Marvel Studios dropped the surprise second Avengers: Endgame trailer on March 14th, and now we’re doing whatever it takes to quell our excitement for the upcoming film.
The video was viewed an impressive 268 million times in 24 hours, becoming the second most-watched movie trailer within the first day in history. Like many Marvel fans, we were hitting the replay button repeatedly (to look at the Chrises – we mean, the scenes, of course), and probably generating a good percentage of those views. Hah.
We have discussed the questions raised by the first official trailer for Avengers: Endgame, which will hit Singapore cinemas on 24 April 2019. What new clues do the latest trailer now reveal for the highly anticipated movie? Or is this trailer just a mere teaser for what is to come, without giving away very much of what will come? Here are our thoughts!
Photo: Marvel Studios
With a title like “endgame” and the directors themselves describing the film as “a culmination film of 22 movies,” the new official trailer certainly does seem focused on having a grand finale to the first three Phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Photo: Marvel Studios
In particular, the trailer focuses on the MCU’s three biggest heroes – Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor – through flashbacks from their respective movies. We get glimpses of Tony Stark’s emergence as Iron Man in the Afghan desert, Steve Rogers’ journey to becoming Captain America during World War II, and Thor’s past life in Asgard as the son of Odin. Nostalgic, much?
Photo: Marvel Studios
Perhaps a huge key to Endgame’s plot would be in the voice-over we hear of Peggy Carter, Cap’s love interest, during his respective flashbacks: “All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best we can do is start over.”
If you’ve watched Captain America: Civil War, or basically any of the Captain America movies, you’d realise that two of the central themes of Steve Rogers’ character arc are loss and courage. In Civil War, a key quote that serves as Steve’s motivation was spoken by Sharon Carter, Peggy’s niece, but attributed to Peggy herself: “Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right, even if the whole world is telling you to move. It is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye and say, ‘No. You move.’ ”
Photo: Marvel Studios
Keeping in mind this quote, footage from the trailer showing a beat-up and fierce Cap determinedly fastening (or unstrapping? Marvel, PLEASE!) his shield, the emphasis on doing “whatever it takes,” and the popular time travel theory (which we’ll come to later)… Suffice it to say that perhaps Avengers 4 really will be the endgame for Steve’s journey, be it stepping down as Captain America, or by sacrificing himself like he did a la The First Avenger.
Photo: Marvel Studios
Speaking of grief and loss, the new trailer stirs up more Feels for those of us still upset about Infinity War, by having flashbacks to The Decimation, in particular, the deaths of Falcon, Black Panther, Scarlet Witch, and Bucky. Like Thor and Steve say in the voice-overs: “I saw all these deaths [and] I keep telling everybody they should move on. Some do. But not us.” What a big mood.
However! One detail we’ve noticed is that in all the flashbacks, the scenes are in grayscale — with red being the only colour visible. Could this be just a stylistic decision – red, after all, is eye-catching and emotion-evoking – or is it a hint at something more? That is, the bright crimson Reality Stone? The Reality Stone, as shown in Thor: The Dark World and Infinity War, has the power to warp reality.
But this raises more questions than answers, and one answer we do have is where Clint Barton/Hawkeye is!
Photo: Marvel Studios
Missing from Infinity War, and his whereabouts teased during the first trailer, Clint Barton/Hawkeye finally makes a more prominent appearance in this new trailer! He’s first shown in a heartwarming scene, training his daughter Lila to use a bow and arrow, on what looks to be his family farm. Then, as we’ve seen before in the first trailer, he’s shown in Japan, all slick hair and sleek leather. Comic book fans will recall how in the Ultimates and Young Avengers comic series, the death of Clint Barton’s family led him to become solo assassin Ronin, while a young woman named Kate Bishop takes on the mantle of Hawkeye.
Photo: Marvel Studios
And since Clint taking on the new Ronin identity has now been pretty much confirmed, this brings us to the next question: is Marvel introducing Kate Bishop into the MCU? Marvel Studios isn’t very much known to follow the comics religiously, and with this scene of Clint with Lila doing archery, our theory is that the MCU could be combining Lila’s character with that of Kate Bishop. Katherine Langford, lead actress of 13 Reasons Why, has been cast in an unknown role in Endgame – could she be playing the mysterious grown-up Lila/Kate?
Photo: Marvel Studios
And now, on to what is, perhaps, the biggest plot giveaway in the trailer. The suits!
So, we mentioned before about time travel. It’s been a popular theory which fans have been discussing since Ant-Man and the Wasp, where the ideas of the Quantum Realm and time vortexes were introduced. Even Kevin Feige, head of Marvel Studios, said that “Ant-Man and the Wasp connects directly to Avengers 4.” And now, there’s (likely) confirmation of time travel theories with these snazzy white suits the team is dressed up in, which is theorised to bear a strong resemblance to Hank Pym’s Quantum Realm suit.
Photo: Marvel Studios
Best of all, we think, is that Nebula and Tony – who were last seen stranded in their ship and drifting in space, without food and water; and low on oxygen – are with the rest of the Avengers! But with the shifts in time happening (check out the colour and length of Natasha/Black Widow’s hair throughout the trailer), the aforementioned time travel theory, and Marvel being Marvel… who can really be sure?
Photo: Marvel Studios
The trailer also reveals two of the most powerful Avengers meeting – Thor and Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel! With Captain Marvel’s character recently introduced into the MCU, we’re excited to see how she’ll fit with the rest of the team. Judging from her playful banter with Nick Fury in the Captain Marvel movie, and this humorous interaction with the Mightiest Avenger, it seems to be shaping up really well. We’re pumped to see how they’re going to work together to fix the mess that was left by the ending of Infinity War!
Photo: Marvel Studios
Which brings us to Thanos. He’s nowhere to be seen in the new trailer, not even mentioned. Even on the official poster itself, the Mad Titan is but a purple shadow in the background, as if foreshadowing (pun intended) that the film will be much more than just defeating Thanos.
Photo: Marvel Studios
And perhaps this is why the Russos call it a “culmination film,” marking the end of the first three phases of the MCU. Like Peggy Carter says in the voice-over, from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, “… sometimes the best we can do is start over.”
Avengers: Endgame, we think, is not about the end, but about a new beginning for our favourite heroes, and how they weather the plight that they’re in together. We will be with them too when they do, come April.
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