REVIEW: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ is a Love Letter to Comics, Fans, and the MCU Itself

Last year, Thanos snapped half of the universe out of existence. In Avengers: Infinity War, we lost half of our Avengers, including Black Panther, Spider-Man, the Falcon, Doctor Strange, almost all of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Nick Fury, and more. Closing out Marvel’s Phase three, titled the “Infinity Saga” by the studio, Avengers: Endgame picks up where Avengers: Infinity War left off. Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, the film deals with the aftermath of the snap, following our remaining heroes as they aim to avenge the fallen.

From the first opening moments to the ending credit sequence, Avengers: Endgame is a film that thrives from the pressure of closing out a saga that has taken 22 movies and 11 years to craft. There was an immense amount of pressure on this film to be an epic. At just over three hours in length and a cast list that is even more expansive than the prior installment, this film stands under that pressure and truly feels like a film that was well worth the wait.

There is not a single moment where this film feels small. That being said, despite its grand nature, the Russos expertly execute many intimate moments between characters where the whole world falls away. Sadness, joy, desperation, fear, and acceptance are all spikes of emotion that hold you down in your seat. From epic expansive shots of battles that we’ve become accustomed to, close-ups of our heroes struggling, to tender exchanges, the highlight of the film is indeed the characters.

In a movie so large it is easy to lose character depth and emotion in set pieces. That being said, each and every member of the main cast are given moments to express themselves, complete their growth, and bring you to tears. In the bunch, I can not say a single negative word about any member of the cast. In fact, the caliber of acting in this film is unmatched anywhere else within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

With such an extensive cast list, it is an amazing feat to make each character feel whole and attended to, even those who live on the sidelines. It is an even greater feat that the creative team behind this film, namely the Russos, was able to craft a film that showcased an entire world in three hours and still maintained a clear focus point: Steve and Tony.

Avengers: Endgame is the end of an era that defined blockbuster cinema.

With emotional performances and looks into many of the Avengers’ processing of grief, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, and Chris Hemsworth are standouts. Having played their roles for so long, the weight of the moments they experienced went deeper than characters in costumes, with each one of them to bringing authenticity to their role. While some stand out for their growth, others stand out for their vulnerability, and others for their sacrifices.

I can not begin to explain the amount of respect and care that was put into every second of this film. Overall, Avengers: Endgame is an unflinching and beautiful love letter to both comic books and the fans who have sustained the MCU. There are moments that call out to the internet fandom of the franchise, while other scenes pull from the comics in beautiful ways. If Hellboy showed us the worst ways that a film can be like a comic book, Avengers: Endgame shows us the very best.

The film is excellently paced, the action scenes brilliantly choreographed, and the level of visual effects work is unmatched. In fact, the scale of this film and the execution of it made me rethink and appreciate some of the Marvel films that before it. However, it simultaneously makes some of the universe’s mistakes or weaker movies stand out that much more.

As the Russos close out the first eleven years of the MCU, they also build a rainbow bridge forward. One filled with a world forever changed by our original Avengers, one that will fight, one that is larger than anything we could have ever imagined.

While I sat there in my theater seat, tears streaming down my cheeks, I immediately wanted to experience the film again. Avengers: Endgame is a significant event, one I wish Stan Lee had gotten to experience, and one that I could never have imagined becoming reality when I began reading comic books at seven years old.

We live in a world of heroes now. I for one, have no doubt that Marvel Studios will continue to break new ground as they craft their next saga.

Watch Avengers: Endgame now on Disney+.