After ranking all 21 Marvel Cinematic Universe films last week, it only made sense for the Amherst Wire entertainment staff to tackle the culmination of those movies in “Avengers: Endgame” together. This isn’t a review per se, more like an “Avengers” postgame if you would.

In today’s age of high-speed internet and social media, it’s nearly impossible to avoid spoilers before going to see a film. We don’t want to be the spoilers for those who haven’t seen “Avengers: Endgame,” but we also want to discuss many key moments in the film. To satisfy both of those requirements, we have split this article into a spoiler-free first half, and a spoiler-filled second half. Read past the spoiler alert meridian at your own discretion.

Now without further adieu, here is the spoiler-free section of our “Avengers” postgame.

What were your expectations going into the film?

Jonathan Kermah, editor: I was expecting this to be the most epic superhero movie of all time.

Trevor Wilson, assistant editor: I expected a bit of everything. I thought there would be tons of action, comedic relief as always and some emotional moments given that it is the last of the Avengers movies.

Patrick Kline, photo editor: I’m not exactly sure; I knew there would be a lot of heroes in this but that was about it. I just hoped that if this was the end that it would be a proper end.

Julia Donohue, writer: I did hear of a spoiler, so that was hanging over my head.

Kacey Connolly, writer: Going into the film I expected to discover what most people probably did; the defeat of Thanos and answers to where the vanished went.

Chloe Lindahl, writer: My expectations were wary going into this film because I knew it was the end of one of the largest franchises in history, and there was inevitably going to be some hard things to process. Never-the-less I was excited to see how they were going to bounce back from the train wreck ending of “Infinity War.”

How did the film hold up to those expectations?

Kermah: It didn’t disappoint.

Wilson: Endgame held up every expectation I had. I would not say it shattered those expectations, but the movie was just as great as I hoped it would be.

Kline: My expectations were met.

Donohue: I wish it wasn’t spoiled for me so I could be more objective, but I can say that the film tied up loose ends as best it could.

Connolly: The film definitely pulled through for my expectations. Most of my questions from “Infinity War” were answered by the end of the movie, but that’s not to say I don’t have new questions.

Lindahl: The film definitely held up to my expectations and threw a lot of plot twists in along the way (some appreciated, others not so much), but as always, the creators of the MCU created an intricate plot line and gave each character a moment to shine in their own way.

Were you able to avoid spoilers before seeing the movie?

Kermah: Sadly, no. The biggest spoiler of the film, which I won’t disclose here, was ruined for me by Twitter.

Wilson: Somehow, yes. Even though I saw plenty of memes on Twitter, none of them led me to believe they were real spoilers. I had a couple of close calls, but nothing was spoiled for me.

Kline: I had heard one, but it was so expected that I partly didn’t believe it and partly forgot about it.

Donohue: Nope!

Connolly: For the most part, I was able to avoid spoilers – besides a Twitter meme that gave away plot points for both “Avengers” and “Game of Thrones” in one single tweet.

Lindahl: Unfortunately with “Game of Thrones” and “Endgame” colliding, finding some spoilers out was an inevitable part of going on social media.

“Avengers: Endgame” has a whopping three-hour run time. Did the movie feel too long when watching?

Kermah: Not at all.

Wilson: Honestly, no. Despite the movie being three hours long it certainly did not feel that way. I thought they did a great job pacing the movie.

Kline: No, if done right it could have been longer.

Donohue: There were some scenes that could have been cut to make it seem more concise, but the plot moved around enough so that it was not burdensome.

Connolly: Even though it definitely felt like a full three hours, I also had a weird sense that it was slightly rushed.

Lindahl: The movie had the unique feel of being both too long and too short. Halfway through I was wondering how in the world they were going to wrap up the plotline that was spiraling everywhere. Yet, when it came to the end, all I could think about was how much I wish it was still going.

Who stole the show in this film?

Kermah: The surprising Professor Hulk appearance provided for some hilarious moments.

Wilson: Nebula. She becomes a huge plot device throughout the movie, and she has one of the best character developments throughout the saga.

Kline: Ant-Man.

Donohue: Thor ended up having more depth than I expected. Sometimes it was distracting but overall enjoyable.

Connolly: Ant-Man stole the show for sure. I wasn’t even an Ant-Man fan until this movie.

Lindahl: Thor by far stole the show for me in this film. They capitalized on his strengths including his innate sense of humor and timing, and they flipped the script a bit on the traditional Thor character we’re used to seeing.

Is Endgame the greatest MCU film to date?

Kermah: It’s too soon for me to answer this question. I have some hang-ups that you can read in the spoiler section below, but for the most part, I enjoyed every moment of this film. It is without a doubt the most complex and equally epic film Marvel has released to date.

Wilson: Personally, I can not say just yet. It’s definitely top five, but I have to digest it a bit more before I call it the greatest.

Kline: In my opinion, yes. So much happens and it doesn’t ever feel like fan service.

Donohue: I’m still digesting, but maybe.

Connolly: I think it’s definitely legendary, but I don’t know if I’d label it the greatest of all time just yet.

Lindahl: It’s honestly hard to say. We get to see all the characters we’ve grown to know and love over the years, but it has a bittersweet feel to it. After this, the adventures are seemingly over. I can’t say it was my favorite, but it was the needed end chapter to a long series.

For those looking to avoid spoilers, we’ll leave you here with a trailer and a warning

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW

What was the biggest surprise of the film?

Kermah: Thanos dying in the first quarter of the film. The man was making breakfast; he didn’t deserve to go out like that.

Wilson: Thor turning into a frat boy was definitely unexpected, albeit hilarious.

Kline: It is either Black Widow’s death or Captain America finally being proved worthy by Mjolnir (Thor’s hammer).

Donohue: The serious lack of Captain Marvel despite the push to have that film be released before “Endgame.”

Connolly: Iron Man’s death will forever be the biggest surprise of any movie. I know it’s the last movie and I know some big characters have to die, but I thought Black Widow would have been enough though. Even after he died, I was confident he would somehow pull through and surprise us all.

Lindahl: Chunky Thor. He also kind of embodied a frat boy living by himself for the first time, overindulging in alcohol, video games and greasy foods.

What is your favorite moment of the film? 

Kermah: The final battle in the last quarter of the movie is the easy answer, but more specifically, the game of infinity gauntlet keep away that involved Spider-Man, Black Panther, Captain Marvel and plenty other characters.

Wilson: Definitely cliche, but the part where everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, pulls up for the final battle sent chills down my spine. Absolutely the greatest moment for me.

Kline: The final battle, from the moment that Captain America, Thor and Iron Man walked on the battlefield, through all the heroes arriving, all the way up to Thanos’s defeat.

Donohue: Tony Stark talking to his father in the past. It was further proof that he has a heart.

Connolly: My favorite moment of “Endgame,” and possibly of all Marvel movies, is when the women of Marvel assemble against Thanos’ army. Not only do we get to see some of the greatest badasses of all superheros, but it exemplifies females empowering and lifting each other up.

Lindahl: My favorite moment of the film was the moment where Captain Marvel comes to take the glove from Spiderman and he asks her how she plans to get to the car. Suddenly, every badass female character, their presence which had been sorely lacking throughout the movie until then, suddenly made the appearance. “Don’t worry,” they say, “she’s got us,” it’s probably singlehandedly the best display of feminism in any film I’ve ever seen.

Time travel is no easy feat to pull off in storytelling. It can leave room for questions. Did you find any plot holes or time travel related confusion in “Endgame?”

Kermah: The writers made sure to establish rules to their take on time travel. If you go back in the past and change something, it creates an alternate reality based on that action. This all makes sense for the most part, until old man Captain America pops up at the end of the film. If he went back in time and stayed there, that should have created an alternate reality in which he grew old with Peggy Carter. I’m not saying that the events that happened in “Endgame” couldn’t have happened in that reality too, but I am saying that Captain America should not have appeared as an old man in the film’s main reality. But maybe I’m just nerding out over this; if you don’t overthink it, nothing is too hard to grasp.

Wilson: Right off the bat, I would say no. I would have to go back and really pay attention to find something. However, I thought the writers did a great job trying to make it somewhat realistic and digestible.

Kline: Yes, but at the same time no. I have always been interested in time travel and sort of have a grasp on how it was explained in the film.

Donohue: There were a lot of plotholes especially how past incidents affected future versions of the characters. It was overshadowed by intense action, but Nebula killing herself should have some effect on the future that was not apparent.

Connolly: If I spent a decent amount of time going through the movie, I could probably find some plot holes within the time travel. However, at the surface level, the only thing I immediately questioned was how Nebula remained alive even after killing the past version of herself.

Lindahl: Most of the time travel makes sense in the beginning and they make sure to clear up points of confusion. However, towards the end when the past and the present begin to collide, the timeline of everything begins to get a little murky.

Who would you like to see replace Iron Man as the focal point of the MCU?

Kermah: Spider-Man looked like he was being groomed to be Iron Man jr. in “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” so it only makes sense to eventually thrust him into that mantle. 

Wilson: I have a feeling we could see Sam (Falcon) become a focal point after Captain America gifted him his shield. Although, I can’t say since there are already several other films planned for individual characters.

Kline: I don’t think they need to replace him, and I don’t think they can. The next wave of heroes after the original six would probably have either Doctor Strange or Spider-Man being the equivalent, but not a replacement.

Donohue: Are we sure he’s really dead? But, if anyone, Peter Parker deserves it.

Connolly: I can’t believe I’m saying it, but oddly enough, I would love it if Ant-Man were the new MCU focal point. I feel like he played a key role in this last movie and for me, he’s the only one with enough personality to semi-fill Tony Stark’s shoes. Or Marvel could give Spider-Man the honor too. That would be cute.

Lindahl: Captain Marvel. She’s arguably the most powerful of them all.

Where does Marvel go from here?

Kermah: Now that Marvel owns the film rights to X-Men and Fantastic Four, the possibilities are endless. Whatever it is, I hope they build slowly as they did with their previous MCU phases.

Wilson: The MCU definitely won’t feel the same without the original Avengers, but I am really excited to see them develop the other superheroes from Black Panther to the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Kline: There are still so many potential big bads for the Avengers and new heroes for them to recruit. Especially after Disney got the rights to the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. There are already some movies lined up and Spider-Man: Far From Home will be the last in Marvel’s “Phase 3.”

Donohue: Not to switch franchises, but as Harvey Dent said, “You either die a hero or see yourself live long enough to become the villain.”

Connolly: It seems to me that the only path for Marvel now is to focus on characters who don’t have solo movies. A Black Widow prequel, the life story of Scarlet Witch or maybe even a Hawkeye movie. I’m on board for a new Black Panther though. That would be awesome.

Lindahl: I think Marvel will begin to make more individual movies for some of the more secondary characters such as Hawkeye and Scarlet Witch. That way we get to understand them better alone as we’ve only truly known them as part of a group.

Email Jonathan at [email protected], or follow him on Twitter @JKermah98.

Email Trevor at [email protected], or follow him on Twitter @TrevorWilsonOG.

Email Patrick at [email protected], or follow him on Twitter @paterickkline.

Email Kacey at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter @kaceyconnolly1.

Email Julia at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter @toomanyjulias.

Email Chloe at [email protected].