The MCU’s long-lasting success can be greatly attributed to the number of catchy phrases its films present to us. Fans can quote several lines from the films all the way back from 2008’s Iron Man, and Marvel makes sure every film has at least a couple quotes that fans will carry forward and keep alive for years to come.
Avengers: Endgame favored the emotional aspect of its storytelling more since it’s the final film to star many of the characters we’ve seen for a long time, and there are certain quotes that will have you feeling heavy in the heart thanks to the impact they have on our feelings. Here are 10 of the most emotional quotes from the film.
SPOILERS FOR AVENGERS: ENDGAME BELOW:
Thor: "I went for the head"
Thanos’ words haunted Thor through the whole three weeks between the end of Avengers: Infinity War and before he took Thanos’ life, but Thor still couldn’t make up for his failure. Before watching the film, we thought Thor uttering this quote would’ve represented triumph, but they were simply hollow words.
Thor saying he went for the head this time represented how it was all for nothing. Thanos had already destroyed the stones, and all hope with them. For Thor, taking Thanos’ life was too little too late. His vengeance had no meaning, and Thanos’ original triumph remained.
Nebula: "I Wasn't Always Like This"
Nebula said these words when she reached into the protective field containing the Power stone, and War Machine’s astonished face conveyed what we felt while watching her do so: it was surprising over how little of her original body was left.
This was the first time Nebula acknowledged her broken state to any of the Avengers, and you could hear the emotional pain in her voice as she recalled what Thanos had put her through. The words drove home to us how Nebula’s generally stoic nature was really a facade she put up to hide the turmoil she felt inside. The fact that she had to justify her appearance to War Machine showed she was ashamed at what she looks like.
Thor: "I'm Totally From The Future"
Thor’s chubby appearance was played for laughs; however, it was a reaction to his enormous failures ranging way back from Thor: The Dark World to Avengers: Infinity War.
When he broke down in front of his mother, admitting he was from the future, we saw Thor display the anguish he’d been living with for years for the first time. Since losing his family, he’d never had time to process his grief, and him confessing his true identity to his mother – the parent who provided him with tender love and support – was Thor catching a break for once. So, don’t think that line was funny, it was both sad and touching when you understand why Thor was reacting that way.
Iron Man: "I Needed You"
Tony needed a big, exploding confrontation with Captain America since Civil War, and he got it at the beginning of Avengers: Endgame; a conversation that had him let out his frustrations with Steve.
Tony always saw Steve as an older figure, someone perhaps reminiscent of the ideals his father had and was disappointed by Steve’s broken promises. When Tony screamed at Cap for not being there when he needed him, you could see a little energy in that malnourished state he was in. More importantly, it was clear Tony had missed Steve deeply for years and had thought losing together would’ve at least softened the blow of defeat. In the end, he always did need Steve.
Black Widow: "Whatever it takes"
The trailers had this quote dominate the promotion of Avengers: Endgame, but its true meaning was shown on Vormir, where Black Widow met her end. Up until that point, we thought the quote was something that was meant to rile everyone up to fight Thanos; however, it turned out it literally was going to require whatever it took.
Black Widow uttered these words just before she decided to fling herself off the cliff to achieve the Soul Stone. She’d been the most vocal, and the most determined, to reverse Thanos’ snap; she showed us this intent by sacrificing herself. Upon saying these words, the fandom knew Black Widow’s endgame was here.
Hawkeye: "It was supposed to me"
With the loss of Hawkeye’s family came a kind of death wish for him, seeing as he was ready to die at any moment’s notice if it meant getting the job done. He attempted to fight Black Widow so he could be the one to sacrifice himself, but after he was unsuccessful in that, we saw him mourn back on Earth.
When Hawkeye claimed he should’ve been the one to die, you can see he truly meant that. He had no intention to stay alive during the fight against Thanos, and Black Widow’s loss meant Hawkeye had more guilt and shame to live with. He had now lost his family and his best friend.
Iron Man: "I Am Iron Man"
It was clear Tony was about to sacrifice himself to finish Thanos and his army with the snap, but what really made his final line emotional was that it represented the ending of the entire 22-film storyline of the MCU.
The MCU really kicked off in popularity once Tony openly admitted he was Iron Man at the end of the 2008 film, and him repeating those words in a more harrowing context showed that his story was truly at an end. There would be no last-minute escapes or another day to fight, Tony was about to have his hero’s death.
Morgan Stark: "Cheeseburgers"
We realized the film wanted us to hark back to the very beginning moments of the MCU when little Morgan Stark asked if she could have a cheeseburger to eat. You’ll recall that Tony Stark’s first request after returning from being a hostage was that he needed to eat a cheeseburger, and this one word was used again to tell us that Tony’s daughter would grow up to be just like him.
Happy's promise to Morgan that he'd give her as many burgers as she wanted was confirmation to the fans that he and the rest of Tony's friends would be there to care for his daughter. There’s no doubt that at least for the immediate future, you’ll be thinking of Tony Stark first whenever you hear anything about cheeseburgers. Could anyone ever have guessed cheeseburgers would make us cry?
Captain America: "No, I don't think I will"
Avengers: Endgame gave us the farewell for Captain America, with the hero now officially having handed over his shield to Falcon. Throughout his story, Captain America was always unwilling to leave things ambiguous; he wanted everything out in the open and disliked keeping things left unsaid.
This was why when he declined to tell Sam about what his life had been like for those decades he spent with Peggy Carter, it meant our hero had reached that fulfillment he’d always thought was impossible to achieve. Steve knew he had that beautiful simple life Tony had advised him to get, and that was enough for him. He didn’t need to tell anybody else about. It was his wonderful secret.
Iron Man: "I love you 3000"
You better believe this line is immortalized since they were Iron Man’s last words onscreen. It came from a simple thought from his daughter, and Tony didn’t need to go on the Time Heist, he had everything he needed.
But the fact that he went out there knowing he would most likely lose the family life he’d achieved meant that, in the end, Iron Man loved all of us out there. When his final message told his daughter he “loved her 3000”, he was telling her it was because of the love she gave him that brought the courage for Tony to save the universe. And who can’t help but shed a tear at that?