Chapter Text
EXT. BARTON HOME - BACKYARD - MORNING
CLOSE-UP on an arrow tip, nocked on a wooden bow. Cicadas chirp in the background.
CLINT BARTON (O.S.)
Okay, hold on. Don’t shoot.
Lila Barton is holding the bow with the arrow pulled back, aiming at something.
CLINT BARTON (CONT’D)
You see where you’re going?
LILA BARTON
Mhm.
CLINT BARTON
Okay. Now let’s worry about how you get there.
Clint comes up to Lila’s left side and starts adjusting her stance. He nudges her foot with his to widen her stance; noticeably, he has the house arrest anklet on.
CLINT BARTON (CONT’D)
Point your toe this way.
She lowers the bow, and he adjusts her shoulders gently too.
CLINT BARTON
Your hips here. Okay?
(beat)
Can you see?
LILA BARTON
Yeah.
CLINT BARTON
You sure?
LILA BARTON
Mhm.
Clint playfully puts Lila’s hair in front of her face.
CLINT BARTON
How ‘bout now? Can you see now? No.
Lila giggles, and Clint chuckles too and lets her hair go.
PULL BACK: they’re facing a target on a tree. In the background, the younger boys are playing catch with a baseball and gloves, and Laura Barton is at a picnic table making food.
CLINT BARTON (CONT’D)
Ready? Three fingers.
Over at the table, Laura smiles, watching them.
Nathaniel, the youngest, tosses a baseball to his older brother Cooper.
COOPER BARTON
Nice!
LAURA BARTON
Nice throw, kiddo!
Laura calls out to Clint and Lila.
LAURA BARTON (CONT ’D)
Hey, you guys want mayo or mustard or both?
LILA BARTON
(quietly, to Clint)
Who puts mayo on a hot dog?
CLINT BARTON
Probably your brothers.
(to Laura)
Uh, two mustard please! Thanks mama!
LAURA BARTON
Got it! Nate, mayo or mustard?
NATHANIEL BARTON
How ‘bout ketchup?
LAURA BARTON
Or ketchup. I got ketchup too.
Lila takes aim at the target again, pulling back on the bow.
CLINT BARTON
Mind your elbow ...
Lila lets the arrow fly, and it hits right in the bullseye.
CLINT BARTON
Good job, Hawkeye!
(high-fives Lila)
Go get your arrow.
Lila walks towards the tree, off screen.
LAURA BARTON
Hey guys, enough practice! Soup’s on!
CLINT BARTON
Alright. We’re comin’, we’re hungry!
Clint turns around to talk to Lila, but suddenly, she’s nowhere to be seen. There’s only dust blowing gently in the wind.
CLINT BARTON (CONT’D)
Lila, let’s go.
(beat)
Lila? Honey?
Clint starts looking around for her, but–of course–she’s not there.
CLINT BARTON (CONT’D)
(to Laura)
Hey babe?
Clint looks towards where the boys and Laura were, but they’re gone too. The scene is eerily silent now–no cicadas to be heard.
Clint’s face shutters into spy mode; he realizes something is wrong. Thunder rumbles in the distance.
CLINT BARTON (CONT’D)
Babe? Babe?!
Clint jogs forward and whistles, and the camera jogs with him. He gets to the table, but there’s no one to find.
CLINT BARTON (CONT’D)
Boys? Boys! Laura?!
BLACK SCREEN
Thunder rumbles.
TITLE: MARVEL STUDIOS LOGO ANIMATION
MUSIC: the opening of “Dear Mr. Fantasy” b y Traffic.
INT. THE BENATAR - LOWER DECK
The music continues, but fades into the scene. Tony Stark and Nebula are sitting at the lower deck’s table across from each other. Nebula’s in her usual suit, and Tony is in the ratty remains of a hoodie with mussed hair. He looks a little skinnier.
CLOSE-UP on Tony’s hands: he’s balancing a triangular piece of metal in the shape of a paper football on the table. Nebula has her fingers angled in a “goal post” position on the table across from him, and he lines up the metal piece and flicks it towards her.
Nebula grunts and knocks it away in reaction, and Tony jumps.
TONY STARK
You don’t need to do that. Because, uh ...
(demonstrates with his fingers)
You’re just holding the position.
Nebula lines up a piece of her own and grunts again as she flicks it towards Tony. The piece misses his fingers.
TONY STARK (CONT’D)
That was close.
Nebula grunts and tries again, and this time the piece successfully flicks between Tony’s fingers.
TONY STARK
That’s a goal. We are now one apiece.
NEBULA
(seriously)
I would like to try again.
TIME CUTS:
Nebula tries and misses. Tony tries and misses too. Nebula tries again, and misses again.
TONY STARK
We’re tied up. Feel the tension?
(waves between them)
It’s fun.
Nebula leans over the table and sets up a goal again. Tony flicks and misses.
TONY STARK (CONT’D)
That was terrible. Now you have a chance to win.
Nebula flicks a shot, and it finally flies through Tony’s fingers again. A goal!
TONY STARK (CONT’D)
Aaaand you’ve won.
Nebula sits back almost in shock, like she can’t believe she won something and her opponent is admitting it.
TONY STARK (CONT’D)
Congratulations, fair game. Good sport.
Tony offers a handshake. After only a slight hesitation, Nebula takes it and shakes his hand.
TONY STARK (CONT’D)
You have fun?
Nebula thinks about it.
NEBULA
...It was fun.
INT. THE BENATAR - FLIGHT DECK - NIGHT
The flight deck is completely dark in a powerless Benatar, with only an eerie green glow from space lighting the scene.
A mangled Iron Man helmet sits on the floor of the deck.
Tony Stark’s arms enter the shot from the side, fingers dancing on the helmet. He holds it with one hand on each side lightly, reverently, and he clicks it on with a beep . The helmet’s eyes flicker and glow to life.
PULL BACK: Tony is sitting in front of the helmet in a tank-top, looking way worse for wear. He’s got a scruffy beard, and he’s lost a lot of weight; his face is gaunt, muscles atrophied and collarbone prominent. He doesn’t have a lot of time left.
TONY STARK
(tapping the helmet)
This thing on?
The helmet scans him, and Tony leans back against the cockpit seats with a sigh. He talks towards the helmet as it begins to record him.
TONY STARK (CONT’D)
Hey, Miss Potts. Pep.
(beat)
If you find this recording, don’t post it on social media. It’s gonna be a real tearjerker. I don’t know if you’re ever gonna see these. I don’t even know if you’re still ...
(beat)
Oh, God, I hope so.
EXT. SPACE
The dark Benatar lists to the side in space, completely powerless.
TONY STARK (V.O.)
Today’s day... 21? No, uh, 22. You know, if it wasn’t for the existential terror of staring into the literal void of space, I’d say I’m feeling a little better today.
INT. THE BENATAR - GALLEY
FLASHBACK: Tony is lying on the floor, shirt rucked up, and Nebula is healing the massive wound on his stomach from where Thanos stabbed him. She’s holding a metal cylinder that’s emitting a blue light, pointed at the scarred and messy tissue.
TONY STARK (V.O.)
The infection’s run its course, thanks to the blue meanie back there.
Nebula concentrates, face serious as Tony looks on.
TONY STARK (V.O.)
Oh, you’d love her. Very practical. Only a tiny bit sadistic.
TIME CUT:
The floor of the Benatar is open to a mess of coils and machinery. Tony stands amongst it, welding pieces of fuel cells together, sparks flying. Nebula crouches behind him, working with tools and pieces.
TONY STARK (V.O.)
So the fuel cells were cracked during battle ... and we figured out a way to reverse the ion charge.
Nebula hurriedly hands a fuel piece to Tony, and he pushes it into place.
TONY STARK (V.O.)
Bought ourselves about 48 hours of flight time.
EXT. SPACE
From high overhead, we watch a tiny Benatar drift, fittingly shaped like a swallow.
TONY STARK (V.O.)
Uh, but it’s now dead in the water. A thousand light years from the nearest 7-eleven.
INT. THE BENATAR - GALLEY
FLASHBACK: Tony hands Nebula the last little bit of their bagged rations. Nebula just looks at him, and gently pushes the bag back towards him. He needs it more than she does.
TONY STARK (V.O.)
Oxygen will run out tomorrow morning ... and that’ll be it.
As Nebula watches, Tony shrugs and tips the last of the rations out of the bag into his mouth.
EXT. SPACE - BENATAR - FLIGHT DECK
FLASHBACK: Tony leans against the edge of the glass inside the dark flight deck, looking out into the unknown of space.
TONY STARK (V.O.)
Pep, I know I said no more surprises ... but I gotta say I was really hoping to pull off one last one. But it looks like ...
(beat)
Well, you know what it looks like.
INT. THE BENATAR - FLIGHT DECK - NIGHT
Back to now. Tony has his head in his hands, dejected and exhausted.
TONY STARK
Don’t feel bad about this. I mean, actually, if you grovel for a couple weeks ... and then move on with enormous guilt ...
(long pause)
I should probably lie down for a minute, go rest my eyes.
Tony sighs and lifts his gaze to look at the helmet one last time–and, in his mind, at Pepper.
TONY STARK
Please know ... when I drift off, it’ll be like every night lately. I’m fine, totally fine.
(taps helmet)
I dream about you.
(whispering )
Because it’s always you.
He reaches forward to switch the helmet off, hands lingering.
Groaning softly, Tony struggles into his jacket. His movements are sluggish; this is taking all the energy he has.
Slowly, he lies down onto his side right there on the floor, head pillowed on his arm.
FADE TO:
Sometime later as Tony lies there, Nebula walks up to him. Gently, she turns him over, checking to make sure he’s still alive.
TIME CUT:
Carefully, Nebula places Tony’s ailing body into one of the cockpit’s seats, so he’s sitting up and facing out the window with dignity. He’s so exhausted he barely stirs, eyes still closed.
Nebula looks down at him, and it’s clear that she’s sad in her own way; she cares about this man who showed her kindness. Her hand lingers on his shoulder before she slips away, quietly giving him his peace.
CLOSE-UP on Tony’s face as he sits in silence, eyes closed and waiting for his last moments. His face is tinged with the green light of nearby galaxies outside the cockpit window.
But gradually... that green light warms and turns brighter, and brighter, until he’s fluttering his eyes open and raising his hand to block the unavoidable glow.
Tony blinks, disoriented, but slowly his bloodshot eyes focus on what’s outside the window. It’s a blindingly-bright orange glow, hovering right outside the glass, and it slowly dims to reveal–
Captain Marvel, smiling as she looks at Tony.
INT. AVENGERS COMPOUND - BATHROOM - NIGHT
A hand holding a razor rinses it off under a faucet.
Steve Rogers, in a white tank-top, is standing at a sink in a bathroom with backlit mirrors. There’s bits of shaving cream on his jaw because he’s just finished shaving off his beard.
Steve stares at himself in the mirror as he finishes up. The focus is on him as he inspects his jaw and meets his own eyes in the mirror. Then, Steve looks past his own face to the reflection of the doorway as someone walks in.
IN MIRROR: focus on Natasha Romanoff’s reflection, standing behind him.
NATASHA ROMANOFF
Haven’t seen that jawline in awhile.
Steve sighs as he pats his face with a towel. He turns around to face her, leaning back heavily against the counter.
STEVE ROGERS
Neither has the public.
Natasha smiles ruefully in understanding. Steve is bringing the “Captain America” face back, for a public that's desperate for hope.
NATASHA ROMANOFF
Think they’re gonna need it?
STEVE ROGERS
I think they’re gonna need everything we can give.
Suddenly, the razor on the counter and the room at large starts shaking a little, a faint roaring sound overhead. Steve and Natasha both look around and at the ceiling, and then they exchange wide-eyed looks of tentative hope.
EXT. AVENGERS COMPOUND - NIGHT
The Benatar makes a slow descent towards Earth, propelled by a tiny, glowing Captain Marvel.
On the ground, Natasha, Steve, Bruce Banner, James Rhodes, and Rocket run outside to stare upwards.
Carefully, Carol lands with the ship so it rests safely on the ground.
CUT TO:
Nebula helps a weak Tony move down the steps of the Benatar’s ramp. Steve runs up immediately, taking over from Nebula and helping him walk.
Tony breathes heavily but leans into Steve gratefully as they stumble along.
TONY STARK
I couldn’t stop him.
STEVE ROGERS
Neither could I.
Tony stops walking abruptly and turns to Steve, distraught.
TONY STARK
I lost the kid.
He says it like he has to, like it’s a confession. It’s the first time he’s said it out loud.
STEVE ROGERS
I...
Steve swallows, debating whether or not to confess his grief in kind. Tony searches his face, and he comes to a realization.
TONY STARK
Is Barnes...
STEVE ROGERS
Yeah.
Pause. As Tony absorbs that, Steve looks uncomfortable. There’s a lot of ways this conversation could go.
STEVE ROGERS
Look, Tony ...
Tony takes a deep breath.
TONY STARK
I’m sorry.
Steve understands the full meaning, and his face crumples. Tony’s sorry for Steve’s loss, but he’s also sorry in general, for everything that happened.
STEVE ROGERS
(softly)
So am I.
After the end of the universe, apologies come easier.
They look at each other for a moment longer, and then Pepper Potts runs up. Immediately, Tony gasps a little and sways towards her.
PEPPER POTTS
(tearfully)
Oh, my God–
Pepper and Tony clutch at each other, grateful. Tony pulls back and kisses Pepper’s temple, reassuring her.
TONY STARK
(whispering)
It’s okay.
On each side of Tony now, Pepper and Steve help him move forward.
CUT TO:
Nebula is sitting on the steps of the ramp, hunched in on herself. Rocket walks up to her slowly.
ROCKET
Nebula?
Nebula looks up at him, but she quickly looks away again, miserable.
NEBULA
I couldn’t save them. I’m sorry.
She’s answering the question she knows he’ll ask, but there’s a lot she isn’t saying. Rocket’s eyes fill with tears, but he just climbs up on the steps to sit beside her and leans into her shoulder.
ROCKET
I thought I was alone.
NEBULA
Me too.
Rocket puts his paw on top of Nebula’s hand. Nebula stiffens, but after a moment she turns her hand to hold his paw and leans into him. They huddle together, in shared grief.
INT. AVENGERS COMPOUND - COMMON ROOM - DAY
Carol and Steve watch as holo-displays cycle through pictures of the missing/vanished.
JAMES RHODES (O.S.)
It’s been 23 days since Thanos came to Earth.
The displays show pictures and names: Stephen Strange, James Barnes, Erik Selvig, Samuel Wilson...
NATASHA ROMANOFF (O.S.)
World governments are in pieces.
Hope van Dyne, Wanda Maximoff, Henry Pym, Scott Lang...
NATASHA ROMANOFF (CONT’D, O.S.)
The parts that are still working are trying to take a census.
Peter Parker. Tony watches, upset. He’s connected to an IV, looking frail and devastatingly thin in an open robe. His ribs are visible, and he has scruff on his face, unkempt overall. He looks away from the display screens as they continue to cycle through more people: Shuri, T’Challa...
NATASHA ROMANOFF (CONT’D, O.S.)
And it looks like he did... exactly what he said he was going to do.
Carol watches as Nick Fury’s name and picture comes on the screen.
NATASHA ROMANOFF
Thanos wiped out fifty percent of all living creatures.
A heavy pause on everyone. A quietly devastated Thor is sitting alone on a bench, to the side.
TONY STARK
Where is he now? Where?
STEVE ROGERS
We don't know. He just opened a portal and walked through.
Tony makes a frustrated sound, and then glances over. He points at Thor.
TONY STARK
What's wrong with him?
Thor is seemingly deep in thought, wringing his hands and ignoring them all.
ROCKET
He's pissed. He thinks he failed.
Tony stares at Rocket.
ROCKET (CONT’D)
Which, of course he did. But there's a lot of that goin' around, ain't there?
TONY STARK
Honestly, until this exact second, I thought you were a Build-A-Bear.
ROCKET
Maybe I am.
STEVE ROGERS
We've been hunting Thanos for three weeks now. Deep space scans, satellites, and we got nothing.
(beat)
Tony, you fought him...
TONY STARK
Who told you that? I didn't fight him. No, he wiped my face with a planet while the Bleecker Street Magician gave away the stone.
STEVE ROGERS
(humoring him)
Okay.
TONY STARK
That's what happened. There was no fight .
STEVE ROGERS
Did he give you any clues, any coordinates, anything?
Tony makes a “pffftt” sound. He’s slowly becoming unhinged. We see Steve and Natasha’s reactions: slightly exasperated, but unsurprised. Tony’s not okay.
TONY STARK
I saw this coming, a few years back. Had a vision. Didn't wanna believe it. Thought I was dreaming.
STEVE ROGERS
Tony, I'm gonna need you to focus.
TONY STARK
And I needed you . As in past tense. That trumps what you need.
Steve’s face is both frustrated and sad, all at once.
TONY STARK (CONT’D)
It's too late buddy. Sorry. You know what I need?
Tony stands up unsteadily, causing things on the table to clatter, and everyone flinches.
TONY STARK (CONT’D)
I need to shave. And I believe I remember telling you –
Tony goes to rip off his IV as he talks, and Rhodey speaks over him.
JAMES RHODES
Tony, Tony... Tony, stop!
TONY STARK
–that what we needed was a suit of armor around the world! Remember that? Whether it impacted our precious freedom or not, that's what we needed!
STEVE ROGERS
Well, that didn't work out, did it?
TONY STARK
I said, "We'll lose.” You said, "We'll do that together too." And guess what, Cap? We lost. You weren't there. But that's what we do, right? Our best work after the fact?
Tony’s becoming more unsteady on his feet, and Rhodey moves to hold him up.
TONY STARK (CONT’D)
We're the Avengers? We're the A- vengers. Not the PRE - vengers, right?
JAMES RHODES
Okay–
TONY STARK
Right?
JAMES RHODES
You made your point. Just sit down, okay?
TONY STARK
No, no, no.
(struggling against Rhodey )
Here’s my point.
JAMES RHODES
Just ... Sit down!
Tony waves to Carol.
TONY STARK
She's great, by the way.
(to Carol)
We need you. You're new blood.
JAMES RHODES
Tony!
Tony breaks away from Rhodey and stumbles towards Steve, right into his face. He’s fully unhinged, every bit of hurt coming out to play now.
TONY STARK
(bitingly)
Bunch of tired old mills! I got nothing for you, Cap! I got no coordinates, no clues, no plan, no options. Zero. Zip. Nada. No trust. Liar .
Steve is visibly affected by Tony’s words, looking at him with hurt, but he doesn’t move. He has something to say back.
STEVE ROGERS
(quietly)
Tony, I gave you a phone in case you needed me. When Bruce called, I answered.
Tony recoils with an unbalanced twitch. He turns away slightly, breathing raggedly, and there’s a complex play of emotions on his face; the anger disappears to show fear and sadness, for just a moment, eyes closed.
This is something he doesn’t want to think about or face: the idea that for all his yelling at Steve, it’s partially projection. Tony feels guilt just as much as anyone else, and he’s lashing out to avoid thinking about it. Steve’s well aware of that, too.
STEVE ROGERS
Tony–
Tony grits his teeth and turns back around. He rips his nanotech Arc Reactor off of his chest, and grabs Steve’s hand to slap it into his palm, shaking.
TONY STARK
(breathing hard)
Here, take this. You find him, and you put that on. You hide .
Abruptly, Tony’s legs fold under him and he collapses to the ground. Everyone makes aborted motions forward to help.
JAMES RHODES
Tony!
TONY STARK
(gasping)
I'm fine. I ...
Tony passes out on the floor.
Boom.
INT. AVENGERS COMPOUND - CORRIDOR - DAY
The team looks through glass doors at Tony unconscious on a bed, with Pepper and Rhodey by his side. Rhodey and Pepper exchange a sad look as Rhodey steps out to join everyone else, shoulders heavy.
JAMES RHODES
Bruce gave him a sedative. He's gonna be out for the rest of the day.
Steve ducks his head in acknowledgement, tired and sad.
CAROL DANVERS
(arms folded)
You guys take care of him, and I'll bring Xorrian Elixir when I come back.
Carol strides off purposefully.
STEVE ROGERS
Where are you going?
CAROL DANVERS
(still walking)
To kill Thanos.
Natasha and Steve exchange alarmed glances.
NATASHA ROMANOFF
Hey.
Carol turns back around, unimpressed.
NATASHA ROMANOFF (CONT’D)
You know, we usually work as a team around here, and between you and I, morale is a little fragile.
STEVE ROGERS
We realize “out there” is more of your territory, but this is our fight too.
JAMES RHODES
You even know where he is?
CAROL DANVERS
I know people who might.
NEBULA (O.S.)
Don’t bother.
Carol turns around to see Nebula in the common room doorway behind her.
NEBULA (CONT’D)
I can tell you where Thanos is.
INT. AVENGERS COMPOUND - COMMON ROOM - DAY
Nebula stands near a window, looking into the distance as she speaks.
NEBULA
Thanos spent a long time trying to perfect me. Then when he worked, he talked about his great plan. Even disassembled, I wanted to please him. I'd ask, "Where would we go once this plan was complete?" And his answer was always the same.
She walks over to a table with a holographic device and leans over it. Rocket stands on the table by her side.
NEBULA (CONT’D)
To the Garden.
The other Avengers look on, including Bruce and Thor now. Bruce is in the back of the room, and Thor is sitting at a nearby table.
JAMES RHODES
( folding his arms )
That's cute. Thanos has a retirement plan.
STEVE ROGERS
So where is he?
Rocket activates the holo-display, showing Earth.
ROCKET
When Thanos snapped his fingers, Earth became ground zero for a power surge of ridiculously cosmic proportions. No one's ever seen anything like it.
The holo-display demonstrates the power surge he’s talking about.
ROCKET (CONT’D)
Until two days ago, on this planet.
The holo changes to a different planet, with a visible shockwave emanating from it.
NEBULA
Thanos is there.
Natasha leans forward to look at it intently.
NATASHA ROMANOFF
He used the stones again.
Bruce steps forward from the back of the room.
BRUCE BANNER
Hey hey hey, we'd be going in short-handed, you know?
JAMES RHODES
Look, he's still got the stones, so ...
CAROL DANVERS
So let's get him. We'll use them to bring everyone back.
JAMES RHODES
(skeptical)
Just like that?
STEVE ROGERS
Yeah. Just like that.
Steve looks up at Carol and she nods at him. They understand each other.
NATASHA ROMANOFF
Even if there's a small chance that we can undo this... I mean, we owe it to everyone who's not in this room to try.
BRUCE BANNER
If we do this, how do we know it's gonna end any differently than it did before?
CAROL DANVERS
Because before, you didn't have me.
JAMES RHODES
Hey, new girl, everyone here is about that superhero life. And if you don't mind my askin’, where the hell have you been all this time?
CAROL DANGERS
There are a lot of other planets in the universe. And unfortunately, they didn't have you guys.
Rhodey and Steve exchange glances. That’s fair; she has a point.
Thor stands up from the table where he’s been watching, and he walks over to Carol to evaluate her. He holds his hand up to call Stormbreaker to him, and the weapon flies past Carol, missing her ear by inches and ruffling her hair.
Carol doesn't even flinch, and stares him down with narrowed eyes. Then she smiles at him a little–almost invitingly, in challenge.
THOR
(decisively)
I like this one.
Carol’s smile widens.
STEVE ROGERS
(looking at the planet)
Let's go get this son of a bitch.
BLACK SCREEN
TITLE: “AVENGERS: ENDGAME”
EXT. SKY
The Benatar takes off.
EXT. EARTH’S ORBIT
Through the cockpit window, we see the team is assembled on the flight deck. Bruce and Nebula are in the seats on the lower level, Rocket and Carol are copiloting up top, and behind them are Natasha, Steve, Rhodey, and Thor.
INT. THE BENATAR - FLIGHT DECK - DAWN
ROCKET
Okay ... who here hasn't been to space?
Natasha, Steve, and Rhodey raise their hands as everyone looks around at each other. Carol’s amused.
JAMES RHODES
Why?
ROCKET
You better not throw up on my ship.
NEBULA
Approaching jump in three ... two...
Steve grips the seat’s armrest for dear life. Natasha braces herself.
NEBULA (CONT’D)
One!
Outside the windshield: they’re warping at lightspeed!
CLOSE-UP on Steve’s wide eye, reflecting the beautiful colors of space.
EXT. SPACE
The Benatar warps through space via a couple of jump points, and emerges from one jump to slow down gently in front of the planet seen on the holo-display earlier.
Carol, all aglow, flies up to hover in front of the Benatar’s windshield.
CAROL (OVER COM)
I’ll head down for a recon.
She jets off in a beautiful burst of light, down towards the planet’s surface.
INT. THE BENATAR - LOWER DECK
Natasha and Steve stand next to each other, tense. Natasha is using a tablet, and Steve is staring down at something in his hands. She glances up, and looks between what he’s holding and his face.
CLOSE-UP on Steve’s hand. He’s tracing dog tags with his thumb, and we can just barely see that they’re labeled “JAMES B BARNES” and “SAMUEL WILSON.”
Natasha studies him.
NATASHA ROMANOFF
This is gonna work, Steve.
STEVE ROGERS
I know it will.
(looks at her)
Because I don’t know what I’m gonna do if it doesn’t.
INT. THE BENATAR - FLIGHT DECK
Outside the glass, Carol approaches the Benatar and hovers in front of it again.
CAROL DANVERS (OVER COM)
(confused)
No satellites, no ships, no armies ... no ground defenses of any kind. It's just him.
NEBULA
Then that’s enough.
EXT. THE GARDEN - THANOS' HUT - DAY
Establishing shots of the scenery of the planet. It’s a beautiful oasis, teaming with greenery and life. Amongst it all: a small lodging, with smoke coming from the chimney.
EXT. THE GARDEN - FIELD - DAY
Thanos’ armor hovers in the air, retired like a hollow scarecrow.
CLOSE-UP on the gauntlet on Thanos’ hand as he walks slowly through a field of flowers and fruit. The gauntlet is deformed and charred, molded to his hand. His arm slowly reaches down and pulls a piece of fruit off a plant, and he places it in a full sack by his feet that he then picks up.
We continue to not see his face or much of his body as he sighs, and limps up the wooden stairs to his hut.
INT. THANOS' HUT - DAY
There’s a small fireplace in Thanos’ hut, and he’s standing by a table in the background. It’s clear that Thanos is no longer as strong and formidable as he was; using the stones has weakened him.
He puts spice in a pot that he then carries over to the fire, and as he sits heavily, we finally see him in the light: his left arm is charred and blackened, mostly dead weight, and the charred marks/scars go all the way up to the left side of his face.
Thanos glances up, hearing something... just in time for a beam of energy to CRASH into the hut’s roof!
He puts his arm up and yells but goes down easily. The light is Carol! She’s glowing with energy as she rolls up from the ground and climbs up onto his neck, one foot holding the Gauntlet open.
The Hulkbuster armor BURSTS out of the ground and grabs the Gauntlet arm–
War Machine flies in and grabs the other arm–
and Thor flies in next and SLICES Thanos’ Gauntlet arm off!
Thanos yells in pain and anger. Steve and Natasha stride into the hut as Thanos is held down, grunting and struggling.
CUT TO:
The Gauntlet, on the ground at Rocket’s feet. He rolls it over, and–
The stones are gone.
ROCKET
No ...
Steve and Natasha stare down at the Gauntlet too and exchange glances in dawning fear.
STEVE ROGERS
(to Thanos)
Where are they?
Carol tightens her grip on Thanos’ neck.
CAROL DANVERS
Answer the question.
THANOS
(panting)
The universe... required correction. After that, the stones served no purpose... beyond temptation.
Bruce yells inside the Hulkbuster:
BRUCE BANNER
You murdered trillions!
The Hulkbuster armor slams Thanos to the ground.
THANOS
You should be grateful!
The Hulkbuster armor kicks him.
NATASHA
(shaking)
Where... are the stones?
THANOS
Gone. Reduced to atoms.
BRUCE BANNER
You used them two days ago !
Thanos grits out his response.
THANOS
I used them... to destroy them.
Shots of the others’ faces. They’re beginning to understand.
THANOS (CONT’D)
It nearly ... killed me. But the work is done. It always will be. I am... inevitable.
JAMES RHODES
We have to tear this place apart. He ... he has to be lying.
NEBULA
My father is many things. A liar has never been one of them.
THANOS
(smiling slightly)
Ah... thank you, daughter. Perhaps I treated you too harshly.
Thor yells in rage and swings Stormbreaker with startling suddenness, decapitating Thanos, and the body falls to the floor.
Nebula slowly touches her own cheek with a shaking hand, where gore was splattered.
ROCKET
What ... what did you do?
THOR
(choked up)
I ... went for the head.
Everyone stares down at Thanos’ body with various levels of dawning devastation. Steve’s head is bowed; Natasha’s tearing up. Nebula kneels near Thanos’ head, staring at it with complex emotions, and reaches out to close his eyes.
Thor is the first to walk out, his stride stumbling and aimless. Eventually, everyone else follows him one-by-one, obviously mired in grief and hopelessness as the music swells.
After everyone is gone, our view moves across the hut as the music slowly fades into silence, and the camera keeps moving. With a slight whisper of sound, we go under and into a hiding place, and to the shock the audience...
The soul stone–unbeknownst to the remaining living team members–glimmers where it’s hidden in low light. It’s the only remaining stone.
The audience desperately wants our heroes to turn back around, but there’s nothing for it. They’re gone, with no reason to doubt Thanos’ words, sloppy in their grief.
FADE TO BLACK
TITLE: FIVE YEARS LATER