Just got back from this.
It's a lot to unpack...
First off, it didn't really surprise me. A lot of what I expected to happen happened, most of it actually. The only slight surprise was Natasha being killed off due to lots of longstanding rumors about a solo film for her, and I saw that coming a mile away in the actual film.
Sending Clint and Natasha after the Soul Stone alone was about as clear as it could be, one of them wasn't coming back, and I'm pretty sure Jeremy Renner is cheaper. Plus, that opening scene had to have an onscreen resolution that wasn't a funeral. I knew we were going to have that for Tony or Steve and it needed a happier reunion to balance that.
It's probably the least funny Marvel film since The Incredible Hulk. There is humor, but it plays a lot of the film straight. It is not the usual "action-comedy" kind of movie they tend to make.
It isn't just that there were fewer jokes, but also that a lot of the ones there didn't land.
Also, Thor and Rocket, particularly Thor, almost seemed like they were in a different movie. Weirdly, it kind of worked. I also love that they didn't muscle Thor up for the final part of the movie and explain it away as an Asguardian thing.
It's still one of the best Marvel films. I don't know if I liked it more than Infinity War more or not yet. I think I need to see it at least once more before I can make that call. It is an excellent and satisfying ending if nothing else.
You can predict who will die in this movie by whose contracts are the most expensive. It also pretty much rules out a solo Black Widow movie being a thing. Yeah, they could do the "prequel" thing, but I don't think they will. Cap technically dies for all intents and purposes. In fact, I kind of expect the next Avengers movie to open with his funeral.
Banner isn't an idiot, yet he didn't seem to react when the Ancient One explained to him that his reality was fucked to his face. As I said, the Infinity Stones are necessary because they regulate fundamental forces in the Universe. Without them things go wrong.
Thanos destroyed the ones in the MCU timeline. By the rules of time travel in the movie, they aren't remade because younger Thanos was killed and didn't collect them. It just saves that alternate timeline the headache of having to deal with him.
On the other hand, they may have been remade by Bruce when he undid what Thanos had done. Like I've said before, he's not an idiot and that might have been part of his snap.
I thought Iron Man might end up with the retirement plan ending rather than Steve, but the comics made me doubt that since Tony is indeed one of the people who wielded the Gauntlet there. Plus, the amount of flags for him in this movie were astounding.
We now not only have a "new" Gamora, but we probably have another Loki running around.
No, Steve did not break the time travel rules. He was obviously living in an alternate timeline and just used the time travel device to return to his original one.
It's weird how easily Peter Parker gives up his identity in the MCU. It's extremely out of character for him. His level of paranoia about his identity is one of his core character traits. They really need to stop doing this.
I think a lot of people are going to be annoyed about what they did with Thor here. I'm not one of them. I like the idea of him being part of the cast in the next Guardians movie.
Love that the fears of many idiots weren't founded involving Captain Marvel. She's not in much of the movie, doesn't just show up and job Thanos, and pretty much gets tossed around like everyone else.
I also like that she has that slightly menacing tension going on about her. That's the Carol I know from the comics era the MCU is seeming to draw from.
Very nice "ladies" moment at the end of the movie. Wasn't overdone. Would have been nice if Black Widow could have been a part of it. Really like that Scarlett Witch got as much of a moment there as Captain Marvel.
Great movie, well worth watching. Glad I saw it, if only so I can internet freely again.