T he Avengers: Endgame script was the blueprint for the most financially successful film ever to be made. It has to seamlessly connect multiple storylines, timelines and characters — all without angering some of the most critical and sensitive fans in the world.
We’re going to provide analysis of the Avengers: Endgame screenplay by touching on the plot, quotes, characters and ending so you gain a better understanding of how this script worked so well.
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Click to view and download the entire Avengers: Endgame script PDF below.
Christopher Markus earned his BA from Rutgers University, while Stephen McFeely earned his from Notre Dame. The two met while completing their Masters in creative writing at UC Davis. They moved to Los Angeles where they worked as receptionists for production companies until the two received attention from a spec script that led HBO Films to commission them to write a script for a documentary on actor Peter Sellers. Their next big project was a screenplay adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia, Captain America: The First Avenger, Pain & Gain, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War.
The most impressive thing about the Avengers: Endgame script is how the screenwriters were able to juggle all of the various characters and scenes and still somehow keep things coherent and entertaining. There are some great call backs, and the writers must be pretty easy to get along with considering Marvel movies are often film-by-committee.
Story structure for Avengers: Endgame screenplay:
The beginning of the Avengers: Endgame script picks up where we left off in Avengers: Infinity War. We see Hawkeye’s family disappear, and we see Tony and Nebula floating in space until they are saved by Captain Marvel.
The Avengers: Endgame catalyst occurs when the remaining Avengers catch Thanos and realize the stones have been destroyed. Thor unexpectedly decapitates Thanos. Immediately after this, Scott Lang returns from the Quantum Universe.
The Avengers: Endgame script has the Act I end with the remaining Avengers taking a trip out to Tony’s house, and asking him for his help with time travel. A few pages later, a reluctant Tony figures out how to achieve time travel and then decides to help the team.
Hulk and some of the team head to Asgard to find Thor, where they convince him to come help them with the mission. Natasha finds Hawkeye and asks him to come back and help the team. The group begins their quest to retrieve the Infinity stones from the various timelines.
The midpoint in the Avengers: Endgame screenplay comes when Nebula is captured by past Thanos and his two past daughters. This marks the midpoint really well because it is when things have shifted and our heroes now have a new and unexpected obstacle with which to deal.
Bad Nebula has taken over Good Nebula’s body and returns with the rest of the Avengers. They have all the Infinity Stones, but now there is a saboteur. Hulk snap his finger and the dead return, but just then Thanos appears with an army.
Thanos and his army have destroyed Avengers HQ. The Avengers struggle to fight off Thanos and waves of his army. The Avengers take a pretty brutal beating from Thanos. The rest of the Avengers return through portals to fight.
The Avengers and Thanos have a raging battle for the ages. Right as we think Thanos might actually win, Tony is able to steal the Infinity Stones and snap his fingers. Tony is dying, but the world is saved.
Tony is officially gone, and Captain America travels back in time to return the stones. When he returns, he is an old man. He passes the Captain America torch to Sam Wilson. We learn that Steve remained in the past to live a life with Peggy.
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The Avengers: Endgame script does a great job in setting up callbacks for certain lines and quotes that were either used in previous MCU films or early on in the Avengers: Endgame screenplay.
Most of the best quotes come from Tony Stark, but there are many other notable quotes in the Avengers: Endgame script that come from Thor, Rocket, Hulk, and the main villain, Thanos.