Even The Avengers: Endgame Writers Admit Time Travel Is Ludicrous

Scott, Clint, and Nebula in their Quantum Suits

Avengers: Endgame arrived in theaters back in April, and the general public still hasn't stopped discussing and dissecting every frame of the massive blockbusters. The Russo Brothers did the impossible, crafting a complicated narrative that was deeply connected to the previous 21 films. Endgame followed a three-act structure, with the wild Time Heist taking up the second hour of the movie.

The Time Heist was an epic journey through the MCU canon, although it required audiences to suspend their disbelief. In order to combat any naysayers, Avengers: Endgame poked fun at myriad time travel movies, in hilarious moments of self-awareness. So it might not be a surprise that the writers of Endgame thought the use of time travel was ludicrous. As co-writer Christopher Markus explained on the movie's commentary:

This is, you know, sort of mirrors us sitting in a room trying to figure out how the hell to get out of the corner we wrote ourselves in at the end of Infinity War and entertaining the idea of a time machine and then feeling that its the stupidest idea you could possibly have, and then realizing that the Ant-Man franchise, which we hadn’t dealt with yet had legitimately, if you believe the science, the seeds of a time machine, which was a breakthrough.

Marvel Studios may seem like a well-oiled machine, but it's still just filmmakers solving problems and making creative choices. Hearing Christopher Markus poke fun at the macguffin of time travel shows a bit into how Endgame got made, and how self-aware the powers that be ultimately were.

Avengers: Infinity War changed the MCU forever, with Thanos snapping half of all life out of existence. This allowed the OG Avengers to take the spotlight in Endgame, but the writers and directors also had to find a way to revive them in order for the franchise to continue. Time Travel had briefly been mentioned regarding the Quantum Realm's mysterious capabilities, so Scott Lang's Ant-Man became the original mind behind the heist.

Related: Avengers: Endgame’s DVD Trailer Includes New Footage

Later in Endgame's commentary accompanying its digital release, Joe Russo commented on how ridiculous the concept of time travel is, even within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As he put it:

Ultimately, we realized that, look, time travel doesn’t exist. It is a ludicrous notion. It’s a construct of genre filmmaking. I think when we all bought in on it was when we realized the emotional scenes that could take place between the characters and the people that they loved that were no longer with them.

And that's how you pull of a high concept like time travel. Because while the surviving Avengers were tasked with stealing the Infinity Stones from various points in the MCU timeline, they were also able to reflect on the past. This was especially powerful for Bro Thor, who had the chance to speak with his mother Frigga before her death in Thor: The Dark World.

There is sure to be plenty more Endgame news being revealed as digital and home copies begin to flood the market. You can purchase the digital copy here, and physical DVD and Blu-ray copies will arrive on August 13th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.