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| 6 | [[caption-width-right:350:''"I know I said no more surprises, but I gotta say, I was really hoping to pull off one last one. But it looks like... well, [[BittersweetEnding you know what it looks like.]]"'']] |
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| 12 | ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' [[TearJerker/AvengersInfinityWar spared no expense in wringing as many tears out of its audience as it possibly could]]. ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' doesn't skimp on the {{Tear Jerker}}s, either; in fact, for all of its triumphs, it's much more tragic than its predecessor, as it is the EndOfAnAge within the MCU after ''11 years''. |
| 13 | ---- |
| 14 | !'''''All'' spoilers on this page are left unmarked. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned!''' |
| 15 | |
| 16 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 17 | |
| 18 | [[folder:Trailers]] |
| 19 | * Tony has been drifting in space alone (with Nebula, as the film reveals), as he indicates in a message he records for Pepper. His food and water have run out and he's also about to run out of oxygen, and [[DespairEventHorizon he just sounds so hopeless]]. |
| 20 | ** Not only that; [[FaceDeathWithDignity Tony sounds completely okay with dying]]. The loss of Peter and his failure to stop Thanos have taken away his will to even live, it seems. |
| 21 | ** And then there's how Tony signs off. |
| 22 | --->'''Tony:''' When I drift off, [[DyingDeclarationOfLove I will dream about you.]] [[OneTrueLove It's always you.]] |
| 23 | * Natasha telling the other Avengers that Thanos accomplished his goal. She's a hardened assassin, but yet sounds like [[NotSoStoic she's about to break down]]. As she says this, Steve [[ManlyTears already has tears running down his face]]. |
| 24 | * Bruce, Thor, and Nebula standing in different parts of the Avengers' compound, motionless and distraught. |
| 25 | ** The look on Thor's face combines guilt, anger, and sadness all in one. |
| 26 | --->'''Thor:''' [[ItsAllMyFault I saw all these people die...]] |
| 27 | * For that matter, what Bruce looks at that makes him put his head in his hands is images of different superheroes; clearly, the Avengers are trying to see what superheroes besides themselves they can rally if they want to fight Thanos. It seems like a moment of DramaticIrony, at first, with Scott Lang (since we know he's actually trapped in the Quantum Realm)... then it pans over to Shuri, who is deemed missing or dead, [[FridgeHorror and why would the Avengers, who were fighting in Wakanda only in the last movie, not be in contact with one of the only remaining members of their royal family?]] |
| 28 | ** It gets worse. The image of Shuri changes to Peter Parker. As if the last movie didn't crush us enough by making us watch him die, we now have to see his picture on the screen with the word "DECEASED" next to it. |
| 29 | * Steve looking at a picture of Peggy is yet another example of FridgeHorror, since we know Steve clings onto ANY part of his past, and now his one link, Bucky Barnes, is gone... meaning that he falls back on the thing in his past he arguably loved most. |
| 30 | * The conversation between Steve and Natasha is heartbreaking. |
| 31 | -->'''Natasha:''' This is gonna work, Steve.\ |
| 32 | '''Steve:''' I know it is. 'Cause I don't know what I'm gonna do if it doesn't. |
| 33 | * We see Clint Barton, now Ronin instead of Hawkeye, and the look on his face tells us that not all of his family made it out of the snap alive. |
| 34 | ** It gets worse when you realize he appears after Steve says "We lost family". [[FridgeHorror Maybe because]] ''[[FridgeHorror none]]'' [[FridgeHorror of his family made it out of the snap alive.]] |
| 35 | * Scott's appearance at the end of the trailer comes as a [[HopeSpot bright spot]] in an otherwise bleak trailer. But a bit of FridgeHorror sets in when it's suggested that he has ''no idea what's happened''. |
| 36 | * This trailer to great effect emphasizes the fact that for the first time since they were assembled all those years ago by Nick Fury, the Avengers have ''failed''. |
| 37 | * Even the [[SpoilerCover cover art]] for the [[LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition SteelBook]] release is a tearjerker in and of itself. Not only does the cover show who lives and dies in the film (with the front of the case having the surviving heroes in front of a colourful and whole Avengers logo, while the back of the case shows the characters who died in the previous film in front of a greyed out and ruined Avengers logo), but opening the case shows the inner artwork to be greyed out images of [[Creator/RobertDowneyJr Tony Stark]] and [[Creator/ScarlettJohansson Natasha Romanoff]] with the signatures of their respective actors. This makes the package look like a memento mourning the heroes who died in both the previous film and this one. |
| 38 | [[/folder]] |
| 39 | |
| 40 | [[folder:Movie]] |
| 41 | * The very first pre-logo scene shows the Barton family together at their farm. Clint is teaching Lila how to shoot a bow, Cooper and Nathaniel are playing catch, and his wife Laura is setting out the table for a picnic. Laura calls out that lunch is ready, Clint looks away from his daughter for a couple of seconds to say they're coming, and when he turns back, she's gone and there's a fluttering of ashes where she was standing. He looks around for her and calls out to Laura, but she and their sons are now gone too. Poor Clint is left alone, screaming for his family with no idea what's just happened to them. |
| 42 | ** And the next time we see Clint, he's killing Yakuza with swords and throwing stars, not a bow. ''Conspicuously'' not a bow, his signature weapon. The last moment he shared with his family, he was ''teaching his daughter how to use a bow''. Odds are that he can't '''bear''' to use one anymore without being reminded of his little girl, and he doesn't arm himself with one again until Natasha offers him a chance to get her back. |
| 43 | *** An alternative interpretation: His bow is the symbol of him as a ''hero''. Deep down, he knows that by becoming a vengeful murderer, he is no longer a hero and therefore doesn't deserve to use a bow. In any case, either interpretation is a tearjerker. |
| 44 | ** And then we get to the Creator/MarvelStudios logo, but take a close look at the images: ''all of the dusted characters are '''gone.''''' (Ant-Man is, too, but for another reason.) Furthermore, the song playing during the logo is "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h69DmKKlG8I Dear Mr. Fantasy]]" by Traffic. The lyrics correspond too well to the current predicament of the Avengers as a whole, and perhaps even the audience. |
| 45 | -->''♫ Dear Mr. Fantasy, play us a tune\ |
| 46 | Something to make us all happy\ |
| 47 | Do anything, take us out of this gloom\ |
| 48 | Sing a song, play guitar, make it snappy. ♫'' |
| 49 | * The first we see of Tony, he's playing a friendly game of paper football with Nebula, guiding her patiently, almost paternally, to a victory and offering her a good game handshake. It's an eerily serene moment in the midst of truly terrifying circumstances, and it would be pure Heartwarming if not for the realization that this is the nicest we have EVER seen Nebula treated to this point. Thanos tortured her from childhood, and Gamora unknowingly facilitated that torture for her own survival. Nebula hasn't known Tony Stark for more than a handful of days at this point, and he's been more of a father to her than Thanos ever was. |
| 50 | * The second time you watch this film, listen ''very'' carefully to the gentle and heartwarming piano motif played after Tony records his will to Pepper and falls asleep, accepting his imminent death by suffocation. It's the same theme played at his funeral in the finale, except this time, he sleeps ''forever''. Ouch. Furthermore, at the beginning of the movie, some parts of the dialogue Tony records are different from the ones heard in the very first trailer. At the end, those missing parts are heard; they are from his very last recording. |
| 51 | ** The will-recording scene becomes even sadder when you consider that, so far as Tony knows, Pepper ''may already be dead herself''. Like everyone else, she only had a 50% chance of surviving the Snap. |
| 52 | * Tony, upon coming back to Earth, mournfully tells Steve that "I lost the kid." When Steve later tries to seek his help in locating Thanos to avenge their mutually-lost loved ones, Tony ''[[RageBreakingPoint erupts]]'' into a [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech grief-fueled emotional meltdown]] on TheGoodCaptain, outraged that his attempts to have a unified force capable of defending the planet from outside threats ([[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron the Ultron Program]], [[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar the Sokovia Accords]]) was opposed by Steve at every turn and how, when [[Film/AvengersInfinityWar the big battle happened]], he fought it relatively alone with none of his teammates (particularly Cap) there with him. It's heartbreaking to see a man thwarted time and again in his efforts to protect the world, and witness ''firsthand'' the price of his failure in the form of an innocent child weeping and crumbling into ash in his arms, and then be forced to carry the burden of living to mourn him. What really cuts deep is, near the end of his ReasonYouSuckSpeech, he says he has no trust in him, then calls him a liar in a cold whisper, referring partially to Steve [[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar knowing that the Winter Soldier had killed his parents and didn't tell him]]. The venomous hatred in his voice also implies that he '''had''' to place the blame for the Avengers' destruction and therefore Peter Parker's death ''squarely'' on Steve's shoulders. |
| 53 | -->'''Tony:''' I saw this coming a few years back. I had a vision. I didn't want to believe it; I thought I was dreaming.\ |
| 54 | '''Steve:''' Tony, I'm gonna need you to focus--\ |
| 55 | '''Tony:''' And I ''needed'' you, as in past tense. That ''trumps'' what you need. It's too late, buddy. Sorry. ''[standing up]'' You know what I need? ''[knocks his cereal bowl away in anger]'' I need a shave. And I believe I remember telling all of youse...\ |
| 56 | '''Rhodey:''' Tony, Tony, Tony...\ |
| 57 | '''Tony:''' ''[rips his IV off]'' ... alive and otherwise, that what we ''needed'' was a suit of armor around the world! Remember that? Whether it impacted our precious freedoms or not, that's what we ''needed''!\ |
| 58 | '''Steve:''' Well, that didn't work out, did it?\ |
| 59 | '''Tony:''' I said we'd lose; you said "We'll do that together, too." Well, guess what, Cap? ''We lost. And you weren't there.''\ |
| 60 | ''[{{Beat}}]''\ |
| 61 | '''Tony:''' But that's what we do, right? Our best work after the fact? ''[to Rhodey]'' We're the ''Avengers, '' ''we're the Avengers?'' Not the ''Pre-venger''s, right?\ |
| 62 | '''Rhodey:''' ''[trying to keep Tony off of Steve]'' Okay, you made your point. Just sit down, okay?\ |
| 63 | '''Tony:''' No, no, here's the point. ''[about Carol]'' You know, she's great by the way. ''[to Carol]'' We need you; you're new blood. Bunch of tired old mules. ''[storms up to Steve]'' I got NOTHING for you, Cap. I got no coordinates, no clues, no strategies, no options, zero, zip, ''nada''. No trust. ''Liar''.\ |
| 64 | ''[Tony takes off his arc reactor and slaps it into Steve's hand]''\ |
| 65 | '''Tony:''' Here, take this. You find him and you put that on. You hide! ''[collapses onto the floor]'' |
| 66 | ** To top it off, Tony is weak and tired both physically and mentally. He's visibly thinner from malnourishment and needs an IV, but musters just enough strength to express his anger, hurt, and disappointment in Steve before collapsing. |
| 67 | ** There's no nice way to say this; with his gaunt appearance and strung-out demeanor, Creator/RobertDowneyJr looks pretty much exactly how he did before he quit drugs. He'd always been hesitant to portray Tony's addiction from the comics because it would lead him down a dark place, but he summoned some of that previous sickness for this one scene. Seeing Tony this worn out and angry, we're seeing him at his worst as opposed to his best like in the other films. |
| 68 | ** Here's a point that makes it even worse: Tony's ranting is an [[InvertedTrope inversion]] of his BadassBoast to Loki all the way back in ''[[Film/TheAvengers2012 The Avengers]]''. The contrast between the Tony Stark who confidently declared "If we can't protect the earth, you can be damn well sure we'll avenge it" and the Tony Stark who throws in the towel (at least, at first) is saddening. |
| 69 | ** And Creator/RobertDowneyJr is not acting on that "Liar." He'd gotten so deep into character that he snapped out the line unscripted, to everyone else's genuine horror. |
| 70 | ** What hurts more is the sheer DramaticIrony of Tony's entire rant. He did try to call Steve, but he actually hesitated to make the call in the first place before getting interrupted by Ebony Maw's attack. It's Bruce who picked up the dropped cellphone and made the actual call so, as far as Tony knew, Steve was never active at all when we, the audience, know that to not be true at all. Furthermore, looking back at that scene in ''Infinity War'', Tony's clear hesitation was him TRYING to put his own [[{{Pride}} ego]] and grudge aside long enough to ask for Steve's help, which he certainly struggled to do. |
| 71 | ** When Tony calls him liar, Steve has a look of immense hurt and sadness. Lying to Tony about his parents was probably the thing he was most ashamed of, so to be reminded of it especially now really cut him deep. |
| 72 | ** Also while they may not have always gotten along, Tony was still a really good friend of Steve's, so it most definitely broke his heart to see that one of his closest friends still resented him immensely. |
| 73 | * The moment Rocket sees Nebula exiting the ''Benatar'' without Quill or the other Guardians, he immediately knows that it means they too did not survive Thanos' Snap. Having already lost his best friend, Rocket now has lost the only family he ever had and sits quietly next to Nebula, the two of them holding hands in mutual understanding. |
| 74 | ** Just the simple fact that these two, very likely the two characters in the entire MCU who least like to be touched, reach out to each other for comfort in this moment... |
| 75 | ** This is ''even worse'' on a rewatch when you [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol3 get the full details of Rocket's backstory.]] [[spoiler:It's not the first time he's seen his found family be completely wiped out.]] |
| 76 | * As Natasha bitterly tells the team that Thanos has succeeded in wiping out half of the population, the hologram detailing those known to be missing changes to a picture of Nick Fury, whom Carol looks at tearfully. Fury was a trusted friend who helped her discover her past and true identity all those years ago, and both of them have mutual respect for each other to the point that Fury even named the superhero project he spearheaded after Carol's former call sign. To see one of the only friends she has left on Earth among the victims of the Snap breaks even Carol's normally stoic exterior, and she does not hesitate to go after Thanos to make him pay for what he did. Even worse, ''Series/WandaVision'' reveals that Carol also lost her goddaughter Monica Rambeau. No wonder why she was so pissed. |
| 77 | ** It's subtle, but after the image of Peter's face comes up, Tony puts a hand to his face and glances away; after that, he can't stand to watch any longer. |
| 78 | * The Avengers are surprised upon knowing that Thanos really did retire completely, never turning back to go out and defeat the rest of the heroes or rebuild his army and start conquering planets. And just to punctuate the point that his journey was '''over''', he destroyed the Infinity Stones and, effectively, the Infinity Gauntlet itself. If not for the Quantum Realm, this would have cemented the fact that there truly was no hope to restore the executed half of the universe. They were gone, forever; without any hope of return now that the most powerful artifacts in the universe are gone with them. It was over. |
| 79 | ** Thanos' first appearance in this film is kind of sad as well. He's now living as a farmer on a remote planet, his former glory as a GalacticConqueror now behind him, symbolized by the fact that he now uses his ornate armor as a scarecrow. We also see him with a limp and, after he gets ambushed by the remaining Avengers, we get to see the extent of his injuries (that were later revealed to be the result of destroying the Stones): Half of his body is burned and the now-useless Gauntlet is [[BodyHorror fused to his arm]] (before Thor chopped it off, thinking it still worked). How does he face his impending death? [[FaceDeathWithDignity He takes it solemnly]], getting in one last shot at telling the Avengers (more likely Thor, in particular) that because they didn't finish the job the first time, they will now have to live with the fact that they will never be able to undo his life's work and his death by their hands would simply be an act of petty revenge. To top things off, his final words aren't even a BadassBoast; it's simply him thanking Nebula for believing his claim about destroying the Stones and admitting that he'd been too hard on her. |
| 80 | *** Thanos committed many atrocities in his lifetime, but never regretted doing them. The one thing he does regret? His treatment towards Nebula. |
| 81 | *** And after he's decapitated, Nebula caresses his head and [[DiesWideOpen closes his eyes]]. She may hate him for everything he's done to her, but he was still the only parental figure she'd ever known. |
| 82 | * What encourages Tony to join the Time Heist? Looking at a photo of him awarding Peter the Stark Internship. |
| 83 | * While he's the main source of comic relief in the movie, the state Thor has fallen into after the TimeSkip is nothing short of heartbreaking. He's become a reclusive and washed-up shut-in, [[DrowningMySorrows drowning his sorrows away with copious amounts of alcohol and junk food]], and generally looking like a [[FormerlyFit total mess]] (complete with a BeardOfSorrow). When you compare ''Endgame'' Thor with how prideful and arrogant he was in his [[Film/{{Thor}} first appearance]], it's especially jarring to see that he's become a slovenly and alcoholic recluse. His grief and depression over his failure to stop Thanos has completely broken him to the point that he freezes up at the mention of Thanos and whispers "Don't... say that name." |
| 84 | ** And even when he does get the chance to kill Thanos, which he takes, it is exceedingly obvious that it did nothing to help him cope because what the Mad Titan did to the universe was already irreversible, and killing him simply did nothing at all but slay a retired man. |
| 85 | --->'''Rocket:''' Thor? What did you do?\ |
| 86 | '''Thor:''' ''[[[DespairEventHorizon with broken realization]]] [[IronicEcho ... I went for the head.]]'' |
| 87 | ** Consider the fact that Asgardians have an extremely high alcohol tolerance, so in order for one to even feel a bit drunk, they'd have to probably drink ''a lot'' of alcohol. As Valkyrie points out when Bruce and Rocket arrive at New Asgard, Thor has been drinking so much his monthly supply of beer is a large pile of kegs. This also goes for the amount of junk food he’s been eating; Asgardians are known for having voracious appetites but have superhuman metabolisms that can keep them in check. Thor’s now overweight shape is proof of just how much overeating junk food and over drinking he’s been doing - how much ''pain'' he’s been trying to drink in said junk food and drink. |
| 88 | ** Valkyrie casts a weary eye at the kegs reserved for Thor, no doubt reminded of how she herself constantly drank herself silly during her years on Sakaar, a funk that Thor himself helped her out of, no less. Now she’s watched him grow sad and drunk for years while she keeps it and what’s left of the kingdom together. |
| 89 | ** Although his drunken ramblings about the events of ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'' is PlayedForLaughs for the most part, the way that he clams up when he mentions that his mother died that day is still saddening. |
| 90 | ** When the new Infinity Gauntlet is built, Thor immediately tries to bum rush and take claim over being the one to use it. At first, he tries to justify it by saying he's the strongest Avenger (which Hulk, at least at this point in time, obviously is), but as Tony and Steve try to talk him down, it's clear he just wants to not feel like a failure and might have even become a DeathSeeker given how everyone is pretty sure in the deteriorated state he's in, he'd probably die. |
| 91 | --->'''Thor:''' Sitting here staring at that thing is not gonna bring everybody back. I'm the strongest Avenger, okay? So this responsibility falls upon me. It's my duty. [...] ''(tearing up)'' Let me do it. [[RedemptionEqualsDeath Just let me do something good, something right.]]\ |
| 92 | '''Tony:''' No, it's not just the fact that that glove's channeling enough energy to light up a continent. I'm telling you, you're in no condition to. |
| 93 | ** It's a bit sobering to see the surviving Asgardians living quiet lives as a fishing town after spending three movies of them as a ProudWarriorRace. As Bruce put it, they lost their home in ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', half the survivors when Thanos claimed the Space Stone by attacking the ''Statesman'', and another half after the Snap. Seeing them live mundane and ''safer'' lives hits home that the people that were once about honor and glory have become an endangered species. |
| 94 | ** In contrast to his other family members, Thor doesn't talk about Loki at all, and doesn't even acknowledge him when he and Rocket visit the past. Far from being a ForgottenFallenFriend, it seems likely that [[DespairEventHorizon the memory of]] [[MyGreatestFailure his brother's death]] is just too painful for Thor to think about. |
| 95 | * The shot of New York five years in the future is dark and dismal. The Statue of Liberty is surrounded by boats of refugees while Citi Field is deserted, the parking lot filled with cars no doubt there since the Snap took their owners. |
| 96 | * The five-year TimeSkip shows us that people have just been unable to move on from their friends and family members and just half the population suddenly vanishing, and culminates in Natasha, now ostensibly the leader of the Avengers, taking reports, then breaking down crying. |
| 97 | ** Natasha breaking down crying and looking so depressed had more meaning after ''Series/Hawkeye2021'' revealed that Yelena Belova, Nat's sister, was one of the Vanished. |
| 98 | ** But perhaps the more depressingly realistic thing is the fact that the world is still turning at all in the aftermath of such a devastating event. Even though the massive trauma remains and the planet's infrastructure is a crumbling ruin, the people of Earth still try to get on with their lives. While this can be seen as a hopeful thing, it seems that many people, like the kids with Bruce, have already done their best to forget the Snap only five years later, similar to how real life tragedies and terror attacks can be quickly glossed over in the grand scheme of things. |
| 99 | * A man at Steve's support group mentions that he went on a date, and his date started crying when the salads came out. Another member of the group simply asks "What about you?" He replies, "I cried right before dessert." Everyone is so depressed that no one finds it the slightest bit odd for people to randomly break down crying. |
| 100 | * When Scott escapes the Quantum Realm, [[YearOutsideHourInside only five hours have passed for him, while half a decade passed outside]]. Alone and confused, he is forced to discover the horror of what happened to everyone he knows and loves. Desperately searching a list of names on a memorial to the lost, frantically hoping not to find familiar names, he only finds ''his own'' instead. And even when he does find Cassie alive, he still has to deal with the fact that after everything he's been through in his own movies, he lost another five years of his daughter's life. |
| 101 | ** When Scott returns, he's wandering down a street, passing by long-abandoned cars and trash piled up along with a pole covered in "MISSING" posters. A kid on a bike passes by and when Scott asks him what happened, the kid just gives him a look clearly showing he lost people himself before biking on. |
| 102 | *** It's likely that some people have suffered mental breakdowns and [[HappyPlace retreated from reality]] in the aftermath of the Snap. The kid may think Scott is a case of this, and has perhaps seen it before. |
| 103 | ** In the same scene, in the background there is a dog sitting on a porch of a disused house, possibly waiting for its owners to come home - not knowing where they went and why they are gone. |
| 104 | ** While explaining what happened to him to Steve and Natasha, Scott stumbles over how to refer to [[RelationshipRevolvingDoor Hope]]. He stops and starts several times before finally calling her the person who was supposed to bring him out of the Quantum Realm. It's clearly too painful for him to refer to her as anything else, having lost her ''again'' so soon after they'd mended the rift between them. Even worse, for the rest of the Universe The Decimation was five years ago and they had time to put things in perspective (some more than others) but, for Scott? it ''was five hours ago''. |
| 105 | ** The fact that the van ended up in a storage room means that Luis or the others never went to collect it, which can only mean one thing... |
| 106 | * The scene of the memorials in San Francisco is chilling in itself. There are over 50 large stone markers in various rows, each one of which is covered, front and back, with ''thousands'' of names of those vanished. People are seen looking at the names, clearly affected by the loss. It's like a larger version of the Ground Zero or Oklahoma City memorials. There are ''hundreds of thousands dead''. And this is just ''one'' city. |
| 107 | ** One possible extra tearjerker is the blink-and-you'll-miss-it addition of one "[[Creator/StanLee Stanley Lieber]]" on one of the markers. |
| 108 | * It's a small thing, but Bruce mentions to Scott that he felt the loss to Thanos twice as bad. First only the Hulk lost, then he lost, then they all lost. And he blamed himself for it, as the strongest Avenger and the "big brain" both failed to step up when they were needed. Hence, his solution of merging them both, bringing peace to the split personality problems, but still keeping himself as a reminder to his failures in having both Banner and Hulk for all the world to see. |
| 109 | * Another subtle one, after her aside with Bruce where he admits he wasn't kidding about possibly losing Scott in the past, Natasha looks back at Scott with an [[TechnicallyASmile obviously forced smile]]. Then when the experiment goes wrong she seems visibly afraid as she remarks "Oh God." These would be perfectly normal reactions for anyone else, but this is Black Widow, regarded as the world's best spy and master of deception, who never lost her cool, even under torture. Five years of trying to hold a broken world together have left her so emotionally drained, she can't even maintain a poker face, and/or is just past the point of caring. |
| 110 | * Clint has spent the last five years as the masked Ronin, [[VigilanteMan dishing out brutal attacks on various criminals]]. When a gangster demands to know what he did, Clint fires back "half the world died and you stayed." By the time Nat finds him, Clint is clearly a lost soul. |
| 111 | ** Even worse is the idea that Clint is risking his life so much because [[DeathSeeker he wants to die]] and be with his family. It's painfully clear that what he's doing isn't justice. He proactively wipes out criminals because not only are they stress toys to vent out his pain on, but because deep down, [[TheResenter he begrudges his targets the fact that they lived while his family died]]. His claims of them hurting people even though ''they weren't responsible for the Decimation that killed his family'' feel really hollow for a man who really acts because he's got nearly nothing left, as evidenced by Akihiko's response. The sardonic, affable, and easygoing family man has basically become [[Series/ThePunisher2017 Frank Castle]]. |
| 112 | ** When Nat says there's a way to fix things, Clint nearly cries "[[HopeIsScary don't give me hope]]." |
| 113 | * Clint volunteers for the first proper test of the "time jump" and it's clear he's perfectly okay with the possibility that he won't come back. He ends up back at his farm, overjoyed to find his son's baseball glove. He's racing to call out for his daughter when he's pulled back to the present before he can see her; she hears him call out but arrives seconds too late to see him. However, when Clint reappears in the present, he is still holding the glove, symbolizing that all hope isn't lost and the plan can proceed. |
| 114 | -->'''Clint:''' It works. |
| 115 | * During their time jump to [[Film/ThorTheDarkWorld Asgard in 2013]], Thor sees Frigga and realizes it is the day she will be killed. What's more is, while he tries to do something about it, Frigga seems to know what's coming and tells him to not worry about her fate. Thor is just both elated and devastated to see his mother again, even though they both know it won't end well for her. This line from Frigga is especially heartbreaking: |
| 116 | -->'''Frigga:''' The future has not been kind to you, has it? |
| 117 | ** During Thor's conversation with his mother, it's pretty clear to everyone that Thor has been wallowing in self-pity and hatred for half a decade now. He tells her that he wasn't supposed to fail because he's a hero, but Frigga promptly puts a stop to that by reminding him that heroes aren't above everybody else; they're still people, albeit people who do the best with who they are. |
| 118 | --->'''Frigga:''' Do you know what that makes you? Just like everyone else.\ |
| 119 | '''Thor:''' I'm not supposed to be like everyone else, am I?\ |
| 120 | '''Frigga:''' ''[shaking her head while fixing his hair lovingly]'' Everyone fails at who they're supposed to be, Thor. The measure of a person, of a ''hero''... is how well they succeed at being who they ''are''.\ |
| 121 | '''Thor:''' ''[smiles sadly]'' I've really missed you, mum.\ |
| 122 | ''[the two share a HeadbuttOfLove]'' |
| 123 | ** In an earlier scene with the other Avengers, he had brought up his mother's death and was brought to the verge of tears just talking about it. He was also depressed when having to mention Jane; despite his claim of a "mutual dumping" in ''Ragnarok'', the break-up clearly still hurts him. |
| 124 | * On a similar note, Tony meeting with his father in 1970 is equal parts heartwarming and funny, but like with Thor, Tony knows how things will turn out and can't save his father from his inevitable fate. |
| 125 | ** On the other hand, Steve, while hiding from some soldiers, finds himself in Peggy's office by accident. He doesn't even realize it's hers until he sees [[TragicKeepsake a pre-serum picture of himself]] on her desk - the very same one the army gave her after he went under. To make matters worse, Peggy is literally only a wall away, unaware that [[TheLostLenore the man she loves]] is ''right there'' in her office. The look of sheer ''longing'' on Steve's face just hammers it in even more. |
| 126 | *** The BackgroundMusic is also a reprise of the piece that played in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'' when Steve fell into the ice and Peggy is left behind to mourn him. |
| 127 | *** Steve also has a sad expression in his face at seeing Tony talking with his father. Not only Howard was an old friend of his, but, like Tony, Steve knows that he's doomed to die and he can't do anything to prevent it. |
| 128 | * Unlike in ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', when the time comes to trade a soul for the Soul Stone, both Clint and Natasha refuse to let the other sacrifice themselves, despite both of them being very willing to do so. Their fight and scramble to cast themselves off the cliff is heartwarming, but ultimately tragic as Natasha sacrifices herself in the end. Fittingly, the pose of her dead body is much the same as Gamora in ''Infinity War'', symbolizing how no matter how the heroes can fix things, some sacrifices seem always inevitable. There is also no coming back for her, even if Bruce says he tried when his turn to use the Stones came. |
| 129 | ** The fact that before they got to Vormir, the two of them were having such a good time reminiscing aboard the ''Benatar''. After five years of Clint's vigilantism and Nat trying to pick up the broken pieces of the Avengers, they've obviously missed each other, and it's apparent that they're both just so glad to be on a mission with their best friend once more. |
| 130 | ** The setup is rough as each realizes what it means and share one last HeadbuttOfLove. |
| 131 | --->'''Natasha:''' If we don't get that stone, billions of people stay dead.\ |
| 132 | '''Clint:''' Then I guess we both know who it's gotta be.\ |
| 133 | '''Natasha:''' I guess we do.\ |
| 134 | ''[Clint takes her hand and Nat grips his firmly with both of hers]''\ |
| 135 | '''Clint:''' ''[looks Natasha straight in the eyes]'' I'm starting to think... we mean different people here, Natasha.\ |
| 136 | '''Natasha:''' For the last five years, I've been trying to do one thing. Get to right here. That's all it's been about. Bringing everybody back.\ |
| 137 | '''Clint:''' No, don't you get all decent on me now.\ |
| 138 | '''Natasha:''' What, you think I wanna do it? I'm trying to save your life, you idiot.\ |
| 139 | '''Clint:''' Yeah, well, I don't want you to. How's that? ''[trying not to cry]'' Natasha, you know what I've done. You know what I've become.\ |
| 140 | '''Natasha:''' Oh, I don't judge people on their worst mistakes.\ |
| 141 | '''Clint:''' Maybe you should.\ |
| 142 | '''Natasha:''' You didn't.\ |
| 143 | '''Clint:''' You're a pain in my ass, you know that?\ |
| 144 | ''[Nat nods, and Clint gives her a HeadbuttOfLove]'' |
| 145 | *** Right before this, you can just see in Natasha's face how scared she is of what is about to happen. Then it's gone, and she's back to steeling herself because, as she put it earlier on in the film, they owe it to everyone who got dusted to at least ''try.'' |
| 146 | ----> '''Nat:''' ''[whispering to herself]'' Whatever it takes. |
| 147 | ** Natasha never knew her father's name. This either means [[DisappearedDad he abandoned her before she was even born]] or she was [[{{TykeBomb}} taken from her family by the Red Room very early in her childhood]] just like the other Red Room girls. ''Film/{{Black Widow|2021}}'' confirms that she didn't know either of her parents. |
| 148 | * As Clint makes to sacrifice himself, he shares one LongLastLook with Nat as he runs past her, clearly trying to tell her ''it's okay, you can let me do this.'' However, she tackles him at the last minute, which leads to the both of them hanging off the edge with only a single harness anchoring them to the cliff side. Clint, who barely just managed to grab Nat's hand, tries to reach her with his other one, but can't, because she's too far away. |
| 149 | --> '''Clint:''' ''[clearly frustrated]'' ''Damn'' you. |
| 150 | ** He then tries to plead with her not to do this, but Nat, having already made up her mind, gently tells him to let her go. It's only when it becomes apparent that Clint will never do so that Nat finally kicks off the wall, wrenching herself out of his grip, to fall to her death. If you weren't crying by now, Clint's heartbroken look as he screams [[BigNo "NO!"]] will definitely get you. |
| 151 | --->'''Clint:''' Wait.\ |
| 152 | '''Nat:''' ''[gently]'' Let me go.\ |
| 153 | '''Clint:''' '''No.''' No. Please, no.\ |
| 154 | '''Nat:''' It's okay.\ |
| 155 | '''Clint:''' ''Please.''\ |
| 156 | ''[Nat lets herself fall]''\ |
| 157 | '''Clint:''' '''''[[BigNo NO!]]''''' |
| 158 | *** You can just see that the ''only'' thing stopping Clint from going after her is the fact that if the both of them had died, no one would bring the Soul Stone back to the compound, and Nat's death would have all been for nothing. |
| 159 | *** The broken, defeated way Clint just stares at the Soul Stone after they've obtained it. His family is dead, his best friend is dead, and there's absolutely ''nothing'' he can do about it, except to cry and punch at the water surrounding him. |
| 160 | *** The DeletedScene makes this either softer or worse. In an alternate take, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRMuUcf4CBk&t=4s Thanos catches up to the duo after capturing Future Nebula and sets his retinue on them before the two can decide who will make a sacrifice]]. Natasha makes a decision and lets herself get shot by charging forward. All Clint can do, after giving a silent BigNo, is to provide cover and fight off the mooks one by one as an injured Natasha drags herself towards the edge of the cliff. Her last action is shooting a mook about to overwhelm Clint and smile at him, before letting herself fall. All the while, Clint is reaching for her and begging her without words to not do it. He seems almost disappointed when the Soul Stone's emergence saves him from Thanos as the figure approaches. No, the music doesn't help. |
| 161 | * When they return to the present, everybody is in high spirits at having completed their respective missions successfully. Steve is looking around proudly; Rhodey holds up the Orb with a massive grin on his face; and Thor's booming laughter can be heard in the background. Clint, on the other hand, simply drops to his knees with a ThousandYardStare... and all conversation ceases at once as everybody realizes that one of them is missing. |
| 162 | -->'''Bruce:''' Clint... [[WhamLine Clint, where's Nat?]] |
| 163 | ** Clint and Steve sharing that loaded MeaningfulLook before the camera cuts away. Aside from Bruce, those two definitely had the closest (platonic) relationship with Nat. Obviously, Clint and Nat go way back, what with him getting her onboard with S.H.I.E.L.D. and trusting her enough that [[CoolAunt he even considers her as an honorary part of his family]]--a secret he kept from literally '''''everybody else''''', sans Fury. Steve, on the other hand, is somebody she's only known for eleven years, and yet--he manages to gain ''all'' of that trust and respect within only ''two'' years of working alongside her, to the point that Nat--who was gunning for the opposition at first in ''Civil War''--still finds the time to comfort him after Peggy's funeral and honestly means it when she calls him her friend. Throughout their shared appearances, it's apparent that the two share so much mutual admiration that not only do they constantly risk their lives for each other in ''Winter Soldier'', Nat even drops ''everything'' to go on the run with him and Sam for another two years. No wonder they're both crying. |
| 164 | *** The music that closes out the scene? A sad, somber rendition of Black Widow's {{Leitmotif}}. |
| 165 | * In the immediate aftermath of Natasha's death, her five original teammates (Tony, Steve, Thor, Bruce, and Clint) huddle in grief near the lakeside. The first dialogue uttered shows just how badly they're taking it. |
| 166 | -->'''Tony:''' ''[visibly trying not to tear up]'' [[DeathNotification Do we know if she had family?]]\ |
| 167 | '''Steve:''' ''[[[ManlyTears eyes already wet]]]'' [[FamilyOfChoice Yeah. Us.]] |
| 168 | ** Bruce, in particular, takes Nat's death the hardest. It's obvious that he still harbors feelings for her from back in ''Age of Ultron'', and his decision to use the Infinity Stones himself despite knowing that the raw energy it released could kill him could even implies that he's a DeathSeeker willing to risk his own life to get everyone back, and even if it does revive the people killed by the Snap, he couldn't bring back the woman he loved. |
| 169 | *** This is made even more powerful now that, at this point, Bruce is the Merged Hulk. Given that he is part-Hulk, one would think that the Hulk persona would suddenly burst right back out and do what he does: smash things. Except, apart from throwing a table into a lake, he ''doesn't''. The camera focuses on his heartbroken expression, and all he does is sulk down, giving the floor one soft punch. It's bizarre, but incredibly powerful to see someone like ''Hulk'', the pinnacle of UnstoppableRage, react in such a subdued and ''human'' way. |
| 170 | *** Worse. At that point, it's been ''five years'' that Banner's been back on Earth, most of it with control over the Hulk. There's nothing to suggest that he and Natasha hadn't pursued a relationship at some point in that time, or that they weren't still involved when she died. |
| 171 | ** And then there's Clint's reaction. Already broken by the death of his family, he nearly hits the DespairEventHorizon with Natasha's death. As the remaining Avengers gather to remember Nat, he tearfully says that it "should have been [him]" that died, not her. And before this, he blows up at the team when they insist they can try to bring her back, telling them her death is irreversible. |
| 172 | *** Even before they get to Vormir, there's a small dose of tragic FridgeHorror. As everybody is getting ready to head to the past, Natasha and Clint state that they're heading for the Soul Stone. Then you remember where said Stone is and what you have to do, and the realization hits you: [[HeroicSacrifice One of these two is not coming back alive...]] |
| 173 | *** Even worse is Natasha's farewell to the group as a whole. Her fate hits especially hard once you've watched the film in its entirety and get to the part where she happily tells everyone she'll [[TemptingFate see them all in a minute]], even sharing an absolutely adorable smile of giddiness with Steve, to boot. |
| 174 | *** Knowing Natasha, she might have either been told or worked out how Vormir and the Soul Stone work, and already knew at that point what she was going to do. She just wanted to comfort her friends[=/=]surrogate family in advance... |
| 175 | ** And unlike with Tony, there is no on-screen funeral for her, and as far as we know, Clint was unable to reclaim her body to bring it back to earth. |
| 176 | ** You might notice Thor's reaction is quite different from the others when they're by the lake. He seems annoyed that they're mourning her when they have the Stones, believing they can bring her back. This denial is sad enough on it's own. But when you look deeper, [[FridgeBrilliance it might mean]] that Thor was holding on to some hope that he could also bring back Loki, Heimdall, and the Asgardians that Thanos murdered on the ''Statesman'' with the Stones as well. This brings his despair into even more context as at the beginning of the film he realized that he was not getting back what Thanos took from him, and when he found out that the Stones make a distinction between "death by Snap" and "natural death", he had to realize that all over again. This must have been a serious gut punch for Thor who just had his spirits raised. |
| 177 | ** After Tony's funeral, Clint and Wanda share a quiet moment together. He confesses to her how much he wishes Nat was there with them, and to tell her somehow that her sacrifice saved countless numbers of people. ''Series/WandaVision'' makes this moment even worse because Wanda is herself bottling up an insane amount of grief. |
| 178 | * Vision is still gone for good, as he perished before Thanos did the Snap. Wanda mourns him and avenged him by taking on Thanos. This means that not only the last remnant of J.A.R.V.I.S. and the original Edwin Jarvis is truly lost forever, but the final shred of [[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron Ultron]], an idea having gone horribly wrong yet could have easily become a hero with the right exposures, is forever extinguished. [[Series/WandaVision Maybe]]. |
| 179 | * Even if 2012 Loki is alive after escaping with the Tesseract, he's lacking all of the development he experienced in ''The Dark World'' and ''Ragnarok'', including his repaired relationship with his brother. Thor is still all alone and has lost everything: His family, his closest friends, his entire kingdom (save for around two dozen survivors whom he isn't even ruling over anymore), and his right eye. Even after this quest to eliminate Thanos and give everyone back what they lost, Thor, beyond regaining his fighting spirit, [[PyrrhicVictory is still left with nothing whatsoever apart from a spot in the Guardians team]]. It doesn't help that this version of Loki was taken into custody by [[TimePolice the TVA]] during the events of ''Series/Loki2021'', and thus may never get the opportunity to see his brother. |
| 180 | * The Gamora we knew in the first two ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' and ''Infinity War'' is gone. The one we got here and will probably see again in the MCU is the pre-''Guardians'' version. Even if she was already rebellious and does in fact make a HeelFaceTurn, it's hard to shake off the sensation she won't be exactly the same. |
| 181 | ** Worse, the Gamora we knew is still dead. So she escaped her [[AbusiveParents abusive adoptive father]], found her new family and [[DefrostingIceQueen defrosted]] for them, [[ShootTheShaggyDog only to die at the hands of said abusive adoptive father thinking that she has doomed the universe]]. No reset and no happy ending for her. |
| 182 | ** Even if it's a comedic scene, Star-Lord is overjoyed to see Gamora again during the final battle, only for her to obviously not know who he is and reject him, since she comes from a time before they met each other. |
| 183 | ** Gamora is also absent from the final shot for the Guardians. She apparently ran away after the final battle and Quill is shown searching for her. |
| 184 | * Nebula's entire arc. She becomes an UnwittingPawn of Thanos because of the existence of two versions of her in the same timeline, which allows him to access her memories remotely and know what happened originally; she's captured and replaced by her counterpart, who hasn't gone through her own CharacterDevelopment yet and makes it possible for Thanos to [[TimeTravel travel through time]] and launch a massive attack; and finally she has to kill her other self to prevent her from harming Gamora, but leaving the doubt that she could be redeemed. Notably, a tear falls from the eye of Past Nebula as she dies, indicating that even as she tried to shoot Gamora down, she was already conflicted. |
| 185 | -->'''Present Nebula:''' You can change!\ |
| 186 | '''Past Nebula:''' He won't let me. |
| 187 | ** During the confrontation with Present Thanos, he does something unusual: he gave Nebula something like a compliment. After a lifetime failing to get her adoptive father's approval, she only gets it at the very end. It's obvious she still feels ''something'' as she closes his eyes. And then Past Nebula, who was still desperate for Thanos' approval, sees the same thing through the memories. |
| 188 | *** Seeing Past Nebula's desperation for Thanos' approval is deeply saddening. She has been so broken by him, yet she still craves his acceptance (and, possibly, even his fatherly love). You can see it in how deeply she bows to him, and how terrified she is when he sees Present Nebula's memories through her cybernetics, as she hysterically babbles that she isn't a traitor and that it wasn't her. That Thanos grants her that approval, for the first time in her life, is even more heartbreaking; you can see the relief and somewhat disbelief on her face when he pulls Ebony Maw's chains away from her neck and cups her face. To reiterate: ''this'' is the man who abused and tortured her for her entire life, replacing her body parts with cybernetics in a way that's both incredibly painful and also manages to convey his disapproval with her "failures". And seeing her kneeling before him makes her look a great deal like a kicked puppy who still loves her master. StockholmSyndrome at its most heartbreaking. Present Nebula even has a pained look on her face while seeing these interactions. |
| 189 | ** When Rhodey and Nebula are grabbing the Power Stone, Nebula partially destroys her cybernetic arm retrieving it. When Rhodey looks shocked by it, she quietly says that she wasn't always like this. Rhodey sympathizes, as his life has also led to him requiring cybernetics to operate. |
| 190 | ** For that matter, the other person she bonds with in the film is Tony, the other cybernetic Avenger, while they are stranded on the ''Benatar''. |
| 191 | * Bruce, Rhodey, and Rocket being nearly drowned/crushed in the rubble when ''Sanctuary II'' attacks the Avengers HQ. Rhodey grimly accepts what seems inevitable. Granted, they get saved by Scott moments later, but that is the first time we've ever seen [[StepfordSnarker Rocket]] ''terrified''. |
| 192 | * Clint gets to hear Laura's voice on the phone for just a matter of seconds--the hope he'd ''shied from'' when Natasha had even dared to proffer, fulfilled after five agonizing years--before Thanos' attack cuts their conversation off, mid-word. To Clint, it's got to be the cruelest HopeSpot imaginable; for ''Laura'', who was likely just resurrected to find that ''her husband'' has abruptly vanished from a suddenly-unkempt yard, it probably sounds like he's just been violently killed. |
| 193 | * When Thanos' army arrives after his speech in the present, it seems like despite what the Avengers did, all hope is lost --''again''-- as the nearly battered Captain America appears to be the only hero left, and he prepares to go down fighting alone. If Doctor Strange hadn't opened the portals when he did and summoned the biggest ass-kicking army in history, we would have watched Steve Rogers sacrifice his life instead of Tony Stark. |
| 194 | * The shot of all the MCU's female heroes just reminds us all that Natasha, the first female hero of the whole series, isn't there to be a part of it. |
| 195 | ** For ''Guardians'' fans, it's also unfortunate that Yondu died before being able to take part in the FinalBattle. Seeing him direct the Yaka arrow at Thanos' forces would have been a Moment Of Awesome in and of itself. |
| 196 | * Wanda attacks Thanos with everything she has in the ultimate RoaringRampageOfRevenge, clearly still in pain about losing Vision (who still isn't back in this movie, mind you). This quickly becomes the ultimate [[Awesome/AvengersEndgame Crowning Moment of Awesome]] for her once she hands him his ass in ''the'' CurbStompBattle of Thanos' life. |
| 197 | -->'''Wanda:''' [[PunctuatedForEmphasis You. Took. EVERYTHING. From me.]]\ |
| 198 | '''Thanos:''' [[FishOutOfTemporalWater I don't even know who you are!]]\ |
| 199 | '''Wanda:''' [[PreAssKickingOneLiner You will.]] |
| 200 | ** This becomes even more tragic when you remember that technically speaking, it was only minutes prior to coming back that she had lost Vision and her own life. Unlike the other Avengers who had five years to ponder and cope with the loss of nearly everyone around them, Wanda ''literally'' just lost the one dearest to her, and unlike everyone else, he isn't coming back. Safe to say, her anger at (who she thinks is) the one responsible isn't unfounded. |
| 201 | * 2014 Thanos' IgnoredEpiphany once he travels to the present. Instead of admitting he was wrong, he forgoes halving the universe for balance and instead decides to destroy ''the entire universe'' and remake it so that everyone will appreciate what he did. While on one hand it is [[NightmareFuel absolutely terrifying]], on another it is very tragic. This is a man who genuinely wanted life to prosper, to ensure that no one else goes through the OverpopulationCrisis that his home planet went through. His methods were insane and twisted beyond belief, but deep down, he did mean well. To see this WellIntentionedExtremist coldly devolve into an OmnicidalManiac who shows no more good will is downright hollowing. |
| 202 | ** And the reaction makes sense in a way. He sacrificed everything to bring about balance in the belief that, one day, people would appreciate his "gift." Instead, he sees that they will always resent him and attempt to undo his life's labor, and that no matter what he does they may still find a way. |
| 203 | * For all of his brutality, ruthlessness, and misguided altruism, 2014 Thanos' death counts. Once Iron Man does his own Snap on him and his forces, you can just see it in his eyes that, given his knowledge of the Stones, he ''knows'' that [[YouAreAlreadyDead he is already a dead man]]. In fact, he seems already demoralized once he sees all of his army - the closest thing he ever had to a family of sorts - fade away into dust. His reaction is probably the worst bit: he does not [[VillainousBreakdown scream in fury]], nor let out a defeated BigNo. He just... silently looks on, in despair. No last words. No SkywardScream. No HeelRealization. Nothing but the most solemn way to FaceDeathWithDignity and the absolute pinnacle of ''defeat''. Combined with the fact that he is one of the [=MCU=]'s most well-developed villains, it's actually very sad to see him go for good. |
| 204 | ** As a CallBack to ''Infinity War'', he sits down and gives one final expression: instead of The Garden's peaceful sunrise which he contently looks upward at and warmly smiles upon, he rests in the devastated wreckage of the Avengers Compound, looking up at the dark sky with an expression of agony. He slowly lowers his head, eyes closing, body sulking down to the ground, and mind, albeit with dignity, only able to embrace failure. A cathartic, but poignant case of BookEnds. |
| 205 | ** This gets even sadder when you remember that, at the end of ''Infinity War'', Thanos survived, but had lost his entire army and his favorite daughter Gamora; something that 2014 Thanos most likely discovered as well. Now, he has to experience all of that all over again firsthand, but this time, it's every single one of the forces he's gathered over the years disintegrating right before his eyes... ''and he's next.'' While there is the solace in that his version of Gamora is still alive, she completely turned against him by the time the war began. He had ''nothing'' left by his dying minutes. |
| 206 | ** Let's twist that knife even deeper. WordOfGod says that Thanos was ostracized for his mutant appearance, way back on his home planet, Titan. Regardless of this, Thanos still wanted their acceptance, and likely viewed that his solution to saving it would lead to him finally being welcomed. He then extended this to the universe. As he dies, Thanos is likely going through the realization that any acceptance, glory, and gratitude that he thought he'd receive is now going to go (wrongly, in his view), to the Avengers and their allies. He viewed himself as the hero, but now Thanos irrefutably knows that he'll always be seen as a monster. A final ultimate rejection from the entire universe. |
| 207 | *** Of even greater significance to him would be his mission, his sole obsession. He considered himself the hero and died thinking he had failed saving the universe from its ultimate doom. |
| 208 | ** In his very last moment, even as his body begins collapsing into dust, he looks downward. It's equal parts dejection at his failures, grief at the futile loss of all his followers and fosterlings, and the numbness of realizing that '''all''' the horrors he's inflicted upon the universe - horrors, that he's ''only'' managed to justify through his conviction that the outcome would be worth it - were ''all for nothing''. |
| 209 | * In the background of the final battle after Tony's Snap, as Thanos' army is disintegrating, on the right side of the screen, you can see Proxima Midnight cradling Corvus Glaive's body while she dissolves. Sure, they were both unrepentantly evil servants of the greatest supervillain the MCU has ever known, but they were still husband and wife, and given that a lot of the other soldiers kept up the battle literally until their last breaths, it speaks to how much he meant to her that she chooses to spend her last moments holding onto his body instead of fighting. |
| 210 | ** In the same shot, you can see Ebony Maw stumbling towards Thanos and reaching out his hand to the man he saw as a father, even as he turns to dust. |
| 211 | * Look at Doctor Strange as he signals to Tony. His hand is trembling, and there is clear pain and regret on his face that suggests that the trembling is not just because of his injured hands; he is asking him to make a HeroicSuicide. It's the same good doctor who hit a HeroicBSOD over killing a villainous {{mook}} in [[Film/DoctorStrange2016 his solo movie]]: "It's not 'Mister Strange,' it's not 'Master Strange'; it's '''Doctor'' Strange!' I swore an oath to do no harm and I've just ''killed a man!'' I'm ''not'' doing that again!" Sure, Strange doesn't kill Tony (or Natasha, for that matter) himself, but he has to choose the version of the future where the deaths of two good people were unavoidable, and it will haunt him for the rest of his life. |
| 212 | ** Also, recall that, during ''[[Film/AvengersInfinityWar Infinity War]]'', he claims that he will not hesitate to sacrifice lives if it means the safety of the universe. Given that Strange still holds the Hippocratic Oath as a personal creed, he is clearly disturbed by the fact that he ''has'' to sacrifice a life for the sake of the universe or else more lives will be lost. |
| 213 | ** With this comes the realization that when Strange was looking through the over 14 million timelines in ''Infinity War'', he most likely witnessed the one where Tony sacrifices himself early on and kept going so he could see one where they defeat Thanos and Tony survives, only to fail. [[SadisticChoice He truly didn't have any other choice.]] |
| 214 | ** In addition, even if there was another timeline where Tony survived the events of the film, [[Series/Loki2021 the TVA]] would have most likely [[ShootTheShaggyDog reset everything and]] [[SuddenDownerEnding arrested Strange for crimes against the Sacred Timeline]]. When Strange said there was no other way to victory, he ''meant it''. |
| 215 | * After eleven years of being a key figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, going through 16 in-universe years of hardship, battle, and being involved in creating The Avengers and forming (and briefly destroying) close bonds with those who supported him, it finally culminates with his ultimate fate in ''Avengers: Endgame'' -- '''''the sacrifice and death of Tony Stark himself.''''' |
| 216 | ** In elaboration, [[HeroicSacrifice Tony uses the Infinity Stones to finally end Thanos' threat once and for all, but at the cost of his own life]]. It's fitting that [[Film/IronMan1 the one who started this journey]] is the one to end it, even if he leaves Pepper and their daughter Morgan behind. Just look at the expression on Tony's face as he is about to use the Infinity Stones. He's tired and scared and fighting back pain that even the ''Hulk'' couldn't take, and he steels himself to do the one thing that his entire journey has led him to. And he says this with defiance against Thanos before he does the deadly deed: |
| 217 | --->'''Tony:''' [[PreMortemOneLiner And I...]] [[PunctuatedForEmphasis am...]] [[BookEnds Iron Man.]]\ |
| 218 | '''''(SNAP)''''' |
| 219 | ** The three people beside him in his last moments are [[BestFriend a crying Rhodey]], [[LikeASonToMe a crying Peter Parker]] (if you thought his own death in ''Infinity War'' was heart-breaking, just watch him here), and Pepper who, after a medical scan by FRIDAY, cannot do anything but accept that her husband is dying right in front of her. The very last words we hear from Tony are from a hologram, [[VideoWill a farewell message he left just before the fateful mission]], knowing there could have been no coming back. |
| 220 | --->'''Pepper:''' ''[while holding back her tears]'' Tony. Look at me. We're gonna be okay. You can rest now. |
| 221 | ** Just the fact that even though she's obviously in so much pain, Pepper still chooses to put on a strong front for her husband. After so many years together, she knows Tony inside and out, and one of the things she knows about him is that Tony's soul will probably never be able to rest if he sees that he'll be leaving them in pain. So she holds it together, trying to give him what little comfort she can until he dies ... after which she gives him one last kiss, her facade finally broken as she sobs into his chest in earnest. |
| 222 | ** Those words of Pepper's go back to the conversation they had with each other before Tony goes off to help the Avengers again. There, Tony admits that he could easily keep his findings about TimeTravel secret, but Pepper wonders aloud if he could rest easy with what he knows. It goes back to all of Tony's actions post-2012: [[Film/IronMan3 making all the armors in his paranoia]], [[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron creating Ultron]], [[Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar the division of the Avengers due to the Sokovia Accords]], and [[Film/AvengersInfinityWar the trip to Titan]] that ended up killing Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and all the Guardians present with them save Nebula. He's spent the past few years causing more harm than good in spite of his best intentions, and has continued down this path even more to atone in what seemed to be a never-ending cycle. Pepper's final words to Tony could be her own way of trying to comfort him by releasing him from it all. |
| 223 | ** Despite the fact that his body has been completely savaged by the energy released by the Stones, Tony looks like he is still struggling, still refusing to let go, as if he's not convinced that the fight is over and the war has been won. It's only after Pepper tells him to rest that he stops struggling and slips away. |
| 224 | ** It's even worse in Peter's case. The kid has just come back to life and got to fight alongside his mentor again one last time. For him, it was just fifteen minutes before when Tony was holding him as he died in his arms. Now Peter has to go through all that again, except [[HourglassPlot their positions are now reversed]], and it's ''[[KilledOffForReal final]]''. And it's also likely Tony is the second father figure Peter had to watch die, in what must be barely more than two or three years from his perspective. |
| 225 | *** Even more so if you consider Peter's perpetual SurvivorGuilt in the comics. If this Peter is similar, he blames himself for this. If only he had done more, been faster, fought harder, been stronger. |
| 226 | ** "I don't want to go!" was cited by many as the most gut-punching moment of ''Infinity War''. Here, Peter is right back there, weeping and terrified, clutching desperately onto his mentor's hands and begging Tony to stay. And just as he starts to break down completely, Peter only then whimpers out a broken little "Tony..." If the last film didn't hammer it in enough, the audience is once again reminded that Peter Parker is still just a kid. |
| 227 | --->'''Peter:''' Mr. Stark? Hey, Mr. Stark! [[PleaseWakeUp Can you hear me? It's Peter!]] ... we won, Mr. Stark. We won, Mr. Stark. We won, you did it, sir, you did it. [[SurvivorGuilt ... I'm sorry... Tony...]] |
| 228 | *** Just as an extra knife in the gut, this means that Peter's last words to Tony--twice--were "I'm sorry." |
| 229 | ** One of the worst parts about Tony's death is that his Snap took so much out of him that he ''can't even speak''. The wisecracking billionaire playboy who never seemed to shut up can't even say anything in his final moments. He occasionally attempts to say something, but it's clear that even taking a breath is a challenge in that moment. No comforting words to his loved ones, no RousingSpeech, no final snark to go out on; the only thing he can manage to say is "Hey, Pep." |
| 230 | ** During the battle, Tony asks Strange if this was the one scenario where the Avengers prevail that he foresaw back on Titan. Strange replies, "If I tell you what happens, it won't happen." Strange knew that Tony would have to make the ultimate sacrifice to defeat Thanos once and for all, and did not want to risk anything that might compromise their already-slim chances of victory. |
| 231 | *** Considering the context, it's more likely that in at least one scenario (if not ''many''), Strange told Tony the truth... ''and they failed'', most likely due to Tony hesitating or becoming distracted by his impending death to perform the final snap. Strange knew this, and had to condemn a man to his death for the sake of the rest of the universe. |
| 232 | ** Consider that, just a few minutes earlier, Rhodey was close to death and resigned to it, going as far as giving his farewell to Rocket, until Scott saved him, Bruce, and Rocket. He's back into the battle, then Thanos' forces are reduced to dust, meaning they have won; he reaches his best friend... and realizes that, for that victory to happen, ''he's'' now dying. |
| 233 | *** To make it sadder, in contrast to Peter and Pepper, Rhodey doesn't say anything to Tony when he sees him in his fatal state. He only comforts him by caressing the left side of his face that isn't horrifically burnt. |
| 234 | ** Pepper gently handing an inconsolable Peter over to Rhodey, who simply hugs the poor kid from behind. Before that, it takes her a couple of tries to pull him away. |
| 235 | ** Right when he dies, Tony's arc reactor goes out with him. This is even more piercing once you remember that thing used to basically serve as ''his heart''; that, and the suit could most likely no longer detect its user without his heart rate. It's only to hammer in the fact that the original [=MCU=] hero is '''dead''', never to return. |
| 236 | *** Making it worse is that it's also reminiscent of a scene near the end of [[Film/IronMan1 the very first Iron Man movie]], where Tony's arc reactor starts dying after his climactic fight with Iron Monger. It was a [[DisneyDeath fake-out death]] then. This time, [[KilledOffForReal it's real]]. |
| 237 | ** Steve himself is watching this with tears in his eyes. He and Tony butted heads at almost every turn, but they were still comrades fighting for the same side and team. Several times Steve has called Tony selfish and only looking out for himself, and ''now''? Steve is watching Tony die a painful death to save the entire universe and life itself. Of ''course'' he's crying. |
| 238 | *** Even more so hard-hitting is the fact that, in the [[Film/TheAvengers2012 first Avengers film]], Steve told Tony he would never be the person to lay on the wire and let the other man crawl over him, that he'd never make the sacrifice play. And in that moment, when the biggest battle has ended, Steve knows that Tony is ''indeed'' that kind of person and he ''did'' make the sacrifice play to finish the fight. '''''Rest well, Mr. Stark. You've earned it.''''' |
| 239 | *** It's not just Cap, either. Thor is right behind him, clearly trying to keep it together, even as his eyes grow wet with unshed tears. Keep in mind that the first time these three ever met, they were at each other's throats, only to go [[FireForgedFriends through literal hell and back]] ''[[FireForgedFriends together.]]'' Now, Tony's in a place where neither of them can follow any time soon, and the god of thunder can only weep as he watches the light fade from the eyes of a man he considered to be not just a true shield-brother, but one of his closest friends. |
| 240 | ** Unlike in the first ''Avengers'' movie, there is no Hulk scream or magic MacGuffin to bring him back. He truly is gone. |
| 241 | ** A DeletedScene makes the moment even worse. As Tony passes and Pepper gives him one last kiss before mourning, the rest of the heroes look devastated and unsure of what to do. Then Clint drops to one knee and starts praying. T'Challa sees it and does the same. Then Carol and Peter Quill and everyone else, no matter where they're from. And poor Steve, battered black and blue, struggles to drop to his knee. What's most heartbreaking, however, is Strange's [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone utter devastation and regret]] at having led Tony to his death, hammering in how much he didn't want Tony to die, even if it was necessary. |
| 242 | ** Creator/RobertDowneyJr said in an interview that the Mk 85 suit wasn't even designed for Tony to [[ArmoredCoffins survive using it]], and was all about pushing beyond its 'safe' parameters to save the universe. This is a stark contrast to his first suit, which was entirely about Tony's survival, and shows Tony's CharacterDevelopment throughout the entire saga. |
| 243 | ** Tony's holographic goodbye message for his loved ones is also a touching CallBack to ''Howard'' Stark having left ''Tony'' [[Film/IronMan2 a secret message of pride and affection on an old film reel, decades before]]. His FinalSpeech is just perfect, especially when the hologram turns to Morgan at the last line, sharing one touching smile before the recording ends. |
| 244 | --->'''Tony:''' Everybody wants a happy ending, right? [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome 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 ten 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. [[IfIDoNotReturn 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. [[CallBack I love you 3000.]] |
| 245 | ** Rhodey is openly crying while watching, and isn't even bothering to wipe his tears away. |
| 246 | ** Crosses over with Heartwarming, but if one looks closely, the only ones watching Tony's final message are the people who were truly closest to him: [[BashBrothers Rhodey, Thor, and Steve]]; [[OneTrueLove Pepper]] and [[DaddysGirl Morgan]]; and, of course, Happy Hogan, who was there for him from the [[Film/IronMan1 very beginning]] until the bitter end. |
| 247 | * Speaking of Tony's loved ones, just imagine Morgan being told that Happy would be babysitting her while Pepper went to help Tony, and waiting. Then when Pepper returns, Morgan sees the pain on her mother's face and knows her dad isn't coming back. |
| 248 | ** All the ones who came back to life couldn't have possibly known that, during the five years they were gone, Tony had become a father. Therefore, they must have discovered it only in the aftermath. |
| 249 | ** Tony's funeral. The camera pans over every character who are positioned by how personally/emotionally close they were to him. Pepper and Morgan; Happy and Rhodey; Steve, Peter Parker, and Aunt May; Bruce and Thor; Doctor Strange and Wong; Scott, Hope, Hank, and Janet; Nebula and the Guardians; T'Challa and the Wakandans; Clint and his family; Bucky, Sam, and Wanda... Even Secretary Ross, Carol, Maria Hill, Nick Fury, and Harley Keener (the kid from ''Film/IronMan3'') are there, and remember Hank and Ross didn't hold any good will towards the playboy/billionaire all along. It really drives home how much of an impact he's had on everyone. |
| 250 | *** Happy and Rhodey share a hug as they watch Tony's funeral pyre float away. |
| 251 | *** Peter simply [[ThousandYardStare stares straight ahead,]] tears in his eyes, all while Aunt May tries to comfort him. |
| 252 | *** Bruce is wiping tears. |
| 253 | *** Doctor Strange looks almost emotionless, as though he's still in shock that he had to put Tony on a path to sacrifice himself. |
| 254 | *** The Guardians, normally more lighthearted characters, [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness look just as somber as everyone else]]. Even though they didn't know Tony for very long, he still meant a lot to them. |
| 255 | *** The fact that Drax ''is wearing a black shirt'' shows how much respect he now has for Stark. |
| 256 | *** Imagine what is going through Star-Lord's mind at this time. Whether or not Strange told him that this had to happen for victory, Star-Lord likely feels a ''tremendous'' amount of guilt for screwing up back in ''Infinity War'', which put them on the path to this. And assuming he's met Tony's loved ones at the funeral, he may begin to believe that his actions deprived Morgan of her father, and Peter Parker of his father figure (a direct parallel of his own relationship with Yondu). As an added bonus, this is the first time he's been to Earth since his mother's death as a child and he made it very clear that he had no interest in ever returning. [[YouCantGoHomeAgain So now he has even less motive to return]]. |
| 257 | *** Nebula, in particular, truly looks saddened as she bows her head during Tony's funeral. Even though it was brief, she really enjoyed her time on the ''Benatar'' with Stark. |
| 258 | ** There's also the fact that a grieving Sam and Wanda comfort a repentant Bucky as the White Wolf lost an opportunity to make amends regarding Tony's parents. If you look closer, Bucky is wearing casual clothes (black being his normal color). It's possible that he believed Tony wouldn't have wanted him there, but the others convinced him to come. |
| 259 | ** After the funeral, Morgan and Happy are sitting together. It's obvious Happy is trying his hardest to not cry, for Morgan's sake. Let us repeat: ''This is [[ButtMonkey Happy Hogan!]]'' |
| 260 | *** And then Morgan asks for cheeseburgers, and Happy (and the audience) start crying again, knowing cheeseburgers were Tony's favorite food. This is followed by Happy telling her he'll get her all the cheeseburgers she wants. It's even more meaningful if you remember ''why'' cheeseburgers were referenced in ''Film/IronMan1''.[[note]]Stopping to get something to eat at Burger King gave Creator/RobertDowneyJr a chance to reconsider his life and was his first step toward getting off drugs, paving the way for his recovery.[[/note]] |
| 261 | *** Remember that Happy Hogan is played by Creator/JonFavreau, the man who directed ''Film/IronMan1'' and helped make the MCU possible. How fitting that HE should be the one to not only call back to the original film but have the final line in the entire Stark story. |
| 262 | ** The fact that Tony, who could've retired and lived the rest of his life with Pepper, who was ''this close'' to a happy ending, [[YankTheDogsChain dies before any of that happens]]. And the script revealed a devastating fact about Tony as he died. He had one last thought on his mind, directed towards Pepper: ''"I'm sorry"''. This highlights just how heavy of a cost Tony's sacrifice brought. Sure, he defeated a mad titan that crippled the universe with a single snap of his fingers, but now, his daughter Morgan is left without a father, and Pepper has lost a dear husband. |
| 263 | ** Tony's send-off at the funeral takes the form of his first arc reactor, the one he cobbled together in a cave with a box of scraps, sitting in a flower boat for a [[VikingFuneral Viking-style funeral]]. |
| 264 | *** That original arc reactor still has the words "Proof that Tony Stark has a Heart" emblazoned on it. |
| 265 | ** And, in making this sacrifice, Tony is no doubt going to reunite with the man who saved his life: [[Film/IronMan1 Ho Yinsen]]. After 16[[note]]2008-2023 including the time skip[[/note]] years of hardships, heroism, and his ultimate HeroicSacrifice, it is very clear that Tony kept his promise all those years ago: he never wasted his life and instead made the best out of it. |
| 266 | * Following everything, Peter returns to high school and gives Ned a tearful welcoming hug. Spider-Man is back and alive, and Peter can finally resume his young life, but he is no doubt forever scarred by not only dying, but watching his mentor die as well. At the end of ''Infinity War'', Peter dies terrified and alone save for Tony. At the end of ''Endgame'', Peter is broken by coming back to life, only to lose the same man who was with him when he died. |
| 267 | ** There's also the fact that quite a few of the people he went to school with likely weren't killed by the Snap, which means that they are now five years older than him and have moved on with their lives. |
| 268 | ** Ned is clearly ''vastly'' overjoyed to see Peter alive and well, and still his own age. Knowing that his best friend didn't get himself killed in battle before ''or'' after the Snap is probably as great a relief as Ned's felt since coming back to life himself. |
| 269 | * The "happy families" montage of Clint, Scott, and others reunited at their respective homes with their loved ones was already touching, right up until August 28th, 2020. With that day's tragic news of Chadwick Boseman's death from colon cancer, the shot of T'Challa standing regally with his mother and sister in Wakanda, and with Shuri and Okoye at the funeral, become a thousand times more of this trope, as it's ''the last time'' we'll see this gifted actor executing his signature role. |
| 270 | ** T'Challa's fate in-universe mirrors that of his actor: dying suddenly from an illness he kept private as he tried to continue his obligations. On a rewatch, the audience knows what's coming - Shuri and Okoye ''don't.'' |
| 271 | * Steve travels back in time to live the rest of his life with Peggy after refusing to use the time machine to return to the present day. There's something life-affirming yet tragic in seeing the Star-Spangled Man With a Plan having had the normal and happy life he always wanted, but now is an old and withered man. |
| 272 | ** It also solidifies that this movie is Cap's swan song as well. |
| 273 | ** It also means he watched Peggy die, unlike in ''Civil War'' (where she passed on in her sleep). |
| 274 | ** As Steve prepares to travel back into the past, the others talk about how assured they are that Steve will back in the present the way he is with no trouble whatsoever. As they do, Bucky's face can be seen giving off a rather somber expression, giving the implication that they've talked about this beforehand and that his best friend is going on a one-way trip he has no intentions of coming back from. |
| 275 | --->'''Steve:''' [[MeaningfulEcho Don't do anything stupid 'til I get back.]]\ |
| 276 | '''Bucky:''' How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you--''[his voice breaks]''\ |
| 277 | ''[they share one last hug]''\ |
| 278 | '''Bucky:''' ''[softly]'' I'm gonna miss you, buddy.\ |
| 279 | '''Steve:''' It's gonna be okay, Buck. |
| 280 | ** Bucky now finds himself in the same position that Steve did when he first came out of the ice: as the lone still-youthful member of a proud WWII military unit whose former comrades -- even his closest friend, now -- have all died or become very old men. |
| 281 | ** Earlier in the film, Tony had told Steve to simply settle down and live the simple life, which he does after his death. It's obvious that part of the reason Steve does this is to honor the man that he once told "would never make the sacrifice play". As he said, he wanted to try the life that Tony was talking about. |
| 282 | ** Even though Sam was genuinely happy that Steve finally found his peace and happiness, he ''still'' breaks down as he gave voice to the bittersweet grief in the viewers of having to finally say goodbye to your childhood heroes: |
| 283 | --->'''Sam:''' The only thing bumming me out, is having to live in a world... '''without'''... Captain America. |
| 284 | ** And then Steve gives Sam the shield, symbolically telling him that he doesn't have to live in a world without Captain America at all; he can ''be'' Captain America. |
| 285 | * Bruce's situation in the end is incredibly [[BittersweetEnding bittersweet]]. He's merged forms, no longer has to fear losing control, can resume work as a brilliant scientist, and has gained the love and trust of the world that once despised him. [[TheFellowshipHasEnded But all the people he was closest to are gone]]. He's lost Nat, the woman he loved. He's lost Tony, his best friend. He's lost Vision, his greatest creation. Steve went back in time. Thor left with the Guardians. Granted, there's still Valkyrie, Clint, and Rhodey, [[NothingIsTheSameAnymore but it's just not the same]]. |
| 286 | ** Bruce reveals to Steve that, when he performed the Snap to restore everyone to life, he was also trying to reverse Nat's HeroicSacrifice but, to his disappointment, it didn't work. Afterwards, he admits that he misses Nat, to which Steve sadly replies that he does, too. Clearly, "her boys" aren't going to forget her death anytime soon. |
| 287 | ** The sole saving grace for Bruce: Betty Ross is alive again, and her father doesn't seem to be after him anymore. So, given his restored self-control, he may be able to see her again. |
| 288 | * Hell, the entire ending is a very BittersweetEnding which leans slightly on the "Bitter" part. On one hand, Thanos is finally defeated once and for all and everyone killed by his Snap has been brought back. However, every other death that occurs before or after the Snap ''sticks''. That means Thor still lost most of the Asgardians, including Heimdall and Loki; the original Gamora is still dead, Wanda still lost Vision, probably half of Xandar is still annihilated, Eitri is still the sole surviving dwarf of Nidavellir, Knowhere is still a pile of rubble with probably all occupants dead, and now Tony and Natasha sacrificed themselves without any known means of resurrecting them. |
| 289 | ** All things considered, [[TheFellowshipHasEnded the original band of the Avengers Initiative is all but disbanded]] by the end of the movie: Tony and Natasha sacrificed themselves for the final victory; Steve allowed himself to age to a point he has to [[PassingTheTorch pass his mantle to Sam]], and Thor has left to join the Guardians; Bruce and Clint's positions are ambiguous but, considering Bruce suffered from a probably-lasting GameBreakingInjury (or if that heals, he still has the chance of living the normal life he's dreamed of having for years), and Clint now has a chance to reunite with his family (not to mention bearing all the scars throughout the years), it's highly likely for them to retire from fighting. The exclusive credit-tribute for the six only further fueled the feeling of the EndOfAnAge. |
| 290 | ** Not to mention, before the remainder of the credits roll, each member of the original group are given their own styilized credits with the Avengers theme playing. And they saved Robert Downey Jr. for last. |
| 291 | * The very, very end of the film. The credits just finished rolling. The Creator/MarvelStudios logo and the "Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures" credit... then it cuts to black. You wait, expecting there to be a post-credits scene like always. Seconds pass, and then you slowly realize something: '''there isn't one'''. There are no [[TheStinger post- or mid-credit scenes]], nor any "X will return" messages. Just the Marvel and Disney credit... the end. It really solidifies the fact that after 11 years, the [[MythArc Infinity Saga]] is finally over. |
| 292 | ** As a final sendoff to Tony, we hear a slow jazzy instrumental version of "Make Way for Tomorrow Today" over the credits. |
| 293 | ** Also, there's a brief, quiet sound of clanging at the end of the credits. No images or any other sound, just the sounds of Tony Stark [[BookEnds hammering away on his first suit back in that cave]]. |
| 294 | ** Crosses over with heartwarming: there are six hammer strikes -- one for each of the original Avengers team. |
| 295 | [[/folder]] |
| 296 | |
| 297 | ---- |
| 298 | ->''"Mr. Stark? Hey, Mr. Stark! [[PleaseWakeUp Can you hear me? It's Peter!]] ... we won, Mr. Stark. We won, Mr. Stark. We won, you did it, sir, you did it. [[SurvivorGuilt ... I'm sorry... Tony...]]"'' |
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