In this essay...well, it's more of a rant. I intend to show how Avengers: Endgame (2019) ruined every Avengers' (as they are portrayed in the films leading up to this) character arc.
Initially, when I viewed Endgame in theatres, I loved the film due its inclusion of cool moments like Steve Rogers weilding Mjolnir. However, upon further observation, I find it one of the worst films in the MCU mainly because it does a disservice to every Avenger, but also because it's quite sexist (Black Widow doesn't get a funeral?) and ableist (Thor is depressed and fat! Ha!) Also its use of time travel just sucks. Back to the Future this is not.
Thanos was ruined.
In Infinity War (2018) Thanos (Josh Brolin) is a determined, although terribly misguided, "mad" Titan whose main purpose in life is to "bring balance" by wiping out 50 percent of the Universe so limited resources won't run out. He is not a brooding villain who does terrible things for the sake of it; he is the hero in his own story. He is willing to suffer & make sacrifices to achieve his goals.
Endgame Thanos, who in in present day because he time travelled, is evil for the sake of being evil. His motivation changes to "shredding the Universe down to its last atom." Why? Anger? I guess. He shows no respect for his enemies, unlike in Infinity War. It's odd how prepared this Thanos is to fight the Avengers considering he has no context for what has been going on. The line to Scarlet Witch "I don't even know who you are" is not an insult, he literally does not know who she is!
Wouldn't a "last fight" against the Thanos they fought in Infinity War be so much more personal and have much higher stakes!?
Steve Rogers was ruined
Captain America was all about making sacrifices for the greater good. He forged medical documents to get into WWII to fight for his country. He spends Winter Soldier trying to help his brainwashed friend, and in Civil War he even went against the U.N because he thought the Sokovia Accords was not the morally correct thing to do.
He loses everything because he made decisions "for the greater good". By Infinity War he doesn't have the US Government or The Avengers or even his own home. He is on the run and, as far as he knows, he will be on the run for the rest of his life. Infinity War Steve Rogers is mired in uncertainty and is full of doubt. Is he doing the right thing? Are his sacrifices worth it?
Endgame Steve Rogers is full of confidence. He doesn't question the ethics of stealing the Infinity Stones (or going into the past). He fearlessly wields Mjolnir and when Thanos is defeated Rogers...goes back in time, to marry Peggy. He stays in the past, doing nothing to change the timeline, which means he did nothing about 9/11 or the various other terrible things that happened in the 20th & 21st century.
The appropriate arc for Rogers in Endgame was for Captain America to realize he was "worthy" via slowly gaining his confidence & be the one to sacrifice himself instead of Tony Stark.
Now that my main gripes are out of the way, I'll try to be a bit shorter:
Thor was Ruined
In Rangarok Thor regains his confidence "What are you the God of?" *lightning bolt eyes
In Infinity War Thor takes on the full force of a star
In Endgame Thor is an obese alcoholic whose screen time is played for laughs. At the end he suddenly regains his confidence.
In order to be the dysfunctional Thor we see in Endgame we need to see a little bit of it in Infinity War. His mom, dad and brother had already died. His home planet was already destroyed. Losing to Thanos is what puts him that far over the edge? I don't buy it.
If the character had to go that route we needed to see that "straw that broke the camel's back" in Endgame & it needed to be devastating.
Ideally though, Thor should be the Avenger who is most motivated to find and kill Thanos. His mission is the most personal of all the Avengers.
Infinity War & Endgame Ruined Hulk
In Ragnarok Bruce Banner can turn off/on the Hulk whenever he pleases. The Hulk part just likes to take over and win fights.
Then in Infiinity War, despite the initial clash with Thanos in space, Bruce Banner can't change into the Hulk on earth for a reason that can't be explained. He can't change into The Hulk in Wakanda either.
In Endgame Bruce Banner is somehow a hybrid that doesn't actually do anything useful during the final battle.
If you're going to have no use for him in Infinity War just keep him on the trash planet from Ragnarok & show a second end credit that shows him get blipped. Then in Endgame have Hulk come out of a Dr.Strange sphere and whoop some Thanos ass.
Black Widow was ruined
"Avengers...Assemble" - Ok Cap, but Widow is dead
*all female avengers fight...except for Widow cause she is dead
Hawkeye lives because he has a family & Black Widow doesn't (unless you count the movie that came after)
Hawkeye does nothing else in Endgame. He runs with the gauntlet for a little bit.
Black Widow's death is overshadowed by Iron Man. She doesn't even get a funeral.
Endgame didn't need ANY character to sacrifice themselves for the Soul Stone. It didn't need any time travel. It should have been Avengers reunite & kick Thanos butt.
Hawkeye was ruined
Hawkeye wasn't in Infinity War
In Endgame when all the Avengers are reuniting Black Widow finds him as Ronin, a mysterious assassin who is going after Yakuza. It's his darker side because he became very depressed after Thanos snapped his entire family.
Oh sweet! Sounds like an interesting story! Is his "Ronin" side ever going to make an appearance? No!? Well, he must get to fight Thanos because Thanos is the reason everyone he loves is gone. What do you mean, NO!?
Oh there's a Disney+ series called Hawkeye, surely he gets to be Ronin in that!
Iron Man was ruined
Iron Man is a guy known for using his brain & gadgetry for getting himself out of tough situations. This is how he got out of a cave in Afghanistan in Iron Man (2008)
The end of Infinity War left Tony Stark badly injured on an alien planet far from Earth, we all had the same collective thought "How is Stark going to get himself out of this one?" Well, in Endgame he doesn't. He gives up & decides to die, then Captain Marvel shows up & saves him.
In Civil War Iron Man splits up the Avengers because he feels they should sign the Sokovia Accords, but in Infinity War he jumps into action without even considering the consequences.
He also doesn't do much when he learns the Avengers lost & Thanos snapped everyone. The Avengers all just collectively decide "nothing more we can do." He does blame Captain America as the reason they lost though. "You weren't there". Uh...dude you were in space & you refused to listen to Dr.Strange when he said to turn the ship back.
Three movies full of selfish decisions that compromise the integrity of The Avengers and Tony Stark is the guy who gets to sacrifice himself? Why? He behaves like a child & there isn't any clear indication that he has changed.
How I would have fixed Endgame
Time Travel/Thanos
- DO NOT do the time travel
- Use 30% of the movie to show post-snap chaos
- Show the new daily lives of each character & an event that brings their confidence back
- Use Tony Staek's technology to find Thanos.
- The stones cannot be destroyed.
- Same goal. He fights the Avengers to protect the balance.
- Keep Antman in the Quantum Realm until end credits of Endgame. "What did I miss?"
- At the beginning of Endgame he is in grief
- An event gives him more confidence
- He is "worthy"
- He sacrifices himself
- Make him the most determined to kill Thor
- His anger becomes consuming & he gets into fights
- Have his overconfidence be a detriment to the final fight
The Hulk
- He doesn't leave the trash planet in Ragnarok.
- He gets dusted in an end credit scene in Infinity War
- In Endgame Thanos has beaten everyone & has the gauntlet. A Dr.Strange circle opens & The Hulk comes out. Big fight scene.
- No sacrifice for soul stone
- Hawkeye goes full Ronin for Thanos fight
- Black Widow & Hawkeye are the first ones to go after Thanos; they manage to put up a fight. but are worn down.
- Invent a way back to Earth
- Invent a way to find Thanos
- Makeup with Captain America
- Learn to listen to others & take a backseat
- Learn about teamwork
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