Spoilers, spoilers, spoilers.
A lot of speculation manifested before the Avengers: Infinity War was released based on discussions and rumors about the contracts of some of the biggest stars in the MCU. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has dished out nearly 20 movies over the past decade or so and it is hard to see anyone other than Chris Evans as Captain America or Chris Hemsworth as Thor. For us, that remains extremely true for every character and recasting would greatly tarnish the legacy of the entire MCU.
Based on these rumors, I thought they were going to kill Captain America, especially since he survived Civil War, which he does not in the comics. Even though there are multiple timelines and realities in the comics, that one is key and I was shocked when he didn’t die in Civil War. Add the rumors of Evans’ desire to end his role as Captain, and I thought that he definitely wouldn’t make it through Infinity War.
I’ve always had a unique list of favorite comic book characters. As a very young child, I was a huge fan of Thor, Deadpool and Wolverine. In between those years and being a teenager, Conan emerged as a favorite and in my teenage years, I connected heavily with Thanos. I was, as you might imagine, extremely excited but also skeptical when I realized that the MCU was setting up Thanos as the arch-villain. How would they be able to scale the Infinity War into a live-action movie?
Fortunately, unlike with DC live-action movies, Marvel takes their time developing other characters so a ton of new content isn’t dropped on casual viewers (who haven’t read the comics) at the same time. With that being said, Fit still felt as though Thanos’ origin story wasn’t properly explained. I have a theory that the creative team behind the MCU purposefully does not follow the comics because they want to surprise all viewers, so they opted to change his origin and motivation for obtaining the Infinity Stones.
Honestly, I didn’t have a major problem with their adaptation because they maintained his complexity. Thanos is, arguably, the smartest individual in the Marvel Universe. This has been stated multiple times in the comics, especially in future arcs (future from Infinity Wars) where the good guys seek Thanos’ help to fight off newer threats that are going to end the universe. (The End, for example) I don’t think they did him justice in the realm of being the Mad Titan, since the destruction of his homeworld came about much differently and he actually eliminated life in the universe to win the love of Lady Death, but I understand that might have been a bit too much for kids and normal viewers. The goal was, after all, to make as much money as possible and that might have scared some people away.
Also, they clearly have a different intention for the resolution of the Infinity War in Part Two. Some of the individuals that were key to fighting Thanos in the long run, such as Starlord and Dr. Strange, have been removed from this reality. There are hints in the movie that the one reality where Dr. Strange sees them defeat Thanos revolves around Iron Man, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tony Stark front and center again in the sequel. I was surprised and intrigued to see who they decided to keep and remove, but maybe they’ll get real creative and show the removed heroes fighting their way out from another reality.
It is clear that they changed power levels significantly here. Drax, one of the only individuals to ever kill Thanos, was easily dispatched and Nebula, the person who takes the gauntlet from Thanos after he removes reality in the comics, failed to steal it as well. Wolverine, who was key in the original fight with Thanos, alongside Hulk and Thor, is still hanging out with FOX, so they obviously needed to make some changes.
Either way, I enjoyed the Avengers: Infinity War significantly. I thought that it was hllarious and played with your emotions throughout. The dynamic between Dr. Strange and Iron Man, as well as Thor’s interaction with the Guardians, were highlights. It was also great to see Captain save the day; that was a near goosebumps moment. I’m also glad they embraced Thanos as a complex villain and looking forward to the sequel, although I’m worried that they might give Captain Marvel too large a role. Either way, they’ve definitely earned our trust with so many quality films at this point. As always, stay hungry and fit!
Question of the Day: Did you enjoy the movie?
