Best Movie Experience Ever: I Saw Avengers Endgame on Opening Day!

No, not all journalists get to see movies at press-only screenings. At AlloCiné, we allocate films based on personal preferences and available time. Since I wasn’t working on the Avengers: Endgame project, I attended as a regular viewer on its release date, April 26, 2019.

I Was There on Release Day, For the First Showing

The anticipation for this movie was unprecedented, only comparable maybe to the release of “Return of the Jedi.” Like with Star Wars, which was an original creation, we went in not knowing what the writers had done with the Marvel comics storyline. All we knew was that Endgame was set to bring all the Avengers together against Thanos, the formidable villain from Avengers: Infinity War—a film that had already stunned many—and to conclude an 11-year narrative arc centered around Iron Man, played by Robert Downey Jr.

Since a movie gets spoiled on social media as soon as it’s watched (no thanks for that!), I planned ahead: I took off Wednesday and booked my seat at the splendid UGC Normandie in Paris (RIP, it’s tough to die in spring) for the first morning show at 10 a.m. And it was packed. That’s how high the anticipation was.

During the commercials, I could feel the electric atmosphere in the room. Ten years of a studio’s success hinged on the 3 hours that the film would present and whether or not audiences around the world would walk out excited.

It Was Inevitable

Suddenly, the lights went out. Surprisingly, the film didn’t start with the usual Marvel Studios logo but with Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), missing from the previous film, practicing archery with his children. It was a peaceful scene until suddenly: his entire family vanished due to Thanos’ snap in Infinity War. In one scene, Endgame reminded us of the stakes: half of the universe had turned to dust.

The Marvel logo appeared, followed by the silence of space. We see Tony Stark in an almost Shakespearean scene as he examines his broken Iron Man helmet. In deep reflection, it was clear the jokes were over: the superheroes were down and out, unable to climb their way back. The audience was quieted.

Excitement stirred again when it became apparent that the film would revisit some of the MCU’s most iconic scenes through time travel. We returned to New York in 2012 during the first Avengers, Thor spoke to his mother during the time of Thor 2, War Machine and Nebula experienced a Guardians of the Galaxy vibe, Tony had a moment with his father Howard, and Black Widow and Hawkeye learned what had happened to Red Skull since the first Captain America.

At several of these moments, applause, enthusiastic gasps, or explanatory whispers erupted around me. But nothing, NOTHING, prepared me for the battle sequences that followed.

It began with Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America facing Thanos—a masterclass in staging that perfectly utilized each character’s powers. The cinema audience clapped unhesitatingly as Captain America wielded the hammer Mjølnir, shuddered at the thought of Iron Man losing his life, and cheered on the trio.

Suddenly, Captain America received a message in his earpiece: reinforcements were coming. A portal opened and out came Black Panther, followed by Falcon. Multiple other magical portals allowed Doctor Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Hawkeye, Spider-Man, the Winter Soldier, the Asgardians, Valkyrie, Scarlet Witch, the monks from Kamar Taj, Wasp, Pepper Potts, Ant-Man, War Machine, and Hulk to pass through.

Rallying Together!

There were chills and smiles as each favorite hero appeared, before the whole room erupted at the long-awaited “Avengers! Assemble!” signaling the continuation of the battle. A 15-minute epic fight ensued, chaotic like a double-page spread of a comic book. The audience stomped their feet and reveled in delight.

The emotion peaked with Iron Man’s ultimate sacrifice to save Earth. Despite anticipating the superhero’s departure, the audience, myself included, couldn’t hold back tears. Nothing could withstand the farewell to a character we had followed for eleven years.

It was a complete spectacle, tastefully concluded without a post-credits scene hinting at what’s next. For once, Marvel decided it was time to pause. Letting the viewer take time to digest the dizzying three hours they had just experienced.

As a nod to fans who stayed until the end of the credits, sounds of Tony Stark building his Iron Man armor echoed. Could it get any better in the superhero genre? Will it ever get better than this? Answers to come with the releases of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2026 and 2027. That leaves plenty of time to watch (and rewatch) Endgame!