During a crucial part in Avengers: Infinity War, Doctor Strange speaks the words, "We're in the end game now." At that moment in time, the line didn't hold much significance to the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it ended up holding massive significance for the Avengers, becoming the title of its final film despite the Russo Brothers' denial that it would be named as such.
Avengers: Infinity War depicts the beginning of the Avengers' attempt to protect the Infinity Stones from the villainous Thanos who wants to use them to erase half of humanity from existence. Thanks to his mystical training, Doctor Strange is able to see each of the 14 million possible outcomes from their fight against Thanos. All but one end in failure. Much to Tony Stark's dismay, Doctor Strange gives up the Time Stone to Thanos. When Stark questions his motives, Doctor Strange simply states, "We're in the endgame now."
Not only did this line influence the title of the final film, it also became a popular meme and an internet sensation.
The films of the MCU have become a cornerstone of the pop culture zeitgeist for the last decade. The movies skyrocketed in popularity after Iron Man's release in 2008. As the MCU began to expand with more than 20 movies over the course of the following years, the its popularity only continued to explode. The Marvel film franchise grew during a decade in which social media was flourishing at an unstoppable pace, so naturally fans found a way to share their love for the movies online through memes.
Around the time of a new Marvel film's release, social media users would be hard-pressed not to find an Avengers meme on their timeline. After it was revealed that the end game line would be worked into the title of the final film in the Avengers saga, it was inevitable that memes focused on that moment in Infinity War would begin to circulate on social media.
Avengers: Endgame was released in 2019, but the memes live on more than a year after its release thanks to timing. Beginning with the pandemic in early 2020, the civil unrest and divisive American politics, the world quickly began to look like it was actually in a real life endgame. Fans of the movie began to use memes from Endgame to reflect the rapidly changing world.
The internet jokes have been utilized to represent the dark situational irony that is the year 2020. The year has not been kind to the world, with a global pandemic claiming countless lives, shocking celebrity deaths, devastating wildfires and civil unrest. The "We're in the end game now" meme has been used to show the general mood of the year — things seem to keep getting worse because sometimes it feels like the world is ending. The line has never been more relatable thanks to 2020, providing the world the kind of dark humor that's needed to get through these strange times.