Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for Avengers: Endgame
The trailers for Avengers: Endgame were carefully edited to hide a lot of major plot twists. Marvel Studios has developed something of a reputation for secrecy, but over the last year or so they've excelled themselves. The studio didn't even confirm the official title for Avengers 4 until December 2018, just four months ahead of release, and Kevin Feige hinted that marketing may only use footage from the first 15-20 minutes of the movie. That wasn't quite the case, but it gives a sense of just how much misdirection Marvel employed in an attempt to keep the plot under wraps.
Speaking to Collider, the Russo brothers revealed that the first cut was actually slightly shorter than the final theatrical version. "We have almost everything in this movie that we shot," they noted, and cautioned that viewers should expect no more than about 5 minutes' worth of deleted scenes on home release. That potentially means that some scenes that don't appear in the film will have been shot only for the trailer. Meanwhile, other shots were edited with CGI to conceal certain details - notably to remove evidence of time travel, or to hide the changes made to Thor and the Hulk.
Related: Every Character In Avengers: Endgame
Here's a guide of all the key shots in the trailers that either didn't appear in the film at all, or were heavily edited so as to deceive viewers about the story.
Tony Stark's Muscle Mass
Avengers: Endgame opens with Tony Stark stranded in space. The theatrical cut used digital editing to reduce Robert Downey Jr.'s muscle mass, giving a sense that he really was malnourished in space. It was particularly visible in a scene after his return to Earth, when Stark pulled himself up out of a medical chair and detached his IV drip. In the trailers, however, Downey's physique looks normal. This is one of the more curious changes, in that it wasn't a secret that Stark was adrift in space; in fact, the first trailer opened with it. The reason is probably far simpler; that the trailer was released in December, while the film was still going through post-production, meaning that Marvel hadn't completed the VFX for Tony's skinny body yet.
Thor With Stormbreaker
One shot in the Avengers: Endgame trailers featured Thor wielding Stormbreaker, lightning flaring around him. It doesn't actually appear in the film at all; what's more, given the costume design, it's possible it was actually shot for Avengers: Infinity War. Principal photography of Infinity War and Endgame was conducted back-to-back (and in some cases interwoven), and the Thor of Avengers: Endgame was, for the most part, very different to this design.
Bruce Banner Mourns The Snap Victims
The Avengers: Endgame trailers featured a shot in which Bruce Banner looked at images of the fallen, and held his head in his hands. While the film does include scenes in which the Avengers glance at the screens, this particular shot never happens.
Black Widow's Hair
The first Avengers: Endgame trailer ended on a hopeful note, with Scott Lang arriving at the Avengers Compound. Steve Rogers and Black Widow were at the Compound at the time; they'd believed Ant-Man died in the snap, and were understandably shocked at his return. But Marvel made a single change to the shot; they altered Black Widow's hairstyle in order to hide the time jump.
Black Widow Training
The various Avengers: Endgame trailers featured a number of shots of Black Widow training, conducting target practice in order to hone her skills. They were intended to convey steely determination, and they succeeded. But, while that's an accurate description of Black Widow's mindset in Avengers: Endgame, the target practice scene isn't in the film. It's possible these were shot just for the trailer; alternatively, given they fit quite well with the movie, they could actually number among the few deleted scenes.
Rocket and the Hulk
Avengers: Endgame saw Rocket and Hulk head to New Asgard in order to persuade Thor to join in the battle against Thanos. The trailers included a single shot from this part of the film; a dark and indistinct glimpse of Rocket entering Thor's hut. In the actual film, though, he's not alone; the Hulk is in this shot as well. Marvel had digitally edited it in order to hide the Professor Hulk twist.
Black Widow In Japan
The final Avengers: Endgame trailer included a shot of Black Widow seated in Japan, apparently grieving and alone. Although both Black Widow and Hawkeye did have scenes in Japan - in the rain no less - this shot didn't appear in the film.
The Avengers Team
One popular shot from the Avengers: Endgame trailers showed the Avengers team stood together, and it was generally assumed they were facing Thor and Captain Marvel. In reality, Captain Marvel wasn't on the planet at the time, and both an overweight Thor and the Hulk have been edited out. In the theatrical cut, Hulk is stood behind War Machine, while Thor is sat on one of the chairs.
The Avengers Hangar
The Avengers: Endgame trailers contained a number of shots of the Avengers Compound's hangar, gradually shifting to reveal more and more of the scene. The first trailer showed the hangar completely empty, while the second revealed some of the Avengers in Quantum Realm suits, with the team about to revisit past movies. But the shots were still carefully edited to remove Thor and the Hulk, and in some shots Tony Stark's hair color was edited to hide evidence of the time jump as well.
Captain America and Tony Stark in New York
One shot from the Avengers: Endgame trailers showed Tony Stark asking Steve Rogers whether he trusted him, with the two Avengers shaking hands. It was a beautiful moment that provided an end to the conflict between the two that's been running since Captain America: Civil War - but it had actually been digitally altered, with Cap's 2012 costume replaced with a more modern version. Again, this was to remove evidence of time travel.
Hawkeye Grieving Black Widow's Death
The first Avengers: Endgame trailer included a shot of a grieving Hawkeye. It was generally assumed that Clint was mourning the deaths of his family, but in reality he was grieving for Black Widow, who had sacrificed herself to acquire the Soul Stone. Marvel edited the scene so it didn't include Professor Hulk.
Grieving Black Widow's Death
Another shot showed Steve Rogers, clearly also at the Avengers Compound, and openly mourning. This was edited as well; in the theatrical cut, Tony Stark is stood at his side. At this point in the marketing, Marvel was still trying to build up a sense of suspense over whether or not Stark would be rescued from space.
Hawkeye Battling The Outriders
One key scene in the third act features Hawkeye fleeing from Outriders, grabbing the Infinity Gauntlet before they can scoop it up and take it back to Thanos. Although this appeared in the trailers, it was heavily edited; there's no hint of the Infinity Gauntlet, and the Outriders were carefully edited out so it was unclear who Hawkeye was fighting. However, Marvel failed to make the Outrider edits to the 3D version of the trailer, so some of the edits became common knowledge.
Nebula In Action
One shot of Nebula charging into battle does appear in the movie, but the background has been changed. In the trailer shot, it looks like Nebula is in the movie's final battle scene, but this shot is actually from a scene where the 2014 version of Nebula battling alien creatures with Gamora.
The Avengers Confront Thanos
While Hawkeye fled from Outriders, the three main Avengers - Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor - confronted Thanos himself. The shot was edited slightly, with Thor's cape added so as to conceal his increase in weight, and Mjolnir digitally removed to avoid revealing a major plot twist.
Captain America's Broken Shield
Captain America's shield was broken during his battle with Thanos, but naturally Marvel didn't want to reveal that in the trailers. As a result, they edited two shots in order to hide the damaged shield. One saw Captain America, beaten and exhausted, struggling to get to his feet; in the film, his heroism is even more exemplary given he's seen his beloved shield almost destroyed by the Mad Titan.
Again With the Shattered Shield
He may be weary and badly injured, but Captain America refuses to back down. Instead, he tugs the straps of what's left of his shield tight, and prepares to stand alone against Thanos and his armies. Again, Marvel altered the shield to make it look intact.
War Machine and Rocket
The Avengers: Endgame trailers naturally don't feature any of the resurrected heroes from the third act, but they do still show a brief glimpse of the scene where the Avengers assemble. War Machine is shown in his new armor, with Rocket perched on his shoulder. In the background, Giant-Man has been digitally removed.
