Avengers: Endgame is full of huge surprises, but one of the biggest comes very early on when Earth's Mightiest Heroes track down Thanos and put an end to the Mad Titan once and for all.
This happens when Thor uses Stormbreaker to decapitate the villain, and now writer Christopher Markus has revealed that the only reason the team was able to deliver this killing blow to Thanos was because he allowed them to. He was badly weakened by using the Infinity Gauntlet to destroy the Stones, but it sounds like the writer believes that he was still strong enough to take on the heroes.
"They only accomplish what Thanos lets them accomplish," Markus explains during the Director's Commentary for the Marvel Studios movie. "He has finished his job and lets them kill him."
The 2014 version of Thanos didn't feel the same way, hence why he came to Earth to destroy the team and once again use the Stones to enact his new plan: creating a universe where people wouldn't remember what they had lost. That also led to his eventual death, of course, this time at the hands of Tony Stark after he unleashed the power of the Stones via a gauntlet of his own.
How did you guys feel about the way Thanos' demise was handled in Avengers: Endgame?
Hit the "View List" button to check out some amazing Avengers:
Endgame BTS images from the movie's digital release!
Marvel Studios' own Trinity assembles here and, as you can see, Robert Downey Jr. isn't even decked out in his armour! Thor, meanwhile, has yet to undergo his Viking-like transformation.
As you'll see by watching the featurettes on the digital release of
Avengers: Endgame, when Cap is swinging Mjolnir in the movie, there's actually no hammer on the end of the weapon's handle!
This behind the scenes shot puts the spotlight on Robert Downey Jr. as he takes advice from the Russo Brothers for what was a pretty momentous moment as he recorded a farewell message.
The diner scene was added in reshoots when the filmmakers decided to scrap Bruce Banner's transformation into Smart Hulk in
Avengers: Infinity War. Here, we get to see how that was set-up.
This costume didn't last particularly long, as it was only used in
Captain Marvel's post-credits scene and
Avengers: Endgame's opening sequence with Iron Man and Thanos on Titan II.
This was hard to see unless you watched an IMAX version of
Endgame, but when Carol Danvers was hanging around the Avengers Compound, she actually had the suit on beneath that tank top.
When the final battle was being shot, Carol Danvers may have had shorter hair, but she was decked out in her original suit. Those tracking marks were there to change it in post-production, though.
The cast stops for a brief moment of levity on the movie's set. It's amazing to see the changes these characters go through in the post-production stage (Iron Man and Spider-Man, for example).
This moment is bound to go down in history as being pretty momentous as it's the first time our new Captain America wielded his shield. As you can see, the rebuilt version has been redesigned.
A-Force assembles! These female heroes coming together was a great moment and one that definitely would have inspired a lot of people out there regardless of what gender they happen to be.
Marvel Studios clearly didn't want the paparazzi getting any shots of these characters, hence why massive green screens have been constructed. These shots definitely would have got fans talking!
Who said Brie Larson never smiles, eh? (well, trolls mostly). In this image, we see the Oscar-winning actress holding the Stark Gauntlet as she races through the battlefield.
Marvel Studios clearly didn't ever plan on making practical versions of the Team Suits, which is why the heroes are decked out in their regular outfits for the costumes to then be added down the line.
Gwyneth Paltrow finally got the chance to suit up in
Avengers: Endgame, but just like Robert Downey Jr., she only had to wear the top half of the armour as the rest was added with visual effects.
A-Force runs into action here, and what an awesome sight it makes for. Fans are hopeful that an all-female team could assemble down the line, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
The women of A-Force come together to celebrate finishing their scenes. For these stars, it must have been quite an occasion and things really are changing for female superheroes on screen.
What a transformation for the God of Thunder! He was completely unrecognisable by the time we caught up with him after that five year time-jump and clearly in a deep stage of depression.
And now we know how the hunky Chris Hemsworth was transformed into the "Bro" version of Thor. That suit can't have been light, but it's shocking how realistic it looks on the Aussie actor.
Hawkeye's transformation into Ronin will be explored in his solo series on Disney+, and this stunning behind the scenes shot from his reunion with Black Widow serves as a pretty nice teaser.
This is clearly from a costume test as Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder sits back in his new attire and a rather snazzy pair of Crocs. Who could have guessed we'd ever see this on the big screen?
Some have accused Marvel Studios of using Bro Thor solely for comedic purposes, but his story arc was a lot of fun and his transformation into this version of the God of Thunder was definitely awesome.