Everybody put their superhero capes on as the Avengers series came to an exciting close. “Avengers: Endgame” was released. This movie is the last of the American superhero films based on the Marvel Comics superhero team, the Avengers. The first film was released in 2012, and was followed by two more sequels leading up to “Endgame.” It has grossed more than $2.2 billion, surpassing the previous record held by Titanic. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, and written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, “Avengers: Endgame” has become a global phenomenon. But does it live up to the hype?

The three-hour long film follows the story of Thanos, the ultimate antagonist who, in the last film, wiped out half the world’s population, along with several members of the Avengers team. Those that are still standing, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and  Hawkeye, are determined to use infinity stones to take him down and reverse his actions. The six stones are mind, power, reality, soul, space, and time gems, and when all collected, they have the power to wipe
out Thanos. The remaining Avengers work in tandem with some key allies such as War Machine, Ant-Man, Rocket Raccoon, Nebula, and Captain Marvel. Five years later, Ant-Man escapes the quantum realm where Thanos previously trapped him, and reveals that the time warp caused him to only experience five hours there instead of five years. He formulates the idea of time travel, and believes it could be used to defeat Thanos. Though Iron Man originally refuses to help, he comes around and successfully builds a time machine.

Robert Downey Jr. carried the film with his excellent final performance as Iron Man, and the newest Marvel member, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, built a confident and strong persona for her character. Scarlett Johansson also portrayed a strong performance as Black Widow, and Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth added in some fun and lighthearted moments. The film is full of action, but what makes it stand out are the moments of doubt, regret, and uncertainty that the characters feel. The battle at the climax of the film includes much of the film’s major energy, but the character acting is what makes it unique from the franchise’s preceding films. The writers and directors of “Avengers: Endgame” go the extra mile to engage the audience with the perfect combination of action and humor.

The film is also able to focus on each of the Avengers individually, and it successfully balances each character’s storyline. While they are all working together, they each get their own memorable moment. “Avengers: Endgame” is three hours worth your time, with an alluring plot, emotional performances, and heartfelt resolutions. At the rate the franchise is going, it doesn’t look like anything can live up to the story that the Avengers movies have told, and the popularity they’ve been able to galvanize. Every second of the film counts, and overall, it serves as an exciting ending to the Infinity War saga.