Avengers: Endgame

While Infinity War was a major crossover event, Endgame mostly goes back to basics, putting the spotlight on the original Avengers as they try to fix the world Thanos broke. Because we always knew that the first film’s ending was a cliffhanger and that much of what transpired was likely to be undone, Endgame is the movie with the higher stakes and the more dramatic goodbyes. It starts out with the MCU putting on its best Oscar-bait face as everyone collectively grieves the events of Infinity War. Yeah, some of it is laughably hokey, like putting one of the Russo brothers in front of a camera to be the series’ first gay character, but when it’s sitting with the core cast of Avengers, it’s genuinely affecting. From the nostalgic time-traveling tour of the past decade to the climactic final battle, Endgame feels like a goodbye, one meticulously led to and earned over a decade of great films and mystifying stumbles. It’s a shame that the MCU hasn’t been able to capture that magic since. — Kenneth Shepard