Avengers: Endgame is a film that fans have been waiting 10 years to see, and now that it is finally released, it did not fail to be the movie event of the year. For the most part, everything we thought would happen did. Our heroes went back in time, the infamous “snap” was reversed, and Thanos was killed once and for all, but there was still an ample amount of surprises that no one could have predicted. There is a lot to unpack after seeing this movie phenomenon, so let’s look at it together.
Easter Eggs in April
While everyone’s main focus was on the plot of the movie and how the characters who died would come back, there was also a decade’s worth of Easter eggs concealed perfectly throughout a glorious three hours. One of the most underwhelming, yet meaningful is the appearance of Harley Keener at Tony Stark’s funeral, almost guaranteeing a Young Avengers film, with the addition of Cassie Lang and Hawkeye’s daughter as well.
Aside from Keener at Tony’s funeral, we also get to see the gift that Pepper made Tony in the first Iron Man floating in the lake, the arc reactor that has “Proof Tony Stark Has a Heart” engraved on it, which is an amazing call back for the fan who is keen of eye.
Last, but certainly not least, Stan Lee made one last, posthumous cameo as a peace loving hippie in the 1970’s, which greatly speaks to the kind of person Stan strived to be in real life. We also got to see Yvette Nicole Brown and Ken Jeong from Community, which the Russo Brothers had a key role in developing, as well as Joe Russo himself in a support group with Thanos creator Jim Starlin.
Some Wishes do Come True
Sure, there were a lot of Easter eggs in Endgame, but there were even more wishes that came true. Hawkeye became Ronin, Captain America finally wielded Mjolnir, there was a moment were all of the females of the Marvel universe united to save the day, Pepper Potts became Rescue, Jane Foster returned to the MCU, Thor joined the Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man’s instant kill mode, Professor Hulk was a major character, Falcon became Captain America, The New Asgardians have been officially named, and my goodness, what more could anyone ask for?
In Memoriam
Perhaps the most important part of Avengers: Endgame was not who came back, but who was still lost in the end. Of course, the most prominent of these losses was Iron Man himself, Tony Stark. It all started with Tony Stark and Robert Downey Jr. back in 2008, and now his journey comes to a close, seemingly ending the Avengers era of Marvel movies. The impact that this character has had on the world collectively is so huge that words cannot describe it, but even though we saw our fair share of the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, our hearts will always long to see him again.
Another big loss that was barely talked about at all was Vision. It seems that reversing Thanos’ snap did not bring him back, as he was killed beforehand, and he didn’t have a counterpart from the past to take his place. It seems that Vision and possibly even FRIDAY may have also died with Tony Stark, and that is tragic in its own right.
However, the biggest hero of this film was undoubtedly Black Widow. She sacrificed herself for Clint and his family, despite his best wishes, and it seems that she won’t be coming back either. Fear not though, as she is set to get her own solo movie, but it appears that it will serve as a prequel to the now fallen hero’s legacy. There is not much left to say, but Natasha Romanoff, a woman without a country or a past to call her own, we all salute you for everything you have given us.
