10 Movie Sequels That Started In Surprising Ways

2. Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame Captain Marvel Thanos
Disney

Avengers: Endgame was expected to be an epic battle for the ages between Thanos and the remaining members of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

With the Mad Titan having snapped half of the universe out of existence at the close of Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame was all about the remaining heroes putting a stop to Thanos and somehow reversing his maniacal scheme. Once it was announced that this 22nd MCU picture was to clock in at the three-hour mark, many presumed that the war between Thanos and the Avengers would play out in the film's final act.

So, when Endgame's lengthy opening sequence did what it did, that left moviegoers with their jaws agape.

In simple terms, Avengers: Endgame opens with Captain Marvel rescuing Iron Man and Nebula from space, herding together the remaining Avengers, the group collectively deciding to go and kill Thanos... and succeeding, with Thor beheading the rogue.

Of course, we did still get a final act Thanos vs. Avengers battle, with Avengers: Endgame bringing time-travel into play in order to have the 2014 version of Thanos take centre-stage and square off with the likes of Cap, Stark, Hulk et al. Still, seeing the Eternal–Deviant decapitated in what was essentially the picture's prologue? Yeah, that was quite the shocker.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.