It's not an easy feat having to wrap up 21 movies over the last 11 years as part of a huge narrative started by Iron Man. However. In the wake of Infinity War, we get a proper bookend for the most part by way of Avengers: Endgame. It's truly an inspirational ride with so many fanboy moments for comic geeks, and as far as capping the Infinity Saga, the last chapter really shows the strength of the MCU and why it's light years ahead of the DC movies.

A lot of credit has to go the Russos and screenwriters, Chris Markus and Stephen McFeeley, for how they decided that Joe Johnston's first Cap movie had to evolve the character. Marvel Studios president also deserves a tip of the that because his vision also helped move past Joss Whedon's campy Avengers movies and turned the knob towards something a bit more grim and gritty (but still lighthearted). And that balance is once again smartly achieved in a film where the stakes are high and it's as bleak as ever.

Not to spoil too much but the heroes are now struggling to cope with Thanos' snap and decide on a Hail Mary project which feels like it's from the '80s. Eventually, it starts to make sense as they journey into mystery but along the way, let's just say you'll end up with some time paradoxes and possibilities of timelines being branched off. In any case, from the moment time travel was introduced -- which I hope doesn't become the ultimate deus ex machina heretofore -- all of this was bound to happen. Nonetheless, seeing Cap and Iron Man reconcile was quite a blast, all en route to a mammoth finale, which is without a doubt the best superhero ending ever in terms of film. It also rips a lot from the comics, even Jim Starlin's Infinity Gauntlet again, and with RDJ's performance as Tony Stark, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, and Josh Brolin's Thanos clashing, it truly is a battle of titans.

On the negative side, things got a bit wonky and plot convenient, as the film just doesn't know what to do with characters like Captain Marvel, while others feel like they've been done a disservice as posters hinted they'd be bigger additions to the team -- yet they barely appear. Some deaths feel triumphant and earned, but one in particular feels like a bit of "fridging" which is a bad way to treat a woman in a comics-related world. But overall, tears will flow and the emotions will swell. The status quo shifts big time by the time the credits roll (stay until the very end and listen closely for a particular nostalgic sound-byte) and prepare for new adventures because the original six are over and done with. And the MCU is fully intent on moving on to more diverse, inclusive and new-generation stories (I'd advise y'all to start reading the Marvel NOW! line of comics)... whatever it takes.