There are so many moments in Avengers: Endgame that will forever be ingrained in the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe Hall of Fame. It’s easy to rattle them off: “I love you 3000,” “Don’t worry, she’s got help,” “Avengers, Assemble,” to name a few.
Because of how truly packed this film is, every glimpse at the production is a new angle on yet another memorable scene. Now, more than two years after the release of Avengers: Endgame, new behind-the-scenes images bring back a whole new wave of memories.
Two photos released by Avengers: Endgame set photographer Chuck Zlotnick were posted to Reddit by u/MarvelNoob69 this week. One shows Tony Stark and Steve Rogers in the middle of a time heist. The other is a behind-the-scenes moment of Thor wielding both Mjölnir and Stormbreaker while filming the final battle with Thanos.
For any Marvel fan, these are worth a look. But read on for a better sense of why these Avengers: Endgame photos, in particular, matter so much.
While Endgame may be (almost) two Marvel movies and 2.5 streaming shows in the past, its effects still ripple throughout every single work since its release in 2019. Spider-Man: Far From Home began with an extended sequence showing how the “Blip” affected high school students. Wanda and Monica Rambeau wouldn’t have their respective motivations in WandaVision without Thanos’ actions, and the Flag-Smashers in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier were a result of the massive infrastructure pressure caused by the Blipped populations’ return.
The picture of Thor hits particularly hard now. Endgame represented the rock bottom of Thor’s personal journey, proving even Asgardian gods can have depressive episodes after a traumatic event. But thanks to some time travel shenanigans, it also represented him at his most powerful, wielding both Mjölnir and Stormbreaker.
Thankfully, Steve Rogers was on hand when that attack went sour, wielding Mjölnir himself and proving he’s just as worthy as Thor, prompting his iconic “I knew it!” line. This behind-the-scenes photo may not seem significant, but it’s great to look back on how the MCU has changed since that moment. Right after he was deemed worthy of the hammer, Steve would disappear and have his iconic gear be handed over to someone who wasn’t worthy: John Walker.
Meanwhile, Captain America and Iron Man side-by-side in New York represent an equally iconic moment. After Civil War drove a rift between the two heroes, they were forced to reunite in Endgame. But it wasn’t until this moment — when the time heist goes south and they’re forced to travel back even further in time — that they truly begin to trust each other again.
It’s amazing there are still moments from the making of Endgame we haven’t seen yet, but each one reveals a new reason to love the film that wrapped up an era of Marvel films — while also introducing a new crop of issues the current MCU works are now trying to sort out.
Avengers: Endgame is now streaming on Disney+.
