Three Reasons Why Endgame’s Ending is the Worst MCU Has to Offer
If you listened to Episode 52 of the podcast, you know that Keri and I had some thoughts on the ending of Endgame. If listening to a podcast isn’t your thing and you rather read a long diatribe, welcome, friends!
As you may or may not know, Infinity War was my third favorite movie in the MCU. It was so well-crafted and executed from the start to finish, the movie is nigh flawless. Or, rather, the flaws were easily hand-waved away or forgiven because the package on the whole was so spectacular. Ever since seeing Infinity War, I have wondered how on Earth Marvel was going to stick the landing. Now that I’ve seen Endgame, I can say that not only do they not stick the landing, the last 10 minutes of the Endgame’s ending not only ruin the rest of the movie, but it also ruins large chunks of the MCU on the whole. How? I’M SO GLAD YOU ASKED.
The Time Travel Conundrum
If you listen to the podcast or have ever had a comic- or movie-based conversation with me, you know that I hate time travel above all other plot devices. It is the lazy writer’s answer to fixing a problem, and it always* opens more plot holes and logic problems than it solves, and Endgame is no exception.
I was going to go along with Endgame‘s time travel mechanic because they spent a good deal of screen time explaining why time travel was OK, and how it was going to work. In fact, I bet if you did a super cut of all the conversations around time travel it would be about 20 minutes worth of screen time. That’s a long time to explain your universe mechanics. Which is why it’s unforgivable that they undo them to give Steve a “happy” ending (more on that later).
The Hulk already established that going back in time and altering any events would create an alternate time line. Steve going back to 1945 to be with Peggy is by very definition “altering events.” Ergo, he should have created an alternate timeline. However, since he’s sitting on a bench in this timeline, clearly he didn’t do that. So after explaining why you couldn’t alter the past, he was then able to alter the past.
Also, keep in mind that Steve going back to 1945 means there are now two Steves in existence in that reality. One is frozen under the ice until 2012, but from 2012 forward there are now two versions of Steve Rogers running around. One is old, the other is fighting <insert stuff here>. If that doesn’t drive you insane, please explain why. Because good gawd.
$#@% Other People
First, let’s start with Steve here. If you watched a movie called The Winter Soldier, or Civil War, you may have caught on to the fact that Steve really, really wants to help his BFF Bucky. They have such an established relationship as friends that we, as an audience, know this is a core part to Steve’s identity. So it’s mind-boggling to me that he would go back to 1945, knowing his best friend is being tortured by Hydra/Nazis and do nothing. Not a single thing. So the Winter Soldier kills dozens, is being horribly tortured and brainwashed, and Steve does nothing. That is NOT the Steve Rogers we’ve spent 8 years getting to know. Not to mention Hydra is infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D., and Steve just doesn’t care.
Also, try to remember that Peggy had a family. She had a husband and children who are now unmade and will never exist because of Steve’s actions. Really sit and ponder that statement for a minute. After the man she barely knew goes under the ice, Peggy goes on to have her own life full of adventure (working for S.H.I.E.L.D.), a husband she loves, and children she raises. By MCU standards, Peggy has a damn good life. And Steve takes that from her without even giving her the choice. He just decides her future, as Mrs. Steve-Rogers-in-Secret for her. HOLY SHIT.
A friend argued that maybe Steve goes back and explains the situation to her, and she chooses Steve, but honestly, that’s even more upsetting as an explanation. To know that she has children and she chooses to throw that away because of a guy who was really hot and she had a brief moment with in 1945 is awful character development. To know that she would also throw away all the good she does for the world and S.H.I.E.L.D. just so she can be with Steve is, again, horrible character development.
Snapturing Parts of the MCU
OK my first point here is a bit of a cheat. Technically, because we have two Steve Rogerses running around the events of The Winter Soldier and Civil War are happening, but why? Steve has already proven that he doesn’t really care enough to help his friend by going back in time to a time he could have prevented so many deaths and damage, the events of those movies feel moot. Technically these events still happen but what is the point?
Did you like the show Agent Peggy Carter? Because the events of that show IN ITS ENTIRETY are now retconned. Keep in mind if Peggy and Steve go into the sunset, Peggy never joins S.H.I.E.L.D. How could she? Because Steve is supposed to be under the ice and not at home in her house, she would have to keep his existence secret and lie to so many people that she’d be no better than the Hydra operatives at that point. I know the MCU trumps the events in the TV shows, but c’mon guys.
A Lousy Goodbye
I didn’t hate Endgame. There were a lot of great moments, nice touches, and fun callbacks. I thought they could have done more, overall, but for wrapping up 21 movies and 11 years, it was OK; up until the last 10 minutes. If you turned the movie off after Steve agrees to return the stones, it would have been a solid movie. But having Steve go back to 1945 left such a horrible taste in my mouth, I can’t even say I really liked Endgame. At this point, it’s barely a step above The Dark World. Yeah, that’s how angry I was.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
*The exceptions to this rule are To Say Nothing of the Dog, Terminator, and Back to the Future because at least a cheesy ’80s sci-fi movie can stick to its own goddamn rules.
Okay, so how do we know that Agent Carter’s hubby all along WASN’T “secret-Steve-Rogers?” EH? THIS TIME LOOP COULD HAVE BEEN INFINITE.
…as in “Infinity.”
Eh? EH?!?!?!
Because in Agent Peggy Carter show, they show the dude who ends up being her husband.
Your move, old man.
Haha, nice.
I liked “Endgame” a lot but yeah, watching it in the theater and seeing him show up old, I was like “Um but she had a husband and kids and grandkids but he just unmade?” Eveyone else was happy. THEY CRIED HAPPY TEARS FOR HIM, THE SICKOS.
I have not seen this “To Say Nothing of the Dog” you mention, I’ll have to look into it. But in the meantime, have YOU seen “Primer” or “Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel”? Those two do it right. (Well I mean, the second one’s a comedy so there might be problems but you don’t care… wow I’m looking now and 38% Rotten Tomatoes, I loved that movie what’s wrong with you!)