In the past decade, the the highest-grossing movie of all time in its initial theatrical run.
Although Endgame is the highest-grossing Avengers movie, its predecessor Infinity War is arguably a slightly stronger work of cinema. The first Avengers film was a fun comic book adventure that successfully integrated the characters together, but the ambitious sequel Age of Ultron bit off more than it could chew.
Infinity War Is The Best: Thanos’ Perspective Kept The Story Focused
The screenwriters of Avengers: Infinity War, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, had the difficult task of bringing all the disparate worlds of the MCU together, introducing Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to Doctor Strange and the Guardians of the Galaxy, all while telling the story of Thanos’ quest to retrieve all six Infinity Stones.
By keeping the story focused on the Mad Titan’s journey, Markus and McFeely were able to jump all over the universe, changing perspectives from hero to hero. Following Thanos’ perspective also helped to humanize the big bad in a franchise accused of having a “villain problem.”
Endgame Is A Close Second: It Refocused The Story On The Original Six Avengers
The deaths at the end of Infinity War were carefully chosen to allow the next movie to refocus the story on the Avengers’ original line-up. In Endgame, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers reconcile their differences and reteam with Nat, Thor, Bruce, and Clint to work toward the common goal of bringing everybody back.
Part of what made Endgame feel like a hugely satisfying series finale is that it brought the Avengers saga full circle with the greatest triumph of the six heroes who started it all.
Infinity War Is The Best: Thanks To Its Breakneck Pacing, There Isn’t A Single Dull Moment
With Thanos’ quest to collect six Infinity Stones and a dozens-strong team of superheroes standing in his way, Infinity War has a lot of plot to get through. And thanks to the breakneck pace of the storytelling, there isn’t a dull moment in the movie.
After there had been a couple of tedious stretches in Age of Ultron, it was great to see an Avengers movie with more of a handle on its own goals and identity.
Endgame Is A Close Second: Its Cerebral Tone Subverted Expectations
Following the bombshell ending of Infinity War, fans went into Endgame expecting all-out war in the Avengers’ final stand against Thanos. But in the finale’s shocking opening moments, it’s made clear that the damage is permanent. Thor decapitates the Mad Titan and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are left with the grief of his intergalactic genocide for five long years.
Of course, the movie does eventually become an all-out war on Thanos, but it takes its time to get there. The slower, more cerebral tone of Endgame subverted the audience’s expectations.
Infinity War Is The Best: The Emotional Moments Have Plenty Of Room To Breathe
Despite the dozens of characters that Infinity War managed to incorporate into its script and the breakneck pace at which its plot moves along, the emotional moments all still have plenty of room to breathe.
From Star-Lord and Gamora saying they love each other for the first time to Spider-Man turning to dust in Iron Man’s arms, Infinity War has a ton of emotionally charged scenes amidst all the action-packed spectacle.
Endgame Is A Close Second: The Final Battle Managed To Deliver On Its Promise
Every MCU movie has a battle sequence in its third act. Doctor Strange mostly ends its movies with a large-scale battle. After the two explosive concurrent final battles of Infinity War, Endgame was expected to have the biggest, boldest battle to date.
By incorporating every Avenger under the sun and filling every frame with carnage and spectacle, the Russos just about managed it with the now-iconic “Battle of Earth” sequence.
Infinity War Is The Best: It Avoids The Usual Second-Act Problems
The second act is always the trickiest one to pull off, especially in superhero movies that are expected to adhere to a tired, well-worn formula. Luckily, Infinity War has no such problem.
The great thing about Infinity War’s action-driven storytelling and the fact that the heroes are just delaying an inevitable tragedy with no hope of stopping it is that the whole movie feels like a third act — it felt like the climax of the entire MCU.
Endgame Is A Close Second: It’s Filled With Payoffs That Fans Waited Years For
There are a bunch of payoffs in Endgame that fans had waited years to see. The most glorious example is on the final battlefield when Cap is getting ready to face down Thanos and his armies alone and then he hears a familiar voice in his ear: “On your left.”
When fans were blown away by scenes they’d waited over a decade to see, the benefits of Marvel’s unique new style of serialized storytelling began to show.
Infinity War Is The Best: Its Downer Ending Could Rival The Empire Strikes Back
When it comes to downer endings in blockbuster cinema, The Empire Strikes Back reigns supreme. Luke Skywalker is hopelessly defeated by Darth Vader and Han Solo is frozen in carbonite to be hung on a gangster’s wall. The similarly soul-crushing final scene of Avengers: Infinity War reminded fans of Empire. After spending the whole movie touting yet another insane megalomaniacal plan to take over the world, Thanos actually succeeded.
Half the Avengers — and half of all life in the universe — turned to dust in the blink of an eye. A defeated Steve Rogers sits in the dust that used to be his friends and simply says, “Oh, God.”
Endgame Is A Close Second: It Gave Iron Man And Cap’s Character Arcs The Perfect Endings
Both Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans announced that they would be leaving the MCU after Endgame, and the movie provided their characters with the perfect conclusions to their arcs.
After Tony Stark spent a decade worrying about a threat that he would be unable to save the world from, he sacrificed himself to rid the universe of the guy who posed a threat on a metaphysical level. After Steve Rogers spent the better part of a century in ice and then committed himself to the Avengers in lieu of a personal life, he was finally able to hang up the shield and go back in time to have that dance (and a long, happy life) with Peggy.
