Dear Marvel Studios,
At long last I've finally managed to watch Avengers: Endgame, and all the movies that preceded it, and I wanted to say thank you.
Not just for a great movie, but for something far more significant. For letting me go.
I've been watching your films for more than a decade now, through the highs (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Thor Ragnarok) and the lows (Iron Man 3, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol II), all the while captivated by the continuing universe you've been creating.
You could have made a series of loosely linked films based on your various comics, but you chose to take a risk and join them altogether, building towards a single uniting moment. How planned or how well executed that was doesn't really matter; we finally got there.
Endgame lived up to its title. While I'm sure you'll keep making great movies and continue and extend your cinematic universe, it feels very much like the Avengers as I knew them are done. The story arcs are complete - the characters are finished. It's all over.
Don't get me wrong - Endgame raised a lot of questions. But I've decided life will be simpler if I don't ask them.
It's a strange feeling of release. It's not like a weight has lifted, more that a craving has finally been satisfied. I don't need to watch anymore. I don't need any more movies, any more characters. I'm done.
It's surprising, and more than a little unexpected. So thank you. I'm glad we were able to part ways so amicably. I wish you well, and I'll always remember the time we spent together.
Yours for a time,
A fan
(I could write something similar about the Star Wars movies but I've just seen Rise of Skywalker and frankly, meh.)