It's here. The event we've all been waiting for. After 11 years, 22 films and one Infinity Snap, Avengers: Endgame is set to bring the first era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a close in a huge, three-hour bonanza.
The world is watching to see how our heroes can undo the countless deaths caused by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War – and whether the Russo brothers can give a satisfying conclusion to their epic adventure.
The answer is a resounding 'yes', delivering the ending that those 11 years demanded. Well, more or less.
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The world is a very different place in the wake of Infinity War, with our surviving heroes left to pick up the pieces. Iron Man and Nebula are adrift in space, while Thanos is enjoying his victory in some distant paradise.
Naturally, the Avengers (plus their new ally, Captain Marvel) hatch a desperate plan to undo the damage of Thanos' Decimation and restore all those lost lives. But things might be even more complicated than they expect.
And that's all we're going to tell you about the plot...
While Infinity War was one of the biggest films of all time, we had some major issues with it. The movie focused heavily on action, at the cost of the intimate moments, humour and character development that have defined the best of the MCU.
Happily, Endgame reverses that trend, focusing on a smaller (but still huge) group of characters, giving them each a moment to shine, or grow, or have some silly banter with their friends. You bet the action is still there in spades, but the balance is a lot better, making for a much more satisfying experience.
The movie runs for three hours, making it the longest MCU entry by half an hour. It starts at a good pace and maintains it for most of the runtime, although you will feel its length by the end, and may spend some time afterwards thinking through the side plots the Russo brothers could have cut to speed things up.
Endgame is both entertaining and an impressive feat in storytelling, but there are some holes that widen the more you think about them, and some character portrayals that don't entirely land.
Still, it doesn't lessen the impact of the experience, or detract from a spectacular and emotionally satisfying climax. Throughout, there are wonderful moments that Marvel fans will relish and cheer, yet the Russos don't let them get in the way of the huge story they're telling.
The fourth Avengers movie had so many demands and expectations weighing upon it. Despite some flaws, there's no denying that this is a truly impressive achievement and a worthy conclusion to a story years in the making.
Those next 11 years of the MCU have a lot to live up to.
Avengers: Endgame will be released in the UK on April 25 and in the US on April 26.
Directors: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo; Starring: Brie Larson, Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Bradley Cooper, Josh Brolin; Running time: 181 minutes; Certificate: 12A
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Abrams Books The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe by Tara Bennett and Paul Terry
Marvel Studios Marvel Phase 1-3 complete set Blu-ray
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Disney/Marvel Studios Avengers: Endgame 4K Includes Bonus Disk [Blu-ray] [2019] [Region Free]
![Avengers: 1-4 Complete Blu-ray Boxset Includes Bonus Disk [2019] [Region Free]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1565171833-51x6a0eLuRL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Avengers: 1-4 Complete Blu-ray Boxset Includes Bonus Disk [2019] [Region Free]")
Disney/Marvel Studios Avengers: 1-4 Complete Blu-ray Boxset Includes Bonus Disk [2019] [Region Free]
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
