Endgame Is a Terrible Name for Avengers 4

We've asked ourselves what's in a name for hundreds of years. What William Shakespeare didn't see coming, though, was how much we would dissect the title of the biggest crossover film of all time. And while Avengers: Endgame should still be as epic and satisfying by any other name, the subtitle selected by Marvel Studios leaves a lot to be desired.

Why Was Endgame Chosen?

Avengers Endgame Captain America Winter Soldier suit

It would seem the title was taken directly from Infinity War, and intended as a natural progression of the story. However, by picking up on Doctor Strange's line, "We're in the end game, now," it makes the entire film, the final installment of Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a little too on the nose.

Of course, what Strange referred to was the one future in which he saw the heroes defeat Thanos. He knew that by giving into the Mad Titan's demand, and handing over the Time Stone, he was setting up a scenario in which the good guys somehow win. Anyone who paid attention to Infinity War knows that, so by making Endgame the title of the sequel, it becomes both obvious and a letdown.

It's also not particularly original. If the title sounds familiar, it's because "Endgame" has been used to death in genre television. The X-Files, Alias, Babylon 5, Stargate SG-1 and Star Trek: Voyager all have "Endgame" episodes. In more recent years, the series finales of Young Justice, Generator Rex and Transformers: Animated were also titled "Endgame."

It's then worth asking why Marvel put fans through all of this. Why not announce the title earlier, like after the closing credits of Infinity War? Seeing something like "the Avengers will return in ... Endgame" would have sparked a different response. Instead, we've endured months of speculation, fan theories and misdirection, just so we could arrive at the most obvious answer imaginable.

"Endgame" sounds as if Tom Cruise is launching an attack on a spy network, or Sylvester Stallone is locked in a gun battle with Dolph Lundgren, or Christopher Lambert is an immortal warrior (oh wait, that's Highlander: Endgame). It doesn't sound like the culmination of the first decade of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Choosing a Title Is Hard ... Probably

Scott Lang on the Avengers Mansion's surveillance camera in the MCU's Avengers: Endgame

Perhaps the only title more obvious than Avengers: Endgame would have been "Avengers: The End," but at least that feels more ominous. Dubbing the movie "Endgame" wastes all the energy of a title like Infinity War without replacing it with anything useful. The first trailer felt somber, but the title doesn't match; it feels hollow.

To be fair, it's actually difficult to name a film. You have to use a title that tells the audience what the film is about, but also conjures the right emotions. The Empire Strikes Back works because, although it is a bit self-referential, it still accurately conveys what happens in the movie: The good guys get their asses kicked. Ex Machina means "from machine," but the movie uses the Latin title to underscore the philosophical themes within.

The Harry Potter film series had it easy when it came to adapting Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Splitting it in two and just calling it Part One and Part Two was certainly lazy, but at least it was based on an existing work. Marvel was not so lucky, which is why Infinity War Part One and Part Two was never really going to happen.

But imagine a world where some of the best final chapters in movie history were named as poorly as "Endgame." Instead of Return of the Jedi, we would have something as obvious as "A New Beginning." How about "Face of Doom" in place of Return of the King?

Of course, you don't want to call Avengers 4 "Thanos' Revenge" and make it sound as fleeting as, say, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull or Age of Ultron. Endgame was the easy choice, and it was the safe choice, but it wasn't the best choice. While we have no idea what was discussed internally, we can suggest some titles that would have been preferable.

NEXT PAGE: Avengers 4 Subtitles Better Than Endgame

Just About Anything Would Have Been Better

If they were open to pulling from the comics, how about just "Infinity Crusade"? It follows up on Infinity War and could hammer home the idea of Captain America and the surviving heroes going on something of a crusade to save those that were lost, or at least avenge them.

Then again, "crusade" probably brings up some awkward connotations for a superhero movie, and perhaps the tone of this film doesn't quite match what that word suggests. After all, the survivors in a universe that lost half of all life in an instant is probably aren't getting ready to go on a crusade.

Using Avengers: Disassembled would have worked well, considering half the team is now dead, and everyone else is disheartened. It would definitely set up ideas regarding whether the Avengers ever accomplish anything, or if they ultimately fail.

However, the perfect movie to use Disassembled already came out: Avengers: Age of Ultron. We don't yet know what will happen in the fourth Avengers movie, so it's possible disassembling the team is never actually part of the narrative, and is instead more about soldiering on.

That then leaves us with perhaps the best possible title not used: Annihilation. It brings up the same thoughts as Endgame, but with more of a sense of sudden destruction, after what happened in Infinity War.

Where We Stand with Endgame

Marvel and Disney obviously held back the title as a marketing ploy. In the wake of Infinity War, the release of the first trailer was supposed to start the conversation all over again: The Avengers are back. Unfortunately, the title doesn't really say much, other than indicate where we are in the superhero cycle. In case you were wondering, we're at The Last Stand Before the Inevitable Rebirth part of the cycle.

In the end, Avengers: Endgame very much feels like a sequel title. Maybe it's not as bad as Speed 2: Cruise Control, but it's proportionally close. No one wants to think that, but it might have been better just to call the film Avengers 4 and be done with it. Everyone was calling the movie that anyway, it feels more like a standalone film, and its more clean and precise than Endgame.

Make no mistake, this movie is still going to be a box-office juggernaut and a crowd-pleaser, so the title is a triviality. Still, the filmmakers blew it. Playing this guessing game really backfired, because in the end, would anything have lived up to the anticipation?

Avengers: Endgame will release on April 26, 2019. Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Marvel’s Avengers 4 stars Robert Downey Jr., Josh Brolin, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Olsen, Sebastian Stan, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Bettany, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Benedict Wong, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland and Anthony Mackie.