Avengers: Endgame is out next month, and with the release of Captain Marvel, we have some new material to explore! Let’s talk about the Endgame trailer!
We got a new poster, too! Thankfully we have the updated poster and not the one originally released. That one immediately caught the attention of everyone on Twitter. Marvel fixed its mistake (after the dragging) of leaving off Danai Gurira (Okoye) which I appreciate.
This poster features Cap front and center, which is pretty concerning to me. He looks especially honorable here. Please don’t kill Steve. Let him go back in time and have his HEA with Peggy.
The trailer offers new insight into the film without giving anything away. On the surface at least.
There are several grayscale flashbacks to previous Marvel films, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Captain America: Civil War. We even hear a voiceover from Peggy Carter taken from Winter Soldier:
“The world has changed. None of us can go back. All we can do is our best and sometimes the best we can do is to start over.”
These grayscale flashbacks have one thing in common, splashes of red. For me, these scenes aren’t necessarily flashbacks, but augmentations of their current reality due to the Reality Stone. Now, you can’t change things with the Reality Stone, but each one of these scenes is a huge transition in these main characters lives.
Tony with his gift from Pepper.
Thor and his talk with Odin about being a leader.
Steve upon his decision to sign-up for the Army despite being turned away multiple times and meeting Erskine. Finally, Steve at Peggy’s funeral.
These moments shaped these characters, and the person in the moment with them is a big reason why they still fight. Both trailers for Endgame have had Tony professing his love for Pepper. Thor is motivated through Ragnorak and Infinity War about the legacy of Asgard and being a leader like his father.
Both featured Peggy Carter in regard to Steve. I know fans are split here, but there’s no denying Steve loves Peggy. Whether you think it’s a romantic or platonic love is up to you, but if Steve had a bracelet that had WWPCD on it, he’d be wearing it. She’s the picture in his compass for god’s sake.
Another reason I think we’ll be dealing with different realities is the hair cuts. We see Clint and Natasha sporting different looks throughout the trailer. Now, these could be time jumps, I understand that, but they all seem to be happening within the same timeframe but different timelines. Which leads me to believe that it’s reality being changed, which could happen by turning back time and making different decisions, and it’s freaking complicated, y’all.
There’s also the possibility it could be a nod to Dr. Strange’s line in Infinity War about this being the only timeline they win. Maybe those different looks from Black Widow and Hawkeye are scenes in timelines where the Avengers were still defeated by Thanos?
All of this could see us moving into the Quantum Realm at some point. Based on the suits that everyone has on as they walk through the Avenger’s hanger, it could be time for Scott to take them someplace they can jump through time pockets.
The prevailing quote throughout the trailer is:
“Whatever it takes.”
The Avengers will do whatever it takes to set things right and defeat Thanos. Even if it means getting stuck in time with no way back. There’s a big battle scene in the trailer as well, and we see Cap grit his teeth and strap his shield tighter on his arm. This could be the final battle for the universe.
Possibly the most squeal-worthy moment is when Captain Marvel meets Thor for the first time. If these two don’t end up making jokes and trying to outdrink each other, why are we even here? Honestly.
I do have one question, though.
If Tony or Steve make the ultimate sacrifice and reality goes back to what we know before the snap. Back to whenever they fixed things from ever getting that far, will people remember Tony or Steve?
Thanos makes a comment to Tony in Infinity War:
“You have my respect. I hope they remember you.”
Is this foreshadowing that we’re about to find ourselves in a timeline where Captain America or Iron Man don’t exist because they had to go back so far that they never became what they were? Would Tony allow himself to die in that cave? Would Steve not go into that tent after Bucky leaves him at the fair?
Also, tying in Peggy’s words from the voiceover hint that we’re going back to the beginning. Where we go from there, is anyone’s guess.
I’m worried for this ending, but what a hell of a way to wrap up ten years of story-telling.
Avengers: Endgame hits theaters April 26.