Follow “The Road to Avengers: Endgame” in a New Hardcover About the Art of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

On the eve of Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Endgame” arriving in theaters on April 26, Marvel fans are not just looking forward to the next chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they’re looking back to remember how they arrived at this point. In The Road to Avengers: Endgame – The Art of the Marvel Cinematic Universe hardcover, on sale now, fans can discover the inside story of Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Infinity War.” Behind-the-scenes photos, concept art, interviews with cast and crew, and more tell the story that didn’t appear on the screen but colored last year’s shocking chapter of the MCU’s epic, interconnected journey.

Marvel.com spoke with Caitlin O’Connell, Assistant Editor of Special Projects, who helped bring The Road to Avengers: Endgame – The Art of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to life:

What appears in the book that surprised you the most about the making of these movies?

For this art book, we were able to include some set photos and final screengrabs alongside the initial concept art. It’s very cool to see how the design evolves throughout the filmmaking process, but to see the talent involved with taking a 2D painting or sketch and turning it into a real prop or costume that looks exactly like it was envisioned is always fascinating.

The book goes into the detail and thoughtfulness that went into designing certain props and sets. What did that tell you about the scale of Marvel Studios movies in general?

The scale is huge. All of Marvel Studios, and the Visual Development (VisDev) team in particular, is very committed to the overall design world put forward by the films. VisDev at Marvel Studios, unlike a lot of other film companies, is on hand from the very first planning stage through to the end of post-production, so everything remains cohesive – which is necessary when building a gigantic shared universe of over 22 films. It’s a massive undertaking of collaboration between different departments – VisDev, Costume, Prop, Set, etc. – and it takes a lot of work and enthusiasm to make it all come together.

Was there any element of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that appeared in this book that you were the most excited to see? What do you think fans will be the most excited to see in this book?

There was some concept art we were not able to include in the art book for Marvel Studios’ “Captain Marvel” because of spoilers, but we were able to include it here. Goose the Cat fans (that is, all of us) will get a little more behind-the-scenes information on our favorite flerken!

Can you describe how this book will help enrich the experience of seeing Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Endgame”?

A large portion of this book is an in-depth look into the Infinity Stones – where they’ve appeared in the MCU, which characters have used them, and, of course, the design process that went into creating their look. Our art book designer, Adam Del Re, even made a very cool timeline that charts the appearance of each stone throughout the last 22 films. It’ll be a good recap for fans as we come to the end of this epic saga.

And finally: Does this book contain any spoilers?

It is spoiler-free!

The Road to Avengers: Endgame – The Art of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is on sale now online, bookstores, and at your local comic shop. You can see more of what's inside the book in the gallery below!

Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Endgame” opens in theaters on Friday, April 26. Get your tickets today!