Joe and Anthony Russo provided the greatest cinematic experience to their audiences with the epic finale of MCU’s Infinity Saga, Avengers: Endgame. However, the film had to cut one major battle scene of Black Panther to ensure screentime for every hero. The end battle scene lasted for over 20 minutes on screen, but the editors had an abundance of footage from which they had to pick and choose.
Avengers: Endgame was a phenomenal event for Marvel fans and grossed $2.79 billion at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing film at the time. The film is also one of the most expensive films ever made with an estimated budget of $350-$400 million.
Avengers: Endgame Had To Cut A Heroic Black Panther Battle Scene
Black Panther and the Wakandan army emerged from the portal onto the battlefield in an epic scene during the climactic battle. This marked the return of the character played by Chadwick Boseman and others after being disintegrated into ashes in Avengers: Infinity War. Black Panther had some cool and neatly choreographed stunts in the end battle in Avengers: Endgame, and Boseman impressed the audience in these scenes.
According to MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, one major battle scene for the Wakandan superhero was cut from the film. Directors Joe Russo and Anthony Russo filmed a battle scene between Black Panther and Ebony Maw in the film. Editor Jeffrey Ford confirmed the elaborate sequence in an interview with SlashFilm and explained that the battle scene was cut because Panther and Maw’s story felt extraneous to the main storyline. Ford told SlashFilm:
“His battle with Panther was longer. I remember we took it down because when they come through the portals, they kind of introduce all these characters into the story that haven’t been in the movie yet…Panther and Maw felt like, that’s not the story that we’re tracking, so maybe we reduce that stuff.”
The Russo brothers aimed to balance the massive battle by focusing on essential character moments. Some of these included Tony Stark locking eyes with Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch’s revenge against Thanos, and Peter Quill meeting alternate timeline Gamora.
Avengers: Endgame Had To Reshoot The Portal Entry Scene For One Reason
The Russo brothers also took their time planning the iconic portal entry sequence. They experimented with the scene, and at one point, they filmed all portals opening simultaneously. But a reshoot was deemed necessary as the directors felt the scene didn’t have the visual and emotional impact.
Stephen McFeely, one of the film’s screenwriters, shared that Joe and Anthony Russo’s reshoot decision was on point, despite him also liking the first version. McFeely explained that every hero didn’t get their moment in the initial version, which they rectified with the reshoot. McFeely shared (via the book):
“The first time, it was quicker. It was very powerful, and I would say exciting, like, ‘Holy crap, they’re back! And the music was at a 10 early, and you zipped around. I liked it a lot, but Joe and Anthony were absolutely right to reshoot it, because everybody didn’t get their hero shot.”
Other scenes also hit the editing room floor, including Ant-Man diverting Thanos’s army with his favorite Partridge Family song and a deleted scene featuring all Avengers kneeling before Tony Stark. Avengers: Endgame and other MCU movies are now available for streaming on Disney+. MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios is now available for purchase on Amazon.
