How Avengers: Endgame Passes the Torch to the Next Generation of Heroes

Avengers: Endgame ushers in a new era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing to set up its next "big three" in the footsteps of Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), and Thor (Chris Hemsworth).

Endgame spoilers ahead.

In its finale, Bruce Banner-slash-Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), using the six Infinity Stones retrieved from the past, snaps and wills The Vanished back to life after they were erased by Thanos (Josh Brolin).

The Mad Titan's past self, who has traveled forward into 2023 from 2014, attempts to claim the stones and the Tony Stark-created Iron Gauntlet to reduce the universe to its last atom and recreate it as he sees fit, and only Earth's mightiest heroes — all of them — can stop him.

Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) retrieves the Gauntlet after Avengers headquarters is reduced to rubble, handing it off to Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), whose cat-like prowess allows him to nimbly leap about the battlefield, keeping the Gauntlet away from Thanos and his army.

During the game of keep-away, the Gauntlet is passed to Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who is later overwhelmed and then rescued by the cosmic-powered Captain Marvel (Brie Larson).

The heroes' efforts play a key role in saving the universe when the Gauntlet is reclaimed by its creator, who wipes out Thanos and his forces with a snap of his fingers — killing Stark in the process.

Another symbolic passing of the torch happens at Stark's funeral, when the camera weaves through the mourners, including heroes Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and the Guardians of the Galaxy, ending on Captain Marvel, who is positioned in the very back.

In a callback to the post-credits scene of 2008's Iron Man — at the time the biggest step forward for a wider, shared universe — super-spy Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) steps forward. A new age of heroes has begun.

Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige previously decreed Captain Marvel as the new lead of the MCU, who will stand as one of its main pillars alongside Spider-Man and Black Panther.

"When we found out that Brie Larson might be interested in joining our world, we had a number of meetings. She was a huge fan of the character in the comics. One of the highlights of my career at Marvel was introducing her at Comic-Con and having her come out on stage and stand there with literally almost everybody else from our movies," Feige said in the Captain Marvel: Official Movie Special.

"There she was at the forefront, and it was a great foreshadowing — not just for how audiences are going to embrace Brie as this character, but also for how Captain Marvel is about to take the lead and be at the forefront of the entire Cinematic Universe."

The Avengers are, once again, no more as an official entity, following the deaths of Iron Man and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and the retirements of Captain America and Hakweye. Captain America's star-spangled shield has been passed to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie).

With Ant-Man and Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), and other heroes answering the call of "Avengers assemble," it's only a matter of time until the rise of the New Avengers.

Marvel Studios will next end Phase Three with Spider-Man: Far From Home, swinging into theaters July 2.

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