Heartwarming / Avengers: Endgame

"Oh... this is nice."

Tony Stark: Love you tons.
Morgan Stark: I love you 3000.

— Tony sending Morgan to bed with some parting words.

Avengers: Endgame is a simple, sweet story of how the remnants of Earth's Mightiest Heroes and the "bunch of a-holes" didn't let catastrophic losses bring them down from the point of no return, but instead united as one to bring back and avenge the fallen.

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All spoilers on this page are left unmarked. You Have Been Warned!

Trailers

• While Tony's Apocalyptic Log sets up the bleak mood of the trailer, the tenderness with which he addresses Pepper is quite affecting. Downey's line delivery really fills "Hey, Miss Potts" with a reassuring tone, including telling her to not feel bad even if his situation is hopeless. And that in his final moments, he will dream of her.
  Tony Stark: Hey, Miss Potts. If you find this recording, don't feel bad about this. Part of the journey is the end. Just for the record, being adrift in space with zero promise of rescue is more fun than it sounds. Food and water ran out four days ago... oxygen will run out tomorrow morning. That'll be it. [Beat] When I drift off... I will dream about you. It's always you.
  • Nebula appears briefly in the trailer, and appears to place her hand on Tony's shoulder briefly, as if to console him somewhat.
• In the wake of this disaster, Steve can still draw strength from his compass with Peggy's photo.
  • The compass with Peggy's photo alone proves that despite losing many things of his past, he still hasn’t lost everything.
• The "To The End" trailer symbolizes just how far-reaching the arc's mythos has gone on, presenting every movie that has been released since Iron Man. And if one listens closely, each of the characters mentioned below have their well-known leitmotifs play during their moments.
  Nick Fury: Heroes. It's an old-fashioned notion.
  Stark Apogee Award Speech: A visionary. A genius, ensuring freedom around the globe.
  Captain America Exhibit Speech: A symbol to the nation. A hero to the world.
  Odin: A beacon of hope, shining out across the stars.
  Peter Quill: I look around at us, you know what do I see?
  Garthan Saal: A bunch of A-holes.
  The Ancient One: Possibility. You think you know how the world works?
  T'Chaka: The world is changing.
  Nick Fury: We... need... heroes.

Movie

• Tony gets to teach Nebula to play study hall football. She finally gets to have some bit of a childhood with a Manchild. While lost in space and certain to die.
• Though it’s soured somewhat by the context of the scene, Tony and Pepper finding out that the other didn’t get dusted is a sweet moment.
• While Carol's "Before, you didn't have me" comes off as arrogant at first, and Rhodey calls her on it and on her lengthy absence, she immediately (if indirectly) acknowledges the Avengers' own prowess and that she hadn't gotten a chance to come back to Earth because no other planet had a team like them defending it. This mollifies Rhodey and they seem to be on very good terms by the next time we see them interacting. She even bids him "good luck" on his mission before they all disperse to do their own things.
• Throughout the movie, there is a general theme of the Avengers being reminded of where they came from and what they're fighting for. Going back in time, Thor gets to meet his mother for one last time, Cap sees Peggy, and Tony gets to talk to his father as an equal. They're all reminded that despite their failures, being a hero means fighting for what you believe is right and for the people that you love. Their meetings all bring closure to their characters and pushes them towards that finish line.
  • Despite all his issues and flaws, Tony is clearly a damn good dad and little Morgan is adorable.
  • It also clearly means a lot to him to learn that his own father had doubts about his parenting skills — he at once learns that his father was just a man like any other, with the same insecurities as Tony's of raising their children, and that being a parent is a thing that everyone has to grow into. He reassures Howard that being a good parent is something you made up as you went along, and Tony gives Howard a piece of advice that his old man once gave him.
    Tony: No amount of money ever bought a second of time.
  • Whilst he knew not to use his knowledge of the future to change the past, Tony does get to tell his father about the granddaughter he’ll never get to meet — even if Howard didn’t realise it.
  • Howard saying that he would prefer a girl, and his general dismissiveness of his wife being pregnant. It seems at first to cement Tony's fears that his father never really loved him, never even really liked him... then Howard admits that he's terrified of failing his child and passing on all his own worst character traits... and Tony comes to realize exactly what his father meant when he said "What has always been my greatest creation... is you."
    Howard: Let me ask you something. When your kid was born... were you nervous?
    Tony: Wildly. Yeah.
    Howard: Did you feel qualified? Like you had any idea how to successfully operate that thing?
    Tony:: I... literally pieced it together as I went along. I thought about what my dad did, and...
    Howard: (sighs) My old man, he never met a problem he couldn't solve with a belt.
    Tony: I thought my dad was tough on me. And now, looking back on it, I just remember the good stuff. You know, he did drop the odd pearl.
    Howard: Yeah? Like what?
    Tony: "No amount of money ever bought a second of time."
    Howard: Smart guy.
    Tony: He did his best.
    Howard: I'll tell you, that kid's not even here yet, and there's nothing I wouldn't do for him.
  • Tony warmly smiles at Jarvis before leaving. That alone speaks volumes about the relationship between the two. With both his beloved computer and Vision being gone, Tony gets to see the man who truly inspired him one last time. Bonus points for Jarvis being played by James D'Arcy, making him the first character from a TV show to make the jump to the big screen.
• Tony and Nebula, while stranded in space, end up becoming friends. Tony teaches Nebula to play paper football and offers to let her record a final message on his helmet. Nebula heals Tony's stab wound and gives him the last of the food, even though he offered it to her. Tony even remarks in his message to Pepper that she'd love Nebula. When Tony falls asleep on the floor due to oxygen deprivation, Nebula dresses him in one of Quill's jackets and gets him into the pilot seat, ensuring he'll go out with a little dignity at least.
  • The scene where Tony teaches Nebula how to play paper football. Tony only encourages her as they play, and when she wins, Tony willingly shakes her hand and congratulates her. Keep in mind that the main reason she's filled with cybernetics is because she'd never won anything in her life... until now. Seeing her reaction to winning something, even something so trivial, and even admitting that she had fun can really make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And it also seems that Tony either threw the game, or at least wasn't trying very hard to win.
  • This extends to the other Avengers as the Time Skip shows that she considerably warmed up to them, warning Rhodey of the "idiot" (actually Scott) near the landing zone, and even teaming up with him on Morag.
  • While on Morag, after retrieving the Power Stone by plunging her cybernetic hand into the field containing the Orb and doing some superficial damage to it, Rhodey and Nebula share a quiet moment of introspection over their mutual handicapped status: Nebula notes that she wasn't always like this, to which Rhodey, who requires an exoskeleton not only to be a superhero but to walk as well, offers that they both make the most of what they have been given.
  • And it's not just Nebula who shows bonds with the others after the Time Skip — when the group is reporting in to Natasha on their status in their respective districts, there's a clear camaraderie amongst the various members of her team, even the ones who weren't already a part of it. Okoye comfortably refers to Natasha as 'Nat', as opposed to only the original male Avengers doing so, and Carol and Rocket are bickering in a very familiar way, with Carol even snarkily calling him "furface".
  • Even Tony offering Nebula the last of their food is a nice gesture, given that she is clearly weathering their starvation conditions better than he is. For all the snarky cynicism, it's his nature to try to help people.
    • To make the aforementioned moment even sweeter, right after Tony holds out the food container to Nebula, it's pretty obvious that she pauses because she's just as hungry as he is. However, since she knows he's still recovering and she has a much better chance at survival than him anyway, thanks to her cybernetic parts, Nebula simply shakes her head and gently pushes the container back to him. It's nice to know that even after all the torture she has suffered at the hands of Thanos, Nebula still has enough heart in her to care about other beings, especially since she and Tony only met a few weeks ago.
  • It's very meaningful that Tony congratulated her on her victory in their little game, considering she never received that from Thanos.
  • Note that Nebula has these kinds of moments - playing paper football, remarking on what they have to cope with, just holding hands - with Tony, Rhodey, and Rocket respectively: all of the surviving Avengers/Guardians who know what it's like to be a cyborg.
• Tony has accepted his impending death, expects it, waits for it... and then he's granted this golden vision of an unfamiliar woman (Captain Marvel) who smiles kindly at him. He must have genuinely thought he was looking at a literal angel.
• After Carol rescues Tony and Nebula, Steve is the first person on the spaceship to help him get down. This is the first time the two have actually seen each other since Civil War, and whatever animosity they had, none of that matters.
  Tony: I couldn't stop him.
  Steve: Neither could I.
• When Tony Stark gets on board with the time heist, he makes it very clear that they are to only use the Infinity Gauntlet to resurrect everyone snapped away. Not to undo the last five years. He repeats this right before Hulk uses the Nano Gauntlet. He's clearly worried about the idea that Morgan could become Ret-Gone. It's also worth mentioning that none of the other Avengers even try to fight him on this point.
• During the time skip, Nebula replaces some of her head and faceplates with gold ones, seemingly for aesthetic purposes. This shows that Nebula is beginning to care about herself more, since she did something that could be seen as pampering and self-care. It also makes for a heartwarming and funny callback to what Kraglin told her in GOTG 2 about how he thought she'd get herself "a nice hat" with the money she would be getting.
  • Given the golden color of her plates, it’s not a stretch to imagine that Tony had a hand in her upgrades.
• As opposed to dying out in space like he thought he would (or worse, spending the bulk of those five years out in space), Tony got to spend the remaining five years of his life Happily Married to Pepper, living in a simple lake house by the woods, and raising a loving daughter.
  • When you think about it, Morgan was literally born into and raised in a world without Thanos. As opposed to a world where Thanos would rule the universe with an iron fist, it's a world that struggles but is not conquered. Not an ideal world, but Morgan nonetheless had a happy childhood in it.
    • Even without Tony, Morgan's life is now filled with twice as many people in it when she was born, most if not all of which will undoubtedly know, remember, and honor what her father did for them. And considering who those people are and what all of them are capable of, Tony's soul can probably rest easy with the knowledge that no harm will ever come to his baby girl.
  • In that sentiment, seeing that world go on despite Thanos's Decimation, and the fact that they hunted him down and Thor killed him, they indeed avenged the fallen before bringing them back to life.
• Rocket and Nebula holding hands after she arrives on Earth with Tony and Carol. Seeing Nebula return alone except for Tony shows Rocket that he really has lost all the other Guardians... a loss only Nebula herself can really understand.
  • The Five Year Time Skip shows that Nebula has teamed up with Rocket in space excursions, showing that even if she didn't want to become a Guardian, she is still interested in keeping their spirit alive.
  • Also, the fact that Rocket is still active as a Guardian despite all the others getting dusted.
• After Carol brings Tony and Nebula to Earth, Pepper immediately hugs Tony, having thought him dead ever since he disappeared into outer space in the previous film. Rocket, meanwhile, sits next to Nebula, holding her hands, to mourn the loss of their fellow Guardians.
  • While Pepper is the first to hug Tony when he arrives back on earth, it’s a genuinely concerned Steve who rushes up the ramp of the Benatar to help Nebula support Tony, who is too weak from his injury and malnourishment to stand by himself, and help him down the rest of the way. After everything that's happened between them, Steve still considers him a friend and teammate.
  • It is most likely Rocket that identified the Benatar and asked Carol to go after it, knowing his friends might not be alive but hoping to find any of them aboard it. Carol, meanwhile, was more than willing to scour the entire galaxy for it.
  • Rocket holding Nebula's hand takes on a bigger meaning when you consider how much they both hate being touched. And he doesn't even try to hold her hand at first, just puts a comforting hand atop hers - it's Nebula who opens her palm, both open to the comfort Rocket is offering and reciprocating.
• It definitely crosses over into a Tear Jerker, but Captain Marvel is visibly upset to see Fury listed among the Decimation casualties. As abrasive and snarky as Carol was towards Fury, she genuinely cared about him as a friend and responded as soon as she got his distress call, just as she promised.
• A subtle one when they're discussing the prospect of attacking Thanos: when Captain Marvel declares her intent to attack Thanos and retrieve the stones, Bruce skeptically asks "Just like that?" Steve's response is "Yeah, just like that" before he and Carol share a respectful nod with each other. For reasons respective to their characters, Carol and Steve both have difficulties relating to other people. Despite this, they're both determinators and both refuse to give up in the face of adversity, and it's nice to see them find a fellow kindred spirit in each other.
• When Scott races back to the house hoping to find Cassie, she sees him through the door and goes completely still. Then she throws the door open and practically leaps into her father's arms, holding her face between his hands as if to prove to herself that he really is back; extra-heartwarming is before this, Scott was looking through the memorial list of those vanished and fervently hoping that Cassie was not among them.
  • The fact that there is a memorial at all. That people went through the effort to put the names of billions upon billions of the various people on Earth on stone and dedicating whole plots of land to it.
  • Scott saying "You're so big" seals it.
  • Now think about it like this; Cassie spent five years thinking her father was disappeared like the Pyms (and likely Ghost and Goliath as well). And then she sees him, alive, at her front door. She doesn't question it; she's just overjoyed to see her daddy again.
  • Just to cap it off, it's a lovely bit of Foreshadowing for the film's closing scene, when another supporting character gets to find the man she'd mourned for years alive on her doorstep.
• In the intervening years since the Snap, Steve is running a support group for civilian survivors, encouraging them to keep trying to find meaning in life without their loved ones. It's heartwarming in and of itself, but all the more so if you see it as a tribute to Sam's veteran support group back in The Winter Soldier. Steve may have been Sam's hero, but in his own right, Sam was Steve's hero too.
  • During this scene, Steve gives encouragement to a gay man who went on a date.
    • There's some Fridge Brilliance to this one. It's worth remembering that Steve grew up in the 1930s and 1940s, in a time of immense, institutionalized homophobia and bigotry against people who weren't heterosexual. It shows what a good person Steve is that there's zero judgment in his eyes at the idea of a man romantically involved with another man, even if Steve has had some time to get adjusted to the 2010s.
• It's easy to miss but when Scott asks Steve and Natasha if they're familiar with quantum physics, Natasha responds that she knows a little just to make conversation. While this might just be sarcasm, it might also be a Call-Back to her past feelings for Bruce.
• Natasha continues showing understanding, perspective, and emotional support to the heroes:
  • When Scott thinks the idea of time travel is crazy, she reassures him by saying: "I get e-mails from a raccoon, so nothing sounds crazy anymore."
  • When Tony denies taking part in reversing the Snap, she is the first to point out that he is in fact scared about the possibility of losing his daughter.
  • When Bruce is uncertain about his ability to make time travel work, Nat reminds him he has successfully merged with the Hulk to be at peace with himself so this should not be any more difficult. He looks very relieved after that.
• Silly as it looks at first, seeing Bruce not only finally accepting Hulk as part of himself, becoming a fusion of the two, but people are now fully used to him as well (granted, after all that happened, many things must not seem weird anymore); he's even popular with the kids.
  • Bruce Banner and the Hulk are characters that have never, ever, been allowed true peace; not in comics, not in adaptations. The closest Bruce tends to come to being "free" is in death. Not in the MCU... Bruce and Hulk reach an accord, Bruce's scientific know-how makes it happen, and the world gets Professor Hulk.
  • The best part is seeing the huge change in Bruce's demeanor. Going from constantly on edge due to being hunted. Trying to control his emotions and not transform and cause unknown damage and casualties. Generally avoiding a fight altogether if he can help it. And overall just being guarded and afraid of letting anyone get too close. Here we get to see a semblance of what Bruce may have been had he not been involved in that accident to begin with.
  • In Ragnarok, Thor hurt Hulk's feelings by confirming what he suspected about himself: "Earth does hate you". Infinity War revealed this to be false, as Bruce learns that not only is the Hulk liked enough to get a Ben & Jerry's flavor named after him, but now he's so popular that unafraid children will walk right up to him and request a selfie. For Hulk, a lonely creature who feels hated and feared by all, this must feel wonderful, so he got as much from merging with Bruce as Bruce got by merging with him.
• There's a little moment between Scott and Bruce. Scott's about to eat a taco when Rocket and Nebula land in their ship and the backblast blows away most of Scott's taco and Rhodey blows away the rest with his own landing. Scott's just sitting in shock when big green Hulk walks in with a smile and hands Scott a couple of his own without exchanging any words. It's these little things that highlight, for all their fighting and tension, how much a family the Avengers are.
  • Seeing Rocket interacting with the Avengers is heartwarming of itself. Despite sticking out like a sore thumb because of his rebellious personality and his species, he has developed a strong friendship with the Avengers over the past 5 years. He is shown having friendly banter with Tony Stark and working alongside him on the gauntlet, compliments on Captain America's Rousing Speech, spends quite a bit of time working alongside Hulk and Rhodey, especially during the final battle when he's perched on War Machine's shoulder, and is overall an exceptional team player.
• Although she claims she liked Angry Hulk better, there's a sweet undertone of playfulness between Valkyrie and Professor Hulk that shows their friendship is still as strong as ever, enough that they can be on joking terms.
• As depressing as it is seeing Thor an utter obese wreck, it's a little heartwarming to know he's not completely isolating himself. Although he refuses to go outside, except to get "supplies" (beer), he still allows Korg and Miek to stay in and play Fortnite and watch TV with him, and even has Korg's back when noobmaster69 calls him a "dickhead".
• Despite the sad state he's in, Thor is overjoyed to see Hulk and Rocket again, hugging them both, before inviting them to hang out with him, Korg, and Miek. When Hulk says they need his help, he answers with a positive “Hmm”, indicating that if it had been a non-Thanos problem they needed help with, he would’ve absolutely been down to help them out. Thor may be broken, but he still loves his pals and will do anything he can for them.
• During his initial Refusal of the Call and whilst visibly experiencing PTSD, Thor places an aggressive hand on Professor Hulk, who, in an uncharacteristic display of self control, simply and calmly tells him to take his hand away. Not only does this show how far Hulk has come, but how much his relationship with Thor has evolved - he can see his friend is in pain and empathizes with him, but he is still the Hulk.
• After a Refusal of the Call moment, Tony is convinced to get back into action when he sees a framed photo of him with Peter Parker. And his first act afterwards is giving the shield back to Cap, noting that his father made it for him.
  • His refusal also isn't out of cynicism (like Thor) or not wanting to risk false hope (like Clint). He's just concerned that messing with the timeline will undo everything from the last five years, including his baby girl, and he absolutely will not let that happen.
  • And despite being sure it wouldn't work, Tony ran a simulation to see if time travel was possible. Because he's a hero, and if there's a chance to save everyone, he just has to know for certain.
  • Ultimately, it’s Pepper, who has consistently been pushing for Tony to stop being Iron Man to the point of leaving him at one point when he kept going, who convinces him to do it.
  • Also, after Tony makes his discovery about time travel, at no point does he attempt to conceal any of it from Pepper^note aside from accidentally teaching Morgan a new swearword. He sits down with her, tells her everything, and they discuss the risks and consequences for their family.
• The Refusal of the Call moment itself has some touching moments, like Tony saying he is genuinely happy to see the other Avengers and offering them a meal. For his part, though Steve is clearly unhappy with Tony's decision, he respects that Tony has a family he isn't willing to risk and doesn't press him on it.
  Tony: [carrying Morgan inside] If you don't talk shop, you're welcome to stay for lunch.
• When Tony shows up at the compound having decided to help with the Time Heist, he and Steve both admit how much they hated resenting each other. When Tony gets the shield out of his car, you can see that the claw marks T'Challa left in Civil War are gone. The fact that Tony restored the shield to its pristine state indicates that he always intended to give it back to Steve eventually.
• When plotting out the perfect years to travel to in order to get the Infinity Stones, it comes off more as buddies hanging out, complete with Nat and Tony lying atop the tables and Bruce on the floor, eating takeout.
• After Scott and Tony fail to get the Tesseract from Stark Tower, Tony begins to hypothesize how they could get both it and more Pym Particles by going back to Camp Lehigh in 1970 where both are. Cap, at first, seems hesitant to do it and Scott is outright dismissive of the whole plan. And then, after years of antagonism and outright hostility between the two pillars of the MCU, we get this:
  Tony: Do you trust me?
  Cap: [completely sincerely] I do.
  • The best part? Even after being torn apart and left in a near irreparable state, the Avengers managed to reconcile their differences, repair old wounds, and put the band back together one last time to bring back the fallen. Zemo was wrong.
  • And it works perfectly. In fact, this improvised plan was the only part of the time heist that went off without a serious hitch.
• Thor returns to Asgard in 2013, the day his mother died. After spending some time hiding from her, Frigga catches him and, by simply looking him in the eyes, recognizes him as her son from the future. Thinking that she would be ashamed of him because he is now an overweight alcoholic shut-in, he recoils in denial. But after reaffirming her love and pride in him with a much-needed motherly hug, Thor adorably cries like a little boy in his mother's warm embrace and regains the will to fight for his principles.
  • While trying to encourage Thor, we finally hear Rocket say out loud how much the Guardians, the only family he ever had, meant to him. He even mentions Quill first when listing the Guardians as his family. Quill, the guy who screwed up the plan to take down Thanos when they had the chance. Nebula probably told him this and Rocket still considers him one of the closest people in his family. This just means Quill’s words to him at Yondu’s funeral all those years ago really stuck with him:
    Rocket: He didn't chase them away.
    Peter: No.
    Rocket: Even though he yelled at them... And he was always mean... And he stole batteries he didn't need...
    Peter: [looking directly at Rocket, after a long beat] Well, of course not!
  • Frigga's loving advice that being a failure does not make one a bad person was key to her son's final redemption; to not try and be what others expect you to be, but to try your best at being who you are. This brings Thor's declaration of "I would rather be a good man than a great king" to his father Odin full-circle.
  • Thor then tries desperately to warn his mother about her impending death at Malekith's hands, but Frigga gently shushes him, telling him basically that whatever the future has in store for her, she's prepared to meet it with dignity and honor. It's very much in character with the general attitude of the Aesir Norse Mythology towards Ragnarok, but also a beautiful moment of utter courage that reminds Thor how to live, and how to die: with dignity and honor.
  • Although it's Played for Laughs, Frigga's parting comment telling Thor to eat a salad once in a while also counts. After all these years, she still cares about his health to say a word of cliched motherly nagging and advice.
  • Many a joke has been made that with Loki and Hela having similar physiques, dress sense, personalities, and dark hair, that Thor might have been the adopted child of Odin^note Especially when compared to younger photos of Anthony Hopkins. But here, it's obvious that Thor is his mother's son, what with their golden hair and easy-going but noble and loving personalities.
  • Before this, Rocket's Tough Love style of encouragement to Thor, which ends with him very sincerely saying that he knows Thor is capable of doing what must be done. Especially touching is that he drops the "tough" part and goes into the "you can do this" once he sees that Thor is crying, showing just like in Infinity War how sensitive he is toward Thor's emotional state despite his usual hard-ass attitude.
• When Thor spots Frigga in Asgard, she is asking a group of handmaidens to send soup and books about astronomy to Loki's cell, showing that she hasn't stopped looking after her youngest son despite Odin having forbidden any contact between the two of them as part of Loki's punishment in Thor: The Dark World.
• Thor, depressed, overweight, reduced to an utter wreck, is still worthy of wielding Mjölnir. Those who've struggled with such problems in real life very likely found it hard not to tear up at being shown that no, they do NOT make you a lesser person.
  • For bonus points, it ties into Frigga's earlier reassurance to him that being a failure does not automatically make one a bad person. It does not matter if he's the overweight, emotionally-wracked drunkard now, or the proud King of Asgard and one of the strongest Avengers pre-Infinity War, he is still the same Thor that is ever as worthy of wielding Mjölnir now as he was beforehand.
  • On top of that, Thor shuts his eyes, and appears as if he dare not hope Mjölnir actually respond to his call, but Frigga seems almost amused that Thor would think this. She never doubted for a moment that the hammer would respond, even when Thor didn't even seem to hope it could possibly come to him.
    Thor: [clenches eyes shut]
    Rocket: What—what am I looking at?
    Frigga: Oh, sometimes it takes a second.
  • The fact that Thor himself seems hesitant while he waits for Mjölnir to come to his hand, but Frigga is perfectly confident that it'll be here in a second.
  • And to make things even better, the spell on Mjölnir was placed there by Odin. "Whoever wields this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor." Even in his ruined state, Odin still believes in his son.
  • Later, during the battle against Thanos, Steve fulfills the Foreshadowing from Age of Ultron and also proves worthy enough to lift Mjölnir. Thor is overjoyed.
  • Thor's ecstatic reaction suggests that he didn't bring Mjölnir back from the past for himself to wield, especially since he had Stormbreaker and had no way of knowing that Thanos would eventually follow the team to the future. He brought it back for Steve.
    Thor: I knew it!!
    • This shows how much Thor has changed from that party scene in Age of Ultron where he was clearly nervous that Cap might be able to lift his hammer and one-up him. Now, he not only isn’t bothered by it, he’s openly proud that Steve is able to wield it.
    • In retrospect, perhaps Thor wasn't nervous that Steve could have been able to lift the hammer, but thought that Steve, out of all the others would be able to lift it, and was confused when he couldn't.
    • This moment validates Dr. Abraham Erskine's belief that it takes a kind heart to create the ultimate warrior when he chose Steve Rogers to participate in the Super Soldier Project. The good doctor would definitely be proud of him.
• During their trip to S.H.I.E.L.D. in The '70s, Steve finds his way into Director Peggy Carter's office. On her desk is a framed photograph of him pre-serum, the same picture Peggy received at the end of Captain America: The First Avenger and kept with her during Agent Carter.
  • As has been noted elsewhere, the photo is of pre-serum Steve. She didn't fall in love with the gorgeous hunk, she fell in love with the little guy from Brooklyn too stubborn to run from a fight.
• Nebula is the adoptive daughter of Thanos redeeming the other one this time, pushing an already-dubious Gamora towards a full Heel–Face Turn. Later, she comes as far as shooting her other self to protect Gamora.
  2014 Gamora: Tell me something. In the future... what happens to you and me?
  Nebula: I tried to kill you... several times. But eventually, we become friends. We become sisters.
  [Beat. Then Gamora extends her hand to Nebula]
  2014 Gamora: Come on. We can stop him.
  [Nebula takes her hand, and is helped back up]
• A rare Pet the Dog sequence for Thanos is when he affirms his trust in his timeline’s Nebula when Ebony Maw is ready to kill her for her future self’s Heel–Face Turn and later gives her validation (possibly for the first time in her life) when she successfully brings him to post-Snap Earth.
  2014 Nebula: [pleading while being held by the neck by Ebony Maw] That's not me! That's not... I would never... I would never betray you! Never!
  [Thanos breaks the chain holding 2014 Nebula's neck, freeing her]
  2014 Thanos: [gently carasses her face] I know. And you'll have the chance to prove it.
  • It's possible Thanos was considering his future self's final words from the recording he saw in Nebula's memory; that perhaps he shouldn't have been so hard on her. In the end, Thanos never regretted his goal of "balancing the universe" and was unshaken even at the image of his own beheading. The only thing he expresses possible regret or remorse over is his treatment of The Unfavorite daughter he had dismissed weeks earlier as only "parts".
    2014 Thanos: Daughter.
    2014 Nebula: Yes, Father.
    2014 Thanos: So this is the future. Well done.
    2014 Nebula: Thank you, Father.
• Natasha sacrificing herself to get the Soul Stone, implicitly to let Clint be with his family.
  Natasha: Let me go. It's okay.
  • Right before they start fighting over who jumps, Clint and Nat share one last Headbutt of Love, the both of them clearly steeling themselves for what is to come and taking what last comfort they can in their best friend.
  • As Heartbreaking as it is, the entire fight on the cliff of Vormir shows how deep the bond between Clint and Natasha runs. Neither hesitates to sacrifice themselves in place of the other, and each of them believes that even after everything the other has done, they deserve the chance to go back to a happy life along with everyone else in the universe, especially their families.
    • The fact that they're talking about how they know what has to be done and who needs to sacrifice themselves in order to save the world, and both of them agreeing with the other... and then Clint hesitates and says "I'm starting to think we mean different people here, Natasha." They both know that the sacrifice is necessary, and they both are willing to die so that the other might live, and it's not even a question. It's in stark contrast to Thanos's actions in Infinity War, where he was sad but ultimately did not hesitate to sacrifice Gamora: here, Clint and Natasha end up coming to blows only because they both are willing to sacrifice themselves.
  • There's something touching about Natasha ultimately being the one to give her life to get the Soul Stone, given her insistence on balancing out the "red" in her ledger. Thanks to her sacrifice, untold billions of lives were able to be resurrected. In other words, with her dying act, there's no question that she was able to get back in the "black"; a proper, if tragic, end to her atonement.
  • Look closely at Natasha's pose as she lies at the bottom of the cliff. Now look at Gamora's pose. It's almost as if they're reaching out to each other for comfort.
  • Crossing over with Tear Jerker, the one time Professor Hulk loses his cool now that Banner and Hulk have made peace: knowing that he probably won't be able to bring back Natasha even if they can undo the Snap due to her Heroic Sacrifice to obtain the Soul Stone. While everyone else is arguing over whether it's possible, he angrily throws a bench into the lake, sighs, and resigns himself to it. During the denouement, he says that he sincerely tried to bring her back with the rest of the Snapped, to no avail. It goes to show how he felt for her that even when he believed she was gone for good, he still tried with everything he had to bring her back.
  • Also crossing over into Tear Jerker, when the rest of the original Avengers are mourning her death beside the lake at the Avengers Compound, Tony quietly asks if she had any family. Steve replies that she did: them. Also acts as a mirror of the scene from the first Avengers film of Steve asking Tony if Coulson had any family following his death; Tony sheepishly states that he doesn't know.
• Professor Hulk using the rebuilt Infinity Gauntlet to undo the Snap, knowing full well it could kill him after how badly it affected Thanos - he rationalizes that he's the only Avenger present strong enough to withstand exposure to its raw energy, since most of the radiation it produces is gamma rays, making him laconically note that it's almost like it was destined for him to do it.
  • All the way back in The Avengers (2012), Tony noted that Bruce's accident should have killed him. Bruce retorts that it's a nice thought, but what, exactly, would "the other guy" be saving Bruce's life for? Seven years of movies later, both Banner and the audience finally get the answer.
  • As he's preparing to put it on, he mutters the words "Everybody comes home", as if focusing on a specific goal.
  • Right before Bruce does the deed, Thor motions to Rocket to get behind him while Tony creates a shield for himself and Clint using his armor.
  • Thor is also the first one to tell Bruce to take the Gauntlet off once he starts to yell in pain. He even gives him twin thumbs-ups when Bruce tells them that he's okay, giving his friend what little comfort he can at the moment.
  • A bit of symmetry with Steve Rogers receiving his powers: after engaging the Gauntlet and as the energy of the Infinity Stones courses through him, Hulk is screaming in agony. The other Avengers present try to get him to stop but he refuses, powering through the pain with gritted teeth long enough to make the crucial snap. It works, but the glove is fried and Hulk's right arm is visibly withered (by Hulk standards) from the effort — it remains in a sling throughout the denouement. As a bonus, when everybody encourages Hulk to stop his pain there, Steve is the one who disagrees. He knows firsthand the initial pain felt through the Super Soldier project, and is seeing a similar situation play out.
  • When Bruce collapses after having performed the Snap, the others surround him at once. Steve immediately asks him if he's alright, Tony cools down his burnt arm with coolant from his suit, and Thor strokes his hair repeatedly and shushes him when the only thing a half-delirious Bruce wants to know is if the Snap worked. To push the point further, he's even clinging onto Steve as he speaks. True Companions, indeed.
    Bruce: Did it... did it work?
    Thor: [patting his head] Shh, shh, we don't know. But that's okay, you're okay, shh.
• It's in the midst of a desperate and tragic moment, but when the Sanctuary II annihilates Avengers HQ and buries half the team in rubble, Rocket and Rhodey are trapped and Rocket is pinned under rubble. Rhodey immediately exits out of the War Machine armor — despite it being the only thing that helps him walk — and crawls over to save him. After five years, he'd do anything to save the life of his furry comrade.
• In the Darkest Hour, with Stark and Thor incapacitated, Captain America, shield broken and staggering from horrendous injuries, remains the last man standing, ready to die alone in defiance of Thanos's tyranny as his army of a thousand monsters march towards him. Then suddenly, one by one, shining golden portals begin to materialize around The First Avenger... and through each one, every hero killed by the Snap or incapacitated due to the battle against Thanos is back... and they're here to fight by their friend's side.
  • And they each bring armies: Valkyrie leading Asgardian knights in shining armor on the back of a beautiful white Pegasus; Strange and Wong erecting a barricade of defensive spells with the entire Masters of the Mystic Arts; and line after line of Wakandan warriors led by T'Challa stoking the fires of courage in their comrades' hearts with a mighty chant of "Yibambe (Hold the line)!" Even the Ravagers show up behind the Guardians, with both ships and infantry to stand by Yondu's beloved son. Every single Badass Army in the MCU stands united to hold the line together against Thanos and oblivion.
  • Even though their initial meeting was hostile, considering they were on opposite sides at the time, T'Challa, upon coming through his portal, immediately gives Steve a warm smile and a nod of approval, as if to say "You've done good, Captain. Now, let us help you." The good Captain can only sigh in relief.
    • Of special note is the return of Peter Parker, who, upon his entrance, was greeted with applause from entire theaters. The last time we saw him, the weeping, panicking teen was the most visibly scared and pained victim of the Snap. Seeing him return in his full glory alive and well is enough to tug at one's heartstrings.
  • Pay close attention to Spidey when he swings through the portal; he retracts his mask and smiles. He smiles at Cap, who is practically beside himself upon seeing the teen. Last time these two met, they were at odds, fighting each other (although Cap was pleased to know that Spidey was a fellow New Yorker). Now, they're allies.
    • Also, what does Sam say to alert Steve that everyone is backing him up behind him?
      Sam: On your left.
  • During this sequence, we see Thor's reaction to the entire thing. He's absolutely overjoyed that the people he failed to protect half a decade ago have all returned — thanks to the joint efforts of him and his fellow Avengers.
  • Now leading a mighty army bathed in the golden sunlight of hope, The Star-Spangled Warrior summons Mjölnir into his hand with a courageous smile, commands "Avengers... Assemble!", and leads a thunderous charge of heroes to save the universe, heralded by the triumphant anthem of Alan Silvestri's "Avengers Theme."
    • Simply the fact that when he says "Avengers assemble", he's talking to everybody. Every single character on that battlefield is now an Avenger. T'Challa? Doctor Strange? Quill, Drax, Groot, Mantis? The Wasp? Valkyrie? Pepper, Wong, Korg and Meik, Howard the Duck—even the unnamed Sorcerers, Asgardians, Wakandans and Ravagers on that battlefield? ALL of them are Avengers.
    • As Steve prepares everyone to charge, Thor rejoins the heroes at his side, rearing and ready for the battle ahead. And when Steve reclaims Mjolnir, Thor looks over, utterly gleeful and downright proud of Steve once again before turning his attention back to the battle. Later, Thor is at the head of the fore along with Steve, Bruce, T’Challa, M’Baku, and the rest, screaming loudly again as he goes into the biggest battle of his life. Keep in mind that Thor considers battles and wars fun, and this is probably the first time he’s truly enjoyed himself in years, and he gets to do it along the friends and family he’s made in his time as an Avenger.
    • Just the scene itself, Steve starts by looking determined yet knowing he can't win. His friends arrive one by one and you can see the joy in his expression as he realizes that he no longer has to do all of this alone. Then the camera pans across the assembled forces, while they roar in defiance (and are still marching forth from the portals). In contrast, Thanos starts the scene looking smug and arrogant, only to be shocked and stunned as more and more of Steve's allies arrive and finally looking just a little uncertain. It also mirrors everything he had just said about his previous conquests never being personal; they may not have been personal for him but it was for the trillions around the universe hurt by his actions, and now, with the opportunity presenting itself once more, they will all stand against the Mad Titan and his obsession.
• Fridge-Heartwarming: It's a relatively small moment, but during the above scene, the Guardians of the Galaxy coming to Earth is one. This is the first time in thirty years that Quill steps upon the soil of his home planet. He was abducted from Earth as a grieving, frightened little boy, and he gets to return as an Avenger his mother would be proud of.
• When everyone starts charging, there's a brief moment where you can see Iron Man and Star-Lord flying side by side. It's especially heartwarming from Star-Lord's perspective: for him, it feels like he was just fighting Thanos alongside Tony on Titan.
• Remember how Tony coldly told Peter not to hug him back in Spider-Man: Homecoming? The first thing he does upon seeing Peter, who is confused but alive and well after five long years, is to give him a warm, loving, fatherly bear-hug, overjoyed that he was able to save the boy from oblivion.
  Peter: [surprised] Oh. This is nice.
  • Tony silently says this line when he hugs Peter, which makes the scene even more heartwarming.
    Tony: Hold me kid, hold me.
  • Consider also that Peter probably hasn't received the affection of a father figure like this since his Uncle Ben died.
  • While it didn't make it into the film, Robert Downey Jr. revealed on his Instagram that, in at least one take, he topped the whole thing off with a kiss on the cheek.
  • When we see the hug at his angle, Tony looks like he's genuinely not in New York anymore.
  • There were supposed to be more reunion hugs — Rocket and Groot, Steve and Bucky, and Scott and Hope.
• Speaking of Scott and Hope, throughout Ant-Man and the Wasp, Hope poked fun at Scott and the Avengers for referring to Steve as "Cap". When Steve tells them to fire up the Quantum Tunnel, Hope calls him "Cap" without hesitation. Scott smirks at her, and she sheepishly grins back at their private joke.
• Before they faced off in the airport battle in Civil War, Hawkeye cordially introduced himself by his civilian name to T'Challa, who coldly responded that he doesn't care. When T'Challa relieves Clint of escorting the Infinity Gauntlet to the quantum tunnel during the final battle, what does he say?
  T'Challa: Clint! Give it to me.
  • There was also a Deleted Scene where T'Challa thanks Clint for holding onto it.
• Star Lord is back in his element when he returns with the rest of the Vanished; rocketing through the air and blasting foes left and right with his usual flair and confidence. His bluster melts immediately when he sees Gamora. Quill approaches her with the look in his eyes like he's seeing an angel, and he tenderly reaches to touch her face. It quickly turns into a laugh when Gamora retaliates to, from her perspective, a total stranger.
  Quill: I thought I'd lost you.
• Nebula's analysis of Gamora's romantic choices — "Your choices were him... or a tree" — sounds mean, until you realize that she left Drax off the list because Nebula recognizes and implicitly acknowledges that Drax is still mourning his wife and family, so of course he's unavailable romantically.
  • And she likely included Groot as the other option — even though Groot has been a child throughout the time since she's been allies with the Guardians — because she listened to Rocket regale her with stories of his and adult Groot's adventures together and how they became Guardians.
• During the final battle, the way the other superheroes (Captain America, Pepper, and Valkyrie, specifically) help Peter Parker carry the Gauntlet is sweet on its own. When Peter becomes trapped by Outrider corpses, Captain America throws Mjolnir over to Peter so the kid can tag it with a web-strand and be hauled away from the creatures. And then when the blast from Thanos's airship slices his web, Pepper comes in to save Peter from falling before throwing him onto Valkyrie's horse.
  Pepper: Hang on! I got you, kid!
  • Before Cap throws his hammer, he calls Peter "Queens", as a Call-Back to the time when Steve realized that they're both from New York.
  • Blink and you'll miss it but Valkyrie gives Peter a small smile when he lands on the horse and says hi. Given what she was like when we first met her, it's quite sweet.
• During the barrage of fire from Thanos's hovering ship, Groot is knocked down and Rocket instantly jumps on top of him to try and protect his long-lost adoptive son from the barrage.
• It's also pretty sweet that during the barrage, most of the Masters of Kamar-Taj immediately cast shield spells to protect themselves and those nearest to them. Thanos has dealt enough damage as it is, and they'll do their best to lessen it if they can.
• When Peter is pinned down by the enemies, Carol comes in and saves his life. Peter meekly introduces himself, and Carol just gives him a reassuring smile while saying hello. It's an oddly sweet moment, but given Carol is a Cool Aunt to her best friend's daughter, it's a given that she's good with all kids. Especially given that he is a kid to her, considering she'd be around Fury's age if she aged normally.
  Peter: Hi, I'm Peter Parker.
  Carol: Hey, Peter Parker. You got something for me?
• When Peter tells Carol that he doesn't know how she's gonna keep Thanos away from the Gauntlet, an entire Amazon Brigade of female heroes from the different films arrive to back her up. Most of them have not met Carol, but they are willing to give her backup.
• Really, all of the teamwork of the various heroes show as they all seem to work off each other well, and all have good banter or moments as they are attacking Thanos' army.
• Tony Stark's death is undoubtedly one of, if not the biggest Tear Jerker in the MCU. That said, it's a noble end to the man who started it all. Tony has been plagued by the idea of failure for years, fear that he won't be able to protect the world at large, let alone the people closest to him. He's been hurt, betrayed, and swamped with stress. He lost his parents, was betrayed by his father figure, watched his best friend be crippled, lost Natasha not one day before, and while he did seem a little fearful before snapping his fingers, his final "I am Iron Man" shows that he is content to go out like this. On top of this, he dies surrounded by Rhodey, his closest friend who stuck with him through thick and thin; Peter, his surrogate son and the boy he always saw potential in and went on this whole adventure to save; and Pepper, the love of his life and the mother of his child. In his last moments, Tony's wife tells him that he can finally rest and that she and their daughter Morgan will be fine. Not too far away, Steve Rogers–whom he was friends with, fell out hard with, and finally reconciled with after years of pain — ;is weeping for him. While it is a tragic ending for a man who went from self-centered to selfless hero, he died on his own terms and doing what he always wanted, helping others. And with that, the epic story of Anthony Edward Stark comes to a close and heaven receives a new angel. Rest in peace, Tony, we will definitely miss you...
  • The very last thing that Tony sees and hears before passing away is Pepper, fulfilling the last wish request he made in The Avengers when he was about throw a nuke into outer space with very little chance of survival.
  • Everyone he's surrounded by in his last moments (with the exception of Steve, but he's holding the shield he repaired) is wearing a suit of armor built by him. Tony died surrounded by living reminders that he had given many people the power to make a positive difference in the world and carry on his legacy long after his death.
  • By being surrounded by people who wore suits of armor built by him, the dying Tony Stark had achieved what he wanted to do in Avengers: Age of Ultron — put a suit of armor around the world, his world, filled with the people who were dearest to him: Pepper, Peter, and Rhodes. There's something to be said for Steve being there too.
  • Peter reassures Tony that he saved everyone; "You did it, Mr. Stark. We won. We won." As Peter starts tearing up and needs to be pulled away so Pepper can talk to her husband, Rhodey pulls him into a hug from behind.
  • In a deleted scene, which takes place after Pepper kisses Tony goodbye, every hero gets down on one knee to pay their respects to their fallen comrade (including those not from Earth that may not have that custom). As with the following funeral scene, it's like watching the entire MCU honor the man who started it all. Dr. Strange in particular looks horrified that he had to send a man to his death to save billions.
    • Even better, it doesn't look choreographed at all - the little glances, and staggered intervals of going on one knee as they realise what's happening, effortlessly transform a scene that could have been artificial and pure Narm into something organic, sad, and beautiful.
• While Tony Stark's funeral is somber, there are some heartwarming moments:
  • Turning up at Tony's funeral out of respect for saving his family and literally all of existence, it's safe to say Hank Pym's hatred of the Stark name is officially gone.
  • Also worth noting, we see a teenage boy standing behind Wanda, Bucky, and Sam. Who's that, you may ask? That's Harley Keener (a.k.a the kid from Iron Man 3, albeit much older)! Even after all this time, both he and Tony were connected, just like he said all those years ago.
  • The slow, lingering pan over everyone who turned out for Tony's funeral. These are people we've gotten to know through eleven years of MCU films, superheroes we can look up to, admire, and empathize with, but more than that... Iron Man may have given birth to the modern superhero, and The Avengers may have seen the rise of the superhero team, but Endgame witnesses the birth of the superhero community.
    • Seeing all the Guardians there (sans 2014 Gamora) is heartwarming by itself. This includes Quill, Drax and Mantis, who only knew Tony for a day, and Groot, who didn't really know him at all. But when you consider that everyone seems grouped based on how close they were to Tony, it says a lot that they're actually ahead of some of the Avengers (like Wanda and Sam). Tony didn't know them for very long, but they still considered him their friend. By looking at the order of who were the closest to Tony emotionally, Nebula and Rocket are in front of the group.
    • That the pan culminates in Captain Marvel and Nick Fury should remind you that it was their friendship that originated the Avengers, and that friendship itself has kept the team alive through its entire history even despite seemingly irreparable fracture. The "idea" for a superhero team may have been Fury's, but it took his bond with Carol and other "remarkable people", and theirs with each other, to make it all possible.
  • The funeral wreath that Pepper and Morgan set floating away on the lake holds Tony's first arc reactor, complete with the "Proof That Tony Stark Has A Heart" plaque, and his ashes.
    • And even more more heartwarming. Remember, this was his first Arc Reactor, meaning the very same he and Yinsen built in that cave years ago to save his life. In the end, Yinsen only had a small role, but his impact is universal. And his legacy will always be with Tony.
  • How much respect does Tony evoke from the heroes at his funeral? Drax is wearing a shirt and Rocket left his guns behind. Even sullen-teen Groot Jr. is still, quiet, and respectful, for once exhibiting signs of attaining his forebearer's We Are Groot insight. Peter Quill showing up is very much impactful considering that he's refused to go back to Earth due to the trauma of losing his mother haunting him, but he still sticks around long enough to offer his final respects.
    • Ditto for Bucky, who shows up at the funeral next to Sam and Wanda and looks genuinely sad despite his and Tony’s past.
  • Even Secretary Ross gets to show one off, by refusing to go after Bruce Banner or Steve Rogers at this occasion.
    • Or not - after all, his whole 'people with super powers are bad' thing looks a bit silly now after Thanos destroyed half of all life, and those same 'bad' super powered people undid it. He was just showing willing to save his job (and possibly his life, if he tries it on people might decide Thanos was right in his case and lynch him). Given that he's surrounded by a lot of powerful people, none of whom particularly like him, it may just be simple pragmatism.
  • Happy comforting Morgan after the funeral. He asks her if she's okay, if she wants anything, and she replies that she would like a cheeseburger. Happy pauses, and asks her if she knows if it was her father's favorite food, to which she nods in reply.
    Happy: Okay. I'm gonna get you all the cheeseburgers you want.
    • There's also some killer Reality Subtext as Happy is played by Jon Favreau, who directed Iron Man and has kept being part of it this whole time through this role. This scene is him getting his own farewell to the character he launched the entire MCU with.
  • Despite his Heroic Sacrifice, our last taste of Tony isn't him fading away, it's his video log he recorded to his friends and family. He believes in happy endings, and he tells us such in a way only he could. Even though it's directed to his family, our final shot of Tony Stark is him winking with a smile before the recording ends.
    Tony: Everybody wants a happy ending, right? But it doesn't always roll that way. Maybe this time. I'm hoping if you play this back, it's in celebration. I hope families are reunited, I hope you get it back, and somewhat of like a normal version of the planet has been restored. If there ever was such a thing. God, what a world. Universe, now. If you told me 10 years ago that we weren't alone, let alone, you know, to this extent, I wouldn't have been surprised but come on, you know? The epic forces of darkness and light that have come into play, and for better or worse, that's the reality that Morgan is gonna have to find a way to grow up in. So I thought I better record a little greeting, in case of an untimely death... on my part. Not that death at any time isn't untimely. This time travel thing we're gonna try to pull off tomorrow, it's got me scratching my head about the survivability of this whole thing. Then again, that's the hero gig, right? Part of the journey is the end. What am I even tripping for, everything is gonna work out exactly the way it's supposed to. [looks right at his daughter] I love you 3000.
  • Fridge-Heartwarming: Remember what Tony said in Iron Man? "I never got to say good-bye to [my dad] ". He may have been denied that (up until his time travel trip to the 70s ^note  which unto itself is another heartwarming moment where he finally got to lay to rest all his doubts since his father passed on , at least), but he got to tell his daughter good-bye. Now that is how a story comes full circle.
    • More Fridge-Heartwarming: the reason Stark mentions a happy ending is because it's a subtle Call-Back to when his daughter wanted a bedtime story. In other words, Tony's giving Morgan the very thing she wanted: a good story, one with a (mostly) happy ending.
    • And the fact that his message ends as it does, means that both of Tony's parting words - flesh-and-blood Tony's murmured "Pep..." as he lay dying on the battlefield, and hologram Tony's farewell "I love you 3000" to Morgan - were respectively addressed to the two people he cherished more than anything in the world.
  • During Tony's voice-over message, Scott is shown watching fireworks with Cassie and Hope. After seeing how frantic he was to locate Cassie after emerging from the Quantum Realm and how he could barely even talk about Hope after learning she was gone, seeing the three of them together again is truly delightful.
  • And the music that plays along? It's called The Real Hero.
• With the war against Thanos finally over, we get to see Clint, Scott, and T'Challa returning to their respective families and continue with their lives.
  • T'Challa proudly watching over Wakanda with his family right by his side. Right before the scene cuts, there's a blink-and-you-miss-it moment of Shuri leaning into her big brother and T'Challa affectionately patting her head and kissing it. Oh, and they're all in one big group hug with Queen Ramonda. Awww!
    • According to the Russos, both siblings were Snapped while Ramonda was not. Just imagine the relief and happiness she must've felt to see both of her children returned to her after five, long years alone.
  • Clint starts crying when he sees that it’s Laura who’s calling him after the snap.
  • The fact that Laura did call him within a matter of seconds after the resurrection-snap.
  • The fact that Clint not only kept his civilian phone around in the last five years, but kept paying for Laura's phone bill despite having no use for it anymore. Chances are, he may not have had the heart to see her number go to someone else. Thankfully, it pays off.
• Captain America gets his happy ending, going back in time, finally having that dance with Peggy, marrying her and, judging from the warm smile he gives Sam when prompted, manages to grow old with her this time around.
  • He also comes back as an old man and passes the shield on to Sam, which speaks volumes as to how much he respects his friend.
    Steve: [as Sam fastens the shield to his arm] How does it feel?
    Sam: Like it's somebody else's.
    Steve: It isn't.
    Sam: Thank you. I'll do my best.
    Steve: That's why it's yours.
  • Sam looks at Bucky as if asking if he's okay with this. Bucky just nods and smiles in agreement. Despite being friends with Steve longer than Sam, he accepts that Sam is a more worthy successor.
  • Sam becoming the second MCU Captain America is a Mythology Gag to the comics storyline, where the comic iteration of elderly Steve did the same for the younger Sam.
    • Steve choosing Sam instead of Bucky is its own separate type of heartwarming. Steve knows that Bucky had finally found peace in Wakanda before having to be recruited to deal with Thanos. Steve wants Bucky to return to that and live out the rest of his days with nothing else to worry about.
  • Before Steve's departure, it's clear that Bucky is in on the plan, with the two telling each other that they'll miss each other and Bucky knowing exactly where the older Steve will appear. Their last hug and Call-Back to the first movie speaks volumes about the unbreakable love and trust between the two — even though Steve is leaving Bucky behind, it seems safe to say that they'll both get a chance to "try some of that life Tony was telling me to get" and that they'll always be with each other.
    Steve: Don't do anything stupid until I get back.
    Bucky: [melancholic smile] How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you.
  • When Sam and Bucky first notice Steve sitting on the bench by the lake from behind him, it's likely no coincidence that his silhouette, now a little smaller and bent from old age, bears the resemblance of Steve's meek frame from before the experiment that gave him his powers.
  • Mixed with funny, but when Sam notices that Steve is wearing a wedding ring, he breaks out in a huge smile, asking Steve "You gonna tell me about her?", to which Steve declines with a "No. No, I don't think I will." The heartwarming part kicks in when one realizes that Steve ended up with the woman he loved, and it was personal, but it was enough for Sam to know that.
  • In the closing flashback of Steve's long-overdue reunion with Peggy, the front door to the house is actually ajar. Both of them were so carried away by the emotions of the moment, when Steve turned up on her porch for his promised dance date, that neither of them could spare an instant's time or attention to shut a door.
• The fact that most of the supporting cast from all the past movies, friends and foes alike (including people like Natalie Portman, whom many had thought was out of the MCU for good), get cameos as one big sendoff to the entire franchise.
• Peter and Ned doing their handshake and then sharing a tearful hug upon returning to school, implicitly realizing that they both went through the same dusting experience, but it's alright because they're both back now, and they're going to work through this together.
  • The first (inaudible) word out of Ned's mouth is him softly exclaiming "Dude!" in shock — from his perspective, Peter could've likely been killed in the first battle against Thanos, during the five years afterward, or in their last confrontation; at best, he could've come back to an older Pete whom it'd be very awkward to hang out with as a teenager. Instead, they still get to grow up together as friends.
• Thor decides to cede leadership of New Asgard to the person best qualified for the job, a real leader: Valkyrie. And then he, who has lost almost everything, decides to make a fresh start with the team composed of self-styled losers (which include his newfound "rabbit" friend): the Guardians of the Galaxy.
• Even the minor villains Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive get a small heartwarming moment when as Thanos and his forces are disintegrated, Proxima is shown cradling and staring at Corvus lying in her lap (who is either heavily injured or dead already) rather than struggling against the inevitable. This more tender ending of them together also reinforces that their comicbook romantic relationship was indeed carried over to the MCU, since their relationship was only confirmed by the Russos and their actors offscreen.
  • Arguably Ebony Maw as well. He can be seen gesturing towards Thanos apologetically, as if recognizing he has failed his master's ultimate mission, then kneels in respect as he vanishes.
• Even Played for Laughs as usual, Stan Lee's final cameo before his passing can really get to you, as after his long and spectacular life in which he got to see his creations flourish past their comic book origins beyond his wildest dreams, our final view of him occurs with the franchise's much praised de-aging effects so that he looks like he did in the year 1970, in the prime of life during the period of his greatest professional success.
  • If this is in fact Lee's last cameo, it's fitting that his character has a bumper sticker that reads, "Nuff Said." Especially since this film could be considered the ultimate culmination of his entire life's work in ways he probably couldn't imagine even back in 2008 when the MCU first started.
  • Notice anything familiar about the woman next to him? That's (a digital recreation of) his late wife Joan. The woman credited as the one who inspired Stan to embrace his creativity which led to an entire universe of heroes. In the end, in his final cameo, Stan is with the love of his life as they drive off for parts unknown (and considering the lighting of that very scene, it could also be seen as Stan Riding into the Sunset) and pass with the knowledge that their words had an impact on the world.
• While it's generally considered a funny moment, Gamora kneeing Quill in the groin becomes this when you realize that her line afterwards makes it clear she's aware of his romantic relationship with her counterpart. The only way she could've known this is if Nebula told her, which isn't something she had to do, especially in the heat of battle. Yet, Nebula took the time to do so anyway, even if she's still dismissive of Quill as a person.
• A small moment, but when Tony is yelling at Steve after returning to Earth and collapses, Carol immediately crouches down to check on him. She's known him for all of five minutes, but she's never lost those protective instincts.
• The Ancient One is resolute against giving Banner the Time Stone, for fear of the potential damage this would cause to the resulting alternate realities, and because it's the sworn duty of the Sorcerers Supreme to protect it. When Banner scoffs in response saying that Strange willingly gave it away, the Ancient One is shaken—he's supposed to be "the best of all of us", and when Banner says maybe "[Strange] made a mistake", she immediately deflates and admits that perhaps she was the one mistaken, and immediately surrenders the Stone. The Ancient One cannot see the future past her own death, so the fact that she trusts Dr. Stephen Strange that much, a man she has only ever seen as a possibility and hasn't even met in person yet, and knows that is (at her present time) a self-absorbed, narcissistic Jerkass is proof of the monumental level of sheer faith she has in his character and capacity for good.
• The Gamora of 2014 wants to have a friendly relationship with Nebula, and doesn't seem aware that whenever she bests Nebula, Thanos hurts her. She's clearly troubled watching them interact here. In the first Guardians movie, she quickly defects from Thanos while far away from him. In this one, all the Nebula from the future has to do to get her to change sides despite his close proximity is tell her that they become friends and sisters.
  • When Thanos sees present day Nebula's memories through 2014 Nebula's malfunctions, Gamora is quick to defend Nebula stating that it might have been a malfunction caused by their previous mission, despite not knowing for sure if it is or not. Even though Gamora at the time does not know the full degree which Nebula suffers under Thanos, she seems somewhat aware that their adopted father certainly doesn't treat Nebula particularly kindly and attempts to defuse any possible anger while everyone is still unsure of Thanos's reaction. It's reminiscent of an older sibling being quick to excuse or defend their younger sibling behaviour in front of their furious parents, to hopefully downplay any punishment that could be inflicted on the younger (and thus more helpless) sibling, regardless of any prior altercation or trouble caused earlier by said younger sibling. It can fall into tearjerker territory given the circumstances of their relationship, but at least it shows that while 2014 Gamora might not have truly known Nebula's suffering, might have been an indirect cause due to preferential treatment, she still cared about her.
• It's brief, but how does Cap get his 2012 self to lose focus for a moment? He tells him that Bucky is alive.
• It's rather nice to know that there's at least a version of Loki alive out there somewhere. While they might be lacking all their Character Development from Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok, there's at least a chance he and his timeline's Thor will work it out again.
  • Additionally, with 2014 Thanos dead, that means the Loki of that timeline alongside Heimdall are going to be able to move and live on Earth alongside Thor and the other Asgardians, now that the Thanos of that timeline wont be around to kill them in 2018, assuming that the events of Ragnarok happened more or less the same in that timeline.
  • Thanks to Loki (2021), we get to see that Loki, and he's totes adorbs.
• Wanda reassuring Clint that, wherever Natasha is, she knows her Heroic Sacrifice was worth it. After Wanda adds "They both do," an indirect reference to the otherwise-unmentioned Vision, Clint puts his arm around her and she puts her arm around his, as the two friends console each other. Doubly so if you remember that, back in Age of Ultron, Clint was the man who fully awakened Wanda's heroic potential and made her fight for the good side in the first place, so it came in full circle.
  • It's also a sweet reminder that, artificial life-form or not, Wanda's feelings for Vision are so powerful that she has no doubts whatsoever that he had a soul.
  • While her Roaring Rampage of Revenge against Thanos is mostly awesome and a tearjerker, her snarl of "You took everything from me" shows just how much she loved Vision.
  • The fact that this movie really marks the end of Wanda's persistent Trauma Conga Line throughout the franchise. While we do know that her suffering isn't over yet, given the events of WandaVision, just this once, she didn't have to suffer, she got a sweet deal in dealing her Roaring Rampage of Revenge against Thanos and at the end, and she managed to find peace in a world where Vision didn't come back to life. Seeing Wanda finally getting a break from suffering is reassuring.
• The end credits is a stark contrast to Avengers: Infinity War. While the previous film had simple but dreary white-on-black credits with tragic music playing in the background to punctuate that The Bad Guy Wins, this film has the same thing... but with the upbeat 40s jazz tune of "It's Been a Long, Long Time" initially playing instead, with a colorful aura slowly appearing. The music then changes into the aptly-entitled "Main on End" and the aura reveals itself to be clips from all the other films in the MCU, all with that far more triumphant, lighthearted theme playing in the background. This then culminates in the original six Avengers getting unique credits of their own: Their signatures and characters being shown with Alan Silvestri's legendarily-awesome Avengers theme playing in full flourish. It really does hit home that not only did the heroes turn the tide and win the day this time, but it was also their final, greatest hurrah of all.
  • The end credits for Infinity War seemed like a memorial listing off the cast akin to listing off a list of casualties, but the ones for Endgame is a definite, saluting tribute to the Avengers, celebrating all the heroes who helped save Earth, with the signatures of their actors rather than normal text, and showcasing clips of them in action. By the time the credits get to Robert Downey Jr. himself, the crowds during the film's opening weekends exploded with joy, signifying just how much the one and only Iron Man made a cultural impact in just a decade.
  • When the silhouettes of the original six Avengers are shown, one can notice that while Clint, Natasha, Thor, and Steve are in their superhero costumes, Bruce (to a point, as his silhouette faintly turns green when it appears) and Tony are not. It shows that their intelligent minds were just as important as gamma radiation and suits of armor.
  • Despite the amount of moments they could've chosen for Cap's heroic montage, one of the clips they pick is of skinny, pre-serum Steve using a trash can lid in place of his iconic shield, further proving that with or without the serum, Steve Rogers was always going to be a hero.
  • When the credits show Tony, all but one background clip are entirely from Iron Man (with the lone exception being from The Avengers (2012)), those being the only clips from that movie during the whole end credits scene, which punctuates the act that this phenomenal legend spanning 11 years started off with the birth of Tony Stark's superhero identity and, with him, the birth of superheroes in the MCU's modern times. It's also very fitting that the Avengers theme goes into full flourish showing him, finally making clear that, in a world teeming with legendary warriors and heroes who saved Earth on several occasions, the greatest one of all time turns out not to be a god, warrior, or even one bearing any type of superpower. The best of the best is a regular man who only had a brilliant mind as well as a knack for inventing and wisecracks.
  • What is the last thing we hear in this movie (and the entire Myth Arc as a whole)? A familiar sound of hammer striking metal.
  • And if you count them, there's six all in all — one for Tony, Steve, Bruce, Nat, Thor, and Clint.
• Just the fact that the MCU's original Avengers got to go on one last mission together.
• In its own way, the final shot of the movie, with Steve and Peggy dancing and capping it off with a kiss as soft music plays. It's not the triumphant ending of the first Avengers, nor the to be continued hook of the second, or the despondent end of the third. It's a simple, sweet ending to a twenty-two movie Myth Arc, closing it out in a manner worthy of an And They Lived Happily Ever After.
• The sacrifice Iron Man did to save the universe is repeatedly referenced in future installments, forever cementing Tony's legacy as a hero.

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Proof that Tony Stark has a heart.

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