After a full year of waiting, next week will finally see the release of “Avengers: Endgame.” This film is a follow-up to last year’s “Avengers: Infinity War” and a culmination of Marvel Studios’ previous 21 films. “Endgame” promises to be one of the year’s biggest movie events.
After the shocking events of “Infinity War,” there were predictions abound about how our heroes will come back and win the day. Montclair State University students have mixed thoughts, feelings and predictions about the upcoming Marvel blockbuster.
Chris Evans returns as Steve Rogers/Captain America in “Endgame.” Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios.
Senior music major Jason Pushkar, a Marvel Studios super fan, is excited to see the end of a story that started more than ten years ago.
“’Endgame’ will be the finale and the culmination of one of, if not the, greatest eras in cinema history,” Pushkar said. “What the [Marvel Cinematic Universe] has achieved can never be repeated or replicated, and that is the source of my fear moving forward.”
Pushkar went on to explain what he finds so great about the “Avengers” movies.
“The interwoven storylines, the character development and arcs, the genuine relatability and relationships we’ve developed with these characters and what they’ve helped us discover is so unique and special to these actors and to our audience,” Pushkar said.
The actors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) have come to define their characters in the hearts and minds of audiences. The amount of character development that is possible, due to each actor being able to appear in multiple films in this universe, is unprecedented.
From left to right: Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), James Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle) are the Avengers as they gaze into the sky as something, or someone, approaches. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios.
Wendy Faria, a senior English major, isn’t a huge fan of Marvel Studios movies. However, after the cliffhanger in “Infinity War,” she is looking forward to seeing how the story ends.
“I’m excited to see what happens next, the end of ‘Infinity War’ was shocking,” Faria said. “I wonder how they’re going to make everyone come back after turning into dust.”
However, some fans worry this epic climax will be spoiled by focusing on newer faces, rather than paying tribute to the series’ major characters.
Matthew Baker, a freshman history major, is one such fan and shared what he anticipates about “Endgame.”
“I hope that Captain Marvel isn’t the focus of the movie. I don’t think that Brie Larson was the right pick for that role, so I would rather not see her dominating the whole movie,” Baker said. “On the other hand, I love Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, so I hope that he plays a major role in the film.”
Pushkar echoed Baker’s sentiment, as after speaking about what has led up to “Endgame,” he went on to talk about the future of the MCU.
Robert Downey Jr. returns as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the upcoming film “Endgame.” Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios.
“What I’m afraid of is that all of Marvel’s efforts moving forward will be a combination of Marvel Studios trying to recreate and artificially craft storylines that are socially conscious that fall flat,” Pushkar said. “The consumers are expecting to feel the same emotional gravitas and impact we felt with the original characters, only to be disappointed that we don’t experience that validation.”
Some students offered their predictions for how the MCU’s grand finale will play out.
MaryRose Spinella, a senior history major at Montclair State, offered her thoughts on what will happen in “Endgame” and how it will affect future Marvel Studios films.
“Captain America is going to die, and the Winter Soldier is going to take over as Captain America in future movies,” Spinella said. “I also think that Vision and Loki are going to stay dead.”
Spinella then went on to echo what other students said, which was mainly that she hopes Marvel doesn’t screw it up.
The armor of Thanos is played by Josh Brolin and he is set to return in “Endgame.” Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios.
“I’m very excited to see how they end it,” Spinella said. “It’s been going on for a long time now so I hope they do a good job.”
No matter what happens in “Endgame,” it seems clear that it will be a turning point in the MCU. Some characters might not make it out alive, leading to a shift in the films we can expect to see going forward.
After 10 years, the MCU has reached the endgame.
