Avengers: Endgame just had its second weekend in theaters and the signs are all pointing to it becoming the highest-grossing movie of all-time depending on how things pan out over the coming weeks.
Now, directors Joe and Anthony Russo have taken part in yet another interview, this time delving into a number of previously unaddressed topics, including what comes next for Tom Hiddleston's Loki in the MCU, how they went about shooting Iron Man's funeral with all those actors, their thoughts on
Thor: The Dark World, and introducing time-travel to this shared world.
It makes for fascinating reading and we even get some more insight into the Marvel Multiverse, something which could have been created by alternate timelines rather than alternate dimensions.
So, to check out these new
Avengers: Endgame details, hit the "View List" button down below.
What Was It Like Shooting Robert Downey Jr.'s Final Scenes As Iron Man?
Avengers: Endgame features the shocking death of Tony Stark after he uses the Infinity Stones to wipe out Thanos and his army. Asked what it was like to shoot Robert Downey Jr.'s final scenes as the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Anthony shed some light on how it all went down.
"Joe and I always say Robert is the hardest-working actor we've ever encountered. He is very dedicated to his craft and puts an enormous amount of his psychic energy into his performance. As you can imagine, this character is as much of an iconic experience for him as it is for anybody in the [audience]. That shot where he says “I am Iron Man” and snaps his fingers was the very last shot of the entire movie. We shot that back in January [during the final reshoots] and we all walked away from the movie after he performed that moment. Oddly enough, we shot it in Raleigh Studios in L.A. where 12 years earlier on an adjacent stage, he’d done his screen test for “Iron Man.” So it was really a sense of completion and [coming] full circle."
That must have been an emotional day and we'll hopefully get some behind the scenes footage from that day on the movie's set when the Blu-ray is released a little later this year.
Is Loki Alive After Escaping With The Tesseract?
Avengers: Infinity War kicks off with Loki being murdered by Thanos but during the course of
Avengers: Endgame, the God of Mischief manages to escape with the Tesseract back in 2012.
So, does that explain how he's alive and well for that upcoming Disney+ TV series. Well, yes, but not quite how you might expect.
"Loki could absolutely still be alive in an alternate timeline," Anthony teases, once again hinting at a Multiverse made up of different timelines.
How Long Have Captain America And Iron Man's Endings Been Planned?
While the way things wrap up for both Captain America and Iron Man was a surprise, we've been hearing reports for a long time now that Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. were planning to leave the Marvel Cinematic Universe after
Avengers: Endgame. So, how long did the Russos have their respective endings mapped out?
"About three years," Joe Russo reveals.
"The first thing we did when we sat down to figure out the story we were going to tell was decide on the end of the movie. We had to know where “Endgame” was going in order to tell the best story possible. It’s how you maximize the drama and character architecture."
How Do They Feel About Those Record-Breaking Box Office Numbers?
Avengers: Endgame has broken more box office records than we can count and after passing
Titanic this weekend, it's now nipping at the heels of
Avatar. So, how have the filmmakers reacted to those numbers? Well, as you might expect, they're just grateful to moviegoers for embracing the film.
"For us, the box office is really just reflective of the audience’s appreciation. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves because we love these characters and these stories. We grew up on the mythology, collecting comic books. And these were the movies that we wanted to see, and now we’ve gotten to make them. As kids, we walked out of “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” or “Indiana Jones” having had really profound spectacle, pop culture, cinematic experiences. We really wanted and were committed to giving that experience to audiences around the world with this movie."
Why Was Harley Keener At Tony Stark's Funeral?
"We were thinking about who was important in Tony’s life, just on a very grounded level," Joe explains.
"And that was a character who’d shared a special moment in time with Tony. It felt organic for him to be there." In previous interviews, it's been made clear that this appearance isn't necessarily setting up a future for the character and it definitely seems like it was
just a cameo.
Were All Those Actors Really Present For That Scene?
Talking of Iron Man's funeral, the guest list is huge and you have to believe that some camera trickery was involved given how many actors were on set, right?
"They were all actually there and that was perhaps the most [difficult] shot in all four movies that we've done for Marvel," Joe says.
"We spent the entire day before we got them all out there with doubles [practicing] executing that shot."
Do The Filmmakers Understand The Time-Travel Rules They Set Down?
Ever since
Avengers: Endgame was released, there's been a lot of confusion over the use of time-travel and whether the ideas presented by the movie actually work. Well, when the directors were asked if they're fully on board with how it was explained or whether there are still loopholes even for them, Anthony reiterated the idea of alternate timelines.
"In the movie, the Hulk is very explicit about what our rules are, which is you cannot change the present by altering the past," he reveals.
"All you can do by going to the past — and for a character like Cap[tain America], living in the past — is create an alternate future. So this is a world in which alternate timelines exist."
How Challenging Did They Find Introducing Time-Travel To The MCU?
Time-travel is a confusing concept at the best of times, so what sort of challenges came with presenting that idea in a way that hasn't previously been explored on the big screen? Well, according to Anthony, it was all about moving away from what Back to the Future did all those years ago.
"'Back to the Future' is one of our favorite films, and the rules of that movie are ubiquitous; they have informed pop culture for 40 years. And we wanted to do something different. We didn't realize how complicated it would be to create new rules and have people go with us, but we learned very early on in the test screenings that people are really committed to those “Back to the Future” rules — if you shoot yourself, you should die. We spoke with a few physicists, and there’s a lot of theories about how time travel could work. We chose the multiverse theory. We learned very early on in the test screenings that people are really committed to those ‘Back to the Future’ rules — if you shoot yourself, you should die."
How Does It Feel To Bring An End To This Chapter Of The MCU?
It's no secret that
Avengers: Endgame brings an end to over a decade's worth of storytelling but the pressure was on the Russo Brothers to make it a satisfying conclusion for comic book fans.
So, how did it feel to be responsible for wrapping up this chapter of Marvel Studios history?
"It’s a really complicated mix of emotions for us," Anthony says. "This is among our favorite work we’ve ever done as filmmakers, so to get to the end of it, there's a sadness to walk away. But at the same time, we really firmly believe that all good stories have to have stakes and endings."
"So for us to have the opportunity to tell the final chapter in that [22-movie long] story was an amazing opportunity and a privilege. Also, it was a tough story to tell. I think for Joe and I, this is a moment where we’ve lost control of the movie and we’ve turned it over to audiences, and there’s a sense of relief in that for sure."
What Were The Biggest Challenges With Revisiting The MCU's Past?
The movie revisits a number of past releases so just how challenging was that from a filmmaking perspective?
"Probably just re-creating the sequences in a way that was accurate," Joe explains.
"[Chris] Pratt dancing [on Vormir], that’s some footage from seven years ago [in “Guardians of the Galaxy”] and some footage from him now and we had to intercut it."
"People change, their looks change, so we really had to re-create everyone’s look. When Downey is watching the Avengers in that final moment with Loki where he says, “I’ll have that drink now,” that’s all of our current actors being made up to look like they did in the first “Avengers.” It was fun for us to create a different perspective for the audience."
"[While] “Guardians” opens up with this really joyful sequence where Quill is dancing his way through an alien planet," he concludes, "the truth of it may have been that that was all in his mind and he’s really just another guy singing out of tune to his Walkman."
How Do They Feel About Thor: The Dark World?
Thor: The Dark World is one of the worst reviewed Marvel Studios movies (even though it was nowhere near panned by critics) so does its inclusion in
Avengers: Endgame point to the Russo Brothers actually perceiving it as being an underrated release?
"Well, it’s hard to judge," Anthony responds.
"This is a mosaic of storytelling. It’s an experiment in narrative that has spanned over 10 years and 11 franchises. I think it’s hard to judge anything until the ending has been told. It’s like reading a book and going “I didn’t care for that chapter” before you get to the end of the book."
"Sometimes when you get to the end, it gives you perspective on all the different chapters. So hopefully people can go back and see that movie in a different light now, based on its significance to Thor and his character."
Why Was It Important To Give The MCU's Women Chance To Shine?
During the final battle, the women of the Marvel Cinematic Universe come together to take the fight to Thanos. So, why was it important to the filmmakers to give the heroes that moment?
"Looking back on the entire road that the MCU has traveled, it just struck us how many amazing female characters have entered the [landscape]," Anthony explains.
"I think it was really, for us, a moment of celebration and acknowledgment of the intensity and empowerment in that."
Many thanks to The Los Angeles Times for the quotes used throughout this article.
Talking of that final battle, continue reading below for a recap of its best moments!
"I Knew It!"
In a scene vastly more epic than when we first saw Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman together on screen (sorry), Marvel's Trinity - Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor - all take the fight to Thanos and quickly get their butts handed to them.
However, just as the Mad Titan is about to plunge Stormbreaker into the God of Thunder's chest (proving that you don't have to be worthy to hold that hammer/axe), he's taken down by Mjolnir...which is being wielded by Steve Rogers! A triumphant Thor laughs, "I knew it!" before Captain America beats Thanos down and proves that he is indeed worthy.
It's an amazing scene, and Cap using both his shield and the hammer to take down Thanos while also summoning lightning is quite possibly one of the coolest MCU moments to date.
The Shield Is Shattered
It doesn't happen exactly the way it did in
Infinity Gauntlet, but Thanos shatters Captain America's shield using his sword and this does a great job of emphasising just how powerful the villain is, even without the Infinity Stones in his possession.
Cap's shield has been a staple since day one and for a villain to come along and destroy it like this just shows how under threat Earth's Mightiest Heroes are at this point. However, this leads to something even more awesome during the battle...
Steve Rogers Stares Down Thanos' Army
Beaten down and barely able to stand, Captain America is the last hero left standing as Thanos vows to destroy not just Earth but the entire universe as he remakes it in his horrifying image.
As the Mad Titan stands there with thousands of Chitauri, Outriders, unknown monstrous aliens, and his Black Order, Steve Rogers is ready to face-down an army and, well, it's safe to assume he can do this all day! This is an amazing scene which shows that Captain America really will do whatever it takes to stop Thanos, and the imagery used is breathtaking.
The same could be said for a moment later in the film, when Steve stands there with his shield and Mjolnir in his hands as Captain Marvel smashes through the Mad Titan's ship.
"AVENGERS...Assemble!"
Seconds later, Captain America hears The Falcon's voice and it's then that all of the dusted heroes return from the dead and arrive at the destroyed Avengers Compound ready to go to war.
As the music swells, we see nearly every hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe ready for a fight, and if that wasn't amazing enough, Steve then shouts "Avengers!" before adding "Assemble!" This has been a moment seven years in the making and it's fair to say that if Marvel Studios was saving that catchphrase, they most definitely chose the right movie and sequence.
If this didn't give you chills and make you want to cheer, you might be dead inside.
Scarlet Witch's Revenge
This is somewhat lessened by the fact the 2014 version of Thanos doesn't know who the Scarlet Witch is or what he did to her, but Wanda getting some measure of revenge on the Mad Titan after he coldly murdered The Vision is definitely satisfying and it's great to see just how powerful she actually is.
The fact the Russos found time for a character moment like this says a lot about them as filmmakers.
Captain Marvel Returns
Captain Marvel's role in
Avengers: Endgame is actually relatively minor, but that's probably because she's so overpowered, that having her stick around would have made things far too easy for Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
Regardless, just as things are looking bleak during the final battle as Thanos "rains fire" down on the heroes, Carol Danvers returns to Earth and makes one hell of an impact, proving why she's deserving of being the new face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe now that Robert Downey Jr.'s stint as Tony Stark/Iron Man has reached its end.
Running The Gauntlet
Literally!
With Thanos in hot pursuit, a number of heroes (including Hawkeye, Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Captain Marvel) are all forced to take the Infinity Gauntlet and keep it on the move, which leads to some brilliant moments, including the wall-crawler's first meeting with Carol Danvers.
Throw in the fact that this sequence includes Giant-Man causing chaos on the battlefield and an emotional reunion between Peter Parker and Tony Stark, and this really couldn't have been any better.
A-Force
An argument could definitely be made that this feels somewhat forced and on the nose, but it won't stop fans from appreciating it and being excited about what it might mean.
Just as Thanos gains the upper hand, he finds himself surrounded by the Marvel Cinematic Universe's female superheroes and they quickly take the fight to the formidable villain and leave him reeling. Whether this leads to an A-Force movie is impossible to say, but they would be crazy not to at least consider one based on how well this brief moment in the battle works.
Another great moment follows when Valkyrie rides into battle on her flying horse while Spider-Man hitches a ride.
The Headbutt
This is so cool. As Thanos wrestles with Carol Danvers for control of the Infinity Gauntlet, he headbutts the hero and...well, absolutely nothing happens.
Bearing in mind that he easily beat down Thor (a God), we can now safely say that Captain Marvel really is the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most powerful superhero. It goes without saying that this complicates things moving forward as she could easily defeat anyone The Avengers face off with, so perhaps Marvel Studios will keep her adventures off-planet.
Oh, and her new Mar-Vell inspired costume and haircut? Totally badass.
"I Am Iron Man"
Iron Man makes the ultimate sacrifice during this battle when he manages to steal away the Infinity Stones from Thanos and snaps his fingers to wipe out The Mad Titan's army
and save the universe.
As he does this, he responds to Thanos' "I am inevitable" line, making it clear that "I am Iron Man," the greatest superhero the Marvel Cinematic Universe has ever seen who started it all in 2008.
It's heartbreaking to see Tony Stark die (especially after he got his happy ending with Pepper and Morgan), but it works and is a great way to wrap up his story arc in a manner none of us will forget.