Avengers: Endgame
In October 2014, Marvel Studios announced a two-part sequel to Avengers: Age of Ultron. The plan was to film both parts back-to-back under the working title Mary Lou 2. Anthony and Joe Russo were hired as directors in April 2015. Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely signed on to write the scripts one month later. Principal photography began on the 10th of August 2017 at Pinewood Atlanta Studios. Filming continued until the 11th of January 2018 with additional shoots in June and September. The Russos decided to shoot the films sequentially rather than simultaneously to avoid logistical nightmares. They used ARRI Alexa IMAX 2D cameras for the entire production. This marked the first time a Hollywood feature film was shot entirely with IMAX digital cameras. The budget ranged between $356 million and $400 million. Re-shoots occurred from September 7 through the 12th of October 2018. More re-shoots took place in January 2019.
Five years after Thanos erased half of all life, Scott Lang escaped from the Quantum Realm. He claimed he experienced only five hours while trapped inside. The surviving Avengers gathered at the Avengers Compound to hear his theory about time travel. Tony Stark built a time machine alongside Bruce Banner and Rocket Raccoon. Banner explained that altering the past creates alternate realities instead of changing the present. The team traveled to New York City during Loki's attack in 2012. They visited the Sanctum Sanctorum to retrieve the Time Stone from the Ancient One. Rogers stole Pym Particles from Hank Pym in Camp Lehigh during 1970. Thor and Rocket traveled to Asgard in 2013 to find the Reality Stone. Black Widow sacrificed herself on Vormir so Hawkeye could obtain the Soul Stone. Nebula linked her cybernetic implants with her past self to allow 2014-Thanos to learn their plan. Present-day Nebula convinced 2014-Gamora to betray Thanos before killing her own past self. Thanos arrived in the present with his warship and army. Iron Man used the Infinity Stones to disintegrate Thanos and his forces.
Robert Downey Jr received the entire screenplay for the film alone. Screenwriters Markus and McFeely knew Tony Stark's death was inevitable as a move toward selflessness. Joe Russo stated that Stark always knew he would die because he could never reconcile not protecting the universe. Chris Evans played Steve Rogers who promised Peggy Carter a dance decades ago. Patrick Gorman provided an on-set reference for an elderly Steve Rogers. Mark Ruffalo combined his intelligence with the Hulk's strength to create Professor Hulk. Anthony Russo said Banner is the sole character forging into a bright new future. Chris Hemsworth portrayed Thor as an overweight, despondent ruler of New Asgard. He wore a large silicone prosthetic suit during filming. Scarlett Johansson adopted an intense workout regimen including Olympic weightlifting. She worked with trainer Eric Johnson since Iron Man 2. Jeremy Renner described Clint Barton's dark turn as a tragic scene that makes him tear up when watching it. Don Cheadle noted Rhodes felt more instinctive about the fantastic threats they faced. Paul Rudd played Scott Lang whose daughter Cassie appeared in the film. Brie Larson filmed her scenes before starting work on Captain Marvel. Karen Gillan improvised several scenes with Robert Downey Jr.
Visual effects were created by Industrial Light & Magic, Weta Digital, and DNEG among others. Lola VFX handled 200 de-aging and aging shots throughout the production. Downey, Evans, Ruffalo, Hemsworth, Johansson, and Renner were de-aged to their 2012 appearances. Michael Douglas and John Slattery were also de-aged for the 1970 New Jersey scene. Stan Lee received digital de-aging for his final cameo appearance. Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidt edited the film using complex visual sequences. Alan Silvestri composed the score which ranged from thunderous percussion to minimalist jazz. The soundtrack album was released digitally on the 26th of April 2019. A video for the track Portals was released on June 13 featuring the climactic battle scene. The film used themes from Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, and Captain Marvel alongside Silvestri's original compositions. Songs like Come and Get Your Love and It's Been a Long Long Time appeared after previous films. The IMAX Enhanced version became available on Disney+ in November 2021.
The marketing campaign cost over $200 million making it the most expensive for any Marvel Studios film. Promotional partners included McDonald's Coca-Cola and Audi. The first trailer was released on the 7th of December 2018 without the title or hashtag. It garnered 289 million views in its first 24 hours surpassing Infinity War records. Fandango announced the film as its top-selling pre-sale film breaking Star Wars: The Force Awakens record. AMC Theatres website crashed due to high demand when tickets went on sale. Pre-sales reached between $120 million and $140 million globally. The film opened with $1.2 billion worldwide which is double Infinity War's previous record. It became the fastest film to reach $2 billion in just 11 days. Avatar took 47 days to achieve that same milestone. The domestic opening weekend earned $357.1 million across 4,662 theaters. China contributed $330.5 million to the total international gross. By January 2021 the film had earned $632 million from Chinese markets alone. It remained the highest-grossing film of all time until Avatar surpassed it in March 2021.
Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating based on hundreds of reviews. Metacritic gave the film a score of 78 out of 100 indicating generally favorable reception. CinemaScore audiences gave the film an A+ grade on their scale. PostTrak audiences awarded five stars and an 85 percent definite recommend rate. Glen Weldon wrote for NPR calling it a worthy sequel to its predecessor. Peter Travers gave four stars in Rolling Stone praising the film's self-awareness. Todd McCarthy noted the character acting stood out despite the effects-driven nature. Richard Roeper praised the emotional punch and expertly rendered screenplay. The New York Times reviewer A.O. Scott called it a monument to adequacy. Justin Chang found the climactic surge of feeling earned even if it fell short of real catharsis. At the 92nd Academy Awards the film received a nomination for Best Visual Effects. The Wikipedia page became the most-viewed article of 2019 with 44.2 million views. Endgame ranked 41st in Empire magazine poll of the 100 greatest films of the 21st century.
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Common questions
When was Avengers: Endgame announced and who directed it?
Marvel Studios announced a two-part sequel to Avengers: Age of Ultron in October 2014. Anthony Russo and Joe Russo were hired as directors in April 2015.
What dates did principal photography occur for Avengers: Endgame?
Principal photography began on the 10th of August 2017 at Pinewood Atlanta Studios. Filming continued until the 11th of January 2018 with additional shoots in June and September.
How much money did Avengers: Endgame earn worldwide upon release?
The film opened with $1.2 billion worldwide which is double Infinity War's previous record. It became the fastest film to reach $2 billion in just 11 days.
Which actors received digital de-aging effects in Avengers: Endgame?
Downey, Evans, Ruffalo, Hemsworth, Johansson, and Renner were de-aged to their 2012 appearances. Michael Douglas and John Slattery were also de-aged for the 1970 New Jersey scene.
When was the soundtrack album for Avengers: Endgame released digitally?
The soundtrack album was released digitally on the 26th of April 2019. A video for the track Portals was released on June 13 featuring the climactic battle scene.