AVENGERS: ENDGAME Composer Alan Silvestri On Why The "Portals" Scene Has Had Such A Lasting Impact

Avengers: Endgame marked its five-year anniversary last week, and composer Alan Silvestri has now weighed-in on why he feels the iconic "Portals" scene has had such a lasting impact.

By MarkCassidy - May 08, 2024 11:05 AM EST

Filed Under: Avengers: Endgame

Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame marked its five-year anniversary on April 30, and composer Alan Silvestri has now explained why he feels one sequence in particular has had such a lasting impact.

We are, of course, referring to the "Portals" scene.

During the climactic battle, Thanos manages to defeat Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America - but Steve Rogers isn't about to stay down. As the Sentinel of Liberty dusts himself off and prepares to fight until his last breath, he hears a familiar "on your left," and turns around to see Black Panther and the others recently-revived heroes assembling through Doctor Strange and Wong's mystical portals.

While speaking to Games Radar, Silvestri said he believes this moment has become so beloved and iconic because of what Rogers had experienced in the build-up.

"The spectacle [of Portals] is ultimately overwhelming, but I think it's emotional because we've never seen every ounce of optimism destroyed in Captain America," he says. "In a sense, his soul was dead, he was hopeless, he had given up. We had never seen this in him before. It's almost biblical that in his darkest moment a blessing appears – then another one, then another one."

"So, we start with basically a funeral scene – I'm burying Captain America with this trumpet! From there not only does he come back to life, but everyone in his world is coming to help him. It's just an incredibly powerful image to have Cap rise from the dead, then be supported and surrounded by everyone to vanquish the demon. It’s a very biblical, emotional event that Joe and Anthony [Russo, directors] captured in an unbelievable way."

Silvestri went on to describe what it was like watching the scene with his score added for the first time with directors Joe and Anthony Russo and Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige.

"What was most fun was I knew what it was going to be, but for Sandra [Silvestri's wife] and I to sit there watching Joe [Russo], Anthony [Russo], and Kevin Feige see it for the first time was just breathtaking. In the end, they are my audience, if they don’t like what I do the audience will never see it and hear it."

"It was amazing to see the impact that it had on them," he continued. "They were very concerned about that scene, it was such an important one in the Marvel universe. And when we saw the last element, which was the music, come into it and see wow, that it was really going to do what they were hoping it would do, It was fantastic."

You can have another look at the scene in the player below.

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64 Comments

1 2

DrReedRichards - 5/8/2024, 11:07 AM

An excellent essay on why the music in this scene works, with some much needed background info:

bkmeijer1 - 5/8/2024, 11:38 AM

@DrReedRichards - such a great channel altogether. Don't think they upload that much anymore

DrReedRichards - 5/8/2024, 11:39 AM

@bkmeijer1 -

Yeah, they've sadly been relatiely silent recently. Still, great track record thus far.

GaruVonDoom - 5/8/2024, 4:37 PM

@DrReedRichards - This is why a soundtrack is key to the overall quality and legacy of a film - I hope they tap either Natalie Holt, Ramin Djawadi, or Michael Giacchino for F4 - if we're being conservative.

If we're being idealistic there are far better japanese composers that I'd attach to give the MCU a new sound for a fresh new start, but that'll never happen. I just hope they don't attach Christophe Beck to F4 out of Matt's track record of working with him. His Marvel scores don't leave an impact, unlike Tyler Bates, Henry Jackman, Brian Tyler, the two mentioned, and Alan Silvestri.

Anyone but Christophe, I will not accept average quality for the F4's score.

DrReedRichards - 5/8/2024, 5:37 PM

@GaruVonDoom -

The F4 deserve a John Williams' level compoer, so I'd go with Silvestri. As much as I loved Holt's work on Loki, I feel like the First Family needs this classical old school instrumentation, especially with them being set decades ago.

That said, I'm with you on Beck. His first Ant-Man and his WandaVision works were pretty neat, but the rest were painfully forgettable.

GaruVonDoom - 5/8/2024, 5:40 PM

@DrReedRichards - Absolutely, well said. Mmmm

It's not unusual for scores, but not common in film soundtracks - but I'd love them to incorporate the first half of the OST set in the 60s composed by Silvestri, and the modern MCU sci fi epicness from the potential second half composed by Holt and Silvestri together.

Malatrova15 - 5/8/2024, 11:08 AM

Jobathan Majors is studying music right now he knows how to poay the bass and the curatola so i think hecwill be the next avebgers composer i need medical atention please

HammerLegFoot - 5/8/2024, 11:38 AM

@Malatrova15 - What is your infatuation with Johnathan Majors?

Malatrova15 - 5/8/2024, 11:54 AM

@HammerLegFoot - he waz kang

HammerLegFoot - 5/8/2024, 11:59 AM

@Malatrova15 - But you always bring him up in irrelevant things?

Cleander - 5/8/2024, 11:18 AM

Sometimes i just have to accept that there are ppl that find Captain America interesting. I just fast forward thru most of his scenes after watching it in the cinema.

Izaizaiza - 5/8/2024, 11:25 AM

@Cleander - To each their own, but...

McMurdo - 5/8/2024, 12:04 PM

@Cleander - do you hate America or why don't you find the character interesting? Not suggesting you do thats just the first reason that comes to mind as to why

Fogs - 5/8/2024, 4:25 PM

@Cleander - wait what?

QuietStorm - 5/8/2024, 11:20 AM

Such a great shot..could hear a pin drop in the theater.

https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-b47973cff34e05b0dabfe39116c56a98

Goldboink - 5/8/2024, 12:46 PM

@QuietStorm -
If you didn't shed a tear there I want nothing to do with you.

QuietStorm - 5/8/2024, 12:50 PM

@Goldboink - When Cap gives that sigh of relief...I still lose it. Even watching now my eyes get a bit hot.

CaptainFlapjaks - 5/8/2024, 2:29 PM

@QuietStorm - meanwhile there is me mouthing to myself "holy shit" when that shot happened. That shot needs to be a poster. Easily the best shot in superhero cinema history

QuietStorm - 5/8/2024, 2:37 PM

@CaptainFlapjaks - Soon as you find it, let me know. I can barely even find a good HD wallpaper for it nowadays. THat holy shit movie for me was right here when he called for Mjolnir. I let out a big holy fck! And then we he said assemble....more tears. Damnit here I go again

CaptainFlapjaks - 5/8/2024, 10:41 PM

@QuietStorm - when ge caught mjolnir...i suddenly became mr.burns.

Exxxxcellent *twiddles fingers*

CaptainFlapjaks - 5/8/2024, 10:41 PM

@QuietStorm - or better yet, anakin when he says "this is where the fun begins"

CaptainFlapjaks - 5/8/2024, 10:42 PM

@QuietStorm - also, will do. Gonna be quite the indiana jones quest.

CaptainFlapjaks - 5/8/2024, 10:45 PM

@QuietStorm - also if you have the dvd or digital version you can always take a screenshot, put it in ms paint and save it as a jpeg or something

TheVisionary25 - 5/8/2024, 11:20 AM

That’s certainly a good & valid assessment of it imo…

It’s our heroes , especially Cap on the brink of defeat it seems until hope arrives which is further elevated by the score which amplifies the uplifting nature of the scene.

?si=zhy4zyaTXHw8lWOl

Just a beautiful moment in a monumental film.

HermanM - 5/8/2024, 11:21 AM

The last time we ever saw the real Captain America

McMurdo - 5/8/2024, 12:06 PM

@HermanM - how hyped are you your man Nick Fuentes is back

TheMetaMan - 5/8/2024, 11:24 AM

Easily one of the best cinematic moments in the history of cinema. A truly majestic blend of filmmaking and storytelling.

Super12 - 5/8/2024, 12:08 PM

@TheMetaMan - This scene and the Rohirrim charge at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields in Return of the King are the only contenders for most epic moments in cinema history (IMO)

Goldboink - 5/8/2024, 1:06 PM

@Super12 -
And the Ride of the Rohirrim was goose bumpy even though we knew it was going to happen. They managed to translate what we had in our heads into reality. The Cap moment was a surprise. Probably my two favorite movie moments ever.

TheVisionary25 - 5/8/2024, 11:25 AM

Silvestri is a legend man , his Back to the Future theme especially is one of the most iconic ones in film history.

?si=IcP8ikoJ74-CYoPe

QuietStorm - 5/8/2024, 11:28 AM

@TheVisionary25 - Wow. He did the Predator score too?! Amazing!

TheVisionary25 - 5/8/2024, 11:31 AM

@QuietStorm - yep

Many more too but that’s just a small sample.

?si=MdvIuf26MLaoek8p

QuietStorm - 5/8/2024, 2:41 PM

@TheVisionary25 - I do find myself playing Main on End more than I do Portals. Both are so damn good. But this one here. Whew. More nerd tears!
?si=8rdoSq5-zTT2OiQQ

Izaizaiza - 5/8/2024, 11:27 AM

There are only a handful of scenes where I felt the theater go silent, and then the entire audience either cheered, gasped or screamed. This is one of those scenes. Darth Vader saying "I am your father" was another.

HammerLegFoot - 5/8/2024, 11:40 AM

@Izaizaiza - When I was in theaters when Wanda came back and landed in front of Thanos everyone went freaking nuts. I was like its just wanda calm down guys

bkmeijer1 - 5/8/2024, 11:40 AM

@Izaizaiza - I never experienced that. Maybe the audience is different where I live

Izaizaiza - 5/8/2024, 3:24 PM

@bkmeijer1 - For Endgame or Empire?

bkmeijer1 - 5/8/2024, 3:30 PM

@Izaizaiza - with no movie ever. That's a chuckle or a ''wow'' here and there, but the audience never erupted during any moment. Not even at the premiere of The Force Awakens

Izaizaiza - 5/8/2024, 4:37 PM

@bkmeijer1 - Wow! I can't remember every movie, but I've definitely experienced that at least half a dozen times if not more

bkmeijer1 - 5/8/2024, 5:42 PM

@Izaizaiza - guess different places means different audiences. Making (excessive) noise during a movie is pretty frowned upon here

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