Movies - TV
Avengers: Endgame Used The Writers’ ‘Stupidest’ Plot Idea
By WITNEY SEIBOLD
"Avengers: Endgame" was the grand conclusion to a long superhero narrative that began with "Iron Man" and ended with a mix of time travel, magical stones, and surprising twists.
The film’s writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely came up with a time travel plot that they deemed dumb but necessary to get around the ending of the last Marvel film.
The idea stemmed from the "Ant-Man" movies, where Paul Rudd’s character shrinks and distorts time. The Avengers use Ant-Man’s technology to create a time machine.
Markus noted that time travel was an obvious, uncreative story choice and admitted on the commentary track for "Endgame" that it "was the stupidest idea you could possibly have."
"Endgame" co-director Joe Russo agreed but saw time travel’s emotional potential. He felt the human component underlying the sci-fi architecture made it worthwhile to investigate.
"[W]e realized the emotional scenes that could take place between two characters and people that they loved who are no longer with them," said Russo.
Despite their reservations, "Endgame" captivated viewers worldwide. The flick made almost $2.8 billion globally, and is, at last measure, the second-highest grossing of all time.