Just got out. Damn... Thought it was fantastic, and an incredible achievement in building up to this for 10 years and then balancing out so many characters and story archs. Probably the most intense film I can remember seeing.
And TC, I love you man, and while I do get what you're saying... I just don't think most people (myself included) feel the way you do.
Of course we know Black Panther, and Star Lord, and Peter Parker... aren't dead. But most people don't follow this stuff the way this board and we do. The lady next to me, who was audibly crying, probably has no idea that Spider Man has a sequel coming. But she does know that she just watched a kid die in his mentor/idol/father-figure's arms, in an incredibly delivered moment by Tom Holland...
Of course I know he's coming back, but that scene got to me. It felt like real weight and consequence to me for now. And I trust Marvel enough to figure out how to handle it well and to not feel like a cop out. And I also trust them to handle their characters moving forward, even though I agree that it's going to be pretty tough to have Spider Man 2: Advanced Placement, with Peter Parker fighting The Scorpion, after he just died in space against Thanos... I'll worry about that down the road. For right now, all I know is I just watched a 15 year old kid die in a truly heartbreaking way.
Marvel movies are fun, sometimes to a fault and people don't think there's any consequence. Well the bad guy just won. We know he won't win in the long run, but the **** just hit the fan. And the characters we've loved and gotten attached to for a decade are either dead or completely broken. This movie delivered. And again, balancing it the way it did, the sheer ambition of it all... just an incredible feat.
And for all those complaints about Marvel having bland, one dimensional, one off villains... well boy did they make up for it. Thanos was flat out incredible. That's how you live up to a billing.