Review by Tim Robins
Avengers: Endgame (2019) has been dusted off and returned to the cinema as Avengers Endgame: Encore (2026). The new iteration comes with additional scenes, all intended to set up Avengers: Doomsday, this year’s Marvel Event Movie heading our way at Christmas.
The bulk of Endgame remains unchanged. It’s been five years since Thanos snapped half of all the living things in the Universe out of existence. This included beloved heroes and their families. Life isn’t going well for Earth or The Avengers, until Ant-Man pops out of the quantum universe, bringing with him the possibility of time travel and stealing the gemstones that grant Thanos power before the Titan acquires them. And, to cut a little over three hour film short, that’s exactly what happens.
The new release is lovely to look at thanks to post-production colour saturation, but what I really warmed to was the cast. My God! It’s full of Hollywood stars! Avengers: Endgame certainly assembled an array of talent including Robert Downey Jnr (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (the Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Scarlette Johansson (Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Don Cheadle (War Machine), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Brie Larson (Captain Marvel)and Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts).
The interplay between Downey Jnr and Chris Evans is particularly fun. We see the tensions arising from Captain America: Civil War, where Iron Man wanted to shield Earth in a metal clad shield protecting an authoritarian state and ‘Cap’ didn’t. The first act is incredibly heart-felt and a skillful recap of events in Avengers: Infinity War. If this film works at all, it is because of our investment in the characters.
The film demonstrates incredible confidence in and knowledge of the MCU. It also contains the funnest (sic) guest appearance by Stan Lee, this time as a 1970’s Hunter S. Thompson-type with the words “Nuff Said”, in day-glo colours, stuck to the bumper of his car. Excelsior! RIP.
Other characters get to play front and centre, particularly in the middle of the film devoted to finding the infinity films. There’s a tear jerking sequence with Black Widow and Hawkeye on one of those rocky, purple planets the MCU seem to favour. The pair find only one of them can survive and possess the Soul Gem. It really wrings out our feelings for the ill-starred couple. But…
But hair cut, perhaps more fashionable today, looks like a constant reminder of an uncomfortable relationship between Renner and a razor blade. And I don’t think the MCU ever treated Black Widow right. And, as a Marvel fanboy, there really is only one place for the Soul Gem and that’s on the forehead of Adam Warlock.
The Hulk’s story has taken an unexpected turn. Banner is gently amusing while teasing a group of young Hulk fans. As “Professor Hulk”, Banner explains that he has merged the two conflicting parts of his character. That’s not unprecedented in the comics, but where in the MCU was that transformation foreshadowed? Certainly not in Avengers: Infinity War when Banner was last seen struggling to manifest his other self.
The family conflict between Gammora (Zoe Saldaña) and Nebula and Nebula’s past self (both Karen Gillan), is engaging enough thanks to the performers but, again, it was not what I was expecting from the film. There were character controversies at the time, particularly “Fat Suit Thor” – the gone to seed god of Thunder. Here he’s seen hanging out in New Asgard with his drinking buddies, notably Taika-Waititi-LOL -Cow as Korg. He’s comic relief, don’t you know. Now relieve me of his comedy.
It is Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers who gets a full story arc and a kind of closure. After all, he was publicised as the first Avenger, and here we see him in old age, having lived his best life. Touching, but then, as he romantically dances with Sharon Carter, just as they are lost in each others’ eyes, who should walk through the door? Why, it’s the mischievous god of the time lines!
I can’t tell how little I felt this was needed. Apparently, it is needed if you’re going to follow Avengers: Doomsday. Maybe. As Encore shows, all you really need is a well written script. But far be it for me to stop the Disney/MCU money machine.
Seven years ago (!?), I was turned off by the hype and the money accompanying Avengers: Endgame, particularly hype about money. It’s our hard work, as much as that of studio employees, that make such films possible. Commerce turns even our leisure activities into labour (viewing labour, that is). Personally, if companies want me to watch their adverts, they should pay me.
Costing about $400 million to make, Endgame was not only one of the most expensive films ever made but by earning $2 billion, it was the highest grossing film ever, at least for a while. Two billion still sounds obscene but less so in a time when a billion is small change for today’s economic elite. At least no one compares Elon Musk to Tony Stark anymore. More like Doctor Doom.
Endgame is a game in three thirds, with some extra thirds tacked on at the end. The climactic battle is stunning, packed with incident and many, many characters yet, at the same time, entirely ‘readable’. Thankfully, time is also spent with battlefield character moments – particularly between Spider-Man and Iron-Man.
After that, the film winds down with farewells and a funeral. A few moments of the audience took the opportunity to pack up and go. After a mid credit roll, so did a few more. I’m not sure people were showing the commitment Disney/Marvel want.
Back in 2019, when Endgame ended, I can’t say I was calling out for more. And an entire Oort cloud of films and TV series that followed Avengers: Endgame’s the first time around didn’t make me feel any different. I was firmly in the “What don’t you understand about End?” camp. I still don’t think Marvel nor Disney really understand their achievement, evidenced by the fiddling around in no less than four end/mid credit sequences.
Talking to Empire magazine, directors Anthony and Joe Russo discussed Encore as a creative challenge. ”When we made Endgame, we were very much thinking about it as an ending,” said Mr A Russo, “That was our creative limitation that we gave ourselves.” ”Could we reach back to pull the story forward?’” added Mr S Russo, noting “ Nobody’s done that before”.
The directors explain the MCU as an experiment. If so, it’s been quite an unstable one since seven years ago. Let’s hope Doomsday doesn’t blow up in their faces.
Tim Robins
Avengers: Endgame Encore is in cinemas now
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A freelance journalist and Doctor Who fanzine editor since 1978, Tim Robins has written on comics, films, books and TV programmes for a wide range of publications including Starburst, Interzone, Primetime and TV Guide.
His brief flirtation with comics includes ghost inking a 2000AD strip and co-writing a Doctor Who strip with Mike Collins. Since 1990 he worked at the University of Glamorgan where he was a Senior Lecturer in Cultural and Media Studies and the social sciences. Academically, he has published on the animation industry in Wales and approaches to social memory. He claims to be a card carrying member of the Politically Correct, a secret cadre bent on ruling the entire world and all human thought.
Categories: Features, Film, Other Worlds, Reviews, US Comics
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