The most momentous film of the MCU, uniting the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange, Ant-Man and Black Panther, arrives next year, and we already have a glimpse. Avengers: Infinity War reveals a lot in two and a half minutes of trailer, and here at Neo Teo we break down the key moments.
The 19th film in the franchise — celebrating 10 years since Iron Man kicked it off — hits the big screen with tremendous expectations. Infinity War is the most anticipated Marvel movie yet, and after a long wait we'll finally see the greatest superhero team assembled. Direction is in the hands of the Russo brothers, Anthony and Joe, with a script by Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus (Chronicles of Narnia, Captain America Saga) and a thrilling score by Alan Silvestri.
The enormous cast brings together much of the franchise: Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Paul Rudd, Don Cheadle, Zoe Saldaña, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Mackie, Chadwick Boseman, Tessa Thompson, Bradley Cooper, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Benicio del Toro and Jon Favreau.
A key fact: Infinity War was filmed together with its second part, due for release on May 3, 2019. Initially they were labeled 'Part 1 and 2', but that decision was later changed to give each film its own title.
The storyline of Infinity War unfolds after the events of Thor: Ragnarok and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, with the setting being Wakanda (Black Panther's homeland). It features the franchise's most anticipated villain, Thanos (Josh Brolin), the warlord of the Eternals who ruthlessly seeks the Infinity Stones, and who made his first appearance in the post-credits scene of The Avengers back in 2012.
Thanos Gets a New Look
Let's dive into the details that matter, and in just two minutes we can clear up many questions. One is Thanos's appearance. After seeing him in brief scenes, he always looked imposing and terrifying, seated on his space throne with his enormous helmet and armor. Here we see him more at home, without the helmet and without that aura of evil, but with the gauntlet. OK, his new look is inspired by the great comic Infinity Gauntlet (1991), but the contrast with his previous appearances leaves a feeling that something is missing.
Spider-Man's Suit Gets an Upgrade
The update to Spider-Man's (Tom Holland) suit is something that will get people talking, and it was expected after seeing Iron Man's alternative armors, which have other functions like the 'Hulkbuster' seen in the trailer. The new suit references the recent comic Secret Wars (2015). We'll have to get used to seeing Spidey in different colors and with added features.
Glimpses of Other Heroes
Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) doesn't appear as Captain America, which was to be expected after his departure from the Avengers, though it's rumored he'll show up under the identity of Nomad, as seen in the comic Secret Empire (1974).
Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Wong (Benedict Wong) appear to rescue Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), who seems to have had a tremendous fall. If we recall the end of Ragnarok, Hulk's last appearance was aboard the Asgardian ship that would be intercepted by Thanos.
Vision and his human appearance due to a missing gem, Black Widow with a new look, Loki with the Cosmic Cube, Thor after losing his eye to Hela in Ragnarok, and the first appearance of Black Panther are some of the things that happened in the Infinity War preview.
Ten years after the franchise began, Marvel is going all in on Infinity War and its sequel. While we wait for another trailer, Marvel aims to keep the franchise that has brought it the most success on top.
