The Directors of ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Just Debunked *That* Tony Stark Theory
They also went deep on Black Widow, Smart Hulk and how life works for the snapped.
Recently, Avengers: Endgame did what so many thought was impossible: it pipped Avatar at the post, and became the highest-grossing film of all time.
Not, mind you, that the superhero epic will be gone from our minds or our screens any time soon. Even some of the most dedicated Marvel fans still have a lot to unpack, from conspiracy theories pertaining to Tony Stark’s lineage, to quibbles about the future of Black Widow, to questions about continuity and timelines.
Well, thanks to a commentary released on the digital version of the film by the directors, the Russo Brothers, at least some of those theories have been put to bed.
Indeed, the commentary is extraordinarily informative, packed full of everything from behind-the-scenes details to hints at the future of Marvel’s next phase.
Here’s 8 of the main takeaways. Oh, and extensive spoilers follow, of course.
Tony Stark wasn’t adopted
In a key scene in Endgame, Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) bumps into his father and his pregnant mother, the latter of whom he shoots a surprised look. That look led some fans to theorise that the timeline of her pregnancy wasn’t adding up for Tony, and thus that he suspected his mother must be pregnant with someone other than him.
Did anyone ever ask the #Endgame writers why Tony Stark was surprised when Howard told him that his wife was expecting? I know in the comics that Tony was adopted. Tony’s surprise makes me think in the MCU he knows he was adopted but didn’t know his Mom was ever pregnant.
— Jennifer Ann (@jnifferann) August 1, 2019
Of course, such a twist would have a profound impact on the film. It’d not only mean that Tony is adopted, but also that he has a mysterious half-brother somewhere out there.
However, according to the Russos, that look was nothing more complicated than Tony being unnerved by seeing the sight of his mother pregnant with, uh, himself. Sorry folks.
Infinity War was meant to end where Endgame begins
In the first draft of the script, Infinity War ended with Hawkeye and his family on a ranch — the scene that opens Endgame.
However, the Russos felt that such an abrupt shift towards bucolic quiet would hurt the emotional trauma inflicted by the Infinity War finale, and shifted it around. For the better, I reckon.
Nebula doesn’t know who killed her sister
At one point in the commentary, co-writer Stephen McFeely reveals that Nebula is in the dark about the exact nature of the sacrifice that her father made in order to get the soul stone.
“No one knows other than anybody who was there,” he says, simply. “She just knows her sister didn’t come back, and he left with the stone.”
We have the Ant-Man franchise to thank for time travel in Endgame
Time travel is the name of the game in Endgame, and according to the Russos, it was the continuity mucking, time-hopping energy of the Ant-Man films that convinced them that such a device would be accepted by audiences. Thanks Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas, you jovial pair of ant enthusiasts.
Black Widow got spurned in Endgame for a reason
Black Widow and Tony Stark both tragically die over the course of Endgame. But according to many of the fans, only one of them got a proper send-off — it’s Tony who gets the full funeral, while Black Widow is largely ignored.
According to the Russos, that’s deliberate. Black Widow has her own standalone film forthcoming, whereas Tony is gone for the forseeable future.
One could thus assume that the PVC-clad spy will get her own send-off in that upcoming flick.
The directors agonised over the Captain America ass joke
One of Endgame‘s many hat-tips towards Marvel stans comes when Ant-Man salutes Captain America’s famous and impressive butt. But the line caused the Russos a great deal of consternation, and they ummed and ahhed about taking it out. “It’s probably the most controversial joke in the whole movie,” Joe says during the commentary.
Smart Hulk only came together at the very last moment
Smart Hulk, a fusion of Bruce Banner’s intellect and the physique of his alter-ego, is one of the great draws of Endgame. But the character only really came to life in the very last few weeks of post-production — the green boffin took so long for the VFX team to create, that the Russos only clapped eyes on him at the last possible moment.
Moreover, Smart Hulk was actually initially planned for inclusion in Infinity War, until a test audience rejected him.
"Professor Hulk originally was created in Infinity War. In Wakanda they made some kind of compromise, and Smart Hulk rips out of the armor and defeats Cull Obsidian. It was changed during the editing process of Infinity War, after test audiences wouldn’t accept it" pic.twitter.com/kJ7VUvYHEk
— Salvi Huerta (@SalviHuerta) July 31, 2019
Time doesn’t pass for the snapped
The snapped return back to reality in the climax of Endgame, being restored from their ashy graves. It’s a jubilant moment, but one that creates a range of significant plot problems. For instance, five years have passed; does that mean that all of those who have been snapped are suddenly five years older?
Apparently not, according to the Russos. They say that those who have been snapped have not been affected by the passage of time. Which sounds… weird. What’d it be like to suddenly come back to a world where five years have passed that you haven’t been made privy to?
Odd, I’m guessing.