Going into “Avengers: Endgame,” I had a vague idea of how the movie was going to pan out, but within the first 30 minutes of the film, my expectations were shattered, and I wasn’t sure how the movie would end.

The film picks up where it left off in “Avengers: Infinity War” with the disappearance of half the population in the universe. The Avengers are left with something they have never experienced before: failure. However, five years later, the Avengers discover a possibility that may give them a second chance in bringing everyone back using time travel and the quantum realm. With a newly restored hope, the remaining Avengers regroup to save the world and bring everyone back.

“Avengers: Endgame” uses time effectively to merge the present storyline with past events, granting us new perspectives on past conflicts and movies. It also reminded me of how much the characters have progressed from 2012 and the effect of the Infinity Stones on the
Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

“Endgame” also plays with happenings, scenes and characters that didn’t quite make it into past movies, but instead occurred off-screen to further flesh out the universe and to avoid being too repetitive. Even with the same villain as “Infinity War,” “Endgame” produces new content by changing Thanos’s motive through disillusionment after seeing his impact on the future.

Highlighting the effects of “Infinity War” on each of the six original Avengers, for some, “Endgame” brings out the worst or best in them. Of course, as it implies in the name, “Endgame” was used to conclude the story of the Avengers. The whole movie felt like a means to an end.

How Avengers chose to begin and end the final chapter of the original six Avengers allowed for development of these characters. Each of these characters’ flaws and desires were addressed in “Endgame’s” cohesive conclusion, especially for the big three (Iron Man, Captain America and Thor). For Iron Man, he faced doubt and regret with his life, Steve Rodgers does something for his own happiness and Thor discards his “chosen one” mold for directionless.

While the stories of Stark and Rogers (and possibly Thor) are over, “Endgame” sets the stage for a new wave of superheroes. “Endgame” shines the spotlight on the original six Avengers while at the same time carefully integrating novel characters into the mix. All prominent heroes of the MCU had at least one moment where they got to kick butt. Juggling so many complex characters in one movie and giving them all a meaningful role proves difficult, but “Endgame” did a tremendous job handling its cast.

Despite the serious tone of “Endgame,” Marvel still managed to apply its trademark humor while instituting sentiment at the same time with music and character relationships. I liked its contrast to “Infinity War” with subtle colors and a different setting. “Endgame” achieved a balance between drama, action and comedy.

“Avengers: Endgame” was not perfect, but it exceeded expectations and was a satisfying ending. I still have some questions, and I can’t wait for the upcoming Marvel films to answer them and continue the MCU.