On April 9, I started a two-week mission to binge the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe in chronological order, not release order, ahead of the release of Avengers: Endgame. I had seen them all before but decided that it was the only fitting way to prepare myself for what was being hyped up as the biggest cinematic event in the 21st Century. Family dinners and homework deadlines were missed on several occasions, and I felt like a complete couch potato. But it was all worth it; my Marvel binge was the perfect refresher and warmup for Endgame. Then, at 9 P.M. on April 25, I arrived at Regal 10 Cinemas for the 10 P.M. showing of Endgame.

The parking lot was full. And by full, I mean I almost had to park at an entirely different shopping center. The line had already started at the ticket booth, and as people came out of the theater after watching the earlier showing, we all clenched our fists hoping one of them wouldn’t dare to spoil something.

I physically trembled out of pure excitement. I had been waiting for this movie ever since we first saw Thanos’ purple testicular chin in a mid-credits scene in the first Avengers movie. We filed into the theater and attempted to mentally prepare ourselves for what we were about to witness.

I won’t spoil anything, but Endgame hits you in the gut from the very first scene. Marvel movies always specialized in mixing comedy with the superhero genre, but even more than in Infinity War, Endgame is darker overall. Viewers of superhero films are so acclimated to seeing superheroes spend the majority of their story on the winning side. But after Thanos’s snap at the end of Infinity War, the remaining Avengers start out as the losers. It is a surprisingly powerful change from the narrative we are accustomed to.

Endgame is three hours. It is a behemoth of a film and I’d highly recommend you do NOT buy any drinks at the theater. You will regret it about two hours in. But all three hours are important, and the movie never gets boring. I will admit that some scenes were not necessary and were definitely just fan pleasers, but they were still exciting nonetheless.

Darker tone and three-hour length are not the only unprecedented aspects of Endgame. The movie breaks the mold of Hollywood in so many other ways. Endgame — for a superhero movie — was surprisingly unpredictable overall. I found myself surprised with what was happening and more often than not was unable to accurately predict what was going to happen next.

Among all the intense action, Marvel still found a way to also be comedic and culturally significant. One of my favorite moments in the film (not a spoiler) happens early on, when two of the heroes visit Thor in “New Asgard.” New Asgard is a coastal town in Europe that is the new home of the Asgardians. The two characters ride into the coastal town in the back of a small green truck with light music playing in the background. Sound familiar? That is because this is Marvel poking fun at DC’s Aquaman, which contains a very similar scene.

On the note of cultural significance, Endgame is the first Marvel film to have an openly gay character. Many media outlets are criticizing the directors for doing “too little, too late,” and say the scene with the gay character was underwhelming. In my opinion, I think everyone has to start somewhere, and it was an acceptable (but not exceptional) first step for the MCU. The character is actually a cameo appearance by one of the film’s directors, Joe Russo.

Speaking of cameos, Endgame is the last time we will ever get to see Stan Lee appear in a Marvel film. The cameo was a wonderful moment that was met with an uproar of cheers from the entire audience.

While I don’t buy the hype of people who claim it’s the best movie they’ve ever seen, I do think Endgame is a cinematic event for the ages. It is one of the best movies of the decade without a doubt, partly because of its significance as the conclusion of such a big saga, but also simply because it is a damn good movie. Tears will be shed, voices will go hoarse, and blood pressure will spike to unhealthy levels, but it is all worth it.

While it hurt to say goodbye to some of the most beloved characters of my childhood, I am excited to essentially hit the reset button and for Marvel to get started on its next saga, which will mark the beginning of Phase 4 (Endgame was the conclusion to Phase 3). Endgame gets a 9.5/10 from me, and if you have not seen it yet, drop what you are doing this second and go to a theater. I only hope that whatever Marvel decides to do next, they are able to make it just as powerful as the Infinity Saga.

Farewell Avengers.