This was a film. I don’t care. I don’t care. I don’t care. DC could never!!!

**wags☝🏾☝🏾☝🏾wags**

 

So, Thanos snapped trillions of living beings off the face of the planet. He thought it would “restore balance.” Word, bruh.

Then he dipped off to his farm on his own planet!

SIR!!!!!! Excuse me, papi!

But why though?

Just leave Earth-616 alone, bruh! Sheesh! (I’m joshing)

 

Act I: The Aftermath

Aight, so… I appreciated the focus on the diversity of coping mechanisms after a global traumatic experience:

Número Uno. Clint went on a killing spree…

Número Dos. Black Widow served as the Avengers’ ‘check-in’ point person, pretty much the glue of the Avengers at this point. But, she can barely keep it together because she’s super depressed and worried about Clint’s killing spree.

Número Tres. Cap led a post-‘snap’ support group. Because of course my fave still cares about public service.

Número cuatro. Iron Man had a sweetie pie daughter named Morgan with Pep and loves his life. He don’t want NO PROBLEMS! LEAVE MY MANS BE!!! He’s finally happy. 😏

Número Cinco. Banner and Hulk learned how to coexist, and it’s peaceful and it’s weird, but fun!

Número Seis. And then Thor prospers (!!!!!) in New Asguard with my most favorite destructive coping mechanism of them all—get fat and sloppy, let yourself go and cry. It’s low, maybe not at a Clint-level low, but it’s the sort of  depression I identified with immediately.

Moving on…

I absolutely hated the Clint rescue mission in Tokyo. I was expecting so much more from his storyline, but I was glad they introduced the film with him and his family disappearing. 

Also, can’t lie, I’m really not feeling the dulling down of the Hulk. So, like during the promos for “Infinity War” last year, the studio teased a “full” Hulk running alongside every other Avenger in Wakanda. What we received, however, was four minutes of the Hulk getting his ass handed to him by Thanos at the very beginning of the film and then the remainder of it was Banner either trying to get his assistance or Banner in a Hulkbuster suit with his head flopping around (terrible, horrible, no-good CGI). I understand where they are trying to go with his character. Post-“Ragnarok” Hulk felt like he was being overused and not considered in the Avenger decision-making process, so he stopped changing whenever Banner needed him. But man, I really wanted more from shawty. I guess this is growth.

Absolutely loved overweight Thor and the psychology of failure. And his failures have really culminated, eh? Thor led the Asgardians to their deaths at the hands of large-r Grimace at the intro of “Infinity War” right after they all escaped Asgard from the doom of his evil AF sister, Hela. Loki gets killed trying to save him.  Shawty lost his besto, Heimdall. And then when he had the chance to take off Thanos’ head after getting his new toy, he didn’t. Most of his arc for this film was about redemption after spending 5 years wallowing into an abyss of his failures and completely letting himself go.  Can’t wait until the next chapter, he’s slowly becoming a replacement fave.

The second viewing really helped orient the framing and specific nuances in Cap’s trajectory. There’s so much hinting throughout the film about his conclusion that I was too excited to notice the first time around.

Act II: The Theory of Quantum Physics

The ethics of time travel: what an interesting concept, not novel at all yet always fun to revisit. And I love how they poked fun at all the other time travel films of the past.

Not one of Banner’s doctoral degrees could assist with quantum theories, and I think that was the part which brought me so much joy. Reminded me of that DeRay Davis interlude on old Kanye’s “College Dropout” album about the only thing keeping college-educated individuals warm at night are (uh-huh) “those degrees.” 😏 Lovely.  

All superhero films exist within the sci-fi/fantasy genre, so it’s okay to fantasize about or massage the technicalities of science for the sake of story. Not gonna lie, it pained me not to obsess over their explanations for quantum theory/time travel. Similar to Banner, quantum theory is not my specific area of scientific expertise and such, but I almost immediately put on my “scientific ethics and implications” thinking cap while they were discussing their plans to grab the stones and the rules to not alter the past, or the present or whatever. 

The Tony and Cap scenes going back in time and killing two birds with one stone (ha!), with Tony’s extra bonus during the extended mission, was appropriately done.  I knew a failure would happen at some point that they’d need to go back from more Pym Particles, but I didn’t know how they’d do it. Also, was that the last Stan Lee cameo? R.I.P. to the legend.  

I realized on my second viewing that  Tony selecting the specific travel date was totally lost on him—he really “guesstimated” a time that both Hank Pym and Howard Stark were in the same place at the same time, not realizing that it was close to his own born day. That’s some growth because he’s criminally self-involved. That realization while he was in the elevator talking to his own father about his daughter, HIS FATHER’S GRANDDAUGHTER, was beautiful and super-meta, and perfectly framed. Good job, Russos!

Act III: Assemble!

Dawg…just. UHHHHHHHHH, it was so good.  Listen, you could be one of those contrarians who hates the superhero genre just be-cuh, had never seen a single MCU film except “Black Panther,” and I’d guarantee you’d feel all the good thangs about that fantastic set up!  I loved that it kept switching perspectives—we saw at least a glimpse of every Avenger putting in some work. 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾

Shouts to E.P., because I didn’t catch this: They’d teased Cap wielding Mjolnir in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” but I forgot about it because I’ve only seen it like thrice over the years and I don’t love the movie, but yea it was awesome though! 

Passing: Icons and Mantles

I wept the first time I saw it. I wept the second time I saw it. I’ve concluded I cannot watch the conclusion of this film without weeping. 

My favorite Avenger, the First Avenger, passed his mantle on to another Avenger and went back to live a full life with Peggy. 🥺🥺 That tore me TF up. Tremendous arc, beautifully wrapped in a bow of my salty tears.

I assumed Kevin Fiege and Marvel Studios would have chosen Barnes. I know in the comics a few folk have held Cap’s mantle at some point. But, what a shock! Marvel really meant what they said, and is practicing what they preached, about Phase 4 being more inclusive. 

Stark’s death wasn’t much of a shock. Fanatics knew it was coming, but it still stung. RDJ really delivered during this film. This man really carried a universe for a decade. While his solo films aren’t my faves, it must be as bittersweet for him to see Iron Man go as it is for the fandom. But I don’t see him being gone for long (😜😜Ironheart 😜😜).

I recall Fiege emphasizing during Black Panther’s press junket that this next phase, and possibly all others to come, will look nothing like the first three, and as an avid consumer of their 🎨🎨🎨 I cannot wait to see what they do with this universe. What a joy these films must have been to the imaginations of generations of moviegoers across the planet. Bravo Marvel! Can’t wait to see what y’all do with these newly acquired characters from Fox!