At one point, it was believed that The Avengers was the grand culmination of Marvel Studios' inconceivable plan to create an interconnected movie universe. Back in 2012, we were all stunned as Joss Whedon managed to pull off the act of bringing together Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and Captain America, four franchise stars, as well as supporting fan favorite characters like Black Widow, Hawkeye, Nick Fury, and Maria Hill. The fact it wasn't a disaster but actually an extremely well executed film that could stand on its own as well as the shoulders of what came before is an achievement that cannot be overstated.
Three years later, Whedon couldn't quite pull off the same trick twice with Avengers: Age of Ultron. Once again, it wasn't a disaster, but it lacked the magic ingredients that made the first film resonate so strongly. It was obligated to build up to future films, and its script added new elements that mostly puzzled fans instead of exciting them. The result led to Whedon, dissatisfied with the final product, leaving the MCU. This meant that the third Avengers film needed a replacement.
The following year, the Russo brothers, Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus delivered what was essentially Avengers 2.5: Captain America: Civil War. Fresh off the success of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the writing and directing team somehow landed an even more daunting task than Age of Ultron. They had to make a film that was not only a worthy Captain America sequel; it had to introduce Black Panther and Spider-Man into the MCU, give each character in its large cast legitimate reason for picking their side, and provide a meaningful conflict between Captain America and Iron Man that couldn't be patched over so easily.
As it turns out, Captain America: Civil War was only a dress rehearsal. The writing and directing team signed on to handle the third Avengers film in spring 2015, around the same time Age of Ultron was released, so they couldn't afford to muck up their test run or audiences would have no faith. The fact that Civil War was such a success was almost more impressive than The Avengers. With audience's faith intact, the four men embarked on a film that would absolutely dwarf anything Marvel Studios had produced up to that point. A story that can't possibly be told in one film. So they didn't even try.
Avengers: Infinity War is part one of a two-part story. The story does not end with a nice neat bow at the end. If you want to see how the story ends, get ready to wait a year. And unlike The Avengers, Infinity War has zero interest in catching audiences up to speed. It simply doesn't have the time. Sure, we get hints to events of past films, but that's all they are. They are there to build on what happened before that influenced the characters as they are now. They're not there to neatly summarize to casual viewers what happened previously. If you want to know why Thor has an eyepatch and is on a spaceship at the beginning of the film, you have to watch Thor: Ragnarok. If you want to know why Captain America and Iron Man fought, you have to watch Captain America: Civil War. If you want to know who the heck that weird wizard with the sentient cape is, you have to watch Doctor Strange. You get the picture.
Like any major comic book event, this movie depends on audience investment in order to tell its story most effectively. If you're not invested, you're going to miss a lot. Sure, you can still bask in the spectacle of it all. But if you want to know why this film is making audiences cry, you might have to do some homework. It's a good thing most of the films you have to watch in advance are pretty excellent.
As a longtime fan, I can safely say that Avengers: Infinity War is one of the most rewarding cinematic experiences I've ever had. The MCU has been building up to Thanos ever since the shocking mid-credits scene in The Avengers. To see him finally get paid off, and for the build up to be worth it, is a testament to the strength of the Russos, McFeely, Markus, and Kevin Feige as storytellers. I cannot understand the complaint that this film is weak because it requires past knowledge or that it doesn't stand on its own. Does The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King stand on its own without watching the previous two films? Not really. But it won a boatload of Oscars, widespread critical acclaim, and killed it in the box office. So, it's almost like sequels should reward investment, not constantly appeal to newer audiences who, for some reason, choose this film as their first.
Well, even if you haven't watched every MCU film, at least you could still appreciate that Thanos is a terrifying villain. I had doubts about Josh Brolin taking on the part, and he didn't have a whole lot to do in his brief appearances in Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Age of Ultron. But here? It's certainly hard to judge the strength of his performance since it's entirely motion-captured. However, even past all the CG, I think it's safe to say that he pulls it off.
What makes Thanos work in this film is his total conviction to his goal. Thanos wants to wipe out half of all life in the universe and by god, nothing is going to stand in his way. In fact, it's arguable that Thanos is the real protagonist of the movie. Yes, he does some truly terrible things through the movie. But it is undeniable that his complete devotion to his mission makes him one of the most totally driven characters the MCU has ever produced. The Avengers' desire to save half of all life in the universe has nothing on what Thanos will do to, in his eyes, save the universe. While a lot of the small things like tears or fight motions were probably added in post, Brolin's vocal deliveries and small facial tics (without a doubt some of the most impressive visual effects I've ever seen) proves himself to be the perfect choice. He's intimidating, but sincere and honorable. When he engages in one on one fights, he wins fair and square. And thanks to Brolin, you truly believe this is a mad titan who can kick your ass but kinda understand why he's doing so.
However, what truly completes Thanos as one of the most, if not the most, captivating MCU villain is his arc with his daughter, Gamora. Of course this film has to follow up the story arc that began in Guardians of the Galaxy when Gamora defected from Thanos' army, leaving behind her abused sister Nebula and doing everything she could to run away from her adoptive father. Here, we finally fully realize their relationship. We see how it began, and it's from there we can immediately understand why this has haunted Gamora her entire life. She's desperate to stop her father, and will do anything to keep his plan from succeeding. It's a complicated relationship, made even more so by Thanos' genuine affection for her. This story is the real heart of the film, giving Zoe Saldana a chance to fully display her wide range and giving her the spotlight she's needed ever since she was introduced.
Gamora isn't the only hero with a notable story arc. This film also finally dives headfirst into the romance between Scarlet Witch and Vision, hinted at in their last two appearances. Now, the two have to face the curse of the Mind Stone together, as it is the Infinity Stone that granted them both with their abilities. As Thanos' henchmen, the Children of Thanos, close in on the two lovers, they too must accept the gravity of the situation and what needs to be done. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany have wonderful chemistry, they've had that since Age of Ultron. Now, they can finally fully become enamored with each other, which amplifies the tragedy of the bond shared by their cursed gift.
Of course, Iron Man gets a sizable arc too. Robert Downey Jr. is top billed after all, in a movie where most of the other actors could easily get top billing. Here, Tony Stark finally realizes the nightmares that have been haunting him since he first went into outer space and saw the incoming alien fleet at the end of The Avengers. These nightmares influenced his actions in Age of Ultron and Civil War, and now they're finally coming to life and he's still not ready. While he's ready to make the big sacrifice play to rescue Doctor Strange from having the Time Stone stolen from him, he's saddled with his protege, Peter Parker, once again. Now, Tony has to face his worst nightmare AND be responsible for keeping his son figure safe. There's lots of welcome levity in this arc thanks to the dynamic chemistry between Downey, Tom Holland, and Benedict Cumberbatch (who finally comes completely to his own as Stephen Strange here). But there's a lot of emotional weight too, as both Stark and Strange understand the gravity of what they're taking on while Parker seems to be tagging along just so he can help.
Finally, Thor is the star of the last subplot. If you've seen Thor: Ragnarok, you know why he begins this film in dire straits. Now, he's had enough and seeks to kill Thanos once and for all. After a brief, hilarious encounter with the Guardians of the Galaxy, he embarks on a mission to rebuild Mjolnir. It's a hefty arc brought to life by Chris Hemsworth, once again proving his dramatic acting chops after the comedic turn he pulled in his last film. As he cries over the many people he's lost, you can feel the weight of the hard life he's lived this last decade. Thor is now driven purely by revenge, and the results of his quest are satisfying to say the least. Without giving anything away, I don't think I've ever heard a crowd cheer so loudly since "puny god".
The fact that this film manages to pull off a juggling act of giving many characters substantial arcs is an insane accomplishment. Bruce Banner returns, struggling to become the Hulk. Steve Rogers, a man on the run, comes to save the day as he promised in Civil War, ready to do what must be done. T'Challa has to serve as warrior king again as a fight unlike any the Earth has ever seen comes knocking on the door to Wakanda. The remaining Guardians deal with Gamora's relationship to Thanos, and the fallout from that (plus once again, Dave Bautista proves he's a comedic genius). As far as I can tell, the only character that feels like is just there is Falcon, and that's only because he never gets a stand-out scene like War Machine or Black Widow to name a few more.
With so much story and so many characters, it's no wonder that this 150-minute movie is one of the absolute fastest paced of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I've seen it twice now, and I can't think of a single moment where it feels like the film is either moving too fast or too slow. A lot of work was put into making this film as comfortably tight as possible. If it goes too fast, you risk looking too busy and overwhelm your audience. Go too slow, and you lose their attention. The Russos and the writing team have gone on record over some of the cuts they had to make to keep the story compact, and as far as I can tell, they were the right ones. Besides, there's always room for Avengers 4 for anything that couldn't make it into this movie.
With all this gushing, I can still say Avengers: Infinity War is not perfect. The Children of Thanos exist just to be punching bags, and to give our heroes not currently engaging with Thanos himself something to do. I understand that the movie didn't have time to give them personality, but I forgot where each of them were on multiple occasions. In my second viewing. Also, some of the fights are a bit dizzying, as the Russos struggle with incorporating their trademark handheld style into these grandiose battles. The first fight between Scarlet Witch and Vision against the Children of Thanos is especially hard to watch.
However, these are minor nitpicks. The movie is exquisitely shot, with some insanely memorable set pieces. Seeing the unique combinations of our heroes coming together is pure fanservice, and very few people do it better than Marvel Studios. Alan Silvestri returns to compose this film, and it is a much, MUCH stronger soundtrack than Age of Ultron. Finally, as previously mentioned, the special effects in this film are incredible minus one or two blemishes (there's one particularly bad shot with Bruce Banner during the climax I spotted immediately).
I don't think it's too much to say that Avengers: Infinity War is a cinematic achievement. Marvel Studios had been building to this exact moment for 10 years. This movie could have, and probably should have, sucked. There's a lot going on in this film, it can be overwhelming. But all Marvel asks before you head into this movie is that you care about these characters. It's a hell of an investment, but this film is the pay off. I have very rarely felt so rewarded to be a fan as I was when I was watching this movie. I could believe everything that was happening because the universe built up to this. If we had jumped straight from Iron Man 2 to this for example, audiences would be utterly confused and rightfully so. It was a long, hard process. Marvel Studios and Disney took some sizable risks with Guardians of the Galaxy or Captain America: Civil War, but they pulled them off. Sure, they might have always been successful. But they were good, too. Many of those films will be watched by generations to come because they grew up on these films. And now Infinity War is here, to bring everything together. To give audiences a reason to care about all of it. They succeeded.
And that's it. 10 years. 19 movies. Countless TV episodes. Numerous short films and web episodes. I've seen it all. That means it's almost time for this extensive look back on the MCU to come to a close. However, next time, I'm going to do my best to give this frankly tiring retrospective the nice conclusion I can. And we're also going to take a peek at what Marvel has in store for us these next few years. Infinity War may be a culmination, but it most certainly is not an end.
Next time: The Finale - Looking Ahead
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