Marvel’s Endgame and the Future of the MCU (As Well as My Own)
Some spoilers for Endgame and other MCU films. Take care.
Before entering the cinema to see the pinnacle film of the MCU, Avengers: Endgame, I thought I would do the same as I did with Infinity War and instantly write up my thoughts about it. But as I started typing I couldn’t think of my full conclusions that I would be happy posting. I needed time to think, time to digest what will always be Marvel’s biggest film. It’s a film that needs time to settle in your mind. One that tries to conclude eleven years of the MCU. My initial conclusion is that the MCU should end here. This isn’t a particularly unique perspective, nor is it that bizarre. The film itself concludes the last eleven years of films through call backs, resolutions to story arcs and characters themselves, as well as the entire cast coming to a final rest as such. I both want to say a lot but not that much. Going into detail about every plot decision and character moment may help look at the film in the perspective I’d like everyone to see it in, but I feel as though I’d rather not. I’ve come back to this first paragraph a few times and realise it’s a bit of an incoherent mess. I both like and dislike the film, I both think it’s a fitting end whilst also thinking that it could have done with some parts removed or other things included. But what most is conflicting when it comes to Endgame is whether the MCU should continue on.
The MCU has had its flaws, to no surprise, after the last eleven years. No big film franchise going on this long couldn’t. You have the odd drop in quality like The Incredible Hulk and Thor: Dark World, but it constantly pulled off incredible moments with completely different feelings and reasons through its current run. One big thing to talk about in the MCU is the main set of films, including Endgame: The Avengers. I do have my problems with the first Avengers, but parts of it, as well as the remaining three, do a brilliant job of combine varied superheroes with their interweaving storylines. Each film focuses of certain members without leaving out the remaining cast whilst also giving big moments to all of the main Avengers across the four films.
Another series of films within the MCU which you would consider a primary one would be that of Iron Man. A central part of the Infinity Saga (what Marvel are now calling everything up to Endgame), Iron Man gives us a great story across three films of a man broken down and rebuilt. He journeys through a trope heavy journey from arrogant rich man to saviour of the universe. The fact that it is full of tropes could be discussed at length, but the main part of the journey he goes on is the emotion to evoke. I’ve gone on about emotion in film a bit over these articles but I don’t think I could ever express its importance enough. Iron Man, especially Iron Man 3, does a great job of this. It resolves the plot lines needed to turn Tony Stark into a great character.
The final main series of films within the MCU is the Captain Americas. I had huge problems with the first film and never really saw the character as that interesting. But then when he came into the hands of the Russo brothers they got across on screen what I had been missing about the character for a long time. I don’t quite know how to explain it, but Captain America turned from a dull, nationalist joke into one of the most sincere and real characters in the entire MCU. Now, he’s not going to topple any of the villains that typically take up the top spots of my favourite MCU characters, but he will always stand as one of the most developed and interesting characters to exist within the MCU.
The Thor films were never a great moment of the MCU until Taika Waititi happened. Similar to the Guardians films, Thor: Ragnarok gives needed comedic break from the regular drama and serious action feel of the rest of the MCU films. Of course MCU films generally have comedy in them anyway, but Thor: Ragnarok is, like Waititi’s other work, a big comedy still with great dramatic and emotional moments. It’s a type of film that I fall in love with all the time. It doesn’t take itself seriously, has a cool and noticeable soundtrack, and yet still wells me up with the feels every time I see Odin pass on and later when he talks to Thor after Thor has nearly given up on beating Hela. It is a largely impactful piece of art that gets credited, but is generally lost amongst the larger pictures in the MCU.
As I mentioned, Guardians of the Galaxy gives you that comedic break from the other parts of the MCU. It’s easily my favourite series of films within the MCU, giving the same things I saw in Ragnarok. If these films were their own thing, I’d probably be a lot happier. Their appearances in the last two Avengers films were good and developed some of the characters a reasonable amount, but looking back they appear quite out of place compared to the other characters in those two films. Even Doctor Strange who had also not met any of the other characters, aside from briefly Thor, fit in reasonably well with the Avengers. I hope for there to be enough Guardians films to satisfy the characters and their arcs, as well as the atmosphere of the films staying as closely as they can to the previous ones.
The rest of the films either have only one film or haven’t quite developed into their own series yet even if they have two films. I like quite a few of these and it’ll be interesting to see how successful any sequels are. For me though, they aren’t that important to the MCU as the others mentioned.
Endgame closes the first saga in the MCU, but should it have closed the entire franchise? As I said earlier, I think yes but I know that it was never going to do that. The studio is making too much money and people are too stupid to realise when something needs to stop. Not to stop because the franchise is now bad, but rather that it has done what it needed to do and, this part of it at least, will be a crucial part of the people’s lives who grew up with these films. The universe will go on, but I feel the films are done. Whatever attempt of a new Avengers series won’t be as impactful and I doubt it will do anything but sour the first Avengers series. This may seem pessimistic, but it has happened to many different film franchises, as well as many different comic series which the MCU is based on. I think I’m done with the MCU. I doubt I’ll catch any of the new films apart from Guardians of the Galaxy sequels, unless something really spectacular happens. My journey through this universe is done for the most part and I enjoyed the ride.
This also works its way into my general film watching and writing things on this site activities as well. I’ve become more and more saddened by remakes, reboots and re-imaginings. I care less and less about adaptations. I want to experience worlds I’ve never seen on a more regular basis rather than just occasionally seeing one in between an MCU film or the next Bond film. I want to talk about films that I nearly missed one year or found because someone else found it in a bizarre place. Films like Mandy and Raw. Or from directors whose work I love and know that they put every essence of their soul into like Tarantino, Wilder, and Nolan. I just want to have fun and enjoy some excellent art.
Part of the journey is the end.
-Boad
