Is this the End(game)?

Yesterday, and I know this is far too late for some of my friends reading this, I was finally able to watch the masterpiece that is Avengers: Endgame. I honestly don't even know where to start...

First and foremost, let me say that there will be some spoilers in this post so if you haven't seen the film yet (yeah, who would even wait this long...hah) don't read anything beyond this point.

Ok, so let's get into this.

The most notable change among the Avengers was clearly, what the internet has dubbed as, Fat Thor. While there was a lot of humor in getting to see Chris Hemsworth, an otherwise fit actor, in a fat suit there is a lot more depth to the choices made by the costume and directing teams.

Thor failed. Or, at least that's how he felt. Through much of his characterization, he didn't just fail the Avengers in taking out Thanos, he has failed his family and lost them, failed his people by losing their home, and failed himself by then not killing Thanos when he had the chance. Even when the chance came, it still wasn't enough to wash away the feeling of failure that he had weighing him down. I cannot speak for everyone, but I know that there is a vast majority of people who understand this sense of failure. The feeling like no matter what you accomplish, you'll never truly win. And so we get "fat Thor".

I cannot begin to explain the amount of joy that I felt as Thor reached out his hand, calling forth Mjolnir, and stating, "I'm still worthy." I applaud the writers who understood that even in our darkest moments, when we feel like there is no light at the end of the path, we can still be worthy of success.

Don't even think I'm done because you know what I have to talk about next...

STRONG. FEMALE. CHARACTERS.

It dawned on me that this is the first time that we see the women of the Marvel Cinematic Universe standing as one, united front against what seemed to be unbeatable odds. Sure, it was a spectacularly scripted moment of having the entire band of heroes coming through portals to stand behind Capt. American and yes, I did shed a tear. But holy hot damn, there is nothing like seeing a group of strong ladies standing beside each other, ready to take down hundreds of crazy aliens to save the universe.

With the success of Captain Marvel and Brie Larson's portrayal, it was only a matter of time that we received a moment for the ladies of the MCU, but I don't think it could have been done in a better way than what we got with Endgame. My only complaint, and it's simply because I was sad to see her leave, is the missing piece of the team, Black Widow, who I will continue to miss for the rest of my days watching these films. (That is, until the prequel movie is released!)

So, where does this leave the MCU now? Thanos is dead, along with other prominent members of the Avengers team, and we're left feeling like the story is done.

Do we see Galactus attack next? Or perhaps the Skrull invasion is upon us? I'm sure we will see more as Phase 4 begins with Spiderman: Far From Home, but until then we can gather together, light a candle in honor of the men and women who built this industry into what it is now, and bow our heads in a silent 'thank you' to Stan the Man for creating some of the most iconic heroes we'll ever see in our lifetimes.