There's no contest. None whatsoever. Avengers: Endgame is the king of comic book superhero movies.
After the events of Infinity War, the remaining heroes of Earth have all but hung up their capes. Super soldier Captain America (Chris Evans), thunder god Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), badass humans Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner, who finally comes back to complete the gang), and Tony Stark, the Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), are at their lowest, and the feeling of hopelessness and darkness is pervasive if not for the bright light of Scott Lang the Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), who brings what could be a way to undo the crimes of Thanos (Josh Brolin) once and for all.
Epic doesn't even begin to describe it. Kevin Feige, the Russo Brothers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, and the rest of the crew managed to create a poignant and incredibly satisfying conclusion to 10 years worth of interconnected movies. Avengers: Endgame had to pull a lot of things out of its ass to make it work, sure, but damn if it isn't a fun piece of escapist cinema.
If you come into Avengers: Endgame expecting the story to go a certain way, word of advice: don't. Happily subverting the oft-mentioned "Marvel formula" of storytelling, nothing is sacred, nothing is set in stone with Endgame. Characters change in shocking ways, plans come together in ways you don't expect, and just when you're sure that the Russos are steering into familiar territory, they go off the rails anyway. It's not hyperbole to say you'll be on the edge of your seat for the next 3 hours.
There's also a sense of warm familiarity, as Endgame is essentially a farewell tour of all that you love about Marvel Studios and its characters. You've seen guys like Black Widow or Hulk or even Rocket Raccoon grow all these years, and everyones's growth gets a big payoff in this film. But it's the Big 3 of Cap, Thor, and Iron Man that takes center stage. Their movies jump-started the MCU, and its through their individual stories and struggles that the movie's emotional heart shines. Because whereas Infinity War was Thanos' movie, Avengers: Endgame is entirely our heroes. So much so that, if you're a fan of the Mad Titan and want more of his corpulence on-screen, you might find yourself a smidge disappointed.
But you'll find yourself forgiving that, because all those good things come together in an explosive climax that deserves to be seen on a big screen. Watching it anywhere else would feel like a downgrade. Prepare for a half-hour of non-stop comic book action, a veritable highlight reel of Marvel Studios' superhero roster with callbacks to every single thing you loved about and wish you could see in the MCU. Yes, Marvel listened to us for this one, and I was bawling my eyes out the entire time this was happening.
And that's what's so special about Avengers: Endgame. For fans like me who have been there since the beginning, Endgame feels like a gift from Marvel to us, thanking its audience for its patience and trust. A trust that was repaid 3,000-fold. For everyone who has seen the Marvel Cinematic Universe through its highs and lows, its awkward first steps and its glorious rise into cinematic history, Endgame is an emotional and satisfying sendoff to an era that has given us fans so much joy.
Thank you, Marvel. Thank you so much.
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