After a long year of waiting, Avengers: Endgame arrived in theaters a few weeks ago, delivering an extremely ambitious blockbuster that was built on the previous 21 MCU releases. Endgame did the impossible, exceeding expectations and providing all the emotional payoffs fans were hoping for. The movie has been met with wild box office numbers and critical acclaim, and now even Game of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin has weighed in.
The combination of Endgame's release and Game of Thrones' Battle of Winterfell episode kept the fandom on edge for a full week, but George R.R. Martin hasn't spoken much about the show's final season. He did, however, recently revealed that he loved Avengers: Endgame-- and for one specific reason: it wasn't just a mindless action flick. As Martin tells it,
There’s plenty of action here, but this is not just A Big Dumb Action movie, of which there are far too many these days. Stan Lee would have been proud. Could he ever have dreamed that all those characters he and Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko and the rest of the Marvel team created in the early '60s would one day come to dominate global culture? There’s an amazing story for you.
George R.R. Martin knows about balancing action and story, as his A Song of Ice and Fire novels contain both. What's more, Game of Thrones has found a way to properly include both aspects of the fantasy series on the small screen.
George R.R. Martin's Endgame comments come from a recent post on his blog, which he regularly updates to keep in touch with Game of Thrones fans. But rather than discussing the contents of the show's final season on HBO, Martin instead shared his impression of Avengers: Endgame. And it was a glowing review, one that echoed the feelings of the moviegoing public.
Related: The 25 Most Emotional Moments In Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame had a ton of action scenes, spread out among both the second and third acts of the film. But those sequences weren't gratuitous or mindless, they helped move the overall narrative forward. It's this fact that seems to have impressed George R.R. Martin most, as The Russo Brothers crafted a story that was very much character-driven. Especially for the OG members of the team.
Endgame was so emotionally charged because it was deeply connected to the previous movies, and allowed its super powered characters to be vulnerable and utterly flawed. The survivors were left truly shaken by the affects of Thanos' snap, and their grief lasted years. And with actors like Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. reaching the end of their contracts, major Avengers were given their endings in the MCU.
As for Game of Thrones, it should be interesting to see what George R.R. Martin is feeling about the divisive final season. The HBO series must wrap up a story that began with Martin released his first novel back in 1996. And the show's narrative choices might not be the same that Martin had in mind for Westeros.
Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
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