Even with recent additions like Adam Warlock (Will Poulter)and Phyla (Kai Zen),The Guardians of the Galaxyhave never been nearly as powerful asthe Avengers' fully-stocked line-up, which is why it’s still baffling thatMarvelhas actually confirmedKevin Bacon’s biggest fanscould have easily beaten one of the team’s first planet-level threats. Specifically, in a deleted scene fromAvengers: Endgame, Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) mocks the team for taking hours to defeat the Chitauri lent to Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to invade Earth inthe first Avengers movie, implying it is common knowledge in the galaxy that taking out the Chitauri’s mothership destroys the army. Not only does this moment basically guaranteethe Guardians could have saved Earth much faster than the Avengers and with fewer casualties, it also provides a shocking perspective on the current state of the MCU.
‘Avengers: Endgame’s Deleted Scene Doubles Down on the Truth About Power in the MCU
The clearest takeaway fromthis deleted sceneis that the Battle of New York could have been much more decisive had the Avengers simply known more about their enemy. Despite having a Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) andChris Hemsworth’s literal God of Thunder on their side, the Avengers wasted valuable time fending off Chitauri foot soldiers whenthe Guardians clearly would have known to target the army’s greatest vulnerability. As a result, this deleted scene indirectly acts as a lesson about power in the MCU that has been proven many times over — strength is not as important as knowledge. While strength is certainly essential and gets characters far in a variety of situations, with the Hulk and Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) in particular relying heavily on their sheer power to compete withthe universe’s most dangerous villains, the MCU has proved time and time again thatintelligence and inventiveness far outweigh the need for excessive firepower.
The Hulk’s arc throughoutAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgameis the greatest demonstration of this theme in the main movies. Whilethe appeal of Smart Hulk can certainly be debated, the fact is that Smart Hulk ultimately succeeds in helping to stop Thanos (Josh Brolin) after the mindless, rage-filled Hulk fails during the pair’s one-sided fist-fight. Likewise, the character whose arc undoubtedlydefines the entire MCU, Iron Man(Robert Downey Jr.), mainly manages to save the universe because he is smart enough to level the playing field. Like Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Tony Stark isn’t born with extraordinary superpowers (not counting generational wealth), but through grit and brilliant determination,he manages to compete with and ultimately defeat a literal titan.
I’ll Admit — ‘Avengers: Endgame’s Success Didn’t Fully Hit Me Until I Saw What ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Made
There’s no doubt about it — ‘Endgame’ was truly a movie event.
Rocket’s Comments in ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Demonstrate Just How Much the MCU Has Changed
Aside from proving that the right plan can foil even those wieldingthe MCU’s greatest powers, Rocket’s revelation in this deleted scene is also bound to feel surreal on a much more fundamental level for longtime fans of the franchise. The Chitauri have never been the most memorable Marvel villains, but back in 2012,they still represented the first world-ending threat the Avengers facedtogether, and, as a result, their attack embodiedthe growing scale of the MCUat a time when most Marvel villains were still Earth-bound. Therefore, hearing Rocket dismiss this once-daunting threat and underscore how easy they truly are to defeatputs the whole franchise in a larger perspective, demonstrating just how far we’ve come since the Avengers first assembled.
In a franchise where multiversal threats are basically popping up every other day, Loki has overthrown a bureaucracy of time dictators,Celestials are appearing more regularly, Spider-Man (Tom Holland) nearly broke reality alongside his studio-hopping variants, and cosmic threats are constantly emerging, Rocket’s comments serve as a reminder thatThe Avengerswas just the beginning. In the time since New York was attacked,the MCU has grown to embody a larger scale of storytelling, one which isas intricate as it can be confusing. Yet, despite all the plot threads and loose ends still unresolved within Marvel’s constantly expanding universe, being able to look back and remember a simpler time should also be a point of pride for audiences and Marvel alike. The MCU’s ability to expand so rapidly isa testament to the studio’s ambitious achievement and almost two decades of fan dedication, both of which have been powerful for the world to know.
Avengers: Endgame
After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to reverse Thanos’ actions and restore balance to the universe.
