It took a while to get here, but at long last the trailer for Avengers 4, now officially titled Avengers: Endgame, arrived bright and early this morning. The massive first trailer is all about tone and the aftermath of Avengers: Infinity War, playing out like a eulogy for the countless fallen and a lamentation of the broken-hearted left behind, before offering a spark of hope from the smallest of heroes.
The Avengers: Endgame trailer holds a ton back and doesn't give us much about the overall plot of this movie, but it is still full of awesome shots dripping with weight and meaning for us to break down and speculate about as we count down the days (which are now fewer) until this game comes to an end.
The Last Will And Testament Of Tony Stark
Poetically, this trailer starts much as the MCU began, with Tony Stark, alone and trying to get home. With resources running low and no hope of rescue, Tony Stark sees his end in sight and offers up a heartfelt goodbye to Pepper Potts. It's a beautiful moment from the former playboy as he tells her "When I drift off I will dream about you. It's always you." This sets up the very personal stakes of this film and lets us know that although he survived The Decimation, Tony Stark is not out of the woods just yet. Exactly where Tony is or how far he is from home we don't know, but I'd have to guess the most likely way he gets saved is Captain Marvel.
Watching The Sun Rise On A Grateful Universe
The Avengers: Endgame trailer shows us Thanos' armor, hung up and no longer in need of use, leading in to a beautiful shot of the Mad Titan walking through a field as the sun rises. It's such a compelling contrast because as the rest of the trailer shows our heroes in mourning, here we see the villain in a shot that is serene and peaceful, the kind of imagery we usually associate with children and happiness. I also took these shots to mean that Thanos is alive and well, on permanent vacation and not, as some have suspected, dead or in the Soul Stone.
Back At Home
In Avengers: Infinity War, the schism in the wake of Captain America: Civil War remained, but after the attack on Vision and Scarlet Witch in Edinburgh, Captain America returned home to Avengers Headquarters. Whether the powers that be were all snapped away or whether they've realized the error of their ways, it is clear that this movie will see our heroes no longer on the run as fugitives, but back at home and operating out of headquarters as they try to recover from The Decimation.
Cap In Mourning
Chris Evans' Steve Rogers is the beating heart of the MCU, and we see here that that heart is broken. As Black Widow talks about Thanos accomplishing his goal of wiping out 50% of all living creatures, we see Cap processing the magnitude of that loss. It probably took some time after the Battle of Wakanda for the full effect of Thanos' snap to be measured, but we see here that the total devastation is setting in. Although Cap is a sentimental guy, he is strong for everyone else and this moment, perhaps more than the rest, is enough to get even the most jaded of MCU fans to tear up.
Tallying The Dead
After the events of Avengers: Infinity War, we had a pretty good idea of who was alive and who was dead, but a few characters were left ambiguous. This shot of Bruce Banner tallying the dead indicates that Shuri is either dead, like Peter Parker, who we also see, or missing like Scott Lang. That leaves an interesting opportunity for Shuri to play a secretive role if she really isn't dust. Also, this shows that for whatever reason, the Avengers believe Scott Lang to be dead or missing, which makes the end of this trailer all the more impactful.
Should Have Went For The Head
Every hero suffered and lost in Avengers: Infinity War, but Thor's loss was perhaps the most personal, and thus the most painful. His people were homeless, fleeing from an Asgard that was no more. Then, Thanos set upon his refugee ship, killing half of what was left of his once mighty civilization. Thanos also killed his brother Loki right in front of him. Thor's journey throughout the film was one of vengeance and when he had the shot, he failed. What we see here is a Thor who has lost everything and is likely racked with guilt and regret over what he could have done differently, like planting Stormbreaker into Thanos' dome. I expect he'll be aiming to right that wrong in Endgame.
Nebula
At the end of Avengers: Infinity War, Nebula and Tony Stark were stranded together on Titan, having just watched those around them snapped to dust as Thanos completed his goal. The trailer doesn't make it exactly clear what's going on with Nebula here. She is clearly, like the rest, in mourning, having lost her sister, but what's next for her, we do not know. You would think she and Tony left Titan together, but we don't see them together at the beginning of this trailer or here. So if they aren't together, then where is Nebula and why didn't she leave with Tony?
Hawkeye Appears At Last! As Ronin!
After his absence in Infinity War, we were hoping to finally see Hawkeye in this trailer and it did not disappoint when we did. Hawkeye has assumed the Ronin identity as it was rumored he would, and he looks incredibly badass as the masterless, wandering samurai. We see him as Cap's voiceover says "We lost family," all but confirming my belief that his family were victims in The Decimation. Although we've now seen him, lots of questions remain about Clint Barton, like who he just killed in this scene, why, and whether Natasha was specifically looking for him or just ran into him.
Captain America And Black Widow Have A Plan
In the trailer, Black Widow tells Cap that "This is going to work, Steve," implying that they have a plan. The trailer doesn't tell us what that plan is, but after mourning, as we would expect, our heroes are getting back on the horse to try and recover what was lost. Cap's response really conveys the gravity of the situation, hammering home that this truly is the Endgame. Also, as we saw earlier in the trailer, Cap has shaved his beard and here, instead of the uniform he wore in Infinity War, he has gone back to the STRIKE Stealth uniform he wore in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, perhaps indicating that he is no longer a fugitive and is reassuming the mantle.
Remembering Peggy Carter
As we see Captain America and Black Widow talking of a plan, the trailer shows us Cap holding a compass with a picture of Peggy Carter in it. That Steve Rogers is remembering his true love in this moment is touching and may also clue us in to one of the story's suspected elements. We have long thought that time travel would have to play a role in this story if The Decimation is to be undone. If that is part of the mission Cap and Widow are about to embark on, he is likely thinking of a selfish way he wishes he could use it, like getting that dance that they never got. Hopefully this is a hint that we'll see Hayley Atwell's character again in some fashion.
Ant-Man To The Rescue!
After choking back tears for the first two minutes of the Avengers: Endgame trailer, the preview leaves us with a moment of levity and also a clue as to the heroes' salvation. We see Scott Lang arriving at Avengers Headquarters (a place he once robbed) and basically ringing the doorbell. As discussed earlier, Steve and Natasha seem to have thought he was dead, making his appearance miraculous. We also know that he was stuck in the Quantum Realm, so somehow or another, he got out. Ant-Man didn't make it to the first fight with Thanos, but his appearance now hints that the Quantum Realm will play a big part in this Endgame.
Avengers: Endgame is now opening on April 26, 2019. For all of next year's biggest movies, check out our 2019 release schedule.
