Avengers: Endgame ending explained: How the Avengers beat Thanos

Everything seemed lost at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. Then it came time for the Avengers to find a way to defeat Thanos. We look at how it all played out in Avengers: Endgame.

Avengers: Endgame started with a lot of people missing. They were caught up in the Blip caused by Thanos’s snap. One of those believed to be caught was Ant-Man, who was actually trapped in the Quantum Realm. It was him getting out of the Quantum Realm that helped everyone else find a way to finally defeat Thanos.

Thanks to Ant-Man, the Avengers are able to travel through time to get all the Infinity Stones before Thanos can. This does come at a cost, though. Natasha sacrificed herself so that Hawkeye could go back to his family.

A 2014 Nebula comes along for the ride in Avengers: Endgame

With all the stones, a new Infinity Goblet is created. This is for Hulk, who snaps his fingers and brings back everyone who was lost during the Blip. They didn’t return to their 2018 lives, though. Instead, they were brought back in the present day as their 2018 forms. This is just how Thanos managed to change the universe forever.

Doctor Strange admits that there is only one outcome that saves the world. It does mean another sacrifice has to be made. Buy why would that be? Well, it turns out that the Nebula with the team isn’t the Nebula we had come to know and love. This was the 2014 Nebula who was still loyal to Thanos. She brings 2014 Thanos back, who brings back his own minions.

As Thanos realizes that his plan hadn’t fully worked out, he decides to destroy the universe altogether. He will create his own, and so starts the big battle between every single superhero from the MCU against all the bad guys following Thanos. This includes all of those who were taken away in the Blip, such as Falcon (the “on your left” part was perfection), Bucky, T’Challa, and more.

Iron Man makes the final sacrifice to beat Thanos

Despite a great fight between the Avengers and Thanos, Thanos still ends up with the gauntlet. Iron Man is the last one standing, and he makes an attempt to get his hands on the gauntlet. Thanos is able to overpower him, though.

Iron Man watches as Thanos snaps his fingers one more. Only this time, nothing happens.

Iron Man had succeeded in one thing. He’d taken out all the Infinity Stones and put them in his own gauntlet. Iron Man snaps his fingers, causing Thanos and all his followers to disappear. This is the ultimate sacrifice for Tony Stark, though. He knew that the snap would be fatal to him, and he did it anyway to save the universe. It was a huge moment for the character, who had gone from playboy to the savior of the universe.

With the battle won, there are a lot of questions of what’s to come next. This is something the MCU has still arguably struggled with, especially after the huge buildup that was to Avengers: Endgame.

Watch the Avengers movies on Disney+.