I had never been one for superhero movies. When a very in-character turn of events led to me watching nearly 20 Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies in a week-and-a-half, my friends thought I was crazy. None of them expected me to fall utterly in love with every part of the MCU. They were all wrong.

Just a year ago, I left the movie theater on the opening day of Avengers: Infinity War, my face still puffy and red from crying, followed by my mother who had just spent the last twenty minutes laughing at me. However, as traumatized as I was by the ending, I could not wait for the next movie. I had developed a deep affection for every character in the cast, and I was itching with anticipation to discover where their final journeys would land them.

I booked my opening night tickets to Avengers: Endgame the day they were released. I read an embarrassing number of fan theories. I remained alert for trailers and over-analyzed every scene of them once they were released. Everything in the MCU was leading up to this moment. This was the endgame.

As I entered the movie theater on opening night, complete with snacks, blankets, and my best friends, I knew that there was no way I knew what was coming next and that there was no way that I was prepared for it. Yet, as much as I was aware of this fact, I was still shocked at how Endgame blew me out of the water.

From the moment the Marvel Studios logo appeared on the screen to the moment the credits rolled three hours later, I was completely entranced. The movie was action-packed, fast-paced, astonishing, but down-right confusing at times.

There were certainly no lulls in the movie, as every single second of the three hours was filled with vital and fascinating content. While it was nice to feel that no time had been wasted, it made for some slightly confusing moments and points in the storyline. I initially chalked it up to plot holes, but upon further inspection, I realized every action had justifiable explanations and reasoning behind it.

Despite my initial confusion, I realized a lot of the “plot holes” were intriguing aspects that enhanced the quality of the movie. The fast-paced nature of the movie may require a second viewing for it to be fully understood, but it’s necessary for the quality of the story. Not only that, but it was also highly impressive.

It was satisfying to watch a series that had been so elaborately planned and executed assemble to create a final masterpiece that tied in plot points from movies created years ago. Once I grasped the full complexity of the movie’s initially puzzling aspects, I realized how much time, talent, and effort it must have required from the writers and directors to piece together such a tremendous and outstanding production.

I was also impressed by the movie’s ability to shift me from sobbing to laughing in a split second. I cannot describe my experience any better than a very emotional rollercoaster. And while I may have more intense emotions than the average viewer, the writers knew exactly what would touch the audience’s emotions and played that knowledge to their advantage.

I would say that my favorite aspect of the movie, however, was the way that each of the individual main Avengers’ character arcs came full circle by the end of the movie. I can’t delve much deeper into that claim without spoiling anything, but I will say that each character’s ending, while at times unexpected, made sense with their previous experiences and actions.

My favorite scene of the movie—don’t worry I won’t spoil—occurred within the last 45 minutes and was everything fans of the franchise deserved. And when the movie came to a close, despite the river of tears I had just cried, I realized that Endgame was the perfect ending to one of the best cinematic franchises.

But regardless of mine or anyone else’s opinions about the movie, it has undoubtedly been a success. Avengers: Endgame has made an estimated $1.2 billion in its opening weekend making it the biggest global opening in film history. It has a 95% critic review on Rotten Tomatoes, and fans predict that it will beat Avatar for the top box office movie of all time.

While it took me some time to come to terms with the events of the movie and to formulate my opinions, I can now say with certainty that Avengers: Endgame was the perfect conclusion to a franchise so many adored. I am eager to visit the theater again and rewatch the movie with newfound knowledge and a fresh perspective.

However, the MCU isn’t finished. Marvel concludes Phase 3 of their franchise with Spider-Man: Far From Home in July. After that, Phase 4 will begin, telling the stories of a new generation of superheroes. This new phase will include movies such as Black Widow, Guardians of the Galaxy 3, and Black Panther 2.

Many of Marvel’s beloved characters will also be appearing in their own individual TV shows on Disney’s new streaming service, set to release in November. Already, shows about Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Scarlet Witch and Vision (Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany), and Falcon and The Winter Soldier (Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan) are said to be in the works. Other possibilities are just brimming under the surface.

So if you really think about it, Endgame isn’t the end. It may be concluding the time we’ve spent with certain beloved characters, but it’s opening the door for a whole slew of other characters that fans will come to know and love. Avengers: Endgame is really the beginning; it’s the beginning of an exciting new adventure, full of new stories and new characters. And I, for one, can’t wait to begin this adventure.