Avengers: Endgame Writers on Escorting Characters to the End of Their MCU Stories

Despite time travel, magic, and other marvels, Avengers: Endgame does mark a “definitive third [...]

By Cameron Bonomolo

Despite time travel, magic, and other marvels, Avengers: Endgame does mark a "definitive third act" for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and many of its veteran heroes, says co-writer Stephen McFeely.

"The idea that… you were gonna end things, you were gonna escort characters off the stage, was really appealing to us as writers, because it allowed you to tell different types of stories," McFeely told EW.

Added writing partner Christopher Markus, "That's what I like best about the movie, the characters who are escorted off the stage… really do feel like they have reached the end of their MCU story."

The MCU will continue, with July's Spider-Man: Far From Home acting as an epilogue for Endgame as it closes out Phase Three, but the Anthony and Joe Russo-directed Endgame is very much the culmination of the 11-year, 22-movie Infinity Saga.

"We not only had to resolve our own movies but all the other MCU movies from the last 10 years," Anthony told IndieWire.

"Our approach has been subversive, making these superheroes confront the finality of death. There's a sense of introspection that allows these characters to deal with who they are individually and collectively."

That meant closing the door on Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), who both died saving the universe, writing out Captain America (Chris Evans) as an old man who lived a full life, and retiring family man and archer Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) — for good this time.

Bruce Banner-slash-Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) is still around and an out-of-shape Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is off finding himself in space with pal Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and the Guardians of the Galaxy, but this iteration of Earth's mightiest heroes have rallied behind "Avengers assemble" for the last time.

"Steve Rogers goes from selfless to slightly more self-interested. Tony goes from selfish to giving himself for the universe. Thor goes from obligated to letting go of that obligation. And Black Widow goes from a woman with red on her ledger to clearly wiping out all that red," McFeely told the Los Angeles Times.

In deciding which characters had to live and which characters had to die, the Avengers architects told Fandango Captain America and Iron Man in particular reached the "natural end" of their multi-movie arcs with Endgame.

"So where we hit upon it was in order to become their best selves," McFeely said, "Steve had to find a life, and Tony had to lose his."

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