Entertainment

Watch The Women Of The MCU Reflect On That Controversial ‘Endgame’ Battle Scene

by Jessica Lachenal
Marvel Studios

Avengers: Endgame is the culmination of not only 11 years of Marvel movies, but also 11 years of fan expectations. As anybody working in any kind of creative field can tell you, trying to please everybody is a Sisyphean task. The movie is packed with moments designed to make fans cheer, including the union of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's female superheroes during the movie's climax. In the exclusive, behind-the-scenes video from Endgame's upcoming home release below, the women of Marvel reflect on the momentous scene and how important it was for them all to be together on that day.

In the lead-up to the scene, Spider-Man (Tom Holland), revived thanks to some reality-bending Infinity Gauntlet action, is playing keep-away with the gauntlet, trying to keep it out of Thanos's genocidal hands. Eventually, Spider-Man's goal is to deliver the gauntlet to somebody else, but after taking a few brutal hits from Thanos's underlings, he's going to need some help achieving that goal. Enter: Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and the MCU's pantheon of women superheroes, who offer to take the gauntlet to where it needs to go.

This exchange prefaces the behind-the-scenes video, with Spider-Man asking Captain Marvel how she's going to get through Thanos's army. Then, in what feels like a callback to when Okoye (Danai Gurira), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) face off against Proxima Midnight (Carrie Coon) in Infinity War, it's revealed she's not alone, and that she's got plenty of backup, all from some of the strongest women in the MCU.

The video's title, "Marvel Sisterhood," echoes Gurira's thoughts on the proceedings. "It was really beautiful to feel this sort of Marvel sisterhood," she says. Letitia Wright, who plays Shuri, adds "We just clicked, and we were just cheering each other on."

Gwyneth Paltrow, whose turn as Pepper Potts has seen her grow from being Tony Stark's love interest and assistant to being a heroine in her own right (complete with her own set of armor), touches on the broader importance of having the scene, saying, "I was thinking of all of the young girls in the audience who will probably feel really inspired by that in one way or another, so it was a really nice thing to be a part of."

It's worth noting that this scene also drew some criticism, with some critics and fans noting that it felt like it was pandering to audiences, and given how Black Widow's death was handled earlier in the movie. And while that's a valid response to the scenes, it's perhaps a bit reassuring to hear that the actors involved believed in the moment. And it's absolutely an encouraging, heartwarming thing to see them speak so positively about being together in front of and behind the camera. We can really only hope that this moment of Marvel sisterhood is but a short preface to a brighter future for the women of the MCU.

If you'd like to check out more Endgame behind-the-scenes goodness, you don't have to wait too long. The film comes out on digital platforms July 30, with a Blu-ray release on Aug. 13.