8 Marvelous Things You’ll Only See on the Avengers: Endgame Blu-Ray Release

For Marvel fans, it's difficult to imagine a film that could be more ambitious, exciting or excellently executed than Avengers: Endgame, so it only makes sense that the physical release of the film is packed with bonus content.

The movie comes out today on 4K/UHD and Blu-Ray, and it includes more than an hour of special features, including mini-documentaries, deleted scenes (including one that'll make you bawl your eyes out), and a hilarious blooper reel. Keep reading to find out what you're missing—unless you haven't seen the movie yet, because there are major spoilers ahead:

'Remembering Stan Lee'

In 2018, we lost the irreplaceable Stan Lee, the comic book creator who launched Marvel way back in 1939 and made the MCU possible. Many fans probably knew him best for his Marvel movie cameos starting all the way back in 2000 with X-Men.

"I'm trying to tie the Marvel universe together by being the one common denominator they all have," Lee explains in this touching featurette that remembers Lee and revisits his many MCU cameos.

"Not only did I not think I would be doing a cameo in such a big movie, I never dreamt there's be such a big movie. In those days, I was writing those books. I was hoping they'd sell so I wouldn't lose my job and I could keep paying the rent. All of a sudden, these characters have become world-famous. They're the subject of blockbuster movies, and I'm lucky enough to get little cameos in them."

-Stan Lee

("Remembering Stan Lee" via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

 

'Setting the Tone: Casting Robert Downey Jr.'

If Marvel Studios hadn't gotten the first Iron Man movie exactly right, we might not have the MCU today. As Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige explains in the video, "We wanted the hero to be as interested out of costume as they are in-costume." The film's success hinged on perfect casting, and casting director Sarah Halley Finn nailed it when she landed on Robert Downey Jr. The featurette also includes RDJ's first Iron Man screen test, which demonstrates exactly why he was born for the role.

"Tell me all the qualities that you think are most important: fast, quick-witted, and funny, and dynamic, and a little bit troubled, and confident and brilliant, and all of these things. And we really kept coming back to Downey."

-Sarah Halley Finn

 

"It really was this perfect storm. I had hypnotized myself into such a state of confidence that I was certain everything we were doing worked and the rest is history."

-Robert Downey Jr.

("Setting the Tone: Casting Robert Downey Jr." via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

 

'A Man Out of Time: Creating Captain America'

Iron Man may have been the hero to start the MCU, but Captain America helped broaden that universe to the realm of superheroes. This featurette discusses not just the origins of the character, but also why it was just as important to get his character right as it was with Tony Stark.

 "I'm not sure we could have done this notion of an interlinked Marvel Cinematic Universe without Captain America. Whether it's bit by a spider, or exposed to gamma rays, the notion of a superpowered human started with Steve Rogers. He is the backbone of the universe."

-Kevin Feige

And not just anyone could have been Steve Rogers, even if Chris Evans was initially hesitant to commit to such a big role.

"When we really distilled the core qualities we wanted out of Captain America, I think there was a moral fiber to him that really isn't something that you act. It's something that you need to possess, and Chris Evans was someone who seemed to inhabit all of those qualities the most. Everyone was in love with the idea of Chris—except Chris. Even Chris' reluctance to be a star spoke to how right he was for the role, because Captain America wasn't looking for the limelight. He was humble. He was modest. He needed to feel that in his bones."

-Sarah Halley Finn

("A Man Out of Time: Creating Captain America" via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

 

'Black Widow: Whatever It Takes'

And then there's Black Widow, who paved the path for so many awesome women superheroes after her. Even though she met a deadly fate in Endgame, she's an iconic Avenger, and the fact that she's getting her own movie next year speaks to the strength of the character.

"We'd like to take this character in every different direction, and I think she certainly encounters her fair share of the Marvel universe. It's nice to be able to play a superheroine who has a past. She's obviously been around for over 40 years and has a real foundation for all different kinds of spinoffs or interactions with other characters. I think the possibilities are really endless."

-Scarlett Johansson

("Black Widow: Whatever It Takes" via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

 

'The Russo Brothers: Journey to Endgame'

Joe and Anthony Russo have directed four of Marvel's biggest films to date, and it's no stretch to say that making Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame would've been impossible without their vision. One featurette focuses on their impact on the MCU and how much their casts have adored working with them.

"Love the Russos. I remember them the first couple days on Winter Soldier. They really felt like the new kids on the playground. Everything they said they were gonna do, they delivered. Their attitude breeds this sort of lightness on set."

-Chris Evans

 

"Infinity War takes people on an epic quest that does everything from entertain and delight you to devastate you emotionally. The success of that film is certainly a testament to the Russo Brothers as a directing team. There's no doubt, it was not an easy task."

-Chris Pratt

 

"The magic trick is they're working with so many actors who have their own relationships to the characters that come from their own parts of the universe, and to make that all into something that feels cohesive is incredible."

-Tessa Thompson

("The Russo Brothers: Journey to Endgame" via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

 

'The Women of the MCU'

Avengers: Endgame was special for a lot of reasons, one of them being the incredible representation of butt-kicking lady heroes. Marvel film producer Victoria Alonso has been part of the MCU since Iron Man, and she's part of why the series is what it is today.

"Every morning I think about every way I can help women have representation and be out there in the world. And for me, I think it's important for women to know that it can be done."

-Victoria Alonso

Of course, the featurette wouldn't be complete if we didn't also hear from some of the actresses who brought those heroines to life.

"It's certainly great to see that the audiences are embracing and are even asking for—begging for—really strong female superheroes. It's wonderful to witness and feel like you've been a part of that growth."

-Scarlett Johansson

 

"I so enjoy being able to be a piece of the puzzle that was a woman who's the head of an army and who was the right hand 'man' of the leader, and seeing how that resonated was really humbling and really moving."

-Danai Gurira

And if you've seen Endgame, you know the big scene that really lets the women of Marvel shine. It was such a favorite that everyone had to see it unfold.

"I usually don't watch playback on the monitor, but I wanted to see that reveal of all the women of Marvel, and I thought it was really powerful, and really exhilarating, and I was thinking of all the young girls in the audience who'll probably feel really inspired by that in one way or another."

-Gwyneth Paltrow

("The Women of the MCU" via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

 

'Bro Thor'

While Endgame was full of all types of shocks and surprises, one of the biggest was when Chris Hemsworth donned a 70-pound fat suit to put an entirely new twist on the character of Thor. The featurette explains the thinking that went into making this drastic change, as well as how they brought it to life onscreen.

"Every aspect to him is broken. It's a tragic thing that's happened, and he's decided, you know what? I'm just going to check out."

-Chris Hemsworth

 

"He's a very depressed, removed Thor, becoming the opposite of what we've known him to be in the past. But the great thing about Thor is there's something in his spirit that stands in contrast to where he's let himself go, physically and emotionally."

-Anthony Russo

("Bro Thor" via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

 

'Steve and Peggy: One Last Dance'

One of the most emotionally resonant conclusions in Endgame was that Steve Rogers finally got to go back in time to be with his true love, Peggy Carter. After so many years of putting his duty first, he eventually realized it was time to reclaim his own life and be happy—with the help of a little time travel.

"He, more than any of the other superheroes, really kind of loses who he was in the process of becoming him. He was a scrawny 90-pound man who gets changed into Captain America, so the old his ceases to exist. There's no life of Steve Rogers that he goes back to. Almost, I get the feeling he'd be more comfortable if he could wear the outfit the whole time, because then he has a persona. Then he knows who he is."

-Christopher Markus

Steve and Peggy's relationship was always built on mutual respect and dedication to their cause. Their pairing was special, which made it especially devastating that they were ripped apart from each other and divided by time.

"Peggy has a career and she has self-respect, and she's pretty sick and tired of lots of men not taking her seriously in the army and playing around with her. I think Peggy relates to someone really fighting for what they believe in, and really having to struggle all the time and prove themselves, and she being a young woman in this environment knows exactly what that feels like. It's not just a normal, everyday love story. There's something else."

-Hayley Atwell

 

"Steve learned a lot from Peggy Carter. If you go back and look at The First Avenger, that is the essential relationship that I think turned him into who he is today—turned him into Captain America."

-Joe Russo

(Avengers: Endgame via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

 

If you're in love with all things Marvel, click HERE to find out which powerful woman from Avengers: Endgame you are, based on your zodiac sign.