WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Avengers: Endgame, in theaters now.
The massive climax of Avengers: Endgame features a number of exciting moments for almost all of the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Seriously, virtually every superhero in the blockbuster franchise gets a moment, whether it's Ant-Man going giant-size to punch out a Chitauri Leviathan or Spider-Man finally utilizing "Instant Kill" mode with his Iron Spider suit.
However, perhaps the biggest such moment comes when nearly all of the female heroes unite behind Captain Marvel to help rush through Thanos' army. It's the unofficial introduction of A-Force, the all-woman team of Avengers from Marvel comics, and one of the best surprises in the entire film.
She's Not Alone
A major thread of the climax is the assorted Avengers working together to try and bring the Infinity Stones back to the Quantum Realm through the tunnel in Ant-Man's van. Much of the final battle works as a relay, with the heroes tossing the Stark Gauntlet back and forth to keep it out of the reach of Thanos and his forces. Hawkeye, Black Panther and Spider-Man prove crucial to protecting the Stones, but all of them are eventually cornered or attacked.
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Captain Marvel touches down on Earth and takes the Gauntlet from Peter Parker. But when Spider-Man looks up and sees the army advancing on her, he asks how she's going to handle it alone. That's when all the remaining female heroes land next to her, preparing to rush in alongside of Carol. Captain Marvel, Scarlet Witch, Valkyrie, Wasp, Gamora, Nebula, Mantis, Okyoe, Shuri and the newly minted Rescue (Pepper Potts) move into battle, quickly cutting their way through the army. It's a huge moment that can be viewed as a reference to A-Force.
A-Force
A-Force was introduced during Marvel Comics' 2015 crossover Secret Wars as the premier superhero team for one of the zones located in Battleworld. The group was notable for having only women in its roster. Led by She-Hulk, the main team also included Captain Marvel, Medusa, Nico Minoru, America Chavez, Dazzler and a host of other heroes.
The group was reintroduced into the main Marvel Comics continuity following the end of that event. Written by G. Willow Wilson and illustrated by Jorge Molina, A-Force introduced Singularity, a mysterious and immensely powerful figure who took the form of a young woman. The title explored the dynamics of the main Marvel heroines, and ended during Civil War II when She-Hulk was put into a coma and Captain Marvel became entangled in the crossover. However, the idea of an all-women Avengers team could have a second life on film.
Avengers, Assemble
The sequence in which the heroes unite is one of the best moments Endgame's climatic battle, showing off the entire group uniting to make its way through an army. It's exciting to see them all come together, especially after so many of them hadn't interacted before this scene. The only shame is that the MCU's original female hero, Black Widow, sacrificed herself earlier in the film so that the heroes could gain the Soul Stone. But even with her gone, the idea of female empowerment in the cinematic universe lives on.
A film centered around a group like A-Force has been floated as a possibility, with Valkyrie actress Tessa Thompson revealing she broached the idea with Marvel Studios, and the concept has the support of the cast. The film could offer these beloved characters a chance to shine, with more room provided for heroes like Scarlet Witch, Valkyrie and Shuri to leave even greater impressions. It would also help to elevate female stories in the MCU, and could lead to further exposure for characters that are otherwise under-served in the genre.
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Endgame stars Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Don Cheadle as War Machine, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Danai Gurira as Okoye and Bradley Cooper as Rocket, with Gwyneth Paltrow Pepper Potts, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, Benedict Wong as Wong, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Josh Brolin as Thanos.