Minor spoilers for the new Marvel movie can be found in this article.
Avengers: Endgame is killing it at the box office, and it's looking more and more likely it will become the highest-grossing film of all time. There are plenty of viewers who think the film is the ultimate swan song to the first 10 years of the MCU, with plenty of exciting and heart-wrenching moments for audiences to chew on. Those voices have expressed themselves well enough over the internet so far, but what about those who were disappointed by certain aspects?
These voices are quieter, and possibly keeping their opinions to themselves as opposed to the internet, particularly given the recent spoilers climate. Now that the Russos have given the OK on spoiling Avengers: Endgame, we're happy to talk out more specifically what we've seen and heard from fans as them feel more emboldened to share the issues they had with the MCU movie. Here are some that are out there already. Avengers lovers, assemble your counterpoints.
Avengers: Endgame Is Too Long
Audiences surely knew of Avengers: Endgame's roughly three-hour runtime ahead of their viewings, as headlines about not having a chance to pee circulated the web in the days before release. With hype like that, and spoilers on the movie kept largely under lock and key, many may have been glued to their seats denying themselves of snacks, bathroom breaks, or the birth of their children in fear of missing some huge MCU moment, but ended up underwhelmed by how the lengthy movie ran on and on and on.
In the case of one USA Today writer, Avengers: Endgame's runtime may have been justified had some of the plot been committed to re-introducing some characters. Instead, there were deep cuts and cameos by characters even those who had seen a vast majority of MCU movies may have struggled to remember. Other folks may just not have the patience for a three-hour movie, which is likely why studios tend not to make a lot of them.
Avengers: Endgame Has A Lot Of Downtime
Superhero movies are, typically, big on action. Avengers: Endgame does have one of the largest action sequences in the MCU, but this Avengers entry does have significant chunks of downtime between its fight scenes (the lengthy runtime likely contributes to this as well). The common complaint from a chunk of moviegoers is that things slow down shortly after the opening moments, and go between rising and falling action quite a bit leading up to the final battle.
Part of this may be audiences coming in expecting an experience closer to Avengers: Infinity War, which felt action heavy in comparison. Of course, given where Infinity War ended, we had to pick up at an interesting point in time, which means the first hour of Avengers: Endgame has a lot of downtime. Fans have to catch up with characters in the five years after the time-jump, which would not have the same emotional impact if characters were kicking ass all through those scenes.
Avengers: Endgame Requires A Lot Of Marvel Knowledge To Fully Appreciate
While the Russos stated that all audiences can enjoy Avengers: Endgame without a vast knowledge of the MCU, that's up to the individual to decide. Someone could see Avengers: Endgame having only seen Infinity War or a handful of other Marvel movies, but there's a good deal of references that will go right over his or her head.
Even those well-versed in the MCU may have missed deep references as the movie even managed to work in scenes from iconic comic book storylines. A great example is Captain America's "Hail Hydra" scene, which is a reference to Captain America: Winter Soldier, but also a polarizing comic storyline in Secret Empire. It's never fun to feel out of the loop in the theater, which may have been why some folks didn't enjoy the flick as much as others.
Avengers: Endgame's Time Travel Is Confusing
This is, perhaps, the biggest criticisms fans have felt comfortable talking about since Avengers: Endgame's release. Time travel can always create issues in storytelling, especially when the movie outright explains it's not going to follow the rules of traditional time travel established by films of the past. There's even a discrepancy between the Russos and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely on explaining how it works, which should be a sign.
Answers are, presumably, going to come via Disney+'s Marvel shows or in other Phase 4 films, but there's a sense Avengers: Endgame passed the buck onto someone else to explain away some of the decisions the movie made. Granted, a lot of it wouldn't be too difficult to grasp if it wasn't for Captain America's end scene, which kind of puts a lot of theories fans have to that point on their heads. Bottom line, some fans need a real and official explanation to feel satisfied.
Avengers: Endgame Use Of The Hulk Is Underwhelming
Avengers: Endgame viewers were treated to a wildly different version of the Hulk, who now lived as a superhero with the body of the green gamma radiated giant and the brain of counterpart Bruce Banner. He was, with maybe the exception of Hawkeye, the most transformed of all of the Avengers 5 years after Infinity War. However, with Hawkeye, we witnessed what he lost following the snap, saw the person he became afterward, and then saw how he reclaimed who he was in the process.
With Hulk, we saw the once intimidating and most destructive force in the Avengers dab in front of children. Sure, he did more, but Banner's reconciling with Hulk is a big deal, and some fans feel like it's a shame we didn't see more of him figuring that out. We also really didn't see the two sides as equals, as Banner used very little of that patented "smash" ability. His part was enjoyable, but there wasn't a lot to love for classic Hulk fans.
Avengers: Endgame's Deaths Shouldn't Even Matter
Avengers: Endgame features two huge deaths when --and big spoilers here -- we lose Black Widow and Iron Man. Theoretically, the movie lays out how the MCU can bring neither back thanks to the rules of the Soul Stone etc. However, Gamora being snatched up from the past and brought to the present brings an earlier version of her character back into the Guardians franchise, so why wouldn't they do that immediately? I don't think it can be because it would change the past, because Nebula killing her past self seems to have done nothing.
Using Pym Particles and the Quantum Realm, it would theoretically be easy to bring back both Tony and Natasha from a time prior to their death so that the entire squad can be together again. It may not happen to keep the emotion of Avengers: Endgame, but from a plot perspective, this timey-wimey stuff in Endgame's realm still seems shaky from a lot of fan perspectives. Of course, we know Tony won't be coming back because of his Marvel contract, but still.
Of course, these are just a few of the popular criticisms moviegoers have had for Avengers: Endgame, so readers with other qualms can throw them down in the comments below. Otherwise, stick with CinemaBlend in the meantime for all the latest and greatest news in movies, television, and pop culture.
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