NATIONWIDE – The wait is finally over.
The Avengers have once again assembled for Avengers: Endgame, the latest entry in Marvel's juggernaut of a cinematic universe.
But this time, things are a little different.
The world has been left in ruins by Thanos. The Avengers—what's left of them following the "snap"—are broken, scattered and worn. Hope is elusive. To put it bluntly: things are a mess.
The opening minutes are carefully paced—which makes sense because there's some catching up to do. Some time (not going to say how much) has passed between the events of this film and Infinity War. New members have joined the ranks. And there's a new mission in play, with the Avengers deciding to do "whatever it takes" to undo Thanos' destruction.
Once again, audiences will find themselves shuffling between characters and their stories. There's Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), who we first see floating hopelessly in space. There's Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth), who are trying to find a solution back on what's left of Earth.
And then there's Thanos, who retreated to his new sanctuary after the snap. But he's not the same Thanos audiences last saw in Infinity War. And the reunion between him and Avengers sets the rest of the events of Endgame into motion.
Without giving anything away, the last half of Endgame is probably the most intense minutes of any Marvel film to date. That's no exaggeration. Fans will be left breathless, and some in tears.
Endgame, more than anything, is about closure. More than a decade of storytelling has all come down to this. For fans, the Russo Brothers—who also directed Infinity War—have managed to seamlessly blend humor, heart and plenty of action to deliver a satisfying conclusion to this superhero saga.