seeing Tony with his daughter for the first time. I’d been waiting to see Dad Tony since Iron Man 3, when he had such fun banter with that kid—who, for anyone who didn’t catch it, was the teenage boy standing near the back at Tony’s funeral.
Erin:
I legit gasped for the Iron Man 3 kid. Iron Man 3 rules. My top moments were Tony talking to his dad, especially calling himself “Howard Potts” and telling his dad that he has a daughter. I basically sobbed from that point on? Also, Pepper/Gwyneth was amazing in this movie. When she showed up in the final battle, I freaked out! I also loved Ant-Man talking about Captain America’s ass and all of his reactions and interactions with the other Avengers.
What were some of the hardest moments to watch?
Nicole:
The reversing of Tony and Peter’s final scene in Infinity War totally wrecked me. Nat and Clint fighting to be the one to sacrifice themselves was shocking and devastating, and Tony having his meltdown after Carol brings him back was so sad.
Erin:
Everything I just mentioned, plus watching Paul Rudd cry at the beginning when Ant-Man reunited with his daughter. That was devastating.
Also, the scene where Widow is checking in on everyone in that like Space Google Hang and hangs up and just immediately breaks down. She’s just trying to keep it together but it’s so hard! That got me good. Her death was also tough, but I’m glad she got that death and not Hawkeye.
Tony’s death wrecked me because it kind of takes you a second before you can process what happened. And when War Machine and Spidey and Pepper are all around him??? His people? Yeah, I was shaking, holy shit. And I thought I had run out of tears, but then Steve and Peggy got their dance and I cried then too. It was a ride.
What were some of Endgame’s weaknesses?
Nicole:
The biggest weakness was the explanation of time travel and its effects. But that’s how every movie about time travel is, so I can’t really get that mad about it. Then, I think Clint going all “the Punisher” should’ve been shown more than that one time. I know we skipped 5 years ahead, but a one-off line before Nat finds him wasn’t sufficient.
Finally, the set up for Guardians 3, which will clearly be at least partially about finding Gamora, was a little weak. Why’d she bail? I know it’s got to be unnerving to meet someone who knows you but you don’t know them, and moreover you’re supposed to have been in love with them, but where did she go? Her “dad” is dead.
Erin:
Agreed. If you think about the time travel too much, your brain will explode. Also, I felt like the “getting the band back together” took a little long. Like, we spent so much time just checking in with Thor and Hulk before they were like yup, I’m in!
Where does Avengers: Endgame fall in your general ranking of the MCU?
Nicole:
I don’t even know how I rank the other movies, other than Spider-Man: Homecoming and Ragnarok fighting for the top spot and Iron Man 3 being my favorite of the trilogy, so it’s hard to say. But, of all the Avengers movies, it’s second. I think I’d go Avengers, Endgame, Infinity War, Ultron.
Erin:
It almost can’t be ranked in the whole of the MCU, and I still can’t decide if I like it more than Infinity War. Infinity War is definitely a cleaner, easier-to-follow story, but Endgame had payoff for just about everyone, was super emotional and satisfying, and was really funny, too. Still working through it, but I agree: It doesn’t dethrone my top 5 (Iron Man 3, Iron Man, Avengers, Black Panther, Winter Soldier).
Who was your MVP of Avengers: Endgame?
Nicole:
Part of me wants to say Thor because his “high school jock who let himself go” look was SO FUCKING FUNNY. It was hard to look at because I had just started finding Chris Hemsworth super attractive, but it was too great. Plus, his moment with his mother was so touching, and I didn’t even know that I needed it.
Ultimately though, I have to go with Tony. Is there even another choice?! He figured out time travel, he got some closure with his dad, he became a dad, and he used the Gauntlet in a truly ICONIC moment by throwing it back to the movie that started it all: “I am Iron Man.”
(But a case could be made for whoever convinced Natalie Portman to come back for 10 seconds! Justice for Jane Foster!)
Erin:
I think I’m going to have to approach this in tiers, based on my tears.
Team Stark/Potts: Tony and Pepper namely, take the gold. The Stark fam got the perfect conclusion that was given deserved weight and honor for the ones who started off the whole MCU.
Silver goes to Ant-Man! He was equal parts sad, clueless, funny, appreciative, and set up the best line of the movie: “That’s America’s ass!” Speaking of, bronze goes to Captain America’s ass. I think this is the first movie in the MCU where I genuinely, fully enjoyed Cap and at no point was annoyed by him!
Where do you hope to see Marvel go from here?
Nicole:
Laaaawwwwwd. I honestly don’t know because I don’t know if I’ll be going along with it. I’m definitely seeing Far From Home because I want to see Peter come to grips with Tony being gone. Obviously I’ll see Black Panther 2 and another Captain Marvel if that’s on the books. But I don’t know if I want to embark on another decade-long journey, if they’re planning to start a whole new multi-phase story. Not because I think I’ll be too old when it’s all said and done but because this felt like a once-in-a-lifetime feat, and I want it to stay that way. Better to die a hero than live to see yourself become the villain.
Whoops! Wrong franchise. Point is…. I’d rather bow out while I still think the MCU gave me the best 22-film ride of my life.
Erin:
I hope Marvel sees the success of Captain Marvel and the shot of all the ladies lined up on the battlefield and actually continues to make female led solo movies. I know we’re getting Black Widow (very late), but considering they’ve made 22 movies and only one has been headlined by a lady and one was co-headlined by a female hero (Ant-Man and the Wasp), they have a lot of catching up to do.
Not that I don’t love watching beautiful dudes cry and fight—I do! Superhero equality, though. Also, I know that with Guardians 3 and more Captain Marvel, we’re going to be in space a lot. But I do enjoy the Earth-bound heroes too, and I hope they don’t suffer to tell cosmic space adventures. I already signed my soul away to a cosmic space adventure franchise, thanks. (I totally teared up at the Star Wars trailer before Endgame, but that’s another story).
So there you have it: Avengers: Endgame is finally in the public consciousness, and we are still thinking, talking, and tweeting about it. Let Nicole and Erin know what you thought about Endgame on Twitter!
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