This month marks a year since Avengers: Endgame hit theaters and fans are still debating whether it wrapped up the heroes’ arcs in the right way or not. It was always going to be difficult to provide a definitive ending to the stories of Iron Man and Captain America, in particular, in the film, but as soon as it came out last April, there were a lot of heated discussions on social media, with some believing that Marvel trampled over the characters’ development with the way things went for the pair.
And things haven’t changed since then, as the old arguments have now flared up again on Twitter. The crux of it is that fans think Tony Stark deserved a happier ending than sacrificing himself to stop Thanos and that it didn’t make sense for Steve Rogers to give up his life in the present to return to the past. Everyone’s got their own opinion on the matter, but here are just a few of the fans’ reactions, one year on.
https://twitter.com/capswinters/status/1246611221706690561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Of course, there are still those who agree with how things played out.
Politlely disagree. Tony and Steve's journies throughout the MCU led to this. Tony didn't waste his life, and died to make a better world for his daughter (the opposite what Thanos did), and Cap FINALLY got to take something for himself for once after giving for so long.
— KnightroStark (@KnightroStark) April 5, 2020
“Just messed up.”
https://twitter.com/6cels/status/1246611676297867266?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Counter-argument!
1. They choose thd endings for tony and steve to prove each other wrong
2. How is steve getting a life messed up? Tony died so everyone eles would live happy— Steven (@Stevenlaack21) April 5, 2020
Why would Cap dying be better closure?
https://twitter.com/mickeyrox16/status/1246636786375327746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Was his arc thrown out the window?
Steve’s arc was a man out of his time and he had to learn how to live with that- they completely threw that out the window with the ending,,, i’m mad and i don’t even stan steve i swear 🗿
— ia (@starkmysavior) April 5, 2020
Irony = perfection.
https://twitter.com/teamsuperando/status/1246726363265941504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Wait, hold on… Why didn’t they do it this way instead?
No no no. They all should have joined hands like in guardians of the galaxy to share the power of the stones and everyone lives happily ever after.
— Callie (@Callie_O) April 5, 2020
As we now know, changes were made to the duo’s ending along the production process, particularly Tony’s. He didn’t initially deliver his iconic “I am Iron Man” comeback to Thanos until it was decided he needed a killer final line in reshoots. What’s more, Tony was going to get a glimpse of daughter Morgan grown up (as played by Katherine Langford), but the scene tested poorly with early audiences.
No doubt the relative merits of Tony and Cap’s conclusions in Avengers: Endgame will be argued for years to come by Marvel fans, but in the meantime, feel free to leave your own personal take in the comments section.