There are many similarities between Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Both of these movies are the culmination of many movies before them in a hugely popular franchise. While their individual receptions differ in more ways than one, it can't be denied that these two movies definitely marked the end of major eras in pop culture.
Both Endgame and Skywalker relied heavily on nostalgia and the strong emotions many fans have for the series. Also, both tried to wrap up story arcs for many characters, and both movies were notable for having some major plot issues but focusing on special effects just for the "wow" factor. While they were both extremely popular and had lots of similarities, there are some ways Endgame was better than Rise of Skywalker and some ways it was worse. Here are the reasons why the Avengers' finale was better than Star Wars, and what Star Wars did better.
10 Better: There weren’t as many characters to focus on
One problem with Avengers: Endgame is that the cast of characters was so large. While there were fewer characters to focus on than in Avengers: Infinity War, there were still many character arcs that had to be wrapped up and many characters that came back into the story for the final battle.
Most of the focus in Rise of Skywalker was on the three main heroes: Rey, Finn, and Poe as well as Kylo Ren. This made for a little bit more focused time given to each of them.
9 Worse: The pacing was really off
Given how much happened in Rise of Skywalker and that it could even be confusing at times, it’s strange that parts of the movie felt very slow-moving. The first half of the movie dragged in moments and seemed to struggle to build momentum.
This means that the last half of the film felt jam-packed with action and information, and it was a little bit jarring. A more evenly paced movie would have been easier to watch. Endgame wasn’t perfect in this way either, but it was better organized.
8 Better: It didn’t kill off its main female character, just sidelined them
One big criticism that has been made against Endgame was how it handled its female characters, especially Black Widow. As she was one of the only women actually focused on in this film, and the only one of the original six Avengers who wasn’t a white man, the fact that they killed her off sat wrong with many people.
Her death didn’t even get much of a send-off in the same way that Tony Starks’ did. While Skywalker also has issues with its handling of female characters, especially with how they basically removed Rose Tico from the narrative, it didn’t kill them off at least.
7 Worse: The deaths didn’t seem to mean anything
If you watch Rise of Skywalker more than once, you’ll likely notice that there are a lot of death fake outs. While this is rarely a great storytelling device, using it more than once in the same movie is way too much. This happened to Kylo Ren, Chewbacca, and, in a way, C-3PO. Because of this, it felt like the idea of death in the universe didn’t hold a lot of weight.
Meanwhile, Endgame had two major deaths that had some major ramifications. While Black Widow's sacrifice could be underwhelming to some, it's universally agreed that Tony Stark's was handled perfectly. Their deaths will be felt for a long time to come in both the movies and among fans.
6 Better: While it had "No Homo" moments, these weren’t as bad as Endgame's
Disney is continually facing heat for its lack of LGBT+ representation in its movies. Many fans have pointed out that every time they say they will have representation, it ends up being a minor character in a throwaway moment that can easily be edited out. Many felt that Poe and Finn’s storylines were done in a way to directly make it seem like they weren’t gay - despite all evidence to the contrary.
However, Endgame did an even worse job than Star Wars. It took its most popular and subtextual queer ship - Steve and Bucky - and didn’t let them interact except for Steve to abandon him. At the very least, Poe and Finn got to interact like close friends.
5 Worse: It didn’t feel like much of an ending
Given that both of these movies come out of big franchises that are ongoing, it’s hard to ever feel like anything is a true ending. Both of these franchises will continue to have stories in the form of comics, movies, and more.
However, Endgame was more upfront with the fact that this wasn’t a final movie but just a wrap-up for the current crop of storylines. While Skywalker tried to bill itself as the final installment, it’s a bit hard to take that claim seriously.
4 Better: The heroes actually get to be friends
One thing that many fans have been frustrated about in regards to the MCU is the lack of friendship bonds between the heroes, especially the Avengers - ironic, given that they're the MCU's flagship team. Given that the interpersonal conflict between these characters is often more interesting than the actual villains, there have been very few moments of love and camaraderie between them.
In contrast, Skywalker actually did a great job of showing that Finn, Rey, and Poe cared about each other a lot. Their emotion and loyalty to one another were obvious, and it made it easier to root for them.
3 Worse: The plot was harder to follow
Both of these films' plots had glaring issues. They both had a wealth of plot contrivances and holes that fans just had to accept and go along with in order for the movie to work. Given that it can be difficult to wrap up storylines that have been building for years, some of this is excusable.
However, too much of these moments can be frustrating. Rise of Skywalker did a slightly worse job because it was a little hard to follow along. While Endgame had some issues, the basic conceit was straightforward enough and more focused.
2 Better: The main characters get endings that make sense for their arcs
The character arcs for many characters in both movies weren’t perfect. In Skywalker, characters like Finn didn’t get the attention they deserved, and Rey’s arc was somewhat sacrificed for Kylo Ren to get a better one. However, in Skywalker, the main heroes did get mostly happy endings and had arcs that gave room for growth in the future.
In Endgame, many main characters got screwed over. Black Widow died, and Steve Rogers got sent to the past in a way that made no sense for how the character had been portrayed up to that point.
1 Tie: The romances were a mess
When it comes to romance and shipping, both movies were a bit of a disaster. Both of these movies refused to include any real LGBT+ representation even when it would have been easy to do so.
Even with the actors rooting for it, Finn and Poe weren't made canon, and many people were bothered by the way the Rey and Kylo relationship went down. On the other hand, Endgame made the most awkward choice to shoehorn Peggy into the narrative as if Steve had lost her in The Snap.
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