The Marvel Cinematic Universe has kicked off its Phase Four, but fans can’t stop thinking and talking about the finale of Phase Three.
Avengers: Endgame came out long ago in 2019, but it’s still a hot topic of conversation. It was one of the most highly anticipated films of the modern era, and fans wanted to go into it fresh without knowing any spoilers.
But this wasn’t possible for everyone, and some people unfortunately had the movie spoiled. Let’s take a closer look at Endgame, spoiler culture, and how some Marvel fans had the film spoiled for them despite not wanting that to happen.
The plot of ‘Avengers: Endgame’
Avengers: Endgame was more than just a sequel. It was more than even just the fourth Avengers film. It was the culmination of more than 20 movies in a mega-franchise.
It wrapped up so many plot lines during its immense run time. In the film, the Avengers attempt to undo Thanos’s snap that killed half the universe in Avengers: Infinity War. They have to go back in time to retrieve each of the Infinity Stones from different points on the MCU timeline.
It was an inventive way to look back while creating a compelling story to finish the series (or at least wrap up this current plot thread).
In the end (fair warning: spoilers ahead), the Avengers are successful. Their loss doesn’t come without great cost, however. Iron Man and Black Widow both give their lives for the cause, dying to help stop Thanos. In the end, the entire MCU roster of heroes gathers for Tony Stark’s funeral. Afterward, Captain America goes back in time to return the Infinity Stones, showing up as an old man to reveal he lived his life out by finding Peggy Carter.
It was a truly comprehensive and fulfilling ending. It was equal parts triumphant and tragic, but it was nonetheless gripping. If you were able to see it in theaters or at home without having the ending spoiled, you likely enjoyed it even more. But not every fan was so lucky.
The emerging prevalence of spoiler culture
As Hollywood continues to embrace cinematic universes like the MCU or Star Wars, more and more viewers are tuning in to these tentpole films. When lots of people look forward to a movie’s release, they also look forward to being surprised at what’s going to happen.
That’s led to the emergence of what Esquire referred to as “spoiler culture.” Many people want to be kept in the dark about their favorite shows and movies, while others look to actively spoil it for others.
This was common when Game of Thrones was on the air. Fans would immediately take to social media following the show’s airing only to be chastised by those who had yet to watch it.
How spoilers affected the viewing experience for Avengers: Endgame
A Reddit thread about times people were angry over having something spoiled discussed Endgame in particular. One poster said that his filmgoing experience was ruined:
“I was on Reddit the day of the movie’s release, a few hours before going to watch it (bad idea) and I clicked into a post about what peoples theories are before going to watch it because I was interested to see what people thought might happen before watching it and then going back after the movie to see if anyone was right.
One gobshite commented “I saw it, Nat dies getting the soul stone and Tony dies by snapping his gauntlet”
Others chimed in to agree. Endgame was the type of event film that leaves fans wanting to go in with the mystery intact. It’s no wonder so many of them were upset at people spoiling that for them.
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