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Avengers: Endgame’s 12 Most Epic Moments


 

WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame, in theaters now.

 

One year after the fate of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was left in shambles following the events of Avengers: Infinity War, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes returned to the big screen to try to make things right in Avengers: Endgame.

Clocking in at just over three hours, there’s a lot to unpack in this film, so let’s jump right in and break down Avengers: Endgame’s 12 most epic moments:

  1. Thor Goes for the Head

    When we first meet up with Thor in Endgame, he’s still reeling from his last encounter with Thanos, in which he lodged Stormbreaker into the Mad Titan’s chest but failed to kill him. As Thanos uttered to the God of Thunder, “[He] should have gone for the head,” and that’s exactly what he does in Endgame.

    After the surviving Avengers confront Thanos at the Garden, Thor quickly severs his arm to separate him from the Infinity Gauntlet. However, after the team learns the Infinity Stones have all been destroyed, the frustrated Asgardian beheads him in a moment that’s quite shocking for a Disney-owned Marvel Studios film.

  2. Return to NY

    In a sequence that’s long been rumored as a result of leaked set photos, Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk and Ant-Man travel back to 2012 during the events of the Battle of New York from the first Avengers film in an effort to retrieve the Mind, Space and Time Stones.

    Admittedly, the return itself isn’t one of Endgame’s most exciting moments, but it does set the stage for some of them. Besides, it’s still fun to see the climax of The Avengers from the perspective of a far more battle-hardened version of the team.

  3. Hail Hydra

    After Loki is apprehended by the 2012 Avengers and his staff, which contains the Mind Stone, is placed in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s custody, the present-day Cap decides to make his move. Joining the agents in the elevator, they head to the bottom of Stark Tower in a scene highly evocative of the fan-favorite close-quarters brawl from Captain America: Winter Soldier. In this case, though, not a single punch is thrown.

    Instead, Cap leverages his knowledge of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s true colors.

    S.H.I.E.L.D., of course, was largely infested by Hydra at this time. Realizing this, Cap quietly whispers “Hail Hydra” into Jasper Sitwell’s ear to pledge his “loyalty,” allowing him to take the staff of his hands with no questions asked.

    Plus, for fans of the comics, this moment is also a fun nod to the polarizing Secret Empire storyline.

  4. Cap vs. Cap

    After securing the staff from Hydra/S.H.I.E.L.D., Cap runs into the last person he was hoping to see: himself.

    Naturally, the 2012 Cap assumes it’s Loki in disguise, so the two Super-Soldiers engage in a brief-but-thrilling slugfest, complete with 2012 Cap telling his present-day counterpart “[he] can do this all day.”

    Eventually, the more seasoned Captain America gains the upper hand by using the Mind Stone to subdue his younger self.

  5. Black Widow’s Sacrifice

    In Infinity War, we learned the only way to retrieve the Soul Stone is to sacrifice someone you love, which prompted Thanos to send his daughter Gamora plummeting to her death. That being said, when the teams split up in Endgame, and Natasha and Clint were put in charge of fetching said stone from Vormir, it was practically a foregone conclusion that only one of them would return.

    After the Red Skull explains the secret to unlocking the Soul Stone, Black Widow and Hawkeye engage in an emotional confrontation, neither one willing to let the other sacrifice their life. Eventually, though, the trained super-spy’s skills when it comes to deception and trickery allow her to outsmart the master archer.

    With Black Widow in the most precarious of positions, she forces her way out from Hawkeye’s grip and falls to her death, paying the ultimate price so Clint can potentially be reunited with his family.

  6. Hulk’s Snap

    With all six Infinity Stones having been collected from the past, the Avengers waste little time assembling them in a brand-new Infinity Gauntlet so they can undo Thanos’ actions. Although Thor tries to make the case for him being the one to do the deed, Hulk says the gamma radiation the new Gauntlet emits means he was practically made for wielding it.

    As he places the Gauntlet on his hand, the power of the Stones begins coursing through his veins and charring his entire right arm. He finally manages to snap his fingers, though, and while the results aren’t seen immediately (save for a phone call from Hawkeye’s wife), it’s clear Earth’s Mightiest Heroes succeeded. That is until the Thanos from 2014 arrives in the present-day…

  7. Thanos vs. the Trinity

    Despite being four years younger than the Thanos that manhandled the Avengers in Infinity War, the 2014 Mad Titan quickly proves he’s no less formidable.

    After bombing the Avengers Compound, he waits patiently as Thor, Captain America and Iron Man approach, which is significant on multiple fronts. For one, we get to see Marvel’s Trinity battle one of the company’s biggest powerhouses. However, this is also the first time we’ve seen Cap, Tony and Thor together like this since they were fighting against each other in The Avengers.

  8. The Worthy Cap

    In Age of Ultron, when Cap attempted to lift Mjolnir, the enchanted hammer budged ever so slightly, giving fans hope that one day, they’d see him follow in the footsteps of his comic book counterpart, and boy does Endgame deliver on that front.

    Just as Thanos has Thor and Iron Man on the ropes, we jump to a shot of Mjolnir slowly rising from the ground. Then, in arguably the most crowd-pleasing moment of the film, we watch as Cap raises the hammer high, launches it at Thanos and then summons it back, eliciting incredible excitement from Thor.

    Cap then proceeds to pummel the Mad Titan, using Mjolnir and his iconic shield in tandem in a jaw-dropping display of fan-service that won’t soon be forgotten.

  9. Heroes Return

    After Thanos summons the Black Order, the Outriders and the Leviathans, the Avengers appear to be out of tricks up their sleeves. However, we soon hear the voice of Sam Wilson/Falcon telling Cap to look to his left, a la Winter Soldier.

    From there, we see a number of sling ring portals open up, and from them steps the resurrected Black Panther, Shuri, Falcon, Winter Soldier, Mantis, Drax, Star-Lord, Groot, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Scarlet Witch and Wasp, the returning Okoye, Valkyrie, Pepper Potts (as Rescue) and Wong, as well as an army of sorcerers, Asgardians, Wakandans and Ravagers. What’s more, Giant-Man, War Machine, Hulk, Hawkeye, Captain Marvel, Nebula and Gamora also join the fray, giving moviegoers what’s sure to be the most “comic book” moment they’ll see in a film for years to come.

  10. Lady Liberators

    The women of Marvel Studios have long been pushing for an all-female Avengers-type film in the MCU, and while we certainly may get that one day, we get our first taste of what it could look like in Endgame.

    At one point during the epic final battle, the camera cuts to Captain Marvel, Mantis, Wasp, Rescue, Valkyrie Nebula, Gamora, Okoye, Shuri and Scarlet Witch, providing a welcome update to the Avengers trend of incredible panning group shots.

    Is this a sign of things to come? We certainly hope so.

  11. Goodbye Tony

    When Thanos manages to retrieve the fully assembled Infinity Gauntlet 2.0, Captain Marvel tries to remove it to little avail. Then, Tony tries to do the same, and while it appears he also failed at first glance, Thanos is shocked when he snaps his fingers and nothing happens.

    We then cut to Tony, whose nanotech armor absorbed the six Infinity Stones into the right gauntlet on his suit. “I am Iron Man,” he then says as he snaps his fingers and turns Thanos and his entire army to dust.

    Much like we saw with Thanos, though, using the Infinity Gauntlet comes at a terrible price, and Tony slowly dies at the feet of his wife and friends.

  12. Old Man Cap & New Man Cap

    After Tony’s funeral, Hulk decides to make good on his promise to the Ancient One to return the Infinity Stones to their original timelines by sending Cap to the past again. When he doesn’t return, though, they assume the worst.

    However, Bucky and Sam soon catch a glimpse of an old man sitting by the lake, and when Sam approaches him, we see that it’s elderly Steve Rogers. Rather than come back to the present day after returning the Stones, he opted to live out his life with Peggy Carter, finally making good on his promise to share a dance with her.

    Then, as we’ve seen in the comics, Old Man Cap decides to pass the mantle (and shield) of Captain America on to Sam, who accepts it with honor.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Avengers: Endgame and Lists page.