Endgame Killing All 6 Original Avengers Would've Gone Way Too Far

Kevin Feige's original pitch for the ending of Avengers: Endgame would have seen the original cast die in the battle against Thanos, but that decision ultimately would have done more harm than good to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Co-director Joe Russo revealed in the new book The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that Feige had originally pitched a Toy Story 3-esque ending, referring to the Pixar film's emotional scene where the toys nearly plummet to their deaths in a furnace.

While the book is unspecific in exactly how the Avengers would have met their end, it's presumed that the original team includes Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye, and Black Widow—the six heroes who first united to save the Earth in Joss Whedon's groundbreaking The Avengers. While Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) did meet a tragic end by using the Infinity Gauntlet, and Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) gave her life to obtain the Soul Stone, the remaining characters made it through Endgame with their lives.

While it's impossible to know for certain, as Feige's original pitch would have likely resulted in a much different movie, Marvel ultimately made the right creative decision for a number of reasons. The Russo brothers themselves pushed back on the idea of killing off Marvel's remaining OG Avengers, knowing there was no way to properly "celebrate" each character in a way that would be meaningful to long-time fans of the franchise. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) did make his exit in a surprisingly cathartic way, but it would have been a monumental task to write off Hulk, Hawkeye, and Thor in similarly clever ways within the film's already lengthy three-hour runtime.

Why Endgame Killing The Original Avengers Would Have Been A Disaster

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Killing off the original Avengers would have wiped the slate clean for a new wave of Earth's Mightiest Heroes to be at the forefront of the MCU post-Endgame — and it seems inevitable at some point — but cramming each of them into one movie also runs the risk of numbing the audience to future Marvel twists and turns. Game of Thrones learned a similar lesson, in that while the Red Wedding ended up being a truly shocking moment in modern television history, very few of the show's many deaths had as much impact afterward. Marvel attempting to execute something similar would have made the already daunting task of following Avengers: Endgame even more unnecessarily challenging.

To end the Infinity Saga in such a dismal and heart-wrenching way also goes against the very core of what Disney and Marvel Studios have accomplished. Comic book arcs take bleak turns all the time – but, for the most part, the formula has been the same since the dawn of time: good vanquishing evil. The MCU built a franchise around the arrival of Thanos, planting seeds across numerous films that each built upon one another. The Mad Titan "snapping" half of the universe out of existence in Avengers: Infinity War was an unthinkable moment that required proper justice to be dished out in response. Losses were expected and delivered upon, but to end that arc with the deaths of so many beloved characters is to risk giving three waves of films an emotionally unsatisfying conclusion.

Marvel took calculated risks in killing off Iron Man and Black Widow, while also giving Captain America's arc a fitting conclusion. Even so, some fans argue that Natasha's death didn't have the emotional resonance that it should have, because the film immediately had to keep steamrolling towards Avengers: Endgame's final battle. Adding three more major deaths to that equation is a surefire recipe for overcrowding the plot, risks burning out the audience, and goes against the spirit of what makes most long-term comic book arcs so rewarding. For those reasons, it's a good thing the Russo brothers were able to reign in the final moments of Avengers: End Game.

Tony Stark's Endgame Death Fit His Arc Perfectly

Tony Stark snaps his fingers in Avengers Endgame

As tragic as it was, Iron Man's death in Avengers: Endgame was a fitting conclusion to his MCU arc. Having started the entire MCU off with the original Iron Man in 2008, Tony Stark then took audiences on one of the longest and most gratifying cinematic character journeys out there. From this perspective alone, Iron Man's Avengers: Endgame death was bound to happen, given that he was the original Avenger and his death offered the perfect closure for the MCU's first 3 phases. But it was also the perfect end for Tony himself. Over the course of all nine MCU films he appeared in, Stark progressed from a self-centered "genius billionaire playboy philanthropist" into a genuinely wise and caring leader of the Avengers. It wasn't an easy road there, however, and in Captain America: Civil War, Captain America even accused Stark of being selfish, saying "You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you." In the end, however, Iron Man was able to prove that he had grown into such a person, making the ultimate sacrifice to save the rest of his team and the whole world.

How The Other Original Avengers Should All Leave The MCU

Hawkeye Thor Bruce Banner Hulk How Each Remaining Original Avenger Should Exit The MCU

As for how the other original Avengers should exit the MCU, flashy, dramatic deaths like Iron Man's and Black Widow's don't necessarily have to be the case. It's easiest to imagine Hawkeye dying in this way, however, possibly as penance for the guilt he feels over letting Natasha die for him in Avengers: Endgame. This could happen as he's mentoring the new Hawkeye, Kate Bishop, or even in rescuing Natasha's sister Yelena Belova somehow.

For Bruce Banner and Thor, however, the best course of action seems to be a continuing MCU arc that naturally tapers as the actors and the characters age out of the franchise. Both Hulk and Thor took a while to find their MCU footing, so in some ways, the two heroes' main arcs are just getting started. Likewise, of all the original Avengers, Banner and Thor would probably make the best wise mentor figures, something they can easily achieve as they start taking a backseat to the MCU's Young Avengers team and other up-and-coming heroes.

Because of how messy killing all six Avengers would have been, how well the existing Avengers: Endgame deaths work, and the strong potential for the remaining Avengers to keep making an impact in the MCU, it's a good thing Feige's original plan didn't come to fruition. Although the MCU is full of sad moments, a mass exit wouldn't have been the right way to go for the franchise. As is, the bittersweet ending of Avengers: Endgame is probably the best outcome fans could have hoped for.

Next: Marvel Just Explained Why Shang-Chi Retconned Endgame's Hulk Change