Summary

• Avengers: Endgame featured almost every MCU hero in the final battle, marking a historic moment in Marvel history.
• The emotional deaths and retirements of key characters like Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and Black Widow remain significant.
• New heroes like Sam Wilson as Captain America, Doctor Strange, and Captain Marvel emerged as major players in the MCU landscape.

38 characters from every corner of the MCU, along with a few nameless groups, clashed in the final battle of Avengers: Endgame. Bringing Marvel Studios' Infinity Saga to an epic conclusion, Anthony and Joe Russo's Avengers: Endgame focused on the original six Avengers for one last mission in the MCU timeline. Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Hulk, Thor, and Hawkeye, as well as the other remaining Avengers, came together to reverse the devastation caused by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, embarking on a quest of their own to collect the Infinity Stones and defeat Thanos once-and-for-all.

Even 4 years after Avengers: Endgame's final battle, new heroes have been confirmed as playing a part in the Battle of Earth, with Marvel's Secret Invasion show confirming the presence of the last two super-powered individuals who answered the call. The same show also changed the ending of the battle with Thanos, adding a prologue not shown in Endgame that saw Nick Fury's Skrull spies stealing DNA of heroes and villains from the battle to use to create new heroes. That sort of long-term story-telling proves without a shadow of a doubt that Endgame's ending remains one of the most important Marvel moments of all time.

Avengers, Guardians Of The Galaxy, & Other Main Heroes

38 Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man Was Endgame's Biggest Hero

First Appeared In Iron Man

Marvel Studios' first superhero, Tony Stark, saves the universe as Iron Man one last time in Avengers: Endgame by solving the issues of time travel and using the Infinity Stones to wipe out Thanos and his army. His death at the end of Avengers: Endgame's final battle remains one of the most emotional moments in MCU history.

37 Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America Retired After Endgame

First Appeared In Captain America: The First Avenger

As the first chronological Avenger, Captain America fulfills his duty that began decades before. After becoming worthy of wielding Mjolnir, Steve Rogers returns to the love of his life, Peggy Carter, in the 1950s and passes the Captain America mantle on to Sam Wilson.

36 Thor Odinson Had A Major Endgame Arc

First Appeared in Thor

Considered a failure at the start of Avengers: Endgame, Thor, a.k.a. the God of Thunder, finds the courage to face Thanos once again in the final battle and help defeat the Mad Titan once and for all. In the end, Thor understands what it truly means to be king - by not being one anymore. Thor returned in 2022's Thor: Love and Thunder.

35 Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye Returned As A Hero In Endgame

First Appeared In The Avengers

In the years since losing his family to Thanos' snap, Clint Barton leaves behind his identity as the superhero Hawkeye and becomes Ronin, hunting down cartels and gangs around the world. But the hope of seeing his family again brings him back into the fold. Since the reunion, Hawkeye starred in his self-titled Disney+ show, which saw him take Kate Bishop under his wing.

34 Bruce Banner, a.k.a. the Hulk Premieres As Smart Hulk In Endgame

First Appeared In The Incredible Hulk

After Infinity War, Bruce Banner spent 18 months figuring out how to merge brains and brawn together to create Smart Hulk. He becomes vital to not only figuring out time travel but also making sure that The Avengers don't doom the universe by creating too many alternate timelines. Banner returned in Phase 4's She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, mentoring Jennifer Walters, his cousin, on how to be the MCU's She-Hulk.

33 Sam Wilson, a.k.a. the Falcon Became Captain America In Endgame

First Appeared In Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Falcon returns to fight alongside Captain America one last time in Avengers: Endgame's final battle after first being dusted in Infinity War. His voice is the first one audiences hear after the snapped victims return. Of course, his first line is, "On your left" - a reference to Steve Rogers' line from Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Rogers gifted Sam Wilson the title of Captain America, along with the iconic shield, though he didn't embrace this role fully until The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney+, which then set up Phase 5's Captain America: Brave New World.

32 James "Rhodey" Rhodes, a.k.a. War Machine May Have Been A Skrull In Endgame

First Appeared In Iron Man

Col. James Rhodes became War Machine in Iron Man 2, fighting alongside his best friend, Tony Stark. Rhodey had the opportunity to do so one more time in Avengers: Endgame while also having the experience of time traveling and journeying into outer space. In a pretty stunning turn of events, the Rhodey present at the Battle of Earth was seemingly revealed to be a Skrull, according to Secret Invasion, having been replaced at the end of Captain America: Civil War. War Machine's story continues in Marvel's Armor Wars film.

31 Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. Scarlet Witch Has One Of Her Final Hero Appearances In Endgame

First Appeared In Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Appearing first in Avengers: Age of Ultron as an adversary, Wanda Maximoff eventually became one of the Avengers' strongest heroes, with her superpowers being enhanced by the Mind Stone. Most recently, she appeared in her own Disney+ show, titled WandaVision, and co-starred as the Darkhold-corrupted villain in 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

30 Scott Lang, a.k.a. Ant-Man Was Vital To Endgame's Plot

First Appeared In Ant-Man

If it wasn't for a rat, Avengers: Endgame's story wouldn't be possible, and time travel itself wouldn't have happened without Scott Lang, who returns as Ant-Man. Scott Lang returned in 2023's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, finding himself trapped in the Quantum Realm and going toe-to-toe with Kang the Conqueror.

29 Hope van Dyne, a.k.a. the Wasp Returns In Top Form In Endgame

First Appeared In Ant-Man

Hope van Dyne returns after the snap is reversed, and she wastes no time in getting in on the action as the Wasp, even telling Cap that she and Ant-Man have the task of getting the Quantum Tunnel up-and-running covered. The Wasp became the MCU's first female leading character in Ant-Man and the Wasp, and that legacy is continued in Endgame. She also returned alongside Scott Lang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

28 Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man Gets An Emotional Return

First Appeared In Captain America: Civil War

As one of Marvel's fan-favorite characters, Peter Parker came back from his emotional send-off in Infinity War as Spider-Man (or, more accurately, the Iron Spider) in Avengers: Endgame. Spider-Man's next project, Spider-Man: Far From Home, acted as the epilogue of the MCU's Infinity Saga, and the web-slinger later teamed up with his Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield-portrayed variants in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home.

27 Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord Begins His New MCU Story

First Appeared In Guardians Of The Galaxy

Redeeming himself after his fateful moment in Infinity War is Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord, who's now trying to hold onto his team while also searching for the person he lost to Thanos - Gamora. This search continued in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and came to a head in May 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, once again written and directed by James Gunn. That trilogy-ender set up Star-Lord for new solo adventures in the MCU.

26 Nebula Is Endgame's Most Underrated Hero

First Appeared In Guardians Of The Galaxy

Perhaps the most underrated character in Avengers: Endgame and the unsung hero in the fight against Thanos, Nebula returns not once but twice in the movie's final battle - once as her present self and another as herself from 2014 - leaving her to be forced to kill her past self in order to protect her sister. Nebula then returned in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as a fully-fledged team member, remaining on Knowhere at the end as its ruler.

25 Gamora Appears In Endgame (In A Different Form)

First Appeared In Guardians Of The Galaxy

Gamora was killed in Infinity War, and that death cannot be undone, just like Black Widow's Soul Stone-based death. But Avengers: Endgame brings the past's Gamora into the future and set up her story for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which ultimately saw her leave the guardians to lead a faction of the Ravagers.

24 Drax Gets His Mission Accomplished In Endgame

First Appeared In Guardians Of The Galaxy

Drax the Destroyer has had one mission: kill Thanos. While he tried and failed to do so in Infinity War, he completed his task in Avengers: Endgame's final battle by aiding his fellow superheroes. Drax then returned for one final adventure in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, realizing his fate as a father figure on Knowhere as the original Guardians disbanded.

23 Rocket Raccoon Plays A Key Role In Endgame's Hero Landscape

First Appeared In Guardians Of The Galaxy

Rocket was one of the last surviving Guardians in Avengers: Endgame, and when Thor was down on his luck, it was Rocket who stepped up and helped the Avengers succeed in bringing everyone back. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 then explored Rocket's MCU backstory in greater detail, eventually leading to him leading the new Guardians team.

22 Groot Reunites WIth Rocket In Endgame

First Appeared In Guardians Of The Galaxy

Groot has died twice since first appearing in the MCU in Guardians of the Galaxy - the first time as a sacrifice and the second time as part of the snap - but he was reunited with Rocket in Avengers: Endgame's final battle, and they battled Thanos' army together. Since then, he was developed into "Swole Groot", who played a major part to play in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and joined old friend Rocket in the new iteration of the team.

21 Mantis Completes The Guardians Lineup In Endgame

First Appeared In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

Mantis is one of the newest members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, but her powers came in handy in Avengers: Infinity War, and they undoubtedly helped some more in Endgame's final battle. Mantis returned alongside the rest of the team in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, following the major reveal that she's Star-Lord's half-sister in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. The ending saw her head off on her own adventures, with her three pet Abilisks in tow.

20 Stephen Strange, a.k.a. Doctor Strange Is A Cornerstone Of Endgame's Infinity Saga Plot

First Appeared In Doctor Strange

Just like Ant-Man, Avengers: Endgame wouldn't have been possible without Doctor Strange, whose plan was put in place when he gave up the Time Stone in Avengers: Infinity War. While he didn't have too much to do in Endgame's final battle, he knew exactly what needed to be done to make sure they won - and they did. Since then, Strange managed to botch a spell - thanks to Peter Parker - that set Spider-Man: No Way Home into motion, and he also traveled the multiverse in his Phase 4 sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

19 Wong Returns MCU's Missing Heroes In Endgame's Final Fight

First Appeared In Doctor Strange

While Doctor Strange was returning from Titan, Wong took it upon himself to unite the world's heroes and bring them to the Avengers HQ for the final battle against Thanos. It's revealed in Spider-Man: No Way Home that Wong also became Sorcerer Supreme thanks to Doctor Strange getting dusted for five years. He has had several cameo appearances in the MCU's Phase 4.