While I didn’t think Avengers: Endgame was the best Marvel movie ever. However, I felt that the ending of the movie left a lasting impact. The movie was a great ending to a journey that started ten years and 22 years ago.

Here are 5 things that storytellers can learn from Avengers: Endgame.

1. Honoring The Past

One of the best things that Avengers: Endgame did was reach back into the past. This not only let us see where our characters came from but gave the audeince a chance to see how far they’ve come.

Endgame takes us to new locations but a heavy portion of the movie dealt with scene, times, and locations from the movies that had preceded it. Instead of just showing us those moments, the way Endgame did it allows us to take a moment and try something new with those scenes.

For example, Thor gets a moment with his mother who had been gone since Thor 2. It’s a touching moment for our character to revisit, but it also pays off for the audience that has been along for the ride for so many years.

The same goes for the revisiting the Battle for New York. We get to see from a different perspective this time. The Hulk from 2012 comes smashing in and then the camera then pans to the current Hulk who is almost embarrassed by it. Hulk’s reaction shows us just how far he has come.

While I don’t like the time travel aspect of the movie, it was great to revisit these moments. It gives characters a chance to get something different out of a moment while also allowing the fans a chance to remember what came before. Storytellers could use locations or events that they’ve visited before throughout the story. It can show how much the character has changed and it can give the audience a chance to remember the highlights (or paint a better light to something that happened before like Thor did here).

Respecting the Characters

Looking at where these characters came from is great but the storyteller must respect what came before. You don’t want your characters changing or reverting too far from who they are now.

Captain America gets the chance to see himself in the past before he became someone that threw away his shield for a friend. When he started as Captain America we never would have thought that Captain would go against his country. It isn’t until his country puts him against his friend who had a rough go once Captain America was frozen.

While he had changed, he stayed true to his roots. Think about the scene at the end of the movie where Captain America takes on Thanos. History has shown us more than once that Captain America will never quit.

Thanos breaks his shield and knocks him down but he doesn’t give up. It took a while longer than normal, but he got to his feet and uttered “I can do this all day,” his line from his first movie. While he had progressed as a character, he was still basicall the same man.

Storytellers could do well to remember their characters. The final chapter isn’t the place to change the way a character behaves. You’ll really want to pay off the character growth that has been building but remain faithful to how the character got there. If Captain American had stayed down, the moment wouldn’t have had as much impact.

Closing a Story

Infinite War had raised the stakes. There had never before been a Marvel movie that had ended with a loss. Half of the universe was gone. Half of our heroes were gone as well. Yet, we knew that they would be back. I knew the Avengers would band together and get everyone back.

After viewing Endgame, I knew that the actions taken were final.

The major storylines (don’t get me started on the Hulk though) all come to a head at the end of this movie. Iron Man had been trying to protect the world since he became a hero. Captain America had given up his life to do the same. Black Widow was trying to clear her “red ledger”

All of these stories and more get wrapped up. Marvel had been building towards this story since the first Avengers movie or sooner. It could have been easy to leave the door open for more of these plot threads to continue but Marvel didn’t do that.

The infinite stones have been destroyed and replaced in time so they won’t be driving the narrative anymore either. It seems like everything that started back in Phase 1 has come to a close.

As a storyteller, it might be tempting to leave some plot points open for you to return to. Of course, you can leave yourself an out but make sure that you are closing everything that needs to be closed.

I’m actually excited and curious to know what Marvel has planned next, despite not having any clues to go on.

Bringing The Gravitas

Bringing everything to a close is great, but you really need to have something on the line for your characters. For Endgame bringing back half of the universe was large, but risking their lives was even larger.

Killing off Tony Stark made this ending have that extra little bit of gravitas. Marvel could have let Tony live and continued to make movies with Iron Man involved but they didn’t. Tony’s story had been building to this moment where he could actually trade his life for the world.

Giving Tony a child in the movie had a little more weight, but the real emotions have come from the character from the beginning. Tony was the leader, he was the first. He was the one that had flaws. When it is him that says “I am Iron Man” and snaps his fingers the entire audience screams!

It is only moments later that we realize that Tony will die because of it.

Adding to the weight of what actually happened is the fact that Tony won’t be coming back. His story was complete. He had set out to save the world from this moment and he has acheived it. He was the one that figured out the time travel, he got the stones, and he risked his life.

Storytellers don’t always have to kill off a hero. But ending with a risk of sometime and having the will to pay off that risk can lead to amazing storytelling. Don’t kill off your main character just for the shock or awe, have it mean something.

Settle up the Emotions

The movie didn’t end with the snap and Thanos dying. The movie continued on and let us experience a range of emotions. Let’s not get this wrong though – there is definitely a point where this becomes too much. Endgame let us mourn Tony at his funeral and then lets us see how Capts journey plays out as well. Both of these heros got an ending they deserved while the audience got to as well.

Sure we were sad about the loss of these two stalwarts but these moments help us remember them.

Endgame even goes on to provide hope by showing Spider-Man reuniting with his friends and Falcon getting a promotion to the new Captain America.

So what can you do as a storyteller? Let the emotions cook for a while. Let the consequences of your characters actions sit and see how they resolve. Have your characters have a moment to reflect on what happened and what’s to come.

Wrap Up

Avengers: Endgame did have some questionable storytelling and might have left me with some questions but it did have some great elements that writers can learn from.

By honoring the past, staying true to the characters, bringing weight to the story, actually closing it out, and allowing some time for the turns to sit you can bring your storytelling to the next level.

What can you get from Endgame from a storytelling perspective? Let me know in the comments.