Avengers: Endgame is shaping up to be not only the biggest superhero movie of all-time, but quite possibly the biggest blockbuster since
Avatar (analysts remain split on the chances of it topping James Cameron's film at the box office, but some believe it could ultimately happen).
The global press tour is now in full swing, and things kicked off a few days ago with a junket press conference, where our very own Rohan Patel was in attendance, featuring the movie's directors, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, and the majority of principal cast members. It goes without saying that plot spoilers were off the table, but a lot of very interesting new details were still revealed.
From hearing what it was like for Brie Larson to play Captain Marvel for the first time without a script, to the "completion" of Captain America's story arc and a tease for a Nebula vs. Thanos rematch, there's a lot of very interesting intel here to digest.
We also have a video of the
Avengers: Endgame press conference for you to check out at the bottom of this post along with some very cool photos of the cast from the event. To check out all of that and more, you guys just need to hit the "View List" button!
Avengers: Endgame Is A Superhero Movie Like No Other
We've heard a lot about
Avengers: Endgame changing the, well, game when it comes to this genre and Feige was quick to reiterate that to those in attendance.
Apparently, this ensemble delivers "something that's never been done before" in a superhero movie and "at every turn, including the first Iron Man film, we talked about, 'How can we do something that's never been done before? What if a superhero outs his identity at the very last shot of the movie?'"
Could we end up seeing some sort of reboot of the MCU here? That's one of many possibilities.
Will The Dusted Heroes Return?
This is a question that obviously won't be answered until
Avengers: Endgame hits theaters later this month, but none of the actors whose characters died at the end of
Infinity War are doing press, and the Russos reaffirmed that they remain "committed" to the way things wrapped up there.
"Stories lose their meaning and relevancy and resonance unless there are real stakes," Anthony said. "For us, moving into Endgame, the story is very much about how these heroes deal with devastating loss." In other words, don't expect them to return in the first act of the movie!
Brie Larson Had To Play Captain Marvel Without A Script
Captain Marvel has been a $1 billion hit but Brie Larson had to play the character in
Avengers: Endgame before suiting up to delve into her origin story.
"This film will always be special to me, because it was my first time playing Captain Marvel — we shot this first," the Oscar winner revealed.
"I had to stumble and try to figure out who this character was with no script for this and no script for Captain Marvel either and perform for the first time in front of legends." That's insane, and it will be very interesting to see how her performance differs.
Chris Evans' Favourite Scenes Were Between Cap And Iron Man
"All the heroes up here have their flaws, and that makes for really good conflict and storytelling," Evans says when asked about his favourite moments in the movie. "That's why my favourite stuff in this arc has been my stuff with Downey, because there's such a dichotomy between how we approach things."
"At the end of the day, our hearts are in the right places, but it provides a lot of great friction." In other words, it sounds like things aren't going to be too good between these two when they meet up again, and that's hardly a surprise given Tony Stark's reluctance to call Steve Rogers during Infinity War's first act.
This Movie Was Always Going To Be The Endgame
While the possibility of the X-Men and Fantastic Four arriving in the MCU only started taking shape at the end of 2017, it sounds like Feige always knew that Phase 3 would wrap up the story that began with
Iron Man (the contracts of a number of noteworthy MCU actors no doubt factored into that, too).
"Four, five years ago, we talked about what we haven't seen in films based on comic characters," Feige explains. "We haven't seen an ending — a definitive conclusion to an overall saga. So that is why it's called Endgame, and why I think it's very, very, very special."
Yes, Hawkeye Is Ronin
This is hardly a surprise (especially as he's been named as such on merchandise) but, yes, Clint Barton is indeed now known as Ronin. Feige says that's not a spoiler and offers some insight into why the character has undergone such a significant change.
"Hawkeye had been so absent in Infinity War," the Marvel Studios President explained. "We thought it'd be fun to showcase one of the many different aspects of this movie is that he's in it, and answering the question, sort of, where has he been?"
Nebula's Inevitable Confrontation With Thanos
"I think it's fair to say she suffers from some daddy issues, because her dad is Thanos," Karen Gillan said when asked where we find Nebula in the movie.
"I think I'm excited for her to finally face the source of her abuse. You know, this has sort of been building for multiple movies, through the Guardians movies, and she's talked about how she wants to inflict revenge."
"I would like to see her try and face that," the actress quickly added in a bid to neither confirm nor deny whether that happens. "I don't know if she will. Maybe she won't! I'm not saying anything!"
The Press Tour Is "Bittersweet" This Time
"I don't know if you can tell, but it's a little bit different than the last time," Ruffalo said, referring to the press conference.
"It has a little sadness to it. I mean, we're all talking like we're dead. There's something very bittersweet about this moment."
That definitely points to at least a few of these actors not returning for another Avengers film...
Oh God, Captain America Is Totally Gonna Die
Well, that's what everyone involved with the movie certainly wants us to think anyway!
Asked about what
Avengers: Endgame has in store for Steve Rogers, Chris Evans replied:
"You know I can't talk about that. I guess I can give broad strokes. I think just the completion of the arc — that's safe to say, right? This movie does kind of provide an ending-"
Before he could say more, the actor was cut off by panel moderator Jon Favreau, and while we can't assume anything at this point, it's hard to escape the feeling that Cap's story is nearing its end.
R.I.P. Cap's Beard
Talking of the Star Spangled Avenger, it was revealed during the press conference that Evans prefers Captain America with a beard, as does everyone bar Danai Gurira and Karen Gillan. Paul Rudd, meanwhile, likes both!
However, Robert Downey Jr. is fond of the end-credits scene from
The Avengers which saw Evans cover his beard up with prosthetics and cover his face with his hand!
"I was like, 'We're making Ruffalo green, and we can't do this?'" Evans joked.
"But I spent some hours in the chair and put prosthetics on, so we had to do the scene with me [covering my face]."
Captain America Welcomes The Arrival Of Captain Marvel
We still don't know whether Carol Danvers will tell Steve Rogers that "I'm the Captain now!" but for what it's worth, it sounds like Captain America welcomes the hero to the team's ranks.
"I think he tends to lean on those people who are of like mind and nature, who are intrinsically selfless," Evans said.
"Introducing characters like Captain Marvel and Black Panther — who align very similarly to Cap's nature — I think it reinforces Cap's sense of purpose."
How The Russos Describe The Movie In One Word
"Cathartic."