Earlier this year, the MCU’s 22-part Infinity Saga culminated in Avengers: Endgame, easily the biggest movie event of the decade. Since the movie clocked in at a whopping three hours, it’s surprising that anything actually got cut, but there were scenes that the Russo brothers ended up leaving on the cutting room floor.
In the months since the movie first hit theaters, the directors and their screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have been revealing more and more details about what got cut. So, here are 5 deleted scenes that would've improved Avengers: Endgame and 5 more we're glad they cut.
Would’ve Improved It: Thanos Tossing Cap His Own Severed Skull
In a really early version of the script for Avengers: Endgame, the time travel rules were different, with one linear timeline that Earth’s mightiest heroes traveled back and forth across. Before this was changed to introduce the idea of alternate timelines, there was a version that had the Avengers arrive back in the present day to find that Thanos had beaten them to the punch, spending the past nine years taking over Earth and waiting for them.
He would be sitting atop a throne of skulls in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and toss Captain America his own still-masked severed head. This would’ve been an unforgettable moment.
We’re Glad Got Cut: Thanos Arriving On Vormir
The original version of the Vormir scene with Black Widow and Hawkeye involved the arrival of Thanos to intervene. The Russo Brothers realized that this distracted from the most powerful aspect of the scene – two best friends fighting over which one would be the one to sacrifice themselves – so they cut it.
The Russos were right because it would hinder the focus of the scene. Unfortunately, the scene getting cut down so late in the game meant that it came out feeling very disjointed, removing most, if not all of the impact of Black Widow’s death.
Would’ve Improved It: “The Suckiest Army In The Galaxy!"
One of the funniest scenes cut from Avengers: Endgame calls back to the first Avengers in a hilariously meta way. The Avengers tell Rocket that when Loki brought the Chitauri to New York to do battle with them, it took them “two or three hours” to defeat them, and he jokes, “Hours? The Chitauri are the suckiest army in the galaxy!”
Rocket knew that all you had to do to defeat them was destroy the mothership, which immediately deactivates all of their soldiers. The Avengers didn’t know that until Iron Man decided to toss a nuke through the wormhole.
We’re Glad Got Cut: Rhodey Poking Holes In Cap's Origin Story
Initially, there was a scene where Rhodey asked Captain America why he didn’t just jump off the plane that ended up cryogenically freezing him for 70 years. There is no answer. Cap could’ve jumped off that plane. It’s a legitimate plot hole. But it wouldn’t have worked in the movie because it wouldn’t just be a throwaway gag, especially in a movie that’s this important for Cap as a character.
If Rhodey made him realize that he didn’t have to go into the ice at all, and could’ve just stayed in the past and had a happy life there, it would’ve made Cap feel like an idiot. And there would be less impact with him achieving this at the end, because he’d just be undoing his own mistake.
Would’ve Improved It: Tony Sees A Teenage Morgan In The Soul World
Just like Thanos was taken to the Soul World to see a young Gamora when he snapped his fingers in Infinity War, there was originally a moment where Tony Stark was taken there following his own snap. Here, he saw a teenage version of his daughter Morgan, played by Katherine Langford. Apparently, this confused test audiences and they didn’t find the scene to be emotionally resonant.
Since we weren’t in those audiences, we can’t speculate, but it’s hard to believe that the legacy-obsessed futurist Tony Stark getting validation for his sacrifice from an older version of his daughter wasn’t emotionally resonant. Maybe it would’ve been better with Lexi Rabe playing Morgan.
We’re Glad Got Cut: All The Heroes Taking A Knee To Honor Tony Stark
Originally, there was a moment after Tony Stark’s sacrifice where we saw all of the other Avengers take a knee on the battlefield to honor him. However, this would’ve seemed a little forced.
Everyone deciding to make the exact same gesture at the exact same time wouldn’t have rung true. And in the following scene, we see all of those heroes paying their respects to Tony at his funeral, so it would’ve felt repetitive. Cutting this moment kept the focus of Tony’s death on his final moments with Pepper Potts, Peter Parker, and James Rhodes, which gave it far more emotional impact.
Would’ve Improved It: Gamora Leaving The Battlefield
Following the epic final battle in Avengers: Endgame, there was originally a brief moment where we saw Gamora leaving the battlefield. This would’ve confirmed that the semi-villainous 2014 version of Gamora was still out there somewhere, creating mayhem with the timelines and starting her character arc all over again.
In the months since the movie was released, fans have been wondering what happened to Gamora. Tony’s snap might’ve turned her to dust, but then we saw Quill searching for her on the Benatar’s computer. With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 indefinitely delayed, the mystery of Gamora’s whereabouts will be bugging fans for years.
We’re Glad Got C: Thor Leaning In To Kiss Valkyrie
At the end of Avengers: Endgame, we get a few Return of the King-esque moments that gives us closure on where the characters ended up following the third-act smash-‘em-up. One of those moments sees Thor handing over the reins of his kingdom to Valkyrie. In a moment improvised by Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, Thor was originally going to lean in for a kiss, only to be rejected by Valkyrie.
Valkyrie was initially written as a love interest in Thor: Ragnarok, but Taika Waititi found that her relationship with Thor worked better as a platonic friendship marked by mutual respect. The unrequited kiss would’ve undone all that.
Would’ve Improved It: Thanos Grabbing Captain America By His Neck
Originally, a scene was filmed where Thanos grabbed Captain America by the neck and suffocated him, which certainly would’ve been emotional and shocking. If there was anything that the final battle of Avengers: Endgame was missing, it was more of the core three Avengers – Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor – fighting Thanos on their own.
When Cap was left alone with a broken shield, faced by a giant army, and all the dead characters triumphantly returned through portals to back him up, it was a spectacular, emotionally charged moment that brought the house down. But it could’ve done with being held off a little longer to give the sharper, more character-focused action a chance to shine.
We’re Glad Got Cut: Howard Offering Tony A Job
One of the most emotionally resonant scenes in Avengers: Endgame takes place in 1970, when Tony stumbles upon the chance to have one final conversation with his father, Howard. He tells him his name is “Howard Potts” and they talk about parenthood and sacrificing self-interests for the greater good. It’s a strong scene, not to mention an essential stepping stone in the “endgame” of Tony’s character arc.
But it was originally longer, with Howard offering Tony a job and Tony quipping that he’s “a little tied up in futures right now.” This wouldn’t have added anything to the scene, and might have even detracted from it.