When the first trailer for Avengers: Endgame finally dropped this morning, not only did this long-awaited moment draw to a close several exhausting weeks of speculation on when and how the footage was most likely to arrive, but it also laid to rest all debate around the film’s official title.
If you’ve been keeping track of the various rumors and discussions around the name of the Avengers: Infinity War sequel, then you’ve probably heard the title “Avengers: Annihilation” being frequently suggested, with the name rising to the top of the heap in recent months as the internet’s favorite candidate. But if you were tuned into the hearsay back in June, then you were likely no stranger to the “Endgame” subtitle before today’s reveal.
Earlier this year, cinematographer and regular Russo Brothers collaborator Trent Opaloch used this exact title as one of his screen credits in his personal filmography, and though he quickly changed the listing to “Avengers 4,” the cat was out of the bag, and for a little while, fans were regarding “Avengers: Endgame” as the most likely title. Nonetheless, in light of co-director Joe Russo’s outright denial that the title would stem from any Infinity War dialogue, the internet soon dismissed this contender, taking the filmmaker at his word.
Evidently, Russo wasn’t being entirely honest with us, in that Doctor Strange famously told Tony Stark at the climax of Infinity War, “We’re in the endgame now.” Still, seeing how Marvel Studios has gone as far as creating fake scripts to prevent leaks, perhaps we should’ve known better that the spoiler-conscious director wasn’t above the odd fib.
In any case, Avengers: Endgame is scheduled to hit theaters on April 26th, 2019, and it’s clear that the first trailer has left the fans more pumped than ever.
