Shortly before the all-out battle scene in Avengers: Endgame, Marvel’s beloved trio – namely Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor Odinson – squared off against Thanos in an attempt to course-correct the universe.
It was the first time that all three heroes dueled against the Mad Titan simultaneously, and what a spectacle it was, leading to the crowd-pleasing moment when Cap summoned Mjnolir and rained lightning down upon the helpless Thanos.
But it was a short-lived victory, given Josh Brolin’s purple tyrant was able to recover and, in a particularly devastating scene, break the very shield on which Steve Rogers built a legacy. Had things panned out differently, Avengers: Endgame would have seen Thanos literally punch through Cap’s shield, as depicted by new artwork shared by Ryan Meinerding on Instagram.
As you’ll see below, it’s a powerful, fear-inducing shot – one that is perhaps too striking for what is essentially a family-friendly Disney movie.
Unused shield breaking idea from Avengers: Endgame!
Ultimately, Joe and Anthony Russo, along with Marvel’s creative team, used the Mad Titan’s immense blade to shatter that famous shield, leading to the powerful moment when a visibly broken Captain America struggles to his feet and walks to face Thanos and his army alone, knowing full well it’s a battle he won’t survive. Cue the moment when a distant Sam Wilson says “on your left,” and the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe went to war. Goosebumps.
Avengers: Endgame signaled the end of Marvel’s Phase 3, with Spider-Man: Far From Home slotting into place as the perfect epilogue.
Fast forward to 2020, and while Hollywood’s biggest studios continue to adjust their release schedules in light of the Coronavirus outbreak, Black Widow is still scheduled to be the next MCU movie. It just won’t be with us on May 1st as originally planned.