Almost everyone would agree that Avengers: Endgame is one of the finest superhero blockbusters ever made, an incredible achievement that ties up over a decade of storytelling in the most epic fashion imaginable, bringing together perhaps the most star-studded ensemble gathered together in a single project, making sure they all get at least one individual moment to shine.
That being said, the third act battle’s A-Force tease turned out to be one of Endgame‘s more polarizing moments. You get what the Russo brothers were going for as they sought to showcase all of the MCU’s most prominent female superheroes in one badass action sequence, but it came off as more than a little forced.
In fact, many detractors have labeled it as outright pandering, jarringly forcing it into the narrative to the point of immersion-breaking distraction when you consider the sheer levels of coincidence involved to have all of those characters in the exact same place at the exact same time when a war for the fate of the universe is being fought.
As it turns out, new book The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe via TheDirect reveals that the A-Force scene ended up being changed significantly after the early cut was highlighted for the very reasons mentioned above.
“However, when Endgame went into post-production, the sheer joy for the sequence shifted to a more pensive place. In earlier cuts, [producer] Trinh Tran admits, ’When we started screen-testing it, there was a little concern for ‘Does it come off as pandering?’ Are we going to get people saying, ‘Oh you’re just putting that scene in there just to put the scene in there. Does it actually have a story to tell with the rest of the narrative?’ That was always a concern in the back of our heads.’
Ultimately, additional photography elevated the initial concept: The character were split up and brought into the moment in smaller groups. It was an emotional process of development and resolution for Tran, especially as she had her niece in the back of her mind. She wanted to give her – and all young girls – this heroic moment. ”
If we get an A-Force standalone film out of it, then the fans will be happy, but it stuck out like a sore thumb in the otherwise meticulously assembled Avengers: Endgame.
