Over the course of four Avengers films and three individual movie franchises for half of the original six Avengers, fans became enveloped in the individual and collective stories of this marvelous team. Each film and cameo appearance wove a beautiful tapestry leading up to the final battle: Avengers: Endgame. In the first Avengers film, the team wasn’t a team. Iron Man was skeptical about the initiative from Nick Fury. Thor wanted to bring Loki back to Asgard to stand trial. Captain America was still adjusting to the modern world. Black Widow and Hawkeye were under S.H.I.E.L.D.’s protection and orders. Hulk was reluctant to be on the ship altogether. However, Avengers: Age of Ultron, the team was operating at a stronger capacity.
Due to events in Captain America: Civil War, of course, the final nail in the coffin that broke up the group was Steve Rogers protecting Bucky from Tony’s wrath, and the Avengers were officially split up. In Avengers: Infinity War, the team went up against Thanos and lost big time. Before battling Thanos and his army in Avengers: Endgame, the Avengers were reunited and joined by several Guardians of the Galaxy team members to find the Infinity Stones by traveling to the past. Yet, fans were awaiting the final blows since Marvel Studios was heading in a new direction with the superhero genre: Disney+ miniseries. That said, this wasn’t the only surprise fans were left with; the original six Avengers’ endings were shocking and even maddening to some fans. Here's why.
Thor Joining the Guardians
Disney
As the strongest original Avenger, Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) had one of the most interesting arcs in the MCU. Between Thor and Avengers: Infinity War, he became a more vulnerable god who learned that humans weren’t so petty or tiny. Yet, when he decapitated Thanos in Endgame, it was almost as if he gave up. The anger he felt after losing his father, brother, and half his people all in one fell swoop was more than enough to keep him going to that final blow of the ax.
In his battle with depression, Thor succumbs to the pain and avoids any discussion with Thanos. Fans are mostly upset about Thor being made into a punchline by nearly every Avenger. But the most maddening detail is that he rides off into the sunset with the Guardians of the Galaxy at the end of the movie. Except for Rocket and Groot, it’s clear that Star-Lord is annoyed with Thor coming along, which matches the energy from the other Avengers upon Thor’s return.
Smart Hulk and the Time Machine
While Thor was a punchline in Endgame, Hulk had the most awkward storyline in the film. Due to copyright issues with certain Marvel characters, appearances from Bruce Banner/The Hulk were limited to cameos or being the sidekick to Tony Stark. Although Hulk played a pretty crucial role in the final assembling of the original six, Inside The Magic explains that fans were underwhelmed by the MCU’s Hulk and that the directors of the third and fourth Avengers films admitted to their mistake of not giving the character more screen time.
Even though Smart Hulk wielded the Infinity Gauntlet, for someone who has six PhDs and is the leading expert on gamma radiation, Hulk remained in the sidekick-to-Tony-Stark category. His final scene in Avengers: Endgame is an argument with Sam Wilson over bringing Steve Rogers back from returning items to their past.
Hawkeye’s Family Reunion
In Avengers: Age of Ultron a big reveal was that Hawkeye has a family, and they live on a farm that’s off the books. He is the only original Avenger who was placed under house arrest after the events of Captain America: Civil War. Clint sent in his final resignation as his family was his top priority. Once Thanos’ vision to kill half the universe was fulfilled, everyone lost someone they loved. But Hawkeye lost his entire family.
He then went on a killing spree around the world, as seen in Endgame, taking down entire mafias and crime families. After he rejoined the Avengers, and they defeated Thanos, Hawkeye was reunited with his family. The problem with his storyline is that even though he was taking out crime bosses, he was never held accountable for his crimes. Clint wasn’t acting as a superhero. Essentially, Clint’s storyline sends a message that killing people out of vengeance is forgivable.
Iron Man’s Snap
The MCU began with Tony Stark’s Iron Man. He was witty and always found a way out. Tony is the most innovative and uses his free time to upgrade everyone’s suits and accessories. But after he was confronted by a grieving mother, in Civil War, he sided with the U.S. Government to create an accountability system for superheroes, like the Avengers. This led to a major falling out with Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, and other members of Team Cap.
By the time Thanos’ minions reach Earth in Avengers: Infinity War, Tony is the first to confront the invaders and defend Earth. In the final battle against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, he manages to get ahold of the Infinity Gauntlet and has the final snap. Refinery 29 details why Tony had to die, and the clues laid out for his finale. Even though Tony’s death was maddening, his entire storyline was meant to honor his legacy.
Captain America’s Dance with Peggy
Since the MCU is so vast, fans have come up with ways to watch the films in various orders. Fans like to track the Tesseract or watch the films in chronological order. However, a third way to watch the films is by the year they take place, meaning that the first film in line would be Captain America: The First Avenger.
Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) has some of the best scenes in the MCU, but by Avengers: Endgame, his story, like Tony’s, was nearing a close. After Tony’s funeral, he goes back in time to return the stones, but misses his time mark. The closing scene of Avengers: Endgame is his reunion with Peggy. This is another maddening ending because every moment of Steve’s throughout the MCU points to him having two true loves: Bucky and Peggy.
Black Widow’s Sacrifice
As the only woman on the Avengers, Natasha Romanoff holds her own against her teammates. Her storyline throughout the MCU is one of a woman who is healing from being trafficked as a weapon on behalf of a Russian crime lord. Natasha could have been a beacon of hope for girls and women, but they wrote her to be a romantic interest for several of the Avengers.
But, alas, her final appearance in Avengers: Endgame was the most infuriating. In comic books and action films, women typically sacrifice themselves for the men to rise up and take on the villain. In an interview with PopSugar, writer Stephen McFeely revealed that they almost changed her death to Hawkeye dying instead, but a colleague said it took away Natasha’s moment. While Natasha chose to sacrifice herself for her family, her death had the same effect if she hadn’t chosen her own death: she died for men to take on the final villain.