On May 2nd, 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe began with the birth of Iron Man. Eleven years later, the saga concludes with Avengers: Endgame. Since the release of Infinity War, there has been a considerable amount of hype around the conclusion to the Infinity Saga so much so that a trend was started by Marvel entitled “#Don’tSpoilTheEndgame” to discourage those who had the opportunity to see the film early from sharing any details with those who were not able to see the film until opening weekend or later. Stories even circulated of individuals being physically beaten and assaulted by fellow moviegoers because they spoiled events of the movie.

Clearly, Endgame is a big deal for those who have grown up with the franchise and witnessed the characters grow and evolve throughout the years. Box office receipts help to support this notion. Currently, Endgame is the second highest grossing film in all of cinematic history, beating Titanic and is on track to beat out Avatar as the highest grossing film of all time.

When tickets went on sale, Fandango crashed because of the sheer amount of requests. The film also became one of Fandango’s highest selling presales of all time.

Do all these records live up to the hype surrounding the three hour movie? It depends on the person. Some fans praised Endgame for its masterful cinematic moments and copious amounts of self-references, while others were disappointed with the evolution of certain characters who were used as comedic relief instead of having stronger development.

With the spoiler ban being broken as of May 6th, the cast and crew have been sharing pictures and videos from the set of Endgame to celebrate the film’s release. These heartwarming posts have undeniably touched anyone that has found themselves to be a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe over the past eleven years. Regardless of the differing perspectives, one cannot deny the very strong cultural influence of this franchise and the manner in which the directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, were able to successfully use this influence to their benefit.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe will continue to grow and evolve over the years, but Endgame truly marks the end of a legacy.