Avengers: Endgame’s ending was bittersweet for many MCU fans. Thanos was finally taken down, but there were notable casualties like Iron Man and Black Widow from trying to save the galaxy. While the ending was emotionally heartbreaking, it could’ve been worse than the finale audiences got to see, according to Endgame directors the Russo brothers. The Russos spilled that Marvel CEO Kevin Feige originally wanted the film’s ending to be even more devastating.
Many Marvel fans went into Endgame not knowing which Avengers would or wouldn’t make it by the end of the movie, especially in the aftermath of Infinity War. The Russo Brothers and Team Marvel understood the anxiety as online rumors ran rampant. By the film’s finale, only two Avengers had sacrificed themselves for humanity. But according to the Russos, it could’ve been worse. Joe Russo revealed to A Second Look Marvel CEO Kevin Feige proposed the directing duo should sacrifice two more OG Avengers with Iron Man early in the Infinity Saga finale’s writing process.
Kevin did actually pitch at one point taking all the OGs off the board. We thought it was way too aggressive and that the audience wouldn’t be able to process it, and that in fact picking one or two characters to make sacrifices throughout the movie might give you moments throughout the film where the action could stop and you could have emotional catharsis and then continue with the narrative and then have more emotional catharsis.
Killing off Marvel’s Big 3 – Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America – in the last moments would’ve been an emotional overload for already fragile moviegoers. Losing beloved heroes like Gamora and Vision in Avengers: Infinity War already had viewers on edge about who was next. So, taking out those superheroes at one time would’ve been too much. Thankfully, the Russo brothers were aware of this consensus and scrapped Feige’s idea.
The directing duo shot down the Marvel head’s first idea, but that didn’t mean Feige didn’t have more suggestions for the final Avengers film. Feige came with another pitch about the Big 3. The Russo brothers reported he wanted Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor to jump into the fire to save the universe for the film’s ending. So, the Marvel CEO was determined to kill off the trio in some fashion. Thankfully, Thor and Captain America were spared as Joe Russo explained why the former didn’t die in the Marvel movie because it wouldn’t have been a compelling arc.
All the emotional moments in Avengers: Endgame was heavy as the Infinity Saga was coming to a much-deserved ending. Despite having his emotional ending, Robert Downey Jr. had alternate ideas for his final Endgame line “And I am Iron Man” to Thanos, including “You are so fucked.” Of course, Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow’s sacrifice was another emotional moment, prompting her to explain why her Endgame death originally worried her as Thanos and his soldiers were set to attack her and Hawkeye originally. If these final scenes were slightly different, there’s no telling if the audience would’ve reacted as emotionally as they did.
Of course, there are more Avengers on the way with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars set to arrive in 2025 as part of the MCU’s Phase 6. If you want to see the original Avengers trilogy, including Avengers: Endgame, stream all of them by getting a Disney+ subscription.
