After eleven long years in the making, Avengers: Endgame might just be one of the most epic movies ever made in terms of size and pop-culture significance. But that doesn’t mean the movie capitalized on every opportunity for a punch-the-air moment. There were a few cameos, action sequences, and plotlines that could have happened but never did, and while it might seem greedy to want more from a movie that delivered ad infinitum on every front, it’s hard not to crave these extra nuggets of epicness nonetheless. From Korg on the battlefield to Nebula fighting Thanos for the Gauntlet, here are ten things that would have made Avengers: Endgame more epic than it already is.
10 Classic Ant-Man
We rarely get to see Hank Pym in action as Ant-Man other than in flashbacks, but there was a time both in comics and MCU history when Hank was the one running top-secret errands for S.H.I.E.L.D as the micro-sized hero, and not Scott Lang. We got a glimpse of Ant-Man’s classic helmet, but with time-travel taking Steve Rogers and Tony Stark back to the 70s, it would have been the perfect opportunity to show us Michael Douglas fully suited-up as his vintage alter-ego. Maybe a cameo from one of Antony the Ant’s ancestors would have been nice, too.
9 “Hey, Steve.”
Sam Wilson’s “On your left” will remain cemented in pop-culture because of its significance in Avengers: Endgame. But it would have been doubly emotional if Bucky Barnes was the first to communicate with his brother-in-arms, Steve Rogers, just as Thanos’ army was about to attack.
Steve and Bucky go way back and their bond is unshakable, but even more poetic is the fact that Bucky’s last words before being dusted in Avengers: Infinity War were to his old pal, Steve. The Winter Soldier coming to Captain America’s rescue would have truly packed an emotional punch.
8 Avengers Go To Asgard
Early drafts of the Avengers: Endgame script didn’t just have Rocket and Thor infiltrating a long-gone Asgard to obtain the Aether, it also included a whole slew of characters like Iron Man and Captain America visiting Thor’s homeworld! While both Tony and Steve have been to space, neither have witnessed cosmic kingdoms like Asgard in all their glory. Watching Iron Man attempt to bypass Asgard’s defenses with his stealth armor, only to be spotted by the all-seeing Heimdall, would have been both hilarious and significant all at the same time.
7 Unleash The Goose!
Endgame made it clear that Thanos and his band of baddies were no match for the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but introducing a certain feline friend to the battle might have tipped the scales even further. Goose, the feared Flerken who contains a ferocious Kraken-esque creature in her cat-like visage, made all the difference when getting her buddies out of trouble in Captain Marvel. Who knows what horrors Goose might have unleashed on the Mad Titan’s minions if she was brought in to aid Nick Fury and his allies. A scene with Goose annihilating some of Thanos’ soldiers, or even battling Thanos himself, would have been an absolute show-stealer!
6 Eitri Gets His Revenge
What happened to Eitri at the hands of Thanos and his “children” was heinous, and the Dwarven King deserves justice. After being forced to forge the Infinity Gauntlet, Eitri’s arms were bound and cemented together by the Mad Titan so he could never craft another weapon.
All the other giant dwarves of Nidavellier were slain, leaving Eitri with nothing but his guilt and wavering sanity. Eitri should have hopped through one of those portals to avenge his people by laying waste to a portion of Thanos’ army. Either that, or he should have brought some God-level weapons with him.
5 Attack Of The Korg
NoobMaster69, who? Korg isn’t just a master at Fortnite, he’s also a pro when it comes to wreaking havoc on the battlefield. We often forget that Korg was held captive on Sakaar by the Grandmaster because of his prowess as a warrior. While Korg and Miek do join the fight against Thanos, we don't see much of them after they initially show up through one of the portals. A few additional scenes with the duo taking out the Titan's hellish minions would have made all the difference. Pair that with Korg’s impeccable albeit unintentional comedic timing, and we would have had a few extra unforgettable scenes from an already jam-packed milestone of a movie.
4 Nebula Runs The Gauntlet
Nebula has one of the strongest character arcs in the MCU. Her devotion to her (adopted) father, Thanos, turned seething hate is so organic that it’s difficult not to root for her every single time. In the comics, Nebula's role in destroying the Gauntlet is far more significant than her live-action counterpart. This is why Nebula should have had the Gauntlet at the very end, right before Thanos fights it out of her hands. Since the nano-glove finally ends up with Tony Stark, it would have been a nice throwback to Nebula and Tony’s opening scene on the ship out in space. While her story will continue in future movies, she never got the satisfaction of defeating Thanos after all the hurt he put her through.
3 Iron Man and Rescue: Extended
Pepper Potts’ armored-up alter ego, Rescue, doesn’t get much screen time in Avengers: Endgame, but the few seconds that she’s in are truly awesome. While the two have fought side by side in previous outings (see Iron Man 3), watching Iron Man and Rescue fight the enemy as a true tag-team, back to back, proved what a formidable unit they were both on and off the battlefield.
Since there’s no chance of Iron Man and Rescue teaming up ever again in future movies, a few additional scenes with the power couple decimating evil minions with their proton cannons would have been wildly satisfying.
2 Hulk Smash!
As much as everyone loves how Bruce Banner balanced his intellect and brute strength to finally exist in peace as Professor Hulk, there’s something oddly satisfying about watching the green behemoth lose his cool and go completely berserk. The Hulk never truly recovered from being defeated by Thanos. It worked out well for Banner in the end, but it also allowed the Mad Titan to escape the wrath of a revenge-seeking gamma monster. The Avengers had a giant, a Valkyrie, and all of Wakanda on their side during the final fight against Thanos, but there’s nothing quite like having… a Hulk.
1 Stark Enters The Soul World
Katherine Langford of 13 Reasons Why fame was confirmed to star in Avengers: Endgame, only to never appear in the final cut of the film. It was later revealed that she was meant to play Morgan Stark, Tony Stark’s daughter, at the end of the movie. Once Tony snaps his fingers, he enters the ‘Soul Realm” much like Thanos did at the end of Infinity War.
There, Tony meets a much older Morgan and apologizes for taking away her chance of growing up with a father. Her forgiveness gives Tony the peace he needs to finally let go. If you thought Stark's final moments were tear-jerkers enough, having him meet Morgan one last time may have been too much to handle!