Avengers: Endgame surprise character appearances

Avengers: Endgame didn’t just bring an epic and satisfying conclusion to the “Infinity Saga,” it also brought back a slew of characters that some Marvel Cinematic Universe fans never expected to see again. Spoilers for the movie ahead.

Avengers: Endgame compiles one of the biggest casts ever assembled. It was always known that many of the top MCU actors would reprise their roles in the final Avengers movie. Then some, like Danai Gurira’s Okoye and Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie, were added to late promotional material. But quite a few ended up making truly surprising returns due to the film’s narrative makeup.

Before we get to all the Avenger time-traveling, audiences witness the fates of Hawkeye’s family and Ant-Man’s daughter. Linda Cardellini shows up for the first time since Avengers: Age of Ultron as Laura Barton in a prelude scene, before vanishing with the rest of Clint’s family. Five years later, Scott Lang escapes from the Quantum Realm and reunites with his daughter Cassie, now played by a teenager (Emma Fuhrmann), considering Cassie is no longer a little girl.

When some of the Avengers visit Thor is New Asgard, along with Valkyrie, we learn that Korg and Miek survived both the attack from Thanos’ Sanctuary II and his finger snap. Korg is still hysterically voiced by Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi. Pepper Potts also lived through the decimation event and, although Gwyneth Paltrow’s appearance is not a surprise, the last time she had this big of a role in the MCU was in the Iron Man trilogy.

To undo the effects of the Infinity Gauntlet, the Avengers travel back in time, via the Quantum Realm by using Pym particles to collect all of the stones. One team was made up of Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, and Ant-Man – they landed in 2012 New York, in the middle of the Chitauri invasion. Professor Hulk makes his way down to the Sanctum Sanctorum on Bleecker Street, expecting to ask Doctor Strange for the Time Stone. Instead, he finds the Ancient One protecting the Sanctum from aliens.

Marvel’s DOCTOR STRANGE

L to R: The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) and Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch)

Photo Credit: Film Frame

Tilda Swinton has only been featured in Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange since the Ancient One dies after passing the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme to the egotistical doctor. The Avengers are not aware of Doctor Strange’s backstory and therefore, mistakenly think that Bruce would approach him as the master of the mystic arts when he is actually still a surgeon. Regardless, the Ancient One’s wisdom guided her to make the right decision with Hulk.

The other three sneak into Stark Tower to grab the Space and Mind Stones. The cast recreates their scenes from the first Avengers, including Tom Hiddleston’s Loki. After being captured, he even shape shifts into Captain America to make fun of him, similar to his joke in Thor: The Dark World.

Secret Hydra infiltrators led by Maximiliano Hernandez’ Agent Sitwell claim the Mind Stone with the protection of Frank Grillo’s Crossbones and his Hydra team. Sitwell perished in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, while Crossbones was killed in action against the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War. Captain America is able to use his knowledge of the future to get a hold of the stone.

The Space Stone is fought over between the Avengers and clandestine Hydra leader Alexander Pierce, with Robert Redford reprising his Captain America: The Winter Soldier role. Pierce is another deceased character to show up in Endgame – he was shot by Nick Fury after SHIELD fell to Hydra. Iron Man and Ant-Man are close to slipping out with the Space Stone. However, Loki grabs it first and transports away.

On the verge of failing the mission, Tony and Cap improvise a new plan to get the Space Stone, as well as more Pym particles to jump back to the future. They make one more stop in 1970, to a SHIELD base where both Howard Stark and Hank Pym are working. John Slattery appeared as Tony’s father either through old footage or flashbacks in Iron Man 2, Ant-Man, and Captain America: Civil War. After his initial appearance, his part in the latter two were a surprise in their own right, as is the case with Endgame. Michael Douglas’ presence as Dr. Pym is less so because he was one of the vanished that had the potential to return if the Avengers triumphed in their mission.

The most improbable Endgame attendee is James D’Arcy as the real-life Edwin Jarvis. When Howard and Tony part ways, Jarvis drives Howard home to his pregnant wife. Jarvis was Howard’s chauffeur since the 1940s, as seen in the MCU television series Agent Carter. D’Arcy is the first actor to crossover from the TV side to the movies, as opposed to the other way around.

While Steve is searching for Pym particles, he hides in Agent Carter’s office, where he stares at the love of his life through a window before departing. Also noteworthy from the ’70s visit, Howard mentions his colleague Arnim Zola – not knowing the Nazi scientist is still working for the enemy. Alas, Toby Jones does not appear in person.

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Elsewhere, Thor and Rocket blast back to 2013 Asgard to extract the Reality Stone from Jane Foster. These scenes take places on the eve of the Dark Elf assault during Thor: The Dark World. Natalie Portman’s cameo in Endgame is utterly shocking after she publicly expressed dissatisfaction with Marvel in the past. As Rocket does the dirty work, Thor reunites with his mother, Rene Russo’s Frigga. It is an emotional moment in a movie full of them, as Thor knows his mother is about to be slain.

The last time-traveling team consists of two pairs that go to space in 2014. War Machine and Nebula follow Star-Lord to the Power Stone on Morag. Interrupting an early scene from Guardians of the Galaxy, Rhodey knocks out the soon-to-be Guardian leader, and Nebula sacrifices her mechanical hand to grab the Stone.

Nebula’s presence on Morag is picked up by Thanos and his daughters, Gamora and 2014 Nebula. Like Loki, Gamora was killed before the decimation, so even if the Avengers reversed the snap, there was a chance we would not see either of them again. It is left open whether or not Zoe Saldana might return in the next volume of Guardians of the Galaxy.

Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

Gamora (Zoe Saldana)

Photo: Chuck Zlotnick

Black Widow and Hawkeye land on Vormir to find the Soul Stone. In Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos traded Gamora’s life for the stone. The most heartbreaking scene of Endgame depicts Natasha and Clint fighting over who will die for the other to succeed. And the one to explain the rules of the Soul Stone is Red Skull, again played by Ross Marquand in place of Captain America: The First Avenger’s Hugo Weaving.

Once the Avengers obtain all the stones, Hulk reverses Thanos’ infinity deed and all of the vanished heroes are brought back to join the fight. This comprises of Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Scarlet Witch, Falcon, Winter Solider, Wasp, Star-Lord, Drax, Groot, Mantis, and Shuri, along with the unvanished M’Baku and Wong. Following their victory, Black Panther rejoins his mother, Ramonda, in Wakanda, and Peter happily greets Ned back at school in New York – does this mean Ned disappeared as well, otherwise why is he still in high school five years later?

Next. MCU: 10 greatest Hulk moments of all-time. dark

The major climactic battle ends with Iron Man destroying Thanos and his army. Devastatingly, wielding the infinitely powerful stones claims his life. At Tony Stark’s funeral, the mourners include the revived Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Hank Pym, and Janet Van Dyne, as well as other friends, family, and acquaintances such as Happy Hogan, Aunt May, Secretary Ross and, most unexpectedly, Harley, the boy that Tony befriended in Iron Man 3.

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