What Marvel Will Be Like After Avengers: Endgame
After ten years and over 23 films, Endgame will end the first of Marvel’s long-running storylines, and the film promises (if not strongly hints) that things will not be the same once Endgame hits and leaves theaters--the status quo for the MCU will officially be over. But what will it look like afterward? What exactly will have changed to shake the universe up?
Death of Captain America
Death has been a prominent theme in the MCU as of a late--at least on the side of the heroes, and each one has affected the universe pretty heavily, if only temporarily. Endgame is shaping up to kill a few more characters, only this time the death won’t be temporary. There are a few characters whose deaths could change and alter the entirety of the MCU as a whole. The first one to come to mind would have to be Steve Rodgers.
Steve Rodgers is by all accounts the first superhero the world has ever seen. As the first and only super soldier to be successful created, Steve did what no one else was capable of in taking down the Red Skull, saving all of America and potentially the world at large. Since then, he’s basically been regarded as a national treasure. He can do no wrong in the public eye, (discounting the government). One top of all of this, he’s the most respected member of the Avengers team, so much so, that even Thor, a god by all accounts, is willing to follow his lead in battle.
In his universe the character has pretty much touched the hearts of everyone, so you can only imagine what would happen if he died. Regardless of how certain characters or organizations felt about him (assuming they aren’t Hydra or Skulls), they would have to admit that the world lost one of it greatest assets, especially now after everything that Steve has done. It would be one of the most somber things to happen to the world, even more so than when Steve “died” originally because his exploits have made him more than just a war hero.
We use the name Steve Rodgers in this instance because Captain America in the comics is simply a mantle, one that has been worn by people other than Steve. Two other characters have picked up the mantle: Bucky Barnes (The Winter Soldier), and Sam Wilson (Falcon). If Steve dies in Endgame then the MCU may very well have a new Captain America in one of these two characters.
There may already be some evidence that Steve isn’t going to make it through Endgame and it’s because of Sam and Bucky. The two of them will have their own tv show here soon on Disney’s streaming service, which when you really think about is a bit weird. If Bucky is cleared of all of his crimes as the Winter Soldier, why would he be hanging out with Sam instead of Steve? The two have gone this far together, what would be the point of going their separate ways after the fact? As it stands now, the only discernible reason is because Steve won’t be around anymore by the time Endgame is over. His death may be the catalyst that the Sam and Bucky show uses to kick off its premise. Maybe after Endgame the two of them are doing whatever they can to carry on Steve’s legacy.
Death of Iron Man
This is arguable the only other character whose death would have as grand an impact on the world as Steve Rogers. Tony Stark’s legacy will leave an unprecedented mark on the world. Once the creator of some of the most destructive weapons on the planet, Tony is now an innovator of clean energy sources and is so far the only person on the planet with self-sustaining clean energy through the use of arc reactor technology. Howard Stark, Tony’s dad once had a vision for creating such energy and Tony has perfected it. We don’t know if he’s yet to release the technology worldwide since selling Avengers Tower, but there’s no doubt he’s still trying to use it to change the world like his dad predicted. His death would mean the end of all of that, though as he doesn’t have any airs of his own to leave his work too.
Aside from his inventions, but still on the public side of things, Tony Stark is also the first superhero the world has ever recognized. The U.S. even once relied on him to keep peace between the East and the West. He’s one of the most recognized and beloved human beings in Marvel. His death would change the tone of the general public just as much as Steve’s would. Where the public currently hates him and other superheroes for their actions in Age of Ultron, it’s not hard to see that changing if one of them--namely Tony--died doing what they loved him for in the first place: saving the world.
As far as what his death would do for the other superheroes, well--that might even go deeper than Steve’s. Tony is the financial backbone for the Avengers. Happy even indicates in Spider-Man Homecoming that Tony may even create some of the gear that the Avengers use. He comments about loading up Tony’s new Hulkbuster Armor, Cap’s new shield, and Thor’s magic belt (how Tony creates a magic belt however is beyond us). Tony may not be the Avengers favorite person at times, but he’s arguably the backbone of the team, and--along with Steve Rogers--the glue that holds it together. It’s another one of the moments where regardless of the negatively a character might feel toward Tony while he’s still alive, it’ll be a completely different story once he’s gone.
The one character who would probably feel Tony’s death more than most would be Peter Parker. Peter hasn’t known Tony for as long as say Happy Hogan, but Tony’s presence has easily had the biggest impact on him. Considering Peter went to Tony for an answer when he felt death taking him in Infinity War, it’s clear that he sees Tony as both a mentor and father figure. Since Peter’s trilogy of movies has just begun, we’ll visually see how he carries the weight of Tony’s lost personally.
Less Original Avengers
Even if Tony Stark and Steve Rogers do survive the events of Avengers: Endgame, there’s very little chance that we’ll be seeing their characters as often as we do now in the future MCU. Both of their story arcs will more or less have reached their conclusion. This idea is the same with the rest of the original Avengers, save for maybe Black Widow and possibly Hawkeye.
Tony Stark has primarily been battling with the idea of what his legacy will be. Will he be a warmonger who lives off the deaths of others, or will he be something greater? He’s worked towards the latter since the start of his journey in Iron Man, and while he’s had some bumps along the way, the second battle with Thanos should officially cement his legacy as a superhero--as Iron Man. Beyond that, he has the renewable energy source to work on for the rest of the world as Tony Stark, which doesn’t really interest much screen time.
Steve Rogers originally set out to be the best man he could be despite his initial physical flaws, and his philosophy has lead him to become one of, if not the most respected hero on the planet. His emotional journey is a bit more complex since it relies on a life he never got to live. We’ve seen him compromise his beliefs just to preserve whatever remnants of that life he could, but considering the way he was shaking as he strapped on his shield, it’s looking like he’s finally accepting the idea that this world he lives in now is his home, maybe even the place where he was always meant to be.
Bruce Banner hasn’t been able to find balance within himself since becoming the Hulk, and its ruined every chance at happiness he’s managed to come by. This clearly changes in Endgame. Professor Hulk has all but been confirmed and he’s the combination of the best of both Bruce and Hulk. Bruce’s journey of trying to find control will be over at that point.
Thor’s family has been eradicated down to his best friend, and his home has been completely destroyed, leaving his people with nowhere to go. Now more than ever his people need him to be a king, and he’s Thor’s journey has been preparing him to be a wise King, one who knows the horrors of war. As of now, conflict has eradicated Thor’s entire family, down to his best friend. War and conflict also completely destroyed his home world, leaving his people stranded. RIght now, Thor’s people need a king more than ever, and how he handles himself in Endgame will prove that he’s ready to be just that for them.
All in all, there shouldn’t be anything signifigant left for the heroes to learn after this.
End of Thanos
If the end credits scene of the first Avengers is any indication, Thanos was meant to big the big bad of the MCU from the very beginning if Iron Man did well in theaters (which it thankfully did). He spent most of the time plaguing our heroes from a distance, using minions and other go-betweens to handle his dirty work (like most big boss villains do). Even then though his presence was monstrous, and he had one of the most anticipated on-screen appearances any cinematic character has ever had. And when he did decided to finally get off his floating, and obviously comfortable throne to put on his gauntlet and nab the stones himself in Infinity War, he lived up to his hype. Every path the MCU had carved lead to his arrival and this final step will be the end of his storyline. Thanos is primarily the only villain in the Marvel universe (including the comics) who cares about the infinity stones and utilizes their powers to some infamous extent. No one else does it quite like him. So when his story ends so will the overall importance of the Infinity Stones. Where does that leaves the MCU though, this has been the main and only plot thread they’ve been visibly showing us since the very beginning.
Well, Captain Marvel hasn’t come out just yet, but it’s given us somewhat of a glimpse to what exactly is coming after and how the MCU will look a little after Thanos’ plot has wrapped itself up. Carol will be facing off against the skrulls in her film as part of the Kree army, which means the movie will be adapting the comic adaption of the Kree-Skrull war. The Kree-Skrull war is a prelude to a Marvel comic event known as the Secret Invasion. The heart of the Secret Invasion storyline lies with the Skrulls. The Skrulls are an alien race with the ability to shapeshift. They can transform themselves into anyone that they want. For the most part, only a select few can copy a person’s supernatural abilities (should they have them), but it is possible.
You probably have an idea of where this is going. Once the Kree-Skrull war ends and Secret Invasion begins, the event details what happens when the Skrulls decide to impersonate heroes and people with high-powered positions in the government. The result is chaos on the highest level. Unable to trust those around them, people turn on each other in masses. The storyline is basically a larger scale adaptation of Captain America: The Winter Soldier’s views surrounding trust issues. It’s an interesting idea, and clearly a popular one considering the Winter Soldier is one of the best films in the MCU’s lineup (easily top 5). Secret Invasion is shaping up to be the next leg of the MCU. It’s hard to see the lead up into the event taking over ten years like it did with Thanos, but it could easily fill the entirety of phase 4 if wanted too, and then wrap itself up in the fifth installment of the Avengers. If the event is done right, phase 4 Marvel will be filled with some satisfying twists and turns and will probably even change our collective perspective on the movies that came out in phase 3 and prior.
