The ending of Avengers: Endgame was the poignant climax to over a decade of filmmaking and story-telling, but new concept art has revealed that the final moments could have gone down very differently.
Early drawing boards show that Marvel Studios hadn’t confirmed that Iron Man’s sacrifice would save the universe, but instead were wondering whether Karen Gillan’s Nebula could give her life for the greater good. During development, it was considered a fitting end to her arc as her conflict with her abusive adoptive father would have ultimately undone his life’s work.
This would’ve made Endgame follow the original ‘Infinity Gauntlet’ arc far more closely, as the original comic sees Nebula end the saga. The decision to cull Iron Man was not a universally popular one at Marvel Studios, as Jon Favreau revealed in a recent interview. Fans are still surprised by the art showing off this alternate ending.
A few commenters have offered the brutal take that Nebula’s sacrifice would have been more heartbreaking than Tony Stark’s. But, as Nebula had appeared in just four films by the time Endgame rolled around and Stark had been at the forefront of eight and was the face of the MCU, we have to disagree.
It’s a real What If…? scenario, with fans mostly believing the right choice was made but are still happy to see an idea of what this would have looked like in the flesh.
Nebula will make what could be her final appearances during Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which will hit theaters on May 5, 2023.