Drifting in space with no food or water, Tony Stark sends a message to Pepper Potts as his oxygen supply dwindles. Meanwhile, the remaining Avengers—Thor, Black Widow, Captain America, and Bruce Banner—must figure out a way to bring back their vanquished allies for an epic showdown with Thanos, the evil demigod who decimated the planet and the universe.
Information |
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Language |
English |
Country |
United States |
Premiere date |
April 26, 2019 |
Running time |
181 minutes |
Genre |
Action Adventure Drama Sci-Fi |
Budget |
$356,000,000 |
Box Office |
$2,797,501,328 |
Crew |
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Directed by |
Anthony Russo Joe Russo |
Produced by |
Kevin Feige |
Written by |
Christopher Markus Stephen McFeely |
Music by |
Alan Silvestri |
Cinematography |
Trent Opaloch |
Edited by |
Jeffrey Ford Matthew Schmidt |
Production Co. |
Marvel Studios |
Distributed by |
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
Top Cast |
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Official Trailer |
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Movie Collection |
Movie Order: #04 in The Avengers Collection
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The Plot
The Decimation of the Barton Family
In 2018, Clint Barton, currently under house arrest following the events of the Avengers Civil War, enjoys a quiet moment at his homestead. He guides his daughter, Lila, in an archery lesson while his wife, Laura, prepares a picnic with their two sons nearby. The domestic tranquility is shattered in an instant when, silently and without warning, his entire family crumbles into dust. A confused and panicked Barton is left alone in the field, the only survivor of the unexplained phenomenon.
Adrift in Space and a Bitter Reunion
Twenty-three days after the universal catastrophe, Tony Stark and Nebula are stranded in deep space aboard the Benatar. With fuel and supplies critically low, Stark—still nursing wounds from his battle with Thanos and on the verge of starvation—records a final, heartbreaking message for his fiancée, Pepper Potts, preparing for his seemingly inevitable death. Just as hope fades, Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) intercepts the spaceship, carrying it safely back to Earth.
Upon landing at the Avengers Compound, Stark is reunited with Potts, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Bruce Banner, and James Rhodes. Rocket Raccoon joins Nebula in mourning the loss of the other Guardians of the Galaxy. The reunion, however, is fraught with tension. A frail and exhausted Stark confronts Rogers, accusing him of fracturing the Avengers when they were needed most. He bitterly questions why the team only rallies after the worst has occurred, finally collapsing from exhaustion. Once stabilized, the team receives a lead: Nebula reveals her father's retirement location, identifying an energy signature identical to the Snap that occurred two days prior on a remote planet.
The Ambush at the Garden
Intent on retrieving the Infinity Stones to reverse the devastation, the remaining heroes travel to "The Garden." They ambush Thanos, finding the Titan horribly scarred, alone, and cooking a meal. They quickly subdue him, and Thor severs the arm wearing the Infinity Gauntlet, only to discover the stones are missing. Thanos reveals that he used the Stones to destroy the Stones—an act that nearly killed him—to ensure his work could never be undone and to remove the temptation of using them again.
Rhodes suspects a lie, but Nebula confirms her father's words, noting that Thanos is many things, but never a liar. Surprised by her defense, Thanos begins to comment on his treatment of her, but his sentence is cut short when Thor suddenly beheads him. Stunned, the team realizes that while the Mad Titan is dead, their mission has failed. With no way to bring back the dead, they are forced to accept total defeat.
Five Years Later: A Broken World
Five years pass, and the world remains in a state of collective trauma. Steve Rogers now leads a support group, helping survivors attempt to move on. Tony Stark has retired to a remote cabin, now married to Pepper Potts and raising their young daughter, Morgan. Meanwhile, in San Francisco, a rat inadvertently activates the controls of the Quantum Tunnel in Scott Lang's van, freeing him from the Quantum Realm where he had been trapped for five years.
Lang wanders through a disheveled and abandoned city, slowly realizing the magnitude of what has occurred. He stumbles upon the "Wall of the Vanished," a massive memorial listing the names of the decimated. Frantically scanning the stone slabs, he is terrified he will find his daughter Cassie's name, but instead finds his own. Rushing to his former home, he finds Cassie, now a teenager, and the two share a tearful reunion.
The Time Heist Proposal
Lang travels to the Avengers Compound, where Natasha Romanoff is coordinating the team's global efforts. Rhodes reports a cartel massacre in Mexico carried out by a rogue Clint Barton, expressing deep concern over their former ally's descent into darkness. Lang reveals to Romanoff and Rogers that while five years passed on Earth, he only experienced five hours in the Quantum Realm. He theorizes that the realm's time-bending nature could be navigated to travel into the past and retrieve the Infinity Stones before Thanos destroyed them.
Lacking the scientific expertise, the trio approaches Tony Stark. Stark initially refuses, fearing that altering the past could erase his daughter, Morgan, from existence. However, after viewing an old photo of himself and Peter Parker, he is compelled to experiment. He successfully simulates a Time-Space GPS using an inverted Möbius strip. After Pepper encourages him to do what is right, Stark agrees to help. Concurrently, the team recruits Bruce Banner, who has now permanently merged his intellect with the Hulk's physique. Banner attempts to run time travel tests on Lang using the van, but the results are chaotic, with Lang shifting uncontrollably between different ages.
Assembling the Rogues and the Broken
Stark arrives at the compound, solving the time travel problem with his GPS device. He returns Captain America's shield to Rogers, signifying their reconciliation, though he stipulates that he will not sacrifice his current life to undo the past. With the plan set, the Avengers disperse to gather their remaining allies. Banner and Rocket travel to New Asgard, a settlement in Norway, to recruit Thor. They find the God of Thunder transformed into an overweight, reclusive alcoholic, deeply traumatized by his failure to stop Thanos.
Simultaneously, Romanoff travels to Tokyo, tracking down Clint Barton. She finds him in the midst of slaughtering Yakuza members, part of his vengeful crusade against criminals who survived the Snap. She convinces him to return, offering a glimmer of hope. Back at the compound, Rocket and Stark construct a proper time machine. Barton volunteers for a test run, successfully traveling to his past homestead and retrieving a baseball mitt as proof. The team then maps out the "Time Heist," targeting specific points in history to retrieve the Stones, mindful that they have a limited supply of Pym Particles.
The Battle of New York Revisited
Rogers, Stark, Banner, and Lang travel to an alternate 2012 during the Battle of New York. Banner heads to the Sanctum Sanctorum to retrieve the Time Stone but is intercepted by the Ancient One. She initially refuses to surrender the stone, explaining the danger of doomed alternate timelines. However, upon learning that Doctor Strange voluntarily gave the stone to Thanos in the future, she trusts his judgment and relents.
At Stark Tower, Lang and Stark attempt to steal the Tesseract (Space Stone) in the chaotic aftermath of the battle. Their plan goes awry when an angry 2012-Hulk causes a distraction, allowing the captive Loki to seize the Tesseract and teleport away. Meanwhile, Rogers intercepts the Scepter (Mind Stone) from STRIKE agents by whispering "Hail Hydra" to feign allegiance. On his way out, he runs into his 2012 self, who mistakes him for an escaped Loki. Forced to fight himself, the present-day Rogers uses his knowledge of the future to defeat his past self and rendezvous with the team.
The Detour to 1970
Having lost the Tesseract, Stark and Rogers make a desperate improvisation. Using their last Pym Particles, they travel further back to Camp Lehigh in 1970, knowing both the Tesseract and Hank Pym will be there. Lang is sent back to the present with the Mind Stone. At the secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base, Rogers creates a distraction to steal Pym Particles from Hank Pym's lab. While hiding, he gazes longingly through a window at Peggy Carter working in her office.
Stark manages to acquire the Tesseract but encounters his father, Howard Stark. Adopting the alias "Howard Potts," Tony shares a conversation with his father, who is anxious about the impending birth of his son. Tony offers parenting advice, finding closure by telling Howard that the good times are all that matter and hugging him goodbye.
Trouble in Asgard and Morag
In an alternate 2013 Asgard, Thor and Rocket attempt to retrieve the Reality Stone. Thor suffers a panic attack upon seeing his mother, Frigga, knowing she is destined to die later that day. While Rocket extracts the Aether from Jane Foster, Frigga discovers Thor. She realizes he is from the future and offers him counsel, telling him that true heroism is not being who you are supposed to be, but who you are. Before leaving, Thor summons Mjølnir, confirming he is still worthy despite his failures.
On Morag in 2014, Nebula and Rhodes incapacitate Peter Quill to steal the Power Stone. As they prepare to leave, Rhodes returns successfully, but Nebula is incapacitated. Her cybernetic memory network becomes entangled with her 2014 self, broadcasting her presence to the Thanos of that timeline. 2014-Thanos views her memories, learning of his future success and his eventual death. He captures the future Nebula, replacing her with his loyal 2014 daughter, who takes the GPS and Pym Particles to infiltrate the Avengers.
A Soul for a Soul
Barton and Romanoff travel to Vormir in 2014 for the Soul Stone. They are guided by the Red Skull to the cliff's edge, where he reveals the terrible price: the stone requires the sacrifice of a loved one. Romanoff realizes this is the only way, citing that Thanos murdered Gamora here in their timeline. Barton, burdened by the carnage he committed as Ronin, insists he should be the one to die.
The two friends engage in a desperate hand-to-hand struggle, each trying to stop the other from jumping. Romanoff eventually outmaneuvers Barton, leaving him tethered to the cliff face while she falls to her death. Barton wakes up in the water with the Soul Stone in his hand, devastated by the loss.
The Return of the Vanished
The Avengers regroup in the present, mourning Natasha's irreversible death. Resolving not to let her sacrifice be in vain, they construct a Nano Gauntlet to hold the stones. Thor demands to be the one to snap his fingers, but Banner steps forward, arguing that the stones emit gamma radiation which he is best built to survive. Banner puts on the gauntlet, screaming in agony as the energy sears his arm, but he successfully snaps his fingers.
Moments later, Barton receives a phone call from his wife, confirming the restoration of life. However, the celebration is cut short. The 2014-Nebula, disguised within the team, uses the time machine to open a portal, allowing the 2014-Thanos and his massive warship, the Sanctuary II, to arrive in the present. The ship unleashes a devastating missile barrage, reducing the Avengers Compound to rubble and trapping Rocket, Rhodes, and Banner underground.
The Trinity Versus the Mad Titan
As the facility burns, Gamora (from 2014) is convinced by the present-day Nebula to betray her father and join the fight, leading to Nebula killing her past self to save her sister. On the surface, Stark, Rogers, and Thor confront Thanos, who sits amidst the debris waiting for the stones. He declares that the Avengers' ungratefulness has convinced him to shred the universe down to its last atom and create a new one that knows only what he gives it.
The three heroes attack Thanos. Despite their combined might, the Titan overpowers them. He knocks out Stark and beats Thor brutally. Just as Thanos prepares to kill Thor, Mjølnir lifts off the ground and flies into the hand of Steve Rogers. Wielding both the shield and the hammer, Rogers fights Thanos skillfully, summoning lightning and landing heavy blows. However, Thanos eventually gains the upper hand, shattering Rogers' vibranium shield with his double-bladed sword and summoning his entire army of Chitauri, Outriders, and the Black Order to Earth.
On Your Left: The Avengers Assemble
Bloodied and standing alone against thousands, Rogers tightens the strap of his broken shield, preparing for the end. Suddenly, Sam Wilson’s voice crackles over the comms: "On your left." A golden portal opens, and Black Panther, Shuri, and Okoye step through. Scores of portals follow, bringing Doctor Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man, and the armies of Wakanda, Kamar-Taj, and Asgard. Ant-Man, now in giant form, bursts from the rubble carrying the trapped Avengers.
With the forces of the universe united, Rogers finally issues the command: "Avengers... Assemble." The two massive armies collide in an explosive battle. Barton, possessing the Nano Gauntlet, races to keep it away from Thanos. He passes it to Black Panther, who runs the gauntlet through the chaos before handing it off to Spider-Man.
The Relay and the Scarlet Witch
Thanos is intercepted by Wanda Maximoff, who is burning with rage over the murder of Vision. She tells him, "You took everything from me," to which Thanos coldly replies, "I don't even know who you are." Wanda unleashes her full power, shattering Thanos’s sword and stripping his armor, lifting him helplessly into the air. Desperate, Thanos orders his ship to rain fire on the battlefield, sacrificing his own troops to break Wanda's hold.
The bombardment floods the battlefield, forcing Doctor Strange to hold back a massive tidal wave. Captain Marvel arrives from space, smashing through the Sanctuary II and destroying it instantly. She takes the gauntlet from Spider-Man and, aided by the female heroes, attempts to reach the quantum tunnel in the van. However, Thanos destroys the van with his blade, knocking the gauntlet loose.
I Am Iron Man
A scramble for the stones ensues. Stark, Thor, and Rogers try to restrain Thanos, but he throws them aside and puts on the gauntlet. Captain Marvel grapples with him, but he uses the Power Stone to punch her away. As Thanos prepares to snap, Doctor Strange looks at Stark and raises a single finger, signaling that this is the one winning future.
Stark lunges at Thanos, wrestling for the gauntlet. Thanos knocks him away and snaps his fingers, declaring, "I am inevitable." But nothing happens. He looks at his hand to find the stones gone. They have transferred to Stark's nano-tech suit. Stark looks at the Titan, the specter that has haunted him for years, and replies, "And I... am... Iron Man." He snaps his fingers.
Thanos's army disintegrates into dust. The Titan, accepting his defeat, sits down and fades away. The power of the stones, however, is too much for a human. Stark collapses, the right side of his body charred. Rhodes, Peter Parker, and Pepper Potts rush to his side. Pepper assures him that they will be okay and tells him he can rest. Tony Stark’s arc reactor flickers off, and he dies surrounded by those he saved.
Proof That Tony Stark Has a Heart
The world mourns the loss of its greatest defender while celebrating the return of the vanished. At the Stark cabin, a funeral is held. Tony leaves behind a holographic message for his family, ending with a heartfelt "I love you 3000" for Morgan. His original arc reactor—the one Pepper gifted him years ago inscribed with "Proof That Tony Stark Has a Heart"—is set adrift on the lake. The Avengers, their families, and allies from all walks of life stand in silent tribute.
Following the service, Thor appoints Valkyrie as the new ruler of New Asgard. He decides to join the Guardians of the Galaxy, jokingly dubbing them the "Asgardians of the Galaxy," to find his true purpose. Meanwhile, Steve Rogers is tasked with returning the Infinity Stones and Mjølnir to their original timelines to prevent reality from unraveling.
The Long Way Home
Rogers enters the quantum realm but does not return at the scheduled time. Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson notice an elderly man sitting on a bench nearby. It is Steve Rogers. He reveals that after returning the stones, he chose not to come back, but to stay in the past and live the life Tony told him to get. He presents a new shield to Sam Wilson, passing on the mantle of Captain America.
In the final scene, set in a quiet house in the past, a young Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter share a slow dance, finally fulfilling the date they made so many years ago.
