Avengers get epic send-off at 'Endgame' world premiere

There were more than a few sniffles from the audience at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame" Monday night in Los Angeles, which Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth proudly admitted contributing to.

"I don't know about you, but I cried like six times," Evans said standing alongside dozens of his Marvel Cinematic Universe co-stars like Scarlett Johansson, Brie Larson and Robert Downey Jr. after the first public screening of the film.

Hemsworth chimed in too: "I cried more than six times, Chris."

Chris Evans takes a selfie with a fan as he arrives at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame" at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Monday, April 22, 2019. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

It was an emotional affair for many as "Avengers: Endgame," which opens nationwide Thursday, closes the book on the first 11 years and 22 films of the MCU, and ends the year-long cliffhanger of "Avengers: Infinity War," in which half of humanity turned to dust. And, as Hemsworth reminded on the purple carpet, "this grouping may never happen again."

Marvel and Walt Disney Co. held the premiere in a fittingly massive setting, taking over the Los Angeles Convention Center and constructing a 2,000-seat movie theater, including a large format screen and Dolby sound, inside.

Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger kicked off the evening with a special thanks to two people — Downey, "the person who really helped to start it all," and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, who he called, "our own superhero."

Elsa Pataky, left, and Chris Hemsworth arrive at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame" at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Monday, April 22, 2019. (Photo by Jordan StraussInvisionAP)

The event was a who's who of Marvel and Hollywood, with actors and directors from MCU films past and present turning out to see the film, including the likes of Natalie Portman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bradley Cooper, Jon Favreau and even Matt Damon, who some may remember had a cameo in "Thor: Ragnarok." Luke Hemsworth, Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus also came out to see the film and support their family.

Although official reviews won't be out until Tuesday afternoon, initial reactions from press and insiders at the premiere were largely positive with the words "epic" and "emotional" being tossed out by many. Letitia Wright, who plays Shuri in "Black Panther," tweeted "Wow, I feel like crying...it was amazing!!"

The New York Times' Dave Itzkoff wrote that he was, "Not prepared for the range of emotions that #Endgame put me through, from utter despair to pure elation."

Liam Hemsworth, left, and Miley Cyrus arrive at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame" at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Monday, April 22, 2019. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

Entertainment Weekly's Anthony Breznican added: "Epic is the word. Epic multiplied by a decade of emotion, excitement and investment. This is the payoff. It left me with a full heart."

And People Magazine's Kara Warner said to "see it as soon as you can and go in as blind as possible."

The film has been kept under wraps until the very last minute in the hopes of allowing general audiences to go into it spoiler free. Even still, some spoiler-y footage leaked on social media last week before being taken down.

Robert Downey Jr., left, and Bradley Cooper arrive at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame" at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Monday, April 22, 2019. (Photo by Jordan StraussInvisionAP)

"I wasn't pleased," Feige told the AP Monday of the leaking incident. "But the response was what I expected, which was everybody turning it off, dismissing, don't watch it, don't spoil it for anybody else. People are excited to see the movie fresh. People are excited to see the movie for the first time. That's what they've been waiting a year, or 12 years, depending on where you joined us. So, I'm excited that that day is finally here."

AP Entertainment Reporter Ryan Pearson contributed from Los Angeles.

Scarlett Johansson arrive at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame" at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Monday, April 22, 2019. (Photo by Jordan StraussInvisionAP)

Scarlett Johansson arrives at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame" at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Monday, April 22, 2019. (Photo by Jordan StraussInvisionAP)

Natalie Portman arrives at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame" at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Monday, April 22, 2019. (Photo by Jordan StraussInvisionAP)

Letitia Wright takes a selfie with a fan as she arrives at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame" at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Monday, April 22, 2019. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

Tessa Thompson arrives at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame" at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Monday, April 22, 2019. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

Gwyneth Paltrow arrives at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame" at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Monday, April 22, 2019. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

Disney CEO Bob Iger arrives at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame" at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Monday, April 22, 2019. (Photo by Jordan StraussInvisionAP)

Brie Larson takes a selfie with a fan as she arrives at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame" at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Monday, April 22, 2019. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

Brie Larson arrives at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame" at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Monday, April 22, 2019. (Photo by Jordan StraussInvisionAP)

Mark Ruffalo, left, and Sunrise Coigney arrive at the premiere of "Avengers: Endgame" at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Monday, April 22, 2019. (Photo by Jordan StraussInvisionAP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely didn’t order the death of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny in February, according to an official familiar with the determination.

While U.S. officials believe Putin was ultimately responsible for the death of Navalny, who endured brutal conditions during his confinement, the intelligence community has found “no smoking gun” that Putin was aware of the timing of Navalny's death — which came soon before the Russian president's reelection — or directly ordered it, according to the official.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.

Soon after Navalny’s death, U.S. President Joe Biden said Putin was ultimately responsible but did not accuse the Russian president of directly ordering it.

At the time, Biden said the U.S. did not know exactly what had happened to Navalny but that “there is no doubt” that his death “was the consequence of something that Putin and his thugs did.”

Navalny, 47, Russia’s best-known opposition politician and Putin’s most persistent foe, died Feb. 16 in a remote penal colony above the Arctic Circle while serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges that he rejected as politically motivated.

He had been behind bars since January 2021 after returning to Russia from Germany, where he had been recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blamed on the Kremlin.

Russian officials have said only that Navalny died of natural causes and have vehemently denied involvement both in the poisoning and in his death.

In March, a month after Navalny’s death, Putin won a landslide reelection for a fifth term, an outcome that was never in doubt.

The Wall Street Journal first reported about the U.S. intelligence determination.

FILE - Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny gestures while speaking during his interview to the Associated Press in Moscow, Russia on Dec. 18, 2017. U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely didn't order the death of Navalny, the imprisoned opposition leader, in February of 2024. An official says the U.S. intelligence community has found "no smoking gun" that Putin was aware of the timing of Navalny's death or directly ordered it. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)