20 Things I Would’ve Written Differently in Avengers: Endgame

⚠️WARNING! Spoilers ahead⚠️

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I’m serious. You’re playing yourself if you go past this point without having watched the movie.

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Okaaaaay. Last warning...

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1.) In the opening scene with Clint, after his family disappeared, I would’ve preferred it to be a still shot. I get that these kinds of shots are an artistic way of putting the audience into the action. But to me, the running is shaky and incredibly uncomfortable to watch. It reminds me that this is indeed just a film.

2.) I get that the film deals with trauma and grief, hence why the colors and lighting were so dark. But my God, everything in the film was so dark. Even the lighthearted moments had low lighting and muted colors. Maybe it was just the theater I was at, but it was distracting. If it wasn’t, I would’ve mixed up the color scheme and the composition so that it doesn’t seem so ominous. The audience deserves to go home with good feelings, too.

3.) There were some jokes that weren’t given “room to breathe”, such as “I thought you were a Build-a-Bear” and “That is the ass of America”. Early Avengers suffers from this problem quite often. A joke is told and the audience isn’t given time to process it because someone butts in to get “back on track with the plan” or the characters immediately kick into action. I would’ve allowed a more serious character to shake their heads or to glare at the funny character.

4.) Personally, I think narrowing your eyes is kind of cheesy. I wouldn’t have had Captain Marvel do it to Thor. It was borderline cartoonish.

5.) Look, I don’t care how powerful Captain Marvel is. If I wrote the movie, reconnaissance would’ve taken a bit longer. I’d even have the other Avengers join in. But I certainly wouldn’t have had her search an entire landmass in only a few seconds. There many nooks and crannies in any planet with life. Enemies could be hiding anywhere.

6.) Thanos’ first death was completely unnecessary. If he was gonna be killed for sure in the time-space-past-future continuum, then that first scene wasn’t necessary. I understand that the point of that scene was to discover the fate of the stones, to show the consequences of using the Infinity Gauntlet and to demonstrate how much more affected Thor was by Thanos’ actions.

However, the pacing of that scene was sloppy and rushed. Personally, I think Thanos should’ve escaped alive in that first scene. Then the scene wouldn’t feel like it was wasted.

7.) That time stamp with the FIVE.YEARS.LATER was a bit slow and clunky. So many things had to be eliminated or glossed over because the movie ended up being three hours long. This is one of those small things that would’ve increased time efficiency if it was done quickly. I would allow the time stamp to stay on the screen for three seconds. I mean, the audience KNOWS that it’s going to say “five years later”. There’s nothing ominous or suspenseful about that particular choice.

8.) I don’t think Earth would be a complete wasteland. If half of life in the universe was eliminated, the small planet of Earth probably wouldn’t have lost THAT many denizens. If anything, life on Earth would be a little bit more comfortable and there’d be more resources available.

But aside from that, I would’ve changed Thanos’ thought process to begin with. First of all, I would’ve had him eliminate 25 - 40% of life because natural death and murders would make up for the difference. At 50%, it’s put out of balance in the other direction.

Secondly, I don’t remember how or if he justified this in Infinity War or any comic books. If you have infinite power, what’s the point of eliminating life at random? Why not eliminate the people who use up an excessive amount of resources or who endanger life instead? That’d make a much better difference than just eliminating people at random and forcing their loved ones to grieve. And I get it, that’s his fatal flaw and part of why he’s an antagonist. But it makes no sense if he just ends up running away and living off the grid instead of leveraging that power for his own gain. To me, his motives aren’t complex or subversive. They’re chaotic and psychopathic.

9.) The rat in Scott’s van seemed like a Deus Ex Machina. Since Scott was gone for five years, it was likely that nobody was paying for his storage unit. I would’ve had some employees at the storage unit center empty out his unit and fidget around with that quantum device thing. (I forget it’s name.)

10.) There are instances when there’s a funny back-and-forth, but it just goes on for an uncomfortably long time. For example, the scene with the Hulk/Bruce trying to convince the kids to take a picture with Scott or when Scott and Tony argue about repeating themselves. I get that humor nowadays is about pushing that boundary of comfort, but in a three-hour movie, it’s unnecessary and excessive. I would’ve kept that banter, but I would’ve shortened it.

11.) Hawkeye’s katana fight was too long, in my opinion. The purpose of that scene was for him to learn of the Avengers’ plan to get everyone back and to bond with Natasha again. I would’ve cut the scene to the point where he was slicing that Yakuza guy’s throat. (I forget if that guy is important for any reason. I haven’t paid attention to Hawkeye’s subplot for a while.)

12.) The first three time travel timelines were split and paced awkwardly, in my opinion. We go from New York to Morag to Asgard to Morag again to New York again. to Asgard again. The audience may be invested in different timelines, so they should all be evenly paced. I would’ve either resolved each timeline in one scene each or I would’ve sequenced them more evenly. (For example, New York to Morag to Asgard to New York again to Morag again go Asgard again.)

13.) The whole subplot with Nebula facing her past self was unnecessary. I understand Cap having to risk seeing his past self again because he had to serve as a distraction to Hydra. But every other character should’ve avoided going back to scenes where it was possible to see their past selves. (Even if it doesn’t change the timeline, it arouses suspicion and botches the plan.) 

I would’ve had Rocket accompany Sam to Morag instead. I understand that a.) that subplot served as an impetus for the Avengers to have the epic “final battle” with Thanos and his army, b.) Rocket accompanied Thor so he could crack some funnies for fan service c.) it gives the audience a chance to witness Nebula’s character growth and a literal depiction of her internal struggle that led to her redemption. And d.) it provides a loophole to bring Gamora back. BUT, a.) the plan is stupid, complicated and risky. With so many great minds on one team, they should’ve all figured out that they can defeat Thanos in the past-future. Then, I would’ve written in some unforeseen complications with his army. b.) Thor’s pretty funny on his own and he would’ve cracked jokes with or without Rocket. Vice versa for Rocket. c.) Nebula can demonstrate her growth through dialogue with other characters. I know fans have an animalistic urge for action, but sometimes talking shit out is more important when it comes to character development. And d.) if the Avengers went back in time to get the Power Stone in Morag anyways, this still provides an opportunity to bring Gamora back regardless!

Yeah, this does leave a plot hole: if present Thanos is still alive and living off the grid, he still presents a threat if the Avengers travel through time and get the stones back. BUT, if the stones disappear after one snap anyways, they’re not exactly a threat. And even if Thanos notices a quicker proliferation of life on his new home planet after the Avengers retrieve the Infinity Gauntlet and stones, he wouldn’t know about their plan otherwise. Also, if Thanos had the foresight to destroy the stones after using them, the Avengers should, too.

14.) The Ancient One relinquished the Time stone a little too easily for me. I would’ve written in more hesitation on her part.

15.) There was a missed opportunity for the Hulk/Bruce to crack a joke about his experience with the Infinity Gauntlet. He said, “It’s like it was made for me”, but he experiences the same consequences that Thanos did. After he heals and gets a cast on his arm, I’d have him say, “Welp, I guess I was wrong about it being made for me.”

16.) As happy as I was to see Cap wielding Mjolnir, it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Thor’s entire motif in Endgame is about self-worth and redemption. Sure, Cap should still wield Mjolnir. But I would’ve had him struggle with it, then I would’ve sent Thor to save him when Thanos overpowered him.

17.) I think Gamora, Nebula and Thor should’ve been the team that killed Thanos. I would’ve had Gamora and Nebula beat him to the ground together. Gamora and Nebula need a revenge arc for what he did to them. Then, I would’ve had Thor wield the gauntlet as the final nail in the coffin. a.) apparently, he can handle it, so he would’ve survived. And b.) even if he didn’t, his death wouldn’t have been cruel and unnecessary like Ironman’s was. Tony already had a sense of self-worth and he had a family. Thor lost his mother, father and brother, to the point of even abdicating his throne to Valkyrie, and he needed one grand gesture to prove that he was still a hero. 

18.) There was a missed opportunity for Tony to mirror Peter in Infinity War. Seconds before his death, I would’ve had him say, “Peter, I don’t feel so good...” as a way to absolutely break the fan’s hearts, but also to ease some tension in that incredibly gruesome scene. (That is, IF I decided to have Ironman die in the first place.)

19.) The tone of the scene with Thor joining the Guardians of the Galaxy awkwardly broke up the emotional climax of the movie. We go from Ironman’s heartbreaking funeral to Thor goofing off with Starlord to the poignant scene with Cap reuniting with Peggy. It’s a completely incongruent sequence. I would’ve written that scene as an after-credit scene, since fans were denied one anyways. 😒

20.) I would’ve given Steve a different color of jacket at the end or just had him wear a button-up shirt or something.

That scene was poignant because he was handing off his shield to Sam. I’m sure everyone understood the significance of that scene. If they didn’t, let me spell it out:

When Sam wielded the shield, Steve asked him, “How does it fit?” (Or something along those lines.)

To which Sam responded, “Like it belongs to another man.”

And Steve says, “It doesn’t.”

(This conversation is not verbatim, but I can’t quote it properly since the movie is still in theaters.)

Essentially, this exchange is a symbol of the changing paradigm in America. Steve assured Sam that the new symbol of America isn’t a white man with blonde hair and blue eyes anymore. America now belongs to everyone. 

Sam’s response is a symbol of people of color still feeling disenfranchised and out of place in America.

Steve’s response then assured Sam that it is time for change and that Sam has to be at the forefront of it.

Now what does this have to do with a khaki jacket, you ask? If you’re an elder millennial (or older than that) you probably remember Rick Perry’s famous presidential ad.

If you’re too young to remember, here’s a quick and dirty recap: Ricky Perry was a republican presidential candidate in 2012. He put out a famous ad titled “Strong”, which is remembered for being both laughable and infuriating. In the ad, Rick Perry based his platform on religious “persecution”. He complained about minor issues such as people saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” and LGBT people (or “gays” as he called them) serving in the military. Then he promised to end the Anti-Christ Obama’s reign of terror on religion Christianity. (Maybe it wasn’t that bad, but go watch it for yourself to see what I mean.)

The point is that khaki jackets have forever been ruined for me since that ad. (And if you recall, this post is about what I would write differently in Endgame.) I understand that the jacket can’t be navy blue because it would keep Steve mired in his Captain America identity, but maybe a black or white jacket or a flannel shirt would’ve been better. Because in my opinion, a jacket that reminds me of a homophobe shouldn’t be in an important scene about progress.

Keep in mind that these are just opinions and that this was just an exercise for me to practice my critique skills. I loved Endgame. It was a monumental film and at the end of the day, I don’t think I’d do a better job writing it. It was what it was and fans loved it.

Let me know what you would’ve written differently in the comments. And don’t forget to follow and like my social media pages!

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