Sideshow’s Week in Geek: Excitement for Avengers: Endgame!
This is it- we’re in the Endgame now. After 11 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, spanning 22 films in three phases now collectively known as the Infinity Saga, it’s time for Avengers: Endgame.
All of Sideshow is abuzz with excitement over this milestone film, and no matter which characters stand victorious at the end of the 3 hour film, one thing is for sure- this is the comic book movie to end all comic book movies (but Marvel has plenty more in development, so never fear!).
We asked some of our staffers to reach back across a decade of incredible films to share their first Marvel memories, favorite characters, Infinity Stone ambitions, and more…
(Spoiler-free!)
What was the first MCU film you saw in theaters?
“Captain America: The First Avenger.” –Katie
“Iron Man. I went on opening day with a few friends. I remember walking out of the theater afterward thinking, “Wow, they really nailed it.”” –Daniel
“After the trailer for 2008’s Iron Man used ‘Iron Man’ by Black Sabbath, I was bought and sold on the MCU. Iron Man was the first movie I saw.” –Chris
“Whichever came first, Iron Man or The Incredible Hulk, I forgot because they were so close together…” –David
“Iron Man, opening night in 2008 with 11 other people!” –Susan
“Iron Man! But I didn’t see another until The Avengers.” –Kitty
“First Marvel movie overall – Blade. In the current MCU, Iron Man.” –Matt
“Iron Man.” –Jennifer
“I’ve seen all the movies since Iron Man 1, and was totally hooked since the beginning. It’s crazy to see how far it all has come!” –Erik
Who is your favorite character (hero or villain) in the MCU?
“Thor has always been my favorite, but the recently-introduced Captain Marvel now shares that honor!” –Kitty
“He’s not in there yet, but hopefully someday- Namor.” –Katie
“I love me some Ant-Man. I think he has one of the most unique powers, and I always love seeing how different people utilize his powers in different creative ways. Plus he is the ‘World Greatest Grandma’.” –Erik
“Thor, I almost said Captain Marvel, but no… It’s Thor.” –Jennifer
“Captain America. Hands down. Chris Evans will forever be Steve Rogers to me.” –Daniel
“Nick Mutha***kin’ Fury.” –Matt
“It is a tie between Thor and Captain America – potentially leaning more toward Thor because of the humor.” –Chris
“This is complex because it changes… My first favorite hero was Iron Man until Captain America: The Winter Soldier and then it became Cap, kind of. I bounced back and forth but then Captain America: Civil War cemented Cap as my choice. Villain, more often than not Loki… Thor: The Dark World was perfect in regards to showing off Thor and Loki’s relationship, but I think my favorite villain in one movie was Bucky/Winter Soldier in CA:TWS…” –David
“It’s really difficult to pick just one. It might surprise people, but I’m going to go with Scarlet Witch. Watching her embrace her powers and learn what it means to be a hero and a part of a team has been really relatable.” –Susan
Which Infinity Stone would you most like to wield?
“The Space Stone. It would be really nice to go anywhere I wanted without dealing with the hassle of travel.” –Susan
“Power Stone.” –Matt
“Time Stone.” –Jennifer
“The Mind Stone.” –Katie
“The Time Stone. That way if I accidentally say something dumb, I can go back and fix it.” –Daniel
“Reality Stone- I think its true potential was barely explored in the films, and I’m sure my overactive imagination would have a great time with it.” –Kitty
“Time Stone, of course. Who wouldn’t want to be able to control time!” –Chris
“The Reality stone, because then I could turn everything into chicken nuggets. Wasn’t that obvious?” –Erik
“None, eff those things! TOO DANGEROUS! GET OFF MY LAWN!!! *squirts spray bottle*” –David
What is your favorite thing about the MCU as a whole?
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier, to me, is just a perfect movie through and through… BUT, I love seeing the weird crossovers like Thor meeting the Guardians in Avengers: Infinity War, that was pretty awesome. Peter Dinklage as the giant dwarf Eitri was pretty awesome, as was seeing Hulk’s butt in Thor: Ragnarok… and just getting Taika directing was pretty awesome too…” –David
“A lot of work went into the planning of the overall continuity. That’s pretty impressive.” –Matt
“I love the sense of community the films have built, and the way that they celebrate longtime fans while also being accessible to new fans. I can’t wait to see where everything goes from here!” –Kitty
“I could go on forever about this… but really I love seeing the characters grow over time, having room to develop over the course of many films. It’s so rewarding to see them meet other characters, and have them impact each other in surprising and fun ways. I also like how the movies don’t hold your hand too much. They reward fans for paying close attention! And, while the films have so many satisfying arcs and payoffs, it’s the seemingly infinite potential in terms of character and storytelling that keeps bringing me back to the theater.” –Erik
“The amount of interaction between the characters.” –Katie
“The way each movie tells its own story, however, all stories are still connected. And the post credit scenes!” –Jennifer
“I love how the MCU trusts their audience. They allow us to accept everything they have to offer and travel into their world with ease. Sorcerers protect us from a Dark Dimension? Of course they do! Raccoon with a machine gun? Yep! Vibranium is a thing? Sure! Gods travel through a rainbow bridge? Why not! I also love that the MCU has taken second tier or obscure characters and made them household names.” –Susan
“The fact that it all exists in the ‘real world’…New York, etc. This is our world and its full of magic, heroes and drama.” –Chris
“The subtle (and not so subtle) hints and Easter eggs of the larger MCU we have just barely scratched the surface on. Especially teases of new characters.” –Daniel
Who do you think is most likely to come back in Endgame? Most likely to die/stay dead?
“I don’t know and I don’t want to think about until the day comes when my butt is in the theater seat.” –Daniel
“I think everyone is going to come back. With the little I know about what happened to the characters that vanished, that would be my bet.” –Katie
“Unfortunately the movie trailers already let us know in general who will be coming back. I think both Iron Man and Captain America will not be back. My only real question is Loki, but I think he is dead for real this time, though I kind of hope he isn’t.” –Jennifer
“Thanos will die, Cap will die – GOTG cast survives because James Gunn is back.” –Matt
“Sooooo… I hate fan theories and speculation, BUT I will honestly be happy if ANYONE comes back, considering that I lost ALL of my faves in the snap!!!” –Susan
“I don’t care who comes back I just hope some people STAY dead and they have to figure out who picks up where they left off… like, IF Cap dies, I’m really excited to see who could be the next Cap, same for Iron Man, etc… I wanna see a changed MCU landscape after this, real consequences, no take-back’sies!” –David
“I think Thanos will die, and will die early in the film. And I don’t think all the original Avengers are destined to die, but I’m afraid of what other fates may be in store for them, because some things are worse than death…” –Kitty
“I expect all the Avengers who turned to dust to come back in Endgame. And I expect all the old guard to die…Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, etc.” –Chris
Anything else you’d like to add?
“I am super excited to see the final chapter and even more excited to see what comes next.” –Jennifer
“Let’s hope Baron Zemo comes back but in a more comic accurate portrayal.” –Matt
“I’m super stoked James Gunn is back for Guardians 3, WOOHOOO!!!!!!!!!” –David
“I anticipate a lot of ugly-crying.” –Daniel
“I’m super excited to see the movie and hopefully we will get to Atlantis one day since Nick Fury points to it on the map.” –Katie
“Who do I have to pay at Marvel to get a name-drop for Squirrel Girl or Kamala Khan?” –Kitty
“Let’s all take a moment to just appreciate what has been accomplished here. No matter what, the MCU is a massive accomplishment in every possible way. Congratulations to everyone involved!!!” –Susan
Big thanks to our resident Avengers fans for assembling to share their excitement with us! Be sure to check out our last Week in Geek, where our local vampires bared their fangs and their souls over their love of What We Do in the Shadows.
Be sure to check out Sideshow’s full lineup of Avengers figures in anticipation of the biggest movie event of the year!
How have you Let Your Geek Sideshow this week? Let us know in the comments.