Scenes were bound to get cut from Avengers: Endgame considering how big the project ended up being, but I still wish that one particular fight sequence had made the cut. Endgame is the longest film that the MCU has ever put out at a runtime of 3 hours and 1 minute, though it was completely understandable considering how big of an event it was. The culmination of the Infinity Saga, Avengers: Endgame marked the end of a major era for the franchise, and it’s no wonder that it received such a big-scale project.
Despite 3 hours of content, it still doesn’t feel like enough considering the sheer amount of characters in Avengers: Endgame. The half of the Avengers who fell victim to the Snap in Infinity War returned for the final act of Endgame, though it meant that their screen time was limited. So much was happening in the battle against Thanos, but the film tried its best to give every character in the battle a moment to shine. One of the coolest team-ups was unfortunately cut from the final film, but this MCU actor still considers it part of his character’s backstory.
Avengers: Endgame Almost Featured 1 Cut Scene With M’Baku, Drax & T’Challa
M’Baku And Drax Helped Cover T’Challa
In 2023, actor Winston Duke posted a cut Endgame scene featuring his character M’Baku, T’Challa, and Drax. All three characters had disappeared during the Snap, so the Battle of Earth was their chance to help defeat Thanos. In the clip that Duke posted to Instagram, T’Challa is running with the Infinity Gauntlet while members of Thanos’ army chase after him. M’Baku and Drax step in with their weapons to provide cover as T’Challa manages to escape.
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It’s a shame that the scene was cut from Avengers: Endgame considering how they were all characters who were sidelined for most of the movie. However, it’s ultimately understandable considering how much was already occurring on the battlefield. The fact that Duke thought to post the clip four years after Endgame’s release is already a treat in itself, and it really goes to show how much work was put into that film beyond the scenes that made the final cut.
Winston Duke’s Comments About The Avengers: Endgame Scene Make It Even More Special
The Actor Considers The Cut Scene Canon
When M’Baku was first introduced in 2018’s Black Panther, his character’s purpose was to round out the world of Wakanda. He ended up being well-received by fans and returned in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame to help the Avengers fight Thanos. Since then, M’Baku returned once again in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and is confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. With T’Challa gone and Shuri stepping up as Black Panther, M’Baku will likely play a much bigger role as an ally.
Duke’s caption on his initial 2023 post feels even more special now, knowing that M’Baku will be a character who consistently returns in the MCU. He said that even though the scene was ultimately cut from Avengers: Endgame, he still considers it part of M’Baku’s backstory. M’Baku fighting in the Battle of Earth being considered canon adds an extra layer of depth to the character, and it will make his return in Doomsday even more interesting as it won’t be his first time fighting a big threat alongside the Avengers.
Why The Avengers: Endgame Scene Makes So Much Sense For The MCU Movie
The MCU Has Always Been About Team-Ups
The beauty of the MCU’s larger team-up films is that heroes from different franchises get to interact with each other. T’Challa and M’Baku obviously already know each other, but seeing the two Wakandans fight so seamlessly with Drax, a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy whom they’d never met before, embodies how everyone in Avengers: Endgame was fighting towards a shared goal. The scene was ultimately cut, but it’s nice to know that these sorts of team-ups were happening everywhere on the battlefield.
The MCU’s Avengers films are at their best when heroes from different groups join together. It obviously elevates the films into becoming major blockbuster events, but it also does wonders for the MCU’s world-building. The MCU was always supposed to be a shared universe, and nothing embodies the franchise more than the crossover of its different heroes. Although the scene between M’Baku, Drax, and T’Challa ultimately had to be cut from Avengers: Endgame, it’s heartwarming to know that it can still meaningfully contribute to the character’s backstory in some way.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Thunderbolts*
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
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Avengers: Doomsday
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Spider-Man: Brand New Day
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Avengers: Secret Wars