Avengers: Endgame premiered one year after the surprise cliffhanger ending of Avengers: Infinity War, which left half of the franchise's beloved heroes reduced to dust as a result of Thanos's fateful snap. However, Endgame saw the return of these heroes thanks to the efforts of the surviving Avengers.
The moment of the Avengers' return before the climactic Battle of Earth is one of the most iconic scenes in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. As such, each resurrected character utters a memorable first line upon their exciting return.
Bucky Barnes
"How Can I? You're Taking All The Stupid With You."
Despite returning in time for the climactic battle of Earth, Bucky Barnes does not have dialogue until he sees Steve Rogers off before the infamous time travel mission at the end of the film. When Steve tells him not to do anything stupid while he's gone, Bucky slyly replies that Steve is taking all the stupid with him.
This moment, which audiences would soon learn acted as Steve and Bucky's goodbye before the former's disappearance, was an emotional callback to a couplet of dialogue from Captain America: The First Avenger. Upon its second appearance, this dialogue is now reversed, with Steve and Bucky's roles similarly opposite to those before Steve became Captain America.
Scarlet Witch
"You Took Everything From Me."
Just before turning to dust in Avengers: Infinity War, Wanda Maximoff was forced to watch as her beloved Vision was killed before her very eyes twice in a matter of seconds. Vengeful upon her return, Wanda attacks Thanos, promising that he'll know her name by the time she's done with him.
This moment truly put Wanda's strength on full display, as Wanda establishes herself as one of the MCU's most powerful characters. While she ultimately wasn't the one to defeat Thanos, she proved very quickly that she could have, had she been given enough time.
Falcon
"Cap, You Read Me? Cap, It's Sam. Can You Hear Me? On Your Left."
Sam Wilson has the distinct honor of being the first Avenger to return following the Decimation. Just as Captain America is preparing to charge alone into battle against Thanos's armies, a familiar voice on the radio tells him to look to his left.
Not only his first line after returning, this quote is also one of Falcon's most iconic sayings in the entire MCU. At this moment, Falcon calls back his first meeting with Steve Rogers at the beginning of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, simultaneously ushering in the return of the other Avengers.
Drax
"You Should Fight One Another For The Honor Of Leadership."
Drax and the other Guardians of the Galaxy travel through a portal from Titan to participate in the Battle of Earth. It isn't until later in the film, when Thor joins the Guardians for their next adventure, that Drax actually received any lines. Witnessing Peter Quill and Thor arguing over who will lead the group moving forward, Drax helpfully suggests that they duel for such an honor.
Drax's suggestion keeps perfectly in line with his character's violent tendencies and complete obliviousness to social nuance. Meanwhile, the budding rivalry between Quill and Thor that Drax witnessed would only continue, spilling over into the events of Thor: Love and Thunder.
Mantis
"Ah, Yes! Please Use Knives."
Like several members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Pom Klementieff's Mantis does not receive any dialogue until her final scene in the movie. Upon hearing Nebula's request that Quill and Thor use knives in their duel for the honor of leadership, Mantis excitedly proclaims her desire to see such an event.
Mantis has always been a uniquely entertaining character, whose bloodlust is somewhat surprising in this scene. Audiences can always count on purely bizarre ideas to spill out of the character's mouth, making fans all the more excited to embark on another adventure alongside Mantis and her friends in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy, volume 3.
Doctor Strange
"Is That Everyone?"
Doctor Strange and the Masters of the Mystic Arts were paramount in transporting the participants in the Battle of Earth to the battlefield, using their portals to bridge the distance. After transporting thousands of soldiers to face Thanos's army, Strange slyly asks Wong if they've gotten everyone, prompting Wong to wonder if he really wanted more.
This moment marks the triumphant return of several fan-favorite characters and the culmination of Strange's plan, the beginnings of which were seen in Infinity War. While Strange appears confident in his actions at this point, audiences would see the manifestation of his own self-doubt regarding this occurrence as he participated in the immensely important events of Doctor Stranger in the Multiverse of Madness.
Spider-Man
"You Won't Believe What's Been Going On. Do You Remember When We Were In Space?"
Peter Parker's first line of dialogue following his resurrection is remarkably in-character, as he reunited with Tony Stark and feels the need to fill him in on everything that has happened since he woke up. He goes on to remark that he had been in space only moments ago, and was now fighting in the largest battle Earth had ever seen.
Peter and Tony's relationship has been a beloved aspect of the MCU since their first meeting in Captain America: Civil War, making it absolutely appropriate that the two would reunite first. The scene also ends with Tony embracing Peter, calling back the moment where he had failed to do so in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Wasp
"We're On It, Cap."
Endgame marks the first that that Hope van Dyne assembled alongside the Avengers as the Wasp. Having been shown to be among the Snap victims in the mid-credits scene of Ant-Man and the Wasp, Hope's first scene after being resurrected involves her accepting a mission to help find the Avengers' makeshift time travel machine in the midst of battle.
Wasp's calling Captain America "Cap" in this scene is a fun callback to a conversation she had with Scott Lang in Ant-Man and the Wasp during which she mocked him for doing the very same thing. She shares a knowing look with Scott as she finally joins him among the other Avengers.
Star-Lord
"Gamora?"
When he was last seen in Avengers: Infinity War, Star-Lord was in despair after learning of the loss of his beloved Gamora. While fighting with the Avengers on Earth, however, Quill runs into a variant of his deceased girlfriend, prompting him to approach this ghost from his past.
While Quill's reunion with Gamora didn't go exactly as he might have planned, the film's ending shows him and the Guardians continuing to search for this variant after she goes missing. This new mission informs Quill's future, as he has still not found this version of Gamora following the Guardians' return in Thor: Love and Thunder.
Black Panther
"Yibambe!"
Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa was one of the very first Avengers to come through a portal in Endgame. After locking eyes with an amazed Captain America, T'Challa chants a Wakandan warrior cry, signaling to the legions of troops behind him that another battle lies ahead of them.
This chant, which translates to "hold fast," was previously heard just before the Battle of Wakanda in Avengers: Infinity War. Though the Avengers lost the previous battle, this familiar war cry that sounded out across the battlefield that day signaled that the Battle of Earth would have a far different result.