How Avengers: Endgame Should End

Half of life across the universe was wiped out with the snap of a finger. That needs rectifying…. but how best to go about it? Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re taking a look at how Avengers: Endgame should end. After the dramatic and devastating conclusion of Avengers: Infinity War, it’s safe to say that its sequel is among the most anticipated films, well… ever. In the lead up to its release, and amidst a sea of fan theories, we thought we’d throw in our two cents as to how we think it should go down. Last we saw them, our beloved Avengers and their allies were in a pretty sorry state. After sacrificing Gamora for his cause and seemingly killing Vision, Thanos finally achieved his goal, and in doing so caused Bucky, Black Panther, Groot, Scarlet Witch, Falcon, Mantis, Drax, Star-Lord, Doctor Strange and Spider-Man to disintegrate - not to mention Mariah Hill and Nick Fury. At the end of “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” we learn that Wasp similarly bit the dust, alongside her newly reunited parents. While some heavy hitters remain to save the day, they’re in a pretty sorry state, especially with Tony stranded in outer space. From the footage released so far, we know that events won’t pick up immediately after the snap, but rather that some time has passed, really allowing the weight and sting of this new reality to sink it. But, being the heroes that they are, the surviving Avengers will inevitably band together to craft a plan to undo Thanos’ dastardly deed. Let’s try to imagine how this might play out. One of the most pressing concerns established in the teaser trailer is the fact that Tony is drifting in space without food or water, the oxygen supply on the crippled spaceship set to run out within 24 hours. Many online have speculated that this is where Captain Marvel will make her grand entrance by swooping in to save the day. While that’s certainly a possibility, an ad shown during the Super Bowl gave us a quick shot of Tony and Nebula hard at work, which leads us to believe that together they’ll manage to MacGyver their way to safety, paying homage to Tony’s origin story in the MCU. Back on earth, Captain America seems to be leading the remaining heroes in an effort to get even with Thanos. He’s got a plan and based on Black Widow’s response, we can only assume that it’s a relatively good one. But how do they shift gears from lamenting the unfathomable loss of life to actually doing something about it? We’re going to go with answer “A” - Ant-Man. You see, at the end of the first trailer, we get a shot of Scott Lang rolling up to Avengers HQ. The set of wheels he’s driving? The very same one that, last time we saw it, came equipped with a portal to the Quantum Realm. There’s nothing like suddenly getting access to a dimension where the laws of time and space are distorted to get the old problem-solving gears turning. This is where things get complicated and an accurate prediction becomes hard to make - but we’re giving it a shot anyways. There’s been a lot of talk of time travel surrounding this movie, and leaked set pics of Cap sporting his old suit alongside newer characters like Ant-Man seem to support this theory. Worst-case scenario: the time travel feels lazy and messes up all the hard work that Marvel has put into building the MCU. If they can pull it off, however, it could provide a great trip down memory lane, and an opportunity to add to the already rich history of the universe they’ve crafted. If those toys that feature certain heroes wearing suits that resemble the one Hank Pym uses in “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” we could see a ragtag version of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes traveling time and space via the Quantum Realm in an attempt to beat Thanos to various Infinity Stones. Of course, they could also be visiting alternate realities within the multiverse. For the sake of argument, however, let’s go with time travel, as it opens to door to a few interesting possibilities. Whether it winds up as the final showdown between Thanos and our heroes or the central set piece of the second act, a battle on Xandar would seem inevitable. This is where Thanos acquired the purple power stone. Though it’s revealed off-screen in Infinity War, we hear that he basically “decimated” the planet in the process. In hindsight, it’s possible that they were intentionally saving this scene for the sequel. As our heroes begin jumping through time to secure the various infinity stones, Thanos is sure to take notice and try to stop them from undoing all his hard work. Xandar would be the perfect opportunity for not only an epic clash between our heroes and his forces but also a logical place for them to link up with Captain Marvel. While the Battle of Xandar would surely be thrilling to see, as we learned in the first film, not all of the stones can be attained through brute force alone. The dark storm cloud over this narrative is the soul stone. It’s all well and good to beat Thanos to this particular Infinity Stone, but who is making the ultimate sacrifice on Vormir and what form will that take? Considering the fan theory that Gamora’s soul survives within the stone, the same logic could be applied to whoever sacrifices themselves this time around. Then again… nothing is guaranteed. Speaking of death and sacrifice, there’s been much discussion about who will survive Endgame and who will perish. Unlike with those who disintegrated at the end of Infinity War - and with the exception of any of Vormir’s sacrificial lambs - it seems safe to assume that anyone who dies making things right… will likely be gone for good. The two most likely candidates are Cap and Iron Man. Based on how Chris Evans has been talking about this film, it really seems as if he’s preparing to hang up the shield. Captain America dying to defeat Thanos and save half of all life? It seems on-brand. By the same token, there was a lot of emotional build-up and focus put on Tony in Infinity War, which, paired with Robert Downey Jr.’s age, has led others to suspect that he might be the one to bite the bullet. Darkest option? They both die. But if we had to put money on it, we’d bet that Cap dies and Tony survives, likely in a dramatic, emotional and heartfelt moment that also sees the two burying the hatchet and expressing their appreciation for one another. Thanks to Steve Roger’s sacrifice, the Avengers are given a fighting chance against Thanos. With Captain Marvel joining the fight, the odds tilt in their favor, and they manage to not only beat the Mad Titan but reverse the effects of his snap… just in time for Peter to pack his things and head to Europe to meet up with Mysterio. Thus, order is restored and our disintegrated heroes return to the land of the living. The only one that remains dead? Captain America - his sacrifice occurring at such a point in the narrative that it is part of the new timeline. Should Tony survive, we’d really love to see him and Pepper finally settle down, with him taking on more of a mentor/stay at home leader/ Nick Fury-esque overseer for the next generation of the Avengers, or riding off into the sunset. It’s a happy ending, but a bittersweet one as well - a victory that, appropriately, comes with a cost. Of course, we know that this isn’t the end of the MCU, but rather the start of a whole new chapter. So somewhere in all of this, most likely in the post-credits scene, the next big villain of the franchise will likely be revealed. We know who we’re hoping to see.