The Marvel Cinematic Universe has stretched into wide-reaching avenues, with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness now talking it into different realities. Doctor Strange’s adventures have brought alternate universes like Earth-838 into the mix, which makes it just about impossible for the series to conclude now that so many different plot threads are in play.
However, the franchise had many opportunities during the Infinity Saga to close its doors if it wanted a clean storyline from start to finish. These range from the Avengers’ victories to leading characters like Tony Stark achieving the peace they wanted. In retrospect, it’s interesting to consider how the overarching story could have concluded, so it’s worth taking a deep dive into all the scenarios.
Although the MCU was only three movies in by the time Iron Man 2 was released, it was a time when many didn’t even know this was a cinematic universe. The ending of the film saw Tony and Rhodey fight off Whiplash’s attempt at their lives at the Stark Expo to then be honored for their achievement.
This was a victorious finish for the duo and fans could have been left with the idea that Tony and Rhodey would not be protectors of the world as the team of Iron Man and War Machine. Since Tony had also started a relationship with Pepper and reconciled with the memory of his father, his personal arc was also complete.
Taking down Loki was the first plan the Avengers came up with and they managed to save the world from the villain’s invasion. It was the only Avengers movie that ended on an entirely triumphant note, as the heroes became Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, with Nick Fury promising they would return when they were needed.
The movie was the culmination of Phase One of the MCU where the individual movies of Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, and The Hulk built up to. At the end of it, everyone had achieved personal satisfaction and were seen happy with what they’d achieved. There wouldn’t have been loose ends had the MCU concluded right there.
Among the things about the Iron Man movies that have aged poorly is how the titular hero went back to donning the suit by Avengers: Age of Ultron when he promised he was done in Iron Man 3. It looked like the finale for his time in the MCU, as Tony destroyed all his suits and removed the arc reactor from his chest.
Most fans saw Tony as the representation of the MCU overall at the time, which would have made this the last arc for the series as a whole. Since the other heroes’ later stories hadn’t been established by then, Tony’s retirement would have seen the MCU bow out as well.
Thor fought a multi-planet battle against Malekith that ended with him defeating the Dark Elves for good. He rejected Odin’s offer for him to be crowned as king, as Thor wanted to retire to be with Jane. Loki, who was disguised as Odin, acquiesced to this request and Thor left Asgard.
The Loki plot twist wasn’t that big of a deal since most fans saw him as a breakout character and wouldn’t have minded him as the new king. Where Thor was concerned, it was made to appear as if his story was done and he could now be happy with the woman he loved. The ending had followed Tony’s retirement as Iron Man and would have fit Thor’s own.
The conflict against HYDRA saw a reappearance of Bucky Barnes in the MCU, which ended with S.H.I.E.L.D. coming to an end, as Captain America learned it had been infiltrated by the villains. Steve and Sam resolved to search for Bucky after he regained his mind and fled.
This could have played out as an open ending for the MCU, especially since Bucky was later seen at a memorial dedicated to him with the implication that he remembered who he was. S.H.I.E.L.D. had been seen as the glue that had held the different heroes together at the time, and its folding could have served as the MCU’s conclusion, too.
For some fans, Ultron is the best MCU villain because of how close he came to causing an extinction-level event. Moreover, the fallout from dealing with him led to a new phase for the Avengers, where Thor left for Asgard once more, Hawkeye retired, Hulk decided not to come back, and Tony went into semi-retirement.
While there were some sequel hooks like the tease for the Infinity Stones, things weren’t as concrete either. It wouldn’t have been that bad of an ending if the movie implied that Captain America and Black Widow would now do their job in looking after the new Avengers recruits to keep the world safe.
The ending of Captain America: Civil War saw the Avengers break apart, with Steve’s faction going on the run after he freed them from the Raft prison. Meanwhile, the remaining Avengers stuck to the Sokovia Accords and now worked for the government.
It was a bleak outlook for sure, but it could still be seen as a definitive conclusion - just one where things didn’t work out. Had the MCU decided to close its doors there, the story could have been wrapped up with the explanation that the Avengers that were wanted managed to acquire asylum from T’Challa at Wakanda while Tony Stark’s group would now do their heroics legitimately.
When Doctor Strange was training to become one of the Masters of the Mystic Arts, the Avengers had broken up for good and outer space heroes Guardians of the Galaxy were happily working as a team. It meant the only threat to the MCU at the time was Dormammu, whom Doctor Strange encountered in the Dark Dimension.
The protagonist managed to bargain for the Earth by making Dormammu promise he wouldn’t threaten the world. Even the post-credits scene of Doctor Strange assisting Thor in finding Odin worked in an open-ended way where viewers could assume they were successful. It was a positive note that the series had the potential to conclude on.
It was the bleakest ending so far in the MCU, but Thanos’ successful execution of the Snap to complete his mission was also a conclusion of sorts. After all, there was no future in sight at the time, as Thanos managed to cull half of all life in the universe, leaving the heroes defeated.
The overarching plotline of collecting the Infinity Stones had also come to an end when Thanos brought them all together to complete the Infinity Gauntlet. The last shot of Thanos smiling at accomplishing his goal can very well be seen as the finale if fans want to perceive it that way.
This is where fans might have accepted an end to the MCU if Marvel really wanted it to happen. The Infinity War was brought to a close when Tony Stark eliminated Thanos and his forces, with everyone that had perished in the Snap also brought back to life.
The Avengers had accomplished their purpose of saving the universe and disbanded, leaving no reason for the team to go on. Tony Stark, who was the genesis of the series, was given a hero’s farewell and the remaining original Avengers also got resolutions to their stories. Had the MCU intended to be a story with a set beginning and ending, this would be the definitive conclusion.
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