What if you’ve missed a few films here and there but still want in on the fun? Or what if you’re a total newcomer who wants to arm themselves for some Monday morning water cooler chit-chat? After all, this super-sized saga send-off may be the closest thing to a Return of the Jedi-caliber pop-culture event many movie-goers have ever experienced. To get an idea of how well Endgame plays out (or doesn’t) for the uninitiated, I sought a viewing partner who could go in clueless and report back on their Avengers experience.
Finding someone who’s been absent from this decade-long journey proved challenging. Most of the people I could assemble from my contacts list had seen most of the films (a testament either to how widely viewed these films are or how nerdy my friends are — your choice). But at the final hour, a new hero approached — a conveniently solution-shaped key to my Marvel-movie problem, a Captain Marvel-like deus ex machina to save the day: Kevin.
Kevin, my Marvel-ignorant Endgame-viewing guinea pig of a partner, has managed to avoid almost all Avengers-related adventures. He thinks he’s seen the first Avengers flick and caught parts of The Incredible Hulk on a wall of TVs at Best Buy years ago. Armed with no context and a bag of popcorn, Kevin suited up and joined me for Avengers: Endgame.