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For a 160-minute epic that unifies a far-flung superhero universe that took a decade to build, packs 76 characters into one story, and has four to six plotlines cooking at any given time, "Avengers: Infinity War" hangs together pretty well. The plot finds the intergalactic bad guy Thanos ( Josh Brolin ) and his army of Green Goblin-looking warriors bouncing from star system to star system, torturing and killing various adversaries in order to gather six super-powerful Infinity Stones and embed them in Thanos' oversized glove. Once he's collected all six, Thanos will be able to achieve his dream of wiping out half the population of the universe in order to preserve its precious resources and restore "balance." The only thing standing in his way are the Avengers, led by Thor ( Chris Hemsworth ), Hulk/Bruce Banner ( Mark Ruffalo ), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow ( Scarlett Johansson ), Steve Rogers/Captain America ( Chris Evans ) and the rest. Plus all the characters from " Black Panther ." And the ones from " Guardians of the Galaxy ." And a few more Marvel characters who are new to this film.

Co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo , co-writers Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus , their small army of actors, and their hundreds of filmmaking collaborators have managed to get on the same page and stay on it. The film's running time doesn't fly by, exactly, but it rarely seems to stall out, which is impressive when you consider how many of the movie's big scenes consist of people talking, sometimes emoting, in close-up. The Russos swagger headfirst into melodrama here, more blatantly than in any previous Marvel film they've directed, though there are problems with their approach that I'll outline in a moment. The gambit works, mostly, because the story is an operatic tragedy that necessarily has to end with the heroes in a deep, dark place. In light of all this, it's inevitable (and in no way a spoiler to reveal here) that not every character makes it out alive, and that if you come away from the movie feeling bummed out and anxious rather than elated, that means "Infinity War" has done its job, just as " The Empire Strikes Back " and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One" did their jobs.

If only the film were better modulated, or perhaps longer, or more elegantly shaped, or ... well, it's hard to say exactly what's wrong here. But something's not up to snuff. This is, as many have pointed out, one half of a story broken in two, but it feels like less than half somehow. Until pretty recently, MCU films have suffered from collective curve-grading—each film seemed content to settle for "better than expected," as opposed to being really, truly good—and that feeling returns here, unfortunately. "Infinity War" faced so many challenges, many of them unique to this particular project, that it's a small miracle that it works at all. On some level, it feels ungrateful to ask a movie that already does the impossible to do it with more panache. But what are superhero movies without panache really good for? If there was ever a moment to swing for the fences, it was this one.

I like how the movie builds everything around Brolin's CGI-assisted but still fully inhabited performance as Thanos—an oddly wistful and lonely figure who is, essentially, a religious fanatic, yet carries himself with the calm certainty of a military man who's read the ancient Greeks and speaks tenderly to cadets while stepping on their necks. (Thanos' second-in-command, the snide and hateful space wizard Ebony Maw—played by Tom Vaughan-Lawlor —makes an equally strong impression, though he doesn't have many scenes.) Some of the movie's most affecting and/or frightening moments see Thanos tormenting captive heroes (including Zoe Saldana's Gamora and her sister Nebula, played by Karen Gillan ) until they disclose the location of the stones, or forcing them to consider killing themselves (or having others kill them) to stop Thanos from achieving his dream.

The movie treats Thanos as an agent of pure chaos, like an Old Testament curse come to life, picking people up by their skulls, deconstructing them into three-dimensional puzzles with a wave of his hand, even rupturing the structural integrity of the universe. He seems to have the brute force of the Hulk and the conjuring skill of Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange, one of the only characters who routinely manages to counter his destructive power. At various points, characters wonder aloud if they'd have been better off not fighting him. These are action heroes, but the threat facing them is so daunting that they contemplate an alternate reality in which they don't act.

Vision ( Paul Bettany ), who has one of the stones embedded in his forehead, gets attacked while he's off the grid in Scotland, enjoying the company of his beloved Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch ( Elizabeth Olsen ); after they fight off Thanos' goons at great personal cost, he quips, "I'm beginning to think we should've stayed in bed." Peter Parker/Spider-Man springs into action during a class trip after spotting Thanos' enormous, doughnut shaped spacecraft descending on Manhattan, then gets the stuffing kicked out of him and says, "I should've stayed on the bus." The movie has wicked fun foreshadowing the possible demise of our heroes. In the only scene featuring Tony and his partner Pepper ( Gwyneth Paltrow ), they discuss Tony's dream that they had a baby; it feels like the superhero version of one of those scenes in a war flick where the young draftee shows off a photo of his fiancee and declares, "Ain't she pretty?" Thanos' assault on Wakanda, where Cap and the gang take Vision in hopes that Shuri ( Letitia Wright ) can preemptively extract and destroy his Infinity Stone, is depicted as the logical, awful result of revealing the once-hidden country's location, and aligning it with global defense organizations after centuries of neutrality.

And yet, despite the movie's embrace of pain and fear—exemplified by a scene where Thor lists all the loved ones he's lost, and appears to be battling PTSD like Tony—it almost never feels as special or as powerful as it ought to. The direction is part of the problem. Marvel's conceptual artists, visual effects technicians, colorists, and sound designers and mixers are operating at what might be their aesthetic peak here—as well they should be, considering how long this company has labored to perfect a consistent style and tone; the panoramic vistas showing wrecked cities and space stations and distant planets and alternate dimensions, a jumble of psychedelic ironwork and watercolor clouds, seem as strongly influenced by the legendary Marvel illustrator Jack Kirby as Taika Waititi's disco lark " Thor: Ragnarok ." 

But rather than match their support team's inventiveness, the directors avoid risk. They capture both the violent (sometimes cruel) action and the emotionally intense private moments in either a boringly flat or frantically hacky manner (snap-zooms on falling figures; herky-jerky camerawork and fast cutting during fight scenes; the same stuff you see in most action films made during the past decade). They use the camera in an expressive or poetic way so rarely that when they do bust out a heartfelt flourish (like the long, slow camera move that reveals the Guardians in their spaceship engaged in a sing-along, or the "wipes" that reveal the reality that Thanos' illusions hide, or a climatic fight between Thanos and multiple heroes) it's as if somebody had briefly sparked a dull wedding reception to life by going out on the dance floor and demanding a song with a backbeat.

This would all be a lot less grating if the MCU hadn't produced two back-to-back hits, "Thor: Ragnarok" and "Black Panther," which had vivid directorial personalities (Waititi and Ryan Coogler , respectively), and took as many stylistic/tonal risks as Marvel's brand would allow. The studio is too bottom-line driven to permit the sort of eccentricity that would've made this project truly pop (Joss Whedon's ungainly potluck " Avengers: Age of Ultron ," with its spiky wit and nihilistic robot philosopher baddie, is looking better in retrospect). But it's no compliment to the Russos to say that it's tough to tell just by looking at the movie if they were were on a tight corporate leash the entire time, or if they decided to minimize the innate risks of a project this huge and eagerly anticipated by making vanilla choices.

Another issue—and I'm getting dorm room-philosophical, so bear with me—is that the format of a blockbuster MCU movie with 76 characters exposes the limitations of telling a superhero story via this now-well-established cinematic template, as opposed to telling it on the printed page, where the only limits are the writer's imagination and the illustrator's flair for presentation. The storytelling vocabulary of superhero movies doesn't have to be constricted (FX's extravagantly inventive TV series "Legion" is proof) but it feels quite constricted here; it always has been, notwithstanding occasional outliers like "Thor: Ragnarok," "Black Panther" and "Ant Man." There are an infinite number of striking or subtle ways that comic book writers and artists can convey exposition, character details, psychological states, and simultaneous events occurring in parallel storylines; you can do stuff like expand a single decisive instant so that it fills up six pages, or show Spider-Man swinging through midtown Manhattan in a full-page splash panel dotted with thought balloons that summarize a year's worth of his life. But in the sorts of Marvel films that the MCU has released since 2008, we've mostly gotten stuck in linear time, which is where most commercial narratives unfold. Most of the scenes in "Infinity War" fall into one of two categories: (1) scenes where people go into rooms or out onto the street and talk to each other, and (2) action sequences where characters banter while punching and zapping each other and dodging falling rocks, buildings, and spaceships and trying not to get sucked into time-space portals.

There's only so much information that can be put across when you've limited your storytelling in that way. The ticking clock proves a more formidable enemy than Thanos. There are only so many moments or lines that "Infinity War" can give, say, to Tony and Pepper; or to Bruce and Natasha, who had a powerful connection in "Age of Ultron," got separated soon after, and are confined to a couple of brief exchanges here; or to Peter Quill/Starlord ( Chris Pratt ), Rocket Raccoon ( Bradley Cooper ), Drax ( Dave Bautista ) and Mantis ( Pom Klementieff ), who are stuck doing comic relief when they aren't suffering greatly or setting up Peter to make some very bad, dumb choices. Heimdall ( Idris Elba ), The Collector ( Benicio Del Toro ) and Proxima Midnight ( Carrie Coon ) are barely in the film. Cap gets maybe two dozen lines and a few meaningful glances, mostly aimed at Sebastian Stan's Bucky/Winter Soldier, who has even less to do. Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa/Black Panther, who anchored his own marvelous feature just a few months ago, is reduced to a glorified field general in "Infinity War," standing alongside Okoye ( Danai Gurira ) and M'Baku ( Winston Duke ) and watching Thanos' troops burn, trample, and otherwise disfigure the countryside (an image that's more upsetting, for various reasons, than a lot of Thanos' violence against individuals).

Another downside of packing so many people into one film—so many that they apparently had to cut a few; the film's IMDb page lists numerous major players who are nowhere to be seen—is that you start to notice that certain characters are redundant variations on/photocopies of other characters, a realization that you might not have had if you were were watching them star in their own self-contained movies. Putting Tony, Peter Parker and Peter Quill in the same scenes, for instance, might sound like a slam dunk, but once you spend a few minutes with them, the barrage of wise-assery becomes grating. It's like being stuck at a party where every other guy in the room mistakenly believes he's the funny one. (The scenes between Thor and the Guardians are much better because Thor plays the straight man to Quill, who is threatened by his awesome masculine beauty.)

As is often the case in Russo-directed Marvel movies, the humor comes across more vividly than the action. (" Captain America: The Winter Soldier ," with its paranoid thriller stylings and brutal, close-quarters action, is still their zenith.) The movie makes excellent use of Thor and his trickster brother Loki ( Tom Hiddleston ), and gives Hemsworth more chances to show off his formidable deadpan (when Rocket expresses amazement that he can speak Groot's language, he explains, "They taught it on Asgard—it was an elective"). But the joking around doesn't so much complement the film's dark material as clash with it and undermine it. The self-aware humor that the MCU has always done so well ends up working against "Infinity War" in the end. Marvel's "just kidding" sensibility was a refreshing counterweight to the fashionable darkness of early DC Universe movies, as well as to the "dark & gritty" mode that became a global pop culture default after the success of Christopher Nolan's Batman movies. But if there was ever a time for Marvel to bust out the Zack Snyder-style, heavy-metal gloom and slap the smirk off its own face, it's here, in a film that's mostly about summoning the courage to fight battles that you know you can't win, and accepting the likelihood of dying on your knees with your head held high.

This movie shouldn't just engage and amuse and occasionally move us; it should shock and scar us. It should kill Ned Stark and Optimus Prime and Bambi's mommy, then look us in the eye after each fresh wound and say, "Sorry, love. These things happen." The last 15 minutes have the flavor of that sort of trauma, but without the actual trauma. Deep down, we all know that modern superhero movies are operating with even lower dramatic stakes than Star Wars or James Bond movies: beloved characters rarely stay dead after they've been killed, and no plot development, no matter how grave, is irreversible, so there's no possible way that what seems to be happening on the screen could really be happening. But we shouldn't be thinking about any of that as we watch Thanos hurt characters we've grown to love and cast the universe into ruin. The very sight should rip our hearts out.  

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor at Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

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Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, language and some crude references.

149 minutes

Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man

Chris Hemsworth as Thor Odinson

Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / The Hulk

Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Nomad

Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow

Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord

Josh Brolin as Thanos

Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange / Doctor Strange

Don Cheadle as James Rhodes / War Machine

Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man

Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa / Black Panther

Paul Bettany as Vision

Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch

Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon

Sebastian Stan as James "Bucky" Barnes / White Wolf

Tom Hiddleston as Loki

Idris Elba as Heimdall

Peter Dinklage

Benedict Wong as Wong

Pom Klementieff as Mantis

Karen Gillan as Nebula

Dave Bautista as Drax

Zoe Saldana as Gamora

Vin Diesel as Groot (voice)

Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon (voice)

Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts

Benicio Del Toro as Taneleer Tivan / The Collector

Danai Gurira as Okoye

Letitia Wright as Shuri

Winston Duke as M'Baku

Tom Vaughan-Lawlor as Ebony Maw

• Anthony Russo

Writer (comic book story)

• Jim Starlin
• George Perez
• Christopher Markus
• Stephen McFeely

Cinematographer

• Trent Opaloch
• Jeffrey Ford
• Matthew Schmidt
• Alan Silvestri

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‘Avengers: Infinity War’: It’s Marvel’s Universe. We Just Live in It.

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By A.O. Scott

• April 24, 2018

Considered on its own, as a single, nearly 2-hour-40-minute movie, “Avengers: Infinity War” makes very little sense, apart from the near convergence of its title and its running time. Early on, someone menacingly (and presciently) says, “You may think this is suffering. No: It’s salvation.” That’s a bit overstated either way. It’s puzzlement and irritation and also, yes, delight. But of course this film, the 19th installment in a series, was never meant to be viewed or judged in isolation. In that respect it shouldn’t really be thought of as a movie at all, at least in the ways people with jobs like mine are accustomed to using the word. Which poses a few difficulties, for me and also, I would argue, for you.

Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo , scrappy fraternal climbers up the 21st-century Hollywood ladder, “Infinity War” is a chunk of matter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a vast entity that long ago expanded beyond the usual boundaries of sequelization and brand extension. This synergistic expression of the corporate interests of Marvel Studios and the Walt Disney Company — which now include 19 feature films and much else besides — has come to be less a creative or commercial undertaking than an immutable fact of life, like sex or the weather or capitalism itself.

Anatomy of a Scene | ‘Avengers: Infinity War’

The directors anthony and joe russo narrate a scene featuring robert downey jr., benedict cumberbatch, mark ruffalo, benedict wong and tom holland..

Hi, I’m Joe Russo. And I’m Anthony Russo. And we are the directors of “Avengers: Infinity War.” This scene takes place about 20 minutes into the film in Dr. Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum. And Tony Stark is looking at the burner phone that Steve Rogers gave to him, trying to decide whether or not he’s actually going to contact Steve about what’s occurring in the movie when he is interrupted by a sound. “Say, Doc. You wouldn’t happen to be moving your hair, would you?” “Not at the moment, no.” Part of the creative appeal of this movie was us bringing together disparate characters throughout the MCU and kind of smashing them together in a crisis situation. The intention was to create propulsive narrative, where the plot is driven by the villain, and he keeps interrupting the heroes because he’s one step ahead of them. This is one of those incidents. And this shot, you know, part of what we tried to bring to the MCU as filmmakers on a tonal level ever since our first film, “Captain America, Winter Soldier” is just a grounding and a real world patina over who these people are to try to bring out their humanity a little more in contrast to their powers. And this shot here is in that vein in the sense that it’s a very long shot. We stay in the perspective of these characters as they walk out into Greenwich Village and discover the scene of chaos unfolding. And we discover it as they discover it, and the scope of it as they discover it. It’s a way to increase tension as they walk down the sidewalk. What are they going to see? What is the audience going to see? And then here is probably the most asked about VFX shot in the movie is the hair standing up on Peter Parker’s arm. We’ve been asked hundreds of times how we got Tom Holland’s hair to stand up his arm. And it was a very gentle blowing on his ear actually did it. [laughs] It’s a CG shot. But this fulfilling the promise of “Infinity War” is that all of the characters are working together in this movie to try to stop Thanos, including Stan Lee. “What’s the matter with you kids? You never seen a spaceship before?” While this is a multi-perspective film, Thanos is the glue that binds all the characters together, as we watch Peter Parker swing off towards the incident in New York. [music]

That makes the franchise hard to criticize. You can’t really be for or against Marvel (in spite of the conspiracy theories of some DC fans ), and you can’t quite opt out of it either. They don’t call it a universe for nothing: Where else are we going to go? So we make our zigzagging ways, picking out our favorite planets and solar systems, accepting a baseline of tedious, standardized dead space that makes the brighter constellations seem disproportionately fresh and surprising. “Guardians of the Galaxy” was so funny and weird. Not like a superhero movie at all. Same with “Thor: Ragnarok.” Captain America is such a complicated guy. “Black Panther” gave audiences so much to root for and talk about.

[ Read A.O. Scott’s spoiler-filled article about the ending of “Avengers: Infinity War.” ]

Those interesting, unusual specimens — what we used to think of, in simpler times, as “good movies” — aren’t exactly accidents. They are carefully planned exceptions that uphold a rule (meaning a regime as well as a norm) of passive acceptance disguised as enthusiasm. This universe is engineered for variety and inclusiveness, within certain strict parameters. Above all, the Disney-Marvel combination is a giant machine that manufactures maximum consent. The cosmos is theirs. The rest of us just live in it.

I’m not complaining, but rather pointing out how pointless, how silly it sounds when anyone bothers to venture a complaint. Who wants to be a hater? Still, it’s worth noting that the ascendance of Marvel (and of other, not quite as universal entities like it) has narrowed the parameters of criticism. I’m supposed to tell you, in this review, how much fun you’ll have at “Infinity War.” (Yes, you will have some. Will you have enough? Almost.) But I’ve probably already gone too far in trying to think about what it means. The Marvel movies and others of their kind often produce an illusion of profundity, a slick, murky overlay of allegorical suggestiveness. This provides grist for the kind of think pieces that spar with one another — “Infinity War” is liberal; no, it’s conservative; but don’t you see that it’s a protest against Trump; actually, it’s an attack on the tyranny of political correctness — until they catalyze the inevitable anti-intellectual backlash. It’s just a movie! Don’t spoil the fun!

And of course it is with respect to “spoilers” that the policing of discourse is most ruthlessly and effectively practiced. Reviewers who attend advance screenings take a vow of silence about plot details that will be widely known within a week and all but forgotten a week after that. Government secrets are guarded with less care, and requests from public officials to go off the record are addressed with more skepticism. But if I mention which superhero dies, or which one has an unexpected relationship with someone else — well, I wouldn’t dream of it. Not because I’m afraid of Disney executives. It’s the wrath of their obedient, weaponized minions I fear. In other words: you.

This is not a healthy situation. The reasonable concern that major plot elements not be divulged has spawned a phobic, hypersensitive taboo against public discussion of anything that happens onscreen. If, for example, I were to share that Thor (Chris Hemsworth) mistakes Rocket (Bradley Cooper), who is a raccoon, for a rabbit — whoops, you already hit “send,” didn’t you? The joke is repeated a half-dozen times, so it kind of ruins itself. And until the end, the whole thing is weirdly free of any but the most superficial, mechanical surprises.

The action is especially tedious and predictable. I mean both the scenes of fighting and flying and the overall rhythm of the first two hours or so. People talk for a while, sprinkling jokes and morsels of personality into the heavy dough of exposition. Then they fight in the usual way, by throwing giant objects (and one another) and shooting waves of color from their hands. The noisy, bloated spectacles of combat were surely the most expensive parts of the movie, but the money seems less like an imaginative tool than a substitute for genuine imagination.

There is so much to explain, but basically a large purple fellow named Thanos (Josh Brolin) wants, on vague Malthusian principles, to wipe out half the life in the universe. As you try to keep track of all the good guys massed against him, you may decide he has a point. But he’s not a bad villain. I mean, he’s very bad, but his malevolence is laced with melancholy, and there is a ghastly grandeur to his ambition.

To fulfill his evil plans, Thanos needs to collect six “infinity stones,” which in spite of their awesome power look a lot like what you would find in the craft kit you have been meaning to regift since your kid’s seventh birthday. Also, come on: Another quest for magic gewgaws? This one lumbers from Vormir to Knowhere to Titan, with terrestrial stops in New York, Scotland and Wakanda. Along the way, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) stage a Sherlock Holmes meta-duel and compare goatees. The hunky-Chris showdown — Hemsworth vs. Pratt (Peter Quill) vs. Evans (Captain America) — ends in a three-way tie. Zoe Saldana is heartbreaking as Gamora. If you end up wanting more Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) or Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) or War Machine (Don Cheadle), or whoever your favorite happens to be — well, that’s kind of the idea, isn’t it?

But where you end up may not be where you thought this was going. The final act, including the post-credits sting (to infinity and beyond, as it were) brings a chill, a darkness and a hush that represent something new in this universe. “Infinity War” is the first half of the final installment in the series, and it concludes with a premonition of finality. Its intimations of grief and terror feel shrewdly attuned to what is happening in the actual, unmarvelous world. But those emotions can also be folded back into the movies themselves. This universe is coming to an end. And then where will we be?

Avengers: Infinity War Rated PG-13. Rough talk and large-scale digital slaughter Running time: 2 hours 36 minutes.

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Avengers: infinity war, common sense media reviewers.

Intense violence, strong messages in shocking Marvel epic.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Heroism, courage, self-sacrifice are front and cen

Motivations and actions are unusually believable f

Frequent, intense, massively destructive comic boo

One scene is implied to be taking place after sex

Not constant, but a couple uses of "s--t," plus wo

Tony uses an ancient AT&T flip phone. Verbal r

Parents need to know that Avengers: Infinity War is the most intense of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films so far, due to the villain's genocidal quest and the grave consequences for some well-known characters. It has plenty of humor and lighter moments, but it ultimately goes to places darker than in any…

Positive Messages

Heroism, courage, self-sacrifice are front and center in most Marvel movies, but with stakes feeling even greater than usual here, they really stand out -- along with teamwork, of course. Several characters face ultimate test; most pass. Several make extremely difficult decisions while acting out of love. The crisis unifies the heroes instantly, reuniting factions. All that said, violence still the core problem-solving method, and Thanos' mission of "mercy" involves genocide.

Positive Role Models

Motivations and actions are unusually believable for the genre. Characters can be selfish and sarcastic but also frequently make sacrifices and act to protect each other and in others' best interests. The Avengers are increasingly diverse (welcome back, Black Panther!); there are many strong female characters, including a powerful villain. Women make their own decisions and fight as hard and as bravely as the men. And Shuri may be the smartest. The youngest hero, teenage Spider-Man, is also brave and very clever. Thanos and his minions believe they're bringing salvation and mercy to the universe, but their method -- genocide -- is untenable.

Violence & Scariness

Frequent, intense, massively destructive comic book-style action violence, as well as brutal beatings, impalings, stabbings, and sudden smashings/crushings. Characters tortured. Violence is generally bloodless, but consequences feel real; the emotional impact is greater. Some deaths of well-known characters appear final, which will likely upset younger viewers. Also a scene of genocide, though actual murders aren't graphically or clearly shown. A flashback includes a scared child hiding with her mother from bad guys; the child is saved, but everyone she knows is killed.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

One scene is implied to be taking place after sex (one character gets out of bed, while the other remains there). Loving kisses between couples. Talk of love; flirting.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Not constant, but a couple uses of "s--t," plus words including "ass," "a--hole," "douche bag," "nut sack," "dammit," "d--khole," "hell," "crap," "bastard," "jerk," "sucks," "stupid," "screwed," "God" (as an exclamation). Two suggested but incomplete uses of "f--k": One character says "chill the F out," and there's a cut off use of "motherf----r."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Tony uses an ancient AT&T flip phone. Verbal reference to Starbucks. Film is tied in to the vast merchandising/licensing efforts surrounding Marvel Comics.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Avengers: Infinity War is the most intense of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films so far, due to the villain's genocidal quest and the grave consequences for some well-known characters. It has plenty of humor and lighter moments, but it ultimately goes to places darker than in any previous Marvel Cinematic Universe entry. Also, it requires more knowledge of things that have happened in previous Marvel movies than other Avengers films have; it's the meeting point of several franchises and storylines. Violence is the biggest issue; it's stepped up even by MCU standards, with some torture and several impalings and crushings in addition to the usual smashed buildings, giant fights, and blasted spaceships. Thanos ( Josh Brolin ) is by far the most powerful nemesis the Avengers have faced, which the filmmakers establish right away with his brutal beatdown of one of the mightiest Avengers. The core plot element is mass murder on a universal scale, which might be a little much for younger viewers. Frankly, things get pretty grim: Key characters die, and the villains are much scarier than most comic book baddies. The gore level isn't higher; it's really the emotional impact that's different. There's also some strong language (including "s--t," "a--hole," "dammit," and several colorful insults), but sex isn't a factor beyond a few loving kisses. As always, teamwork and courage are core messages as the Avengers (including Robert Downey, Jr. 's Iron Man, Chris Evans ' Captain America, Chris Hemsworth 's Thor, and Scarlett Johansson 's Black Widow), other MCU heroes (including Chadwick Boseman 's Black Panther, Tom Holland 's Spider-Man, and Benedict Cumberbatch 's Doctor Strange), and the Guardians of the Galaxy (including Chris Pratt 's Star-Lord and Zoe Saldana 's Gamora) come together to defend humanity -- and the universe. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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• Parents say (175)
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Based on 175 parent reviews

A historic piece of film history

What's the story.

In AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, Thanos ( Josh Brolin ), whose efforts to acquire powerful cosmic gems called "Infinity Stones" have been important elements in previous Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies, marches toward his goal of eliminating half of all life in the universe (he believes it's the only way to stop beings from using up all of the universe's resources). Lining up to stop him are almost all of the big-screen Marvel heroes, including Avengers Iron Man ( Robert Downey, Jr. ), Captain America/Steve Rogers ( Chris Evans ), Thor ( Chris Hemsworth ), Black Widow ( Scarlett Johansson ), and others; plus Spider-Man ( Tom Holland ), Black Panther ( Chadwick Boseman ), Doctor Strange ( Benedict Cumberbatch ), and the Guardians of the Galaxy, led by Star-Lord ( Chris Pratt ) and Gamora ( Zoe Saldana ). The sprawling epic takes place on multiple continents and multiple planets as Thanos and his terrifying accomplices stop at nothing to find the stones and take them by whatever means are necessary. It all leads up to a massive climactic battle with shocking consequences.

Is It Any Good?

This is the most intense, complex, and stirring Marvel Cinematic Universe film yet -- though the sheer number of characters and storylines make it a bit confusing for anyone who's not a hard-core fan. Avengers: Infinity War is also the grimmest MCU movie so far, with consequences unlike any that have come before in this massive franchise. Much of the talk about the film will center on those events (no more details here, to avoid spoilers), but there's more to it than that. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely were already responsible for two of the best MCU entries to date, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War . With Avengers: Infinity War , they continue to respect viewers' intelligence while giving their characters deep motivations and presenting knockout action scenes. It's as lean as epics get; none of its nearly two-and-a-half-hour running time feels wasted. While the many characters and intersecting plots may confuse casual viewers -- the filmmakers assume audiences are familiar with all that's come before -- for fans, it's one mind-blowing moment after another, starting with a jaw-dropping fight in the first minutes. Plus, Infinity War is also one of the funniest MCU movies yet, relying on character-based humor rather than some of the wacky flights of fancy of, say, the also excellent Thor: Ragnarok .

The performances benefit from the strong script, no-nonsense direction, and the growth the actors have experienced in their roles over many years. It's fun to watch two of the MCU's biggest egomaniacs, Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark and Cumberbatch's Stephen Strange, bump up against each other -- and then for Pratt's off-kilter Star-Lord to crash into the mix. Relationships are deepened, and it's a huge relief to see the Avengers working together again after the events of Civil War . Thanos, as voiced by Brolin and brilliantly animated by the VFX team, is perhaps the most frightening villain ever in a comic book film (including Heath Ledger's iconic Joker in The Dark Knight ) -- largely because he's so thoroughly convinced that he's actually a good guy who's willing to make hard choices and impossible sacrifices in the universe's best interests. Without spoiling anything, the film's dire consequences feel almost Game of Thrones -like, with well-known characters defeated as never before. Some kids will likely be upset by that. But keep in mind that this is a comic book world (so things aren't always what they seem), and -- in the meantime -- appreciate the fact that the overall effect gives Infinity War the highest stakes and biggest wow factor of the MCU so far.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in Avengers: Infinity War . How does it compare to the other Avengers movies? Is there a difference in the impact between hand-to-hand combat and catastrophic, buildings-collapsing type of explosions? Was the movie scarier than previous MCU entries? If so, why?

What are the movie's messages about teamwork and courage ? What happened when characters didn't work together as planned? Why is teamwork an important character strength ? Which teammates in Avengers: Infinity War were particularly effective? What strategies did they use to contribute to their team?

How does the movie explore the idea/theme of sacrifice? Are there different kinds of sacrifice in the movie? What role does it play in the movie? What impact does it have on the characters?

Why is it important for superheroes to be diverse? Do you think the Marvel Cinematic Universe offers strong examples of both racial and gender diversity? Has that changed over the films' history?

Captain America: Civil War left the Avengers split into factions. What's changed since then, at the start of this movie, and what happens when a larger threat arises? What does that say about what's most important to the characters?

Movie Details

• In theaters : April 27, 2018
• On DVD or streaming : August 14, 2018
• Cast : Robert Downey Jr. , Chris Pratt , Chris Hemsworth , Zoe Saldana , Tom Holland , Josh Brolin
• Directors : Anthony Russo , Joe Russo
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Black actors, Latino actors
• Studio : Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Superheroes , Adventures , Space and Aliens
• Character Strengths : Courage , Teamwork
• Run time : 156 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, language and some crude references
• Awards : Common Sense Selection , Kids' Choice Award
• Last updated : May 6, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Avengers: Infinity War Reviews

Avengers: Infinity War is the apex of franchise movie-making, bringing together a plethora of heroes from a number of different franchises to form the blockbuster of blockbusters.

Full Review | Feb 6, 2024

Avengers: Infinity War is a ground-breaking, unique movie within the genre.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Jul 24, 2023

Who says all superhero films are predictable?

Full Review | Apr 20, 2023

People will have different opinions on the film depending on how invested they are in the characters in the movie. If you are knowledgeable of the characters and their stories thus far, this movie is flat-out incredible.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Feb 16, 2023

It’s a thrilling, funny, emotional, rip-roaring crowd-pleaser that serves as a fitting culmination of their decade-long buildup.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 19, 2022

Infinity War is all about balance, in many different respects. Balance and tone, both of which, for a film with such ambition and size, are remarkable in how well they are executed.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 3, 2022

The audience is left drained, albeit thrilled, and as every great MCU title does, it leaves us hotly anticipating the next chapter.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Mar 14, 2022

The grand Marvel Cinematic Universe team-up has been out for a few weeks now, and just about everyone from Ben Garland to Zsa Zsa the now-fired Buccaneers Parrot has probably seen this giganto box office muncher of epic proportions.

Full Review | Feb 11, 2022

Episode 7: Globalism

Full Review | Original Score: 80/100 | Aug 28, 2021

Thanks to the superb visual effects, the film is truly a work of art, even if it tries to pack in just a little too much, making some characters more like afterthoughts rather than integral to the plot.

Full Review | Aug 24, 2021

I'm torn on the big finale. This is either the gutsiest ending of any modern blockbuster, or a prelude to an emotional cop-out.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Aug 21, 2021

If you are remotely interested and if you remotely enjoyed the films of the MCU, this is a must watch. The Russo brothers have done it again.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Aug 14, 2021

It succeeded in doing exactly what it was likely designed to do: it made me want to watch more Marvel movies.

Full Review | Jul 16, 2021

An enormous action spectacle that never lets up.

Full Review | Original Score: 4 / 5 | Jun 24, 2021

Another mammoth slice of superhero mayhem...

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | May 18, 2021

The dangling nature of the story will be frustrating to some. For fans, however, the movie should deliver in a big way.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 4, 2021

No genuine or long-lasting amusement or engagement is possible, as the reverential treatment of completely preposterous events and processes is what predominates.

Full Review | Feb 11, 2021

The Russo brothers deliver an epic, brutal, and oftentimes scattered showdown with the Mad Titan Thanos.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Jan 29, 2021

Avengers: Infinity War is full of entertaining little parts that somehow do not make a compelling whole. It is a phantasmagoria of stunning action sequences and beautifully poignant moments that nevertheless leaves one cold in the end.

Full Review | Jan 27, 2021

There's nothing new about Marvel's money-raking formula, but as each new chapter comes along, the serialized story becomes more and more unwieldy.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Dec 5, 2020

• Entertainment /

Avengers: Infinity War is stunning, hilarious, and heartbreaking

Directors joe and anthony russo create a superhero movie where nobody is safe.

By Bryan Bishop

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The most definitive overarching issue with the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been the lack of stakes. Over the course of the saga’s previous 18 movies, MCU heroes have faced numerous world-ending threats, eking out victories by the skin of their teeth, only to have their worlds essentially return to normal in time for the next installment. The approach worked early, on a film-by-film basis, but when viewed as part of a 10-year narrative, it’s tended to weaken the broader franchise. There can be no drama without true risk, and in the MCU, audiences have learned that none of their favorites are ever really in harm’s way.

Directors Joe and Anthony Russo seem acutely aware of this issue with their latest entry, the massive, multi-film team-up Avengers: Infinity War . The long-awaited face-off between the Avengers and Thanos (Josh Brolin), the MCU’s ultimate big bad, is massively entertaining, deftly incorporating dozens of characters across multiple storylines with a kinetic flair. Its devotion to banter and one-liners makes it one of the funniest movies in the studio’s history, but it’s also a film where very bad things happen to good people. After years of movies where even the most mediocre heroes appeared to be invulnerable and indomitable, it’s an arresting jolt — and exactly the film the franchise needed.

After years of teasing Thanos’ upcoming arrival, Avengers: Infinity War wastes no time with stage-setting. It opens with Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) on the ship last seen at the end of Thor: Ragnarok , facing off against the big purple villain. Thanos is after a powerful crystal called an Infinity Stone, and he suspects Loki has one in the Tesseract — the glowing cube that served as a key plot device six years ago in The Avengers .

There are six Infinity Stones , the film explains: powerful crystals that originated in the Big Bang, and that represent aspects of existence and have related elemental powers. Some are spread across the universe, but half of them are on Earth, where they’ve played significant roles in past MCU movies. Thanos is trying to collect all of them, slotting them into a massive golden glove. If he acquires them all, he says, he’ll have the power to wipe out half the universe with a snap of his fingers.

It pays off years of emotional investment in ways that are often heart-wrenching.

The film tracks Thanos’ quest as he moves from stone to stone, while various superhero factions attempt to stop him. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) are attacked by several of Thanos’ henchman, who are eager to get the green Time Stone that Strange protects within the mystic Eye of Agamotto. Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany), who have gone into hiding to nurture their burgeoning romantic relationship, are attacked by minions seeking the Mind Stone that’s integrated within Vision’s brain. Along the way, the Guardians of the Galaxy team up with various heroes, a bearded Captain America (Chris Evans) comes out of hiding, and Black Panther’s home of Wakanda becomes ground zero for a central conflict. Nearly every character in the MCU is roped into the war, with Thanos swiftly establishing himself as an unprecedented threat on multiple fronts.

With so many characters in play, writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely ( Captain America: Civil War ) are faced with a remarkable challenge: giving every character a place in the story, without letting anyone other than Thanos dominate the larger narrative. The story crosscuts between four or five major story threads, much like Game of Thrones , Westworld , and other complicated serial narratives. It’s a testament to Markus and McFeely’s work that the film never feels crowded, even though it’s juggling such a massive number of movie stars. In fact, the film is able to give many characters their own meaningful story arcs throughout the film, with Tony Stark, Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and the Vision / Scarlet Witch love story given particular focus. The result is a film that often feels surprisingly earnest and emotional. It pays off the emotional investment movie audiences have been making in these characters for years, sometimes in genuinely heart-wrenching ways.

The most outlandish-looking Marvel villain is also its most complex and layered one

Even with all of that, this film belongs to Josh Brolin’s Thanos. The prospect of a giant purple computer-generated bad guy has prompted some skepticism , but in context, the character is wonderfully effective. The visual effects undeniably capture the nuances of Brolin’s facial tics and mannerisms, allowing the actor to shine through all the CGI wizardry. It’s a good thing that it works so well, because Thanos is not the cardboard cutout villain that some previous Marvel bad guys have been. His master plan involves destroying half the universe, but in his own mind, his motivations are noble. He thinks he’s the hero of his story, and while nobody is going to agree with his tactics, his backstory does give his overall reasoning a perverse sort of logic. At several key moments in the film, Thanos nearly becomes a sympathetic character — even while he is doing truly horrific, unforgivable things. The biggest surprise of all may be that the most outlandish-looking Marvel villain is also its most complex and layered one, which simply wouldn’t be possible without the film’s synthesis of script, direction, performance, and visual effects.

The film’s sparkling sense of humor balances the weight of Thanos’ actions. Marvel’s films have always had a flair for comedy, but Infinity War turns the dial up further, maximizing the levity found in movies like Thor: Ragnarok and Guardians of the Galaxy . Pitting Star-Lord’s hyper-insecurity against Thor’s arrogant hyper-masculinity provides for some of the funniest moments in the entire MCU.

Doctor Strange and Tony Stark also play as comedic foils for each other, sparring over what might as well be the title for Most Arrogant Superhero On Earth. In a film that mixes so many different elements, it would be easy for many of these characters’ essential traits to fall by the wayside. But the Russo brothers don’t just preserve the characters’ innate sensibility. They’re actually able to incorporate the filmmaking sensibilities of the different franchises into their own tapestry. Sequences with Star-Lord, Rocket (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel) feel like they’re from one of James Gunn’s Guardians films; Thor seems like he’s walked right off the set of Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok . The movie is a Marvel mixtape, combining the very best of everything that’s come before, but recontextualizing the individual parts to tell its own unique story.

The massive scale of the undertaking does have periodic downsides. The action sequences are mostly effective, but at times, there are so many characters being flung around like CG rag dolls that it can be hard to gauge what is happening to whom, in which order. And while every character does get a laugh, a heroic choice, or some other moment to shine, fans will no doubt be frustrated if their particular favorite hero isn’t foregrounded as much as other characters are. That’s simply the nature of the beast, however — it was inevitably going to happen with a project of this size. The fact that those concerns are fleeting, however, is a testament to what a massive storytelling achievement Infinity War is.

Audiences will be aghast at just how far The Avengers have fallen

The film can’t spread around its camera time in equal measure, but it does give all the characters an equal shot at despair. A decade of films have led up to Thanos, and Avengers: Infinity War delivers on that threat with a film that upends the entire fabric of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. No character is safe from the far-reaching implications of his actions, and it’s impressive to see just how dark Marvel is willing to go for this story. Even the biggest fan favorites are truly vulnerable, and the movie reinforces that idea — relentlessly, at times — as it sprints toward its final stunning moments. By the time the credits roll, audiences will no doubt be aghast at just how far the Avengers have fallen.

One problem, though, is that Infinity War leans so excessively toward darkness that it’s impossible to believe the studio won’t take back many of the things that happen onscreen. This is still the Disney-run Marvel universe, after all, and the popularity of some of its flagship characters all but guarantees that, no matter what happens during Avengers: Infinity War , much of it won’t be permanent. (In fact, in its final act, the film seems to tip its hand toward a Hail Mary solution that’s likely to come into play in the still-untitled Infinity War sequel .) But that’s the most minor of complaints. This is a comic book universe, after all, and the fact that Infinity War is able to embrace this darkness in the first place is a wonder. The only real crime is that audiences will have to wait until 2019 to see the conclusion.

Avengers: Infinity War opens on April 27th.

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More from this stream Avengers: Infinity War: all the trailers, updates, and commentary for Marvel’s biggest film

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Avengers: Infinity War review – colossal Marvel showdown revels in apocalyptic mayhem

Supersized set pieces, sharp one-liners and surprising deaths abound in the Russo brothers’ utterly confident comic-book movie mash-up

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N ot infinity perhaps, but a really, really big finity war. Colossal, cataclysmic, delirious, preposterous – and always surreally entertaining in the now well-established Marvel movie tradition. It’s a gigantic showdown between a force of cosmic wickedness and a chaotically assembled super-team of Marvel superheroes made more complicated by Doctor Strange’s tendency to multiclone himself in moments of battle stress.

There are some very unexpected family relationships that we had no idea about – potentially compromising unity in the face of encroaching evil. There are also some very surprising deaths – of which, of course, the less said the better. There are, moreover, some surprising omissions in the cast list. Or are there?

Avengers: Infinity War is a giant battle for which directors Anthony and Joe Russo have given us touches of JRR Tolkien’s Return of the King and JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The film delivers the sugar-rush of spectacle and some very amusing one-liners.

Whatever else it does, this Marvel movie shows its brand identity in the adroit management of tone. One moment it’s tragic, the next, it’s cracking wise. It’s absurd and yet persuades you of its overwhelming seriousness. And there are some amazing Saturday-morning-kids-show moments when you feel like cheering. Earth is being threatened by a massive malign hunk with a huge ridgey chin called Thanos, played by Josh Brolin. If he can gain ownership of all the talismanic infinity stones and place them in the holes in his custom-built gauntlet then he will have the ultimate power to destroy anything he wishes in the universe. And he has a chilling wish for mass slaughter of half the sentient beings in existence, ostensibly so that the other half will have enough food to eat – but really so they will bow down to him as the tyrant lord. Ranged against him, of course, are the good guys who come together not in a single phalanx but a constellation of improvised groupings, in which the alpha males have a tendency to bicker. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) is nettled by Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his supercilious air of intellectual superiority – and vice versa. Spider-Man (Tom Holland) shows up and annoys the hell out of them both with his millennial’s flair for pop culture references. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) finds himself having to do a ride-along with the Guardians of the Galaxy and Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is intimidated by Thor’s godlike machismo and finds himself trying to do the basso profundo voice. Vision (Paul Bettany) and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) are tormented by the glowing stone in Vision’s blue head, and they’re agonised by the thought that self-destruction is the only way to keep it out of Thanos’s huge mitts. Their own situation brings them into contact with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) – who prefers his non-super name now, not Captain America, and also the always frowning Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), together with the frankly traumatised Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). Scenes and situations whoosh by like a bizarre and bizarrely exciting dream. A sudden trip to Wakanda, with its secret world of remedial hi-tech surgery, seems entirely plausible. T’Challa, or Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) greets the visitors with his habitual Shakespearean bearing and princely calm. Inevitably, there is a little confusion. Groups of superheroes clash and each thinks the other is on Thanos’s side. “What master do you serve?” shouts one, awkwardly. “You mean – like Jesus?” comes the exasperated reply. No. Thor is the only god around here and even he isn’t guaranteed a result. It’s all in the cosmic balance. In theory, all these superheroes crammed into one movie should trigger the law of diminishing returns and the Traveling Wilbury effect. And yet somehow in its pure uproariousness, it works. It’s just a supremely watchable film, utterly confident in its self-created malleable mythology. And confident also in the note of apocalyptic darkness.

I know it’s silly. And yet I can’t help looking forward to the next supersized episode of mayhem.

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‘avengers: infinity war’: film review.

'Avengers: Infinity War,' Marvel's biggest, most star-studded film yet, brings together characters from all of its franchises, including 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and 'Black Panther.'

By Todd McCarthy

Todd McCarthy

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“We’re in the endgame now,” Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange intones in the final stretch of the indisputably epic Avengers: Infinity War —  and, more than in any other comics-derived superhero concoction one could mention, there’s a whiff of something resembling tragedy in a franchise that, for millions of fans, seems to play a role similar to what mythology did for the Greeks.

This grand, bursting-at-the-seams wrap-up to one crowded realm of the Marvel superhero universe starts out as three parts jokes, two parts dramatic juggling act and one part deterministic action, an equation that’s been completely reversed by the time of the film’s startling climax. “Huge” is the operative word here — for budget, scope and size of the global audience.

Release date: Apr 27, 2018

Back in Hollywood’s big studio heyday, the grandest company of them all, MGM, boasted of having “more stars than there are in heaven.” Marvel could arguably make that argument today, and it’s crammed almost all of them into this one densely packed superhero orgy, the first half of which is basically dedicated to finding a semi-coherent way of shuffling them into the same dramatic deck. How are ultra-egotists like Dr. Strange, Robert Downey Jr. ‘s Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Chris Evans ‘ Steve Rogers, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and even Chadwick Boseman’s more even-keeled Black Panther going to like having to share the heroic spotlight with one another, while also allowing some derring-do and dazzling deeds to be performed by at least another dozen characters with unusual talents?

The sharp-witted answer delivered by writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely and directors Anthony and Joe Russo, under the supervision of Marvel Films maestro Kevin Feige , is to acknowledge the traffic jam of egos and play it for laughs. The effect is both scatter-shot and precise, knowing and witty enough to be initially disarming and ultimately ingratiating. With more limited screen time than they’re used to and even more limited elbow room, the actors and characters (in what at least some knew would be their swan songs in these costumes) snap off one-liners and sharp remarks with an extra edge of sarcastic disdain. They don’t exactly send up their heroic characters, but there is more of a subtle commentary underneath it all (not so subtle in the case of Mark Ruffalo’s and Evans’ roles) about the frustrations of having two different personas in life.

Even early on, however, one makes note of tragic forebodings that Dr. Strange articulates. For all the activity generated by the superheroes, the fellow driving the action here is the heretofore glimpsed but never central Thanos (Josh Brolin ), a brooding tree trunk of a man whose stated goal is to achieve universal dominance by acquiring all six Infinity Stones. Each of these variously colored gems confers distinct powers. As he acquires them, he becomes increasingly unbeatable, but along with his determination and brute force he brings a philosophical intelligence.

Thanos has thoroughly thought through his ambition, as well as the moral and emotional toll it will take to achieve it, and  Brolin’s calm, considered reading of the character bestows this conquering beast with an unexpectedly resonant emotional dimension, making him much more than a thick stick figure of a  supervillain .

The imposing and unquestionable danger Thanos represents, and the way it increases exponentially with each stone he acquires, becomes quite serious after a while. So what begins as a lark — with the vast assortment of comic book characters trotting out their costumes; middle-aged Bruce Banner humorously being so out of practice that he can no longer transform himself into the Hulk; Tony Stark bantering once again with Gwyneth Paltrow’s Pepper Potts; Holland’s Peter Parker looking so childish even he seems to wonder what he’s doing in this company; Dave Bautista stealing every scene he’s in; Scarlett Johansson and Don Cheadle being given absolutely nothing fresh or original to do; Evans trying to leave his Captain America persona behind him — transforms into something genuinely threatening and grim, something, in fact, that has to be taken seriously: the prospect that evil can win.

With so many ingredients to stir into this overflowing pot, you have to hand it to the two experienced teams of Marvel collaborators who had a feel for how to pull this magnum opus off. Markus and McFeely wrote all three Captain America entries and have a deft, jokey, sometimes glib touch that spreads the humor around and prevents this long film from ever getting stodgy. The Brothers Russo directed the last two Captain America features and have a breezy approach that prevents the action here from sagging in any serious way.

And the scale of that action is astonishing. Some of it is set in space or in different realms, while other scenes take place in New York and elsewhere on Earth. When the intergalactic conflict winds up in Wakanda, Black Panther’s African homeland, it provides a bit of a start: Wait, we were just there a few months ago, and here we are again already for another giant battle?

Another major dramatic thread concerns the hitherto secondary figure of Vision (Paul Bettany), who crucially possesses the final stone sought by Thanos and hies to Scotland with Elizabeth Olsen ‘s Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch before being tracked down.

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But, after Thanos, the most significant figure of all, and the character who lends the tale much of its ultimately tragic stature, is Zoe Saldana ‘s Gamora, Thanos’ adopted daughter. This relationship and story strain emerges from the distant background to play a decisive role both in the plot and the work’s ultimate thematic resonance, and the way it plays out is highly dramatic, upsetting and inevitable. By the time Thanos and Gamora’s relationship truly comes into focus, the film has rather remarkably shifted from a mood of larky fun to one of classical tragedy, not an inconsiderable feat in a comic book-derived entertainment.

Without giving anything away, the climax is startling in its gravity, and no Marvel fan will leave before the long final credits scroll gives way to the traditional kicker tease at the very end, which amplifies the ending by serving up even more questions, not answers. This will achieve the desired result of making millions of fans debate what it all means until the next installment. All we know for sure is that just one identified character will return.

No question about it, barely two months after the release of Black Panther, Marvel (and Disney, of course) has returned with another of the most expensive films ever made that will pull off another of the biggest commercial hauls of all time. This franchise isn’t going away anytime soon.

Production company: Marvel Studios Distributor: Disney Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo , Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch , Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman , Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Tom Middleston, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Idris Elba, Danai Gurira, Peter Dinklage, Benedict Wong, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt, William Hurt Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo Screenwriters: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely, based on the Marvel comics by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby Producer: Kevin Feige Executive producers: Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Michael Grillo, Trihn Tran, Jon Favreau, James Gunn, Stan Lee Director of photography: Trent Opaloch Production designer: Charles Wood Costume designer: Judianna Makovsky Editors: Jeffrey Ford, Matthew Schmidt Music: Alan Silvestri Visual effects supervisor: Dan DeLeeuw Casting: Sarah Finn

Rated PG-13, 149 minutes

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Film Review: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’

A knowingly overstuffed Marvel mashup turns out to be bedazzling fun, despite the fact that this many superheroes means they're all less special.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

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SPOILER ALERT: Do not read ahead if you want a completely spoiler-free experience going into “ Avengers: Infinity War .”

“Avengers: Infinity War,” a.k.a. “What If Marvel Threw a Superhero Party and Everyone Came?,” feels like a movie that the American Entertainment State had to get out of its system. It’s the 19th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it’s the first to push to the wall, to the max, to the ultron the notion that the MCU really is a universe : a vast intermeshed thicket of comic-book icons, destined to be an army that’s greater (in theory, at least) than the sum of its parts. If, for decades, the metaphor for propulsive blockbuster filmmaking was the “ride,” then watching “Avengers: Infinity War” is like going to a theme park and taking three spins on every ride there.

Set in deep space, and in half a dozen lands (New York, Wakanda, Titan, Knowhere), the film presents a galactic battle for the fate of the universe that throws together the six original Avengers; the follow-up wave of Marvel superheroes who’ve only recently been given their own origin stories (Black Panther, Dr. Strange, the rebooted Spider-Man); the Guardians of the Galaxy; and a sprinkling of other figures who’ve been there on the fringes. (I had to scratch my head to remember what Vision’s powers are, but he remains the coolest shade of Revlon.) The movie is a knowingly gargantuan Marvel mashup, so jam-packed with embattled uber saviors that you may feel, at times, like all that’s missing is Dwayne Johnson, Jesus Christ, and the cast of the last two “Star Wars” films.

So is the movie a jumbled, top-heavy mess of cynical franchise overkill? Sort of like the bloated and chaotic “Avengers: Age of Ultron” taken to the second power? Far from it. It’s a sleekly witty action opera that’s at once overstuffed and bedazzling. The directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, working from a script by the crack team of Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (who wrote their two “Captain America” sequels), are far more stylish and exacting filmmakers than Joss Whedon, director of the first two “Avengers” films. “Infinity War” is a brashly entertaining jamboree, structured to show off each hero or heroine and give them just enough to do, and to update their mythologies without making it all feel like homework. At the same time, you may begin to lose hold of what made each of these characters, you know, special .

Early on, a donut-shaped alien spaceship lands in midtown Manhattan, allowing the effete Continental sadist Ebony Maw (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor), who’s like a kick-ass version of the Ghost of Jacob Marley, to ring-lead some FX street mayhem. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), after trying and failing to match Ebony in wisecracks and firepower, gets sucked into the ship, and it’s up to Tony Stark ( Robert Downey Jr. ) to rescue him, with an assist from Spider-Man (Tom Holland), a pop-culture geek who wonders if he’s in the middle of an “Alien” film, and who Tony outfits with anti-gravity armor. Once Tony and Strange are thrown together, you can’t help but notice that both are imperious quipsters with matching goatees, and they razz each other exquisitely, the main difference being that Strange keeps forming those light circles that look like they’re made out of sparklers. Tony, of course, has his zippy metal power suits, but a number of the other characters do, too, including Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), who after the opening fight spends the entire film trying and failing to call forth his inner Hulk.

“Avengers: Infinity War” can make it feel like you’re at a birthday party where you get so many presents that you start to grow tired of opening them. But taken on its own piñata-of-fun terms, it’s sharp, fast-moving, and elegantly staged. It also has what any superhero movie worth its salt requires: a sense that there’s something at stake.

The urgency derives, in this case, from the film’s villain, Thanos, the malevolent Dark Lord of the wrecked planet Titan, played by Josh Brolin (in a supremely effective motion-capture performance) as a towering walking-statue purple demon with a chin sculpted like Abraham Lincoln’s beard, and a demeanor of soft-spoken Nietzschean intelligence. He’s like Hellboy, the Hulk, Darth Vader, and Oliver Stone rolled into one eloquent sociopath. Thanos’ master plan could hardly be simpler — and neither, despite its gushing river of characters, could the film’s storyline. Thanos is on a mission to gather all six of the Infinity Stones (candy-colored gems named for Mind, Soul, Time, Power, Space, and Reality), several of which are in the hands of our heroes (Vision, played by Paul Bettany, has one of them embedded in his forehead). If Thanos succeeds, it would allow him, in a mad instant, to destroy half the beings in the universe.

This seems like the most dastardly of plans, and is. Yet Thanos thinks of himself as a genocidal humanitarian (sort of like Chairman Mao). The universe’s resources are limited, and he intends to slice the population in half so that what remains of it can thrive. Brolin infuses Thanos with his slit-eyed manipulative glower, so that the evil in this movie never feels less than personal. It also feels like a force that might just require 20 superheroes to stop it.

At a few key moments, the war really does get personal, as when Thanos is reunited with Gamora ( Zoe Saldana ), the adoptive stepdaughter he rescued as a girl in the midst of wiping out her planet. She won’t give into him now, even when he’s got her android half-sister, Nebula (Karen Gillan), suspended and torturously stretched into her metallic body parts. Saldana, in a ripely emotional performance, plays Gamora like a raging refugee from an abusive home, and the resolution of her conflict with Thanos gives “Infinity War” the (rare) moving moment it needs.

Gamora’s fellow Guardians, meanwhile, are off doing what they do: saving the cosmos (to the tune of the Spinners’ “The Rubberband Man”), but never letting that endeavor get in the way of their ability to take the piss out of each other. The two Marvel franchises come crashing together — literally — when the bloody, barely sentient Thor ( Chris Hemsworth ) bumps into the windshield of the Guardians’ ship. There is much mooning over his muscles (Drax: “It’s like a pirate had a baby with an angel!”), which is funny, and so is the rivalrous back-and-forth between Thor and Star-Lord ( Chris Pratt ), who in contrast to the stentorian stud of Asgard has never seemed more of a dude . He feels like he’s got to lower his voice just to keep up with him.

The Guardians split into two factions, with Rocket ( Bradley Cooper ) and the sulky, video-game-playing adolescent Groot (Vin Diesel) heading off with Thor, who refers to Rocket as “the rabbit.” Then, just when you’re sure that the film has more than enough spinning subplots, along comes Steve Rogers, played by Chris Evans in a beard that, frankly, is less becoming to his role than the one sported by Thor. Hemsworth wears his facial hair as a sign of the character’s battered-but-unbowed soul, but in Evans’ case it looks as if it’s not just Rogers but the actor who has grown a bit depressed at the prospect of being Captain America. The team he’s leading — he’s got Black Widow ( Scarlett Johansson ) and War Machine (Don Cheadle) in tow — feels like the least exciting, and the most extraneous to the main action.

“Infinity War” brims with tensely spectacular combat sequences, even if the question of who’s going to win each one has that extravagantly arbitrary could-Mighty-Mouse-beat-up-Superman? quality. Luminous daggers get plunged into bodies, to no effect. Thor, after meeting with his weapons guru (Peter Dinklage, acting very Shakespeare) and bracing himself against the burning force of a star, gets a new super-hammer — an ax, actually — which is presented as an ultimate tool until it fails, at a crucial moment, to do what we think it’s going to do. (The weirdest thing about superhero movies is that they’re bombastically physical… and metaphysical. Which often doesn’t make sense.) The climax is set in Wakanda, where T’Challa ( Chadwick Boseman ) doesn’t have much to do besides orchestrate a battle against an army of squishy alien beasties. It isn’t until the arrival of Thanos that the sequence takes off not just visually but dramatically.

Of all the things that have ever happened in an MCU movie, there will be much chatter about the ending of “Infinity War.” It is dark and spooky and, in its way, chancy and shocking. Do any of our beloved characters die? Well, yes. But, in fact, the ending is so audacious that you realize it’s all an elaborate card trick. Despite what it shows us, these movies are rarely about more leading to less. Count on the sequel — due one year from now — to demonstrate that more, in the MCU, will lead only to more.

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Reviewed at AMC Empire, April 23, 2018. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 149 MIN.

• Production: A Walt Disney Studios release of a Marvel Studios production. Producer: Kevin Feige. Executive producers: Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Michael Grillo, Trinh Tran, Jon Favreau, James Gunn, Stan Lee.
• Crew: Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo. Screenplay: Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely. Camera (color, widescreen): Trent Opaloch. Editors: Jeffrey Ford, Matthew Schmidt. Music: Alan Silvestri.
• With: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin, Chadwick Boseman, Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dave Bautista, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Scarlett Johansson, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Karen Gillan, Peter Dinklage, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Vin Diesel, Benicio del Toro.

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• Avengers: Infinity War review: An adventure 10 years in the making

All your friends are here, and they’re fighting Thanos

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Every time I sit down to review a Marvel movie — and I’ve reviewed a lot of them — I ask myself the same question:

What do we expect from a Marvel movie these days?

Avengers: Infinity War is full of narrative challenges that would make a stand-alone film buckle. It groans under the weight of its cast , strains with the tension of holding four central plots aloft in nearly a dozen locations, flexes mightily between tones to fit the moods we associate with different Marvel subfranchises. Its strength is that we already know these characters, and that the movie is surrounded by a hype machine that has kept its central story — Thanos , the Infinity Stones , the Avengers — fresh in the audience’s minds. Infinity War was never intended to function outside the web of a franchise, so there’s little value in judging it separately.

What we expect from the directing duo, the Russo Brothers, and the screenwriting duo, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, isn’t so much that they reinvent the genre. (Although we wouldn’t say no, Marvel’s most recent films — Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther — being exemplary proof that there’s life left in the much fretted-over bones of the superhero trend .) What we really expect from Infinity War is to see some old friends — because a decade in, that’s what the Avengers are. We want to see them see each other, to watch them struggle against insurmountable odds, to feel their fear and hope as our own, and be transported by it.

By that metric, Avengers: Infinity War succeeds, with a confidence that is almost entirely earned.

Without getting into spoiler territory, Infinity War dives into its story without wasting time: Thanos, the shadowy alien figure who put the events of the first Avengers movie into motion , is coming. He’s after the six Infinity Stones, which are scattered across Earth and space , and it’s up to our heroes to stop him before he gets them all and attains an omnipotent power to warp reality to his dark will.

Infinity War has a lot to do, and even though the Russos have a decent track record of packing a movie full of characters but still giving them room to breathe ( Captain America: Civil War , for example), it might be better if you don’t walk in expecting the furtherance of anybody’s character arc in this one. Still, while the movie does flip all across the galaxy at a moment’s notice, it doesn’t flip too fast. It feels packed, but not rushed, delivering a story that’s surprisingly simple and straightforward, for all its threads — the Russos & Co. know exactly how much to bite off and chew.

True, the film does not have a particularly interesting structure. Narratively, it’s more of an inclined plane than an arc. But while I might not have been sure exactly when the third act began, I was thrilled by it all the same. There were really only a few moments where I was distracted from my viewing with the intrusive thought that this bit had really gone on too long or that Infinity War was building a moment that wasn’t earned.

The filmmakers gamely attempt to make an audience feel invested in Vision and Wanda, two characters whose development has happened almost entirely off-screen — not even Paul Bettany’s considerable puppy dog eyes could make me care about their relationship. Infinity War also does a lot of heavy lifting to turn Thanos into the compelling arch-nemesis that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been desperately trying to recreate since Loki’s post- Avengers semi-redemption. But in the end, no matter how many times you have him or one of his lackeys monologue about his motivations, he remains neither sympathetic nor even empathetic.

Overall, however, Infinity War lands the vast majority of the emotional beats it’s reaching for, which is why we’re here anyway. There are some tremendous surprises in store for viewers, including a wonderful cameo. The Russos play expertly in a sandbox that’s already chock full of castles built from 10 years of fan theories, speculation and even complete fiction about what might happen when Rocket Raccoon meets [SPOILER], or [SPOILER] meets Iron Man.

A decade into the franchise, what we expect from a Marvel movie is as informed by what’s come before it as anything else. It’s not just about the way that Marvel Studios has driven the evolution of the superhero genre in film, but in how it’s given us a set of characters and then consistently provided new adventures for them — for a full decade. There’s no way to do that without fostering an attachment between the audience and the story, and that attachment has evolved from a versatile foundation for larger stories to a narrative end in and of itself.

And that’s what we really expect from Avengers: Infinity War : We want to see the Avengers. We want to see them have a very big adventure. We want that adventure to be fun and sad and thrilling and hopeful, and to remind us why we like the Avengers. Above all, we want to leave the theater asking “what happens next?”

And Avengers: Infinity War , above everything else it does, will do that for you.

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Avengers: Infinity War Review

27 Apr 2018

NaN minutes

Avengers: Infinity War

Marvel has raised the pressure for itself on Infinity War , widely touting it as the endgame of three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and promising earth-shattering – or at least, judging by the trailer, moon-shattering – consequences to this two-part story, which will finish with next year’s untitled Avengers 4 . It would be hard for any film to live up to the level of sky-high hype that has resulted, and to satisfy the fans of every single one of these characters. Miraculously, this smashes right through your expectations and delivers shock after shock.

The film opens without the traditional Marvel fanfare, instead throwing itself into full-throated operatic drama. The opening minutes are designed to jolt you out of any complacency you may have felt about Thanos’ effectiveness, or the threat posed even by his minions in the Black Order. Ebony Maw (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) and Proxima Midnight (Carrie Coon) and the rest make themselves instantly hissable. They may look like Lord Of The Rings rejects, and they boast little in the way of redeeming qualities, but that’s all to the good. They are big, they are powerful enough to test the Avengers independent of their boss, and that’s about all we need to know.

Brace for noble self-sacrifice, senseless tragedy and straight-up murder.

Thanos, meanwhile, gets monologuing from minute one, and it’s to Josh Brolin ’s credit that he is never less than compelling, whether speaking or letting his actions speak for him. Thanos is mad, and the solution he sees to the galaxy’s ills both evil and ineffective, but he has a thought process that (sort of) makes sense, and his commitment to his cause is so absolute that it is almost admirable. Almost.

Standing against him is a team that is physically fractured, scattered across the galaxy between the remnants of the Avengers, the refugee Asgardians and the Guardians of the Galaxy. The plot’s machinations result in unlikely combinations of Avengers meeting, bickering and, usually, working together semi-effectively. The addition of the Guardians of the Galaxy happens smoothly – which is to say that there is fighting, flirting, bonding over heavy weaponry and the steady erosion of Peter Quill’s ( Chris Pratt ) ego. Speaking of egos, the titanic clash between Iron Man ( Robert Downey Jr ) and Dr Strange ( Benedict Cumberbatch ) is a delight, especially given spice by the addition of the naïve, entirely good Peter Parker ( Tom Holland ). The combinations of heroes working together feels both inevitable and unexpected, and the sheer charisma of the cast means that whatever scene or planet we cut to, there’s someone there to care about.

Everyone is tested. Hulk ( Mark Ruffalo ) comes up against obstacles he can’t smash, and Steve Rogers ( Chris Evans ) — relatively underused — has to reckon with his own personal worst-case scenario. Thanos’ genius is to repeatedly use our heroes’ mutual ties against them. Thanos is willing to sacrifice half the universe to achieve his ends, but he knows that others are not so determined. Over and over again, the film tries to force one character to make concessions to save a life, and over and over again they try to live up to Vision’s claim that “We don’t trade lives, Captain”. They may not, but Joe and Anthony Russo, evil genius screenwriters Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus, and producer Kevin Feige, have no such mercy.

Brace, then, for noble self-sacrifice, senseless tragedy and straight-up murder. The good news is that it’s also really, really funny. Tony Stark is briefly reduced to speechlessness. Thor gives an account of his family history that is accurate and also hilarious. Groot ( Vin Diesel ), Rocket ( Bradley Cooper ) and Drax ( Dave Bautista ) continue to leave a trail of much-needed laughs, without ever quite distracting from the danger they all face.

The film dances nimbly across the cosmos from one group to the next, turning the screws on each group, shattering them and pulling them back together in new combinations. With all these different strands, you might expect to see the gears move to keep this intricate plot humming, as in Age Of Ultron and Civil War . But this time the Russos achieve the impossible. Not only did they bring all these disparate characters and stories together, but they made it look effortless. And the ending laughs in the face of carbonite when it comes to raising the stakes for next time. “It’s not overselling it to say that the fate of the universe is at stake,” says one character, early on in Infinity War . If the universe he meant was the Marvel one, there’s no need to worry. We couldn’t tear ourselves away now if we wanted to.

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• Avengers: Infinity War review: Marvel’s biggest, most bizarre movie

Avengers: Infinity War isn’t the best Marvel movie. But it’s Marvel’s most daring. 

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Avengers: Infinity W ar feels like a Marvel movie on bath salts. Trying to describe any part of it alone will make you sound like you’ve lost your mind; trying to describe it all kind of makes it sound like it’s lost its mind. And it’s all the more confounding for how closely it mirrors its decade of movie predecessors only to end up shattering that mirror: Infinity War moves, sounds, and acts like a typical Marvel movie, but then unmasks itself as a creature distinctly its own.

Throughout Marvel Studios’ 10-year cinematic history, we’ve seen the world saved multiple times, from threats ranging from a chunk of Earth poised to crash down and wipe us out like the dinosaurs in Avengers: Age of Ultron to the unkillable goddess of death in Thor: Ragnarok .

You don’t have to squint too hard to see that all these villains and their endgames (take control of the planet and/or the universe), as well as our heroes’ efforts to stop them, have started to look essentially the same.

“We don’t trade lives,” Captain America ( Chris Evans ) tells his compatriots in Avengers: Infinity War , essentially summing up Marvel’s ethos over the past 18 movies: Leave no men, women, children, or any other life form behind.

Directed by the Russo brothers , the architects behind Captain America: Civil War and Captain America: Winter Soldier , Infinity War slyly betrays Cap, presenting his and the Avengers’ worldviews as naive and privileged. Instead, it dares to ask what happens if saving the day means taking real, tangible losses — a concept so foreign that it comes in the form of an intergalactic purple titan named Thanos ( Josh Brolin ).

It’s a testament to Marvel and the Russos’ daring that Thanos is actually one of the less surprising things about Infinity War . For the past six years, we’ve been told that he’s on a collision course with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, setting us up for the chaos that ensues in this long-heralded culmination. What I didn’t fully realize is just what that chaos would look like, and that Marvel had the guts to, mostly, pull it off.

Infinity War is more of a Thanos movie than an Avengers movie

The most difficult task facing Infinity War is addressing all of the characters, motivations, subplots, and relationships that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has built up over the years without making it feel like an expository avalanche careening down a mountain to bury the audience below.

For example: Gamora ( Zoe Saldana ) and Nebula ( Karen Gillan ) are adopted daughters of Thanos, the villain of Infinity War and the big bad lurking in the shadows of Marvel’s movies since 2012’s Avengers . Gamora and Nebula hate each other and hate Thanos, who tortured them by pitting them against each other; he also killed the family of Gamora’s Guardians of the Galaxy teammate Drax ( Dave Bautista ).

Gamora, Drax, and the other Guardians aren’t technically Avengers, but that’s just because they operate in Marvel’s cosmic universe, which we found out in Thor: Ragnarok is connected to Thor’s Asgard, a recently destroyed world populated by Norse gods and goddesses.

That intricate web of characters and motivations barely scratches the surface of four of Marvel’s recent movies; there are 18 total, not including Infinity War .

The Russo brothers’ solution to this dilemma is to turn a movie nominally about the Avengers into a movie about Thanos, played by Brolin decked out in lumpy mounds of purple CGI.

The special effects needed to turn Brolin into Thanos distract in the villain’s softer moments, as when he explains how exactly he came to be the Mad Titan. We’re told that, ages ago, Thanos’s home planet was bountiful but resources were finite. To alleviate the stress on the planet, Thanos had the idea to reduce it by half, eliminating life in order to preserve it.

Not satisfied with culling his own planet, Thanos has continued on a mission to eliminate half the life in the universe, and needs the Infinity Stones to do so. And it just so happens that our Avengers are the only thing standing in his way.

Thanos’s story allows Saldana to shine, as she rounds out Gamora with more humanity and purpose than the Guardians movies have allowed her. That she’s acting opposite a computer-enhanced Brolin in a majority of her scenes is even more impressive.

But giving Thanos such an expansive history comes at a price.

Most of the Marvel superheroes appearing in Infinity War , particularly Black Panther and Captain America, are compressed, concentrated versions of themselves. T’Challa ( Chadwick Boseman ) is given five or so lines to be majestic in his defense of Wakanda; Cap gets a few more minutes to be noble and inspiring. Spider-Man ( Tom Holland ) is around to remind us that he’s young.

Scarlet Witch ( Elizabeth Olsen ) and Vision ( Paul Bettany ) have scenes together to tell you they’re in love. Characters like Drax, Mantis ( Pom Klementieff ), Falcon ( Anthony Mackie ), Bucky Barnes ( Sebastian Stan ), Shuri ( Letitia Wright ), Okoye ( Danai Gurira ), Rocket ( Bradley Cooper ), Black Widow ( Scarlett Johansson ), and, of course, Groot (Vin Diesel) have a few one-liners.

Instead of showing us why these characters are so beloved, the Russo brothers employ a Marvel shorthand of sorts, relying on past movies to do most of the work. And that’s not an unreasonable instinct: Captain America’s first onscreen return in Civil War is awe-inspiring in large part because he’s the Captain America who’s lived in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the past seven years.

The same kind of chills happen when the “Wakanda” theme plays in Infinity War — a testament to the power of Ryan Coogler’s massive film . For devotees of the MCU, there’s plenty to read into between the lines of Infinity War , but only if you know where to look.

Not all of the film’s heroes are underutilized, though. Tony Stark’s ( Robert Downey Jr. ) fear of a galactic threat, established over the past few films featuring him, is fully realized in Thanos, and Downey sinks his teeth into Stark’s vulnerability and apprehension. Stark has to not only defeat this villain but also reconcile that mission with the fact that Thanos’s plan is horrifyingly adjacent to Stark’s dream of a universe so safe that Avengers are rendered obsolete.

Benedict Cumberbatch ’s Doctor Strange and Chris Hemsworth ’s Thor are apt counters to Stark. Cumberbatch’s Strange is coolly stubborn, calculating in ways that Stark isn’t. And Hemsworth, after flexing his knack for comedy in 2017’s Ragnarok , taps into that same humor but laces it with jagged grief and anger informed by having seen Thanos’s wrath firsthand.

It would have been stellar to see all of Marvel’s superheroes allowed these little pockets of storytelling in between the Thanos action, but there’s already not enough room in Infinity War ’s two hours and 40 minutes. I don’t envy the difficult decisions the Russos had to make about the heroes and storylines to spotlight, but I’m also not convinced that giving us a Thanos origin story and relying on that Marvel superhero shorthand to fill in the gaps was the most efficient way.

Perhaps the easiest way to reconcile this is to understand that Infinity War doesn’t want to have multiple profound heroes, but rather have one profound thing happen to all of its heroes.

Avengers: Infinity War is the most comic book movie that Marvel has ever created

The best and worst thing about Infinity War is that it’s a comic book movie.

Comic book artists aren’t bound by visual effects budgets, so they’re allowed to give us priceless imaginations on paper: new worlds on every page, mystifying beings, dazzling spacecraft, spellbinding powers, and megaton fights. Infinity War is the closest iteration of this limitless power that we’ve seen onscreen.

Midway through, I lost count of the planets and galaxies visited, each one terrifyingly beautiful in its own way. There’s a breath-stopping visit to a deserted ghost city of a planet, so evocative you can almost smell the sulfur in the air and feel the temperature drop when it comes on the screen.

And the faces of Thanos’s Black Order , his cabal of henchmen, are fearsome and distinct, offering both scintillating powers and copious nightmare fuel. Their fights with the Avengers are the film’s highlights, and a couple of them truly feel like significant threats to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

The problem with flexing this sort of expansive world building is that it requires so much jumping around the universe that the film feels like it’s spinning plates. That results in the compression I mentioned earlier, the feeling that some characters are around simply to remind you they exist. But it also, frustratingly, kneecaps what should be the MCU’s grandest fight scene, Infinity War ’s invasion of Wakanda.

It’s the largest-scale onscreen fight I can recall since the Battle of Helm’s Deep in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers . Our heroes, in a valiant last stand, are the only thing that stands between Thanos and universal destruction. And his generals have unleashed thousands of intergalactic hounds — what look to be a cross between snapping turtles and WWE wrestlers — upon Wakanda. Cap and Black Panther teaming up to hold the line is a strange mix of joy and stress. Seeing Okoye and Black Widow’s combat expertise in tandem is breathtaking. Same with Scarlet Witch unleashing her full powers.

Unfortunately, though, because there are multiple storylines going on at one time, we jump from Wakanda to outer space and another faction of Avengers doing their part to save the universe, or get thrust into Thor’s side quest to find a weapon strong enough to kill Thanos.

It’s frustrating that it’s so difficult to fully appreciate the fantastic work that went into orchestrating these massive spectacles when we’re constantly being jostled from place to place. Midway through, all these different settings and all these jumps begin to feel exhausting.

The same thing can happen in comic books. Some story arcs are better than others. And sometimes you’ll have to read through them all — even the most boring ones — to get the full crossover experience and make sure you didn’t miss anything.

But also as in comic books, there’s one absolute bombshell of a moment that grabs you by the neck and drives you back into the story. Infinity War boasts the most breathtaking, audacious moment in superhero movie history, one that rocketed through my brain and tore apart everything I thought I knew about the past 10 years of Marvel moviemaking. For the first time in a while, I can’t wait to see what happens next.

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“Avengers: Infinity War,” Reviewed: The Latest Marvel Movie Is a Two-and-a-Half-Hour Ad for All the Previous Marvel Movies

By Richard Brody

“Avengers: Infinity War” is a very peculiar movie. It runs for two and a half hours, and its spectacular action, effects, histrionics, and noises fill big screens and cavernous theatres with their colossal churning and yowling. Yet its roiling action is beside the point, serving mainly to illustrate the movie’s main idea: to give each one of its dozens of characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe a few moments to shine. In the well-worn divide between plot-driven dramas and character-driven ones, “Avengers: Infinity War” falls strangely and surprisingly into the latter category.

For that matter, although there’s nothing small scale about “Avengers: Infinity War,” it only resembles a movie. It comes off not even as a single drama, as a self-contained and internally structured narrative, but, rather, as a big-screen, two-and-a-half-hour variant on a single episode in a television series. “Avengers: Infinity War” would make little sense in the absence of its pack of predecessors. Its characters aren’t introduced; they just show up, and their behavior is entirely defined by the template set for them in other movies . Not only does “Avengers: Infinity War” presume that viewers have seen all the preceding films in the Marvel series but, worse, it presumes that they’ve thought about them afterward.

And for those who haven’t, there’s always streaming: “Avengers: Infinity War” may be the first movie that functions as a full-length ad for the binge-watching of a virtual series, whose episodes, having been released one by one in theatres over the course of many years, are now simultaneously and instantly available to be streamed. The insubstantiality of the film isn’t due to the infinite yet flimsy malleability of C.G.I. gimmickry but, instead, to the dispersion of its drama throughout the many cinematic installations set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The significance of nearly every scene is outsourced to one of the previous movies in the series. What’s more, “Avengers: Infinity War” seems built to be seen and re-seen; the directors, the brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, pack the film’s transformations and effects into vertiginous camera plunges and surges and swish pans, winks and asides—a realm of sheer visual complexity waiting to be parsed in detail on repeating viewings. If the Russos don’t offer a substantial quality of imagination to fill out the mental space of the movie’s running time (or, for that matter, of any one of its scenes or even shots), they at least offer a generous, even a profuse, quantity of it.

The movie, written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, is built around a straightforward and classic MacGuffin: there are six small and gem-like stones at large in the universe—the stones of space, reality, power, soul, mind, and time. Each one endows its bearer with one particular power, but whoever collects all six (as if they came in boxes of breakfast cereal) gets total, unprecedented, presumably irresistible control of the universe. A villain named Thanos (Josh Brolin), endowed with a leathery face and a bulbous, striated chin, wants them; the superheroic Marvel-sphere unites to prevent him from getting them.

Thanos’s plot is explicitly, enthusiastically genocidal (of his own murderous efforts to make “trillions cease to exist,” he offers the Nazi-like assertion that “The hardest choices require the strongest wills”), and the movie resounds and rumbles throughout with a megalomaniacal energy that plays like arena-Wagner. It comes complete with hardcore light shows; absurd heroic gestures amplified by visual and sonic clamor; the neo-medievalism of weaponry forged by a dwarf master smith (Peter Dinklage), and enough varieties of Liebestods to fill the Met’s whole season. Yet there’s a huge mistake in “Avengers: Infinity Wars”: its music. Alan Silvestri’s score is entirely, blaringly functional if not memorable—but, with its symphony-orchestra battalion of winds, strings, and kettledrums, it’s in the wrong genre altogether. What the movie calls out for, what it suggests from the start, is the electrified fury of throwback heavy-metal—hair-metal. That the overlords of production didn’t see fit to commission that kind of music suggests, dismayingly, that they possessed no desire to distract from the thudding and thrashing that the Russos depict onscreen.

Nonetheless, with dozens of characters popping in and out of the action, and the storyline absurdly extended to create enough little slots for each character to get a one-line aria (written in the universal language of snippy screenwriter-ese), the actors hardly seem like they’re there at all—they’re only given celebrity cameos. None of the dramatic threads has any psychological impact, with one exception—the ongoing struggle of Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) to bring out his inner Hulk. “Avengers: Infinity Wars” favors not a full range of performance but a style marked by the tone of the voice, the sculpting of moments through sharp diction, which is why the actors who make the strongest impressions in the film are Robert Downey, Jr ., and Danai Gurira. Also, the character of Wanda Maximoff has been written large, and Elizabeth Olsen makes something distinctive of the role: with her low-key, nearly neutral manner, she offers a virtual mumblecore off-the-street authenticity among the gloss of more polished movie stars.

But then there’s that ending. The movie feels like a two-hour-long setup for a single sprint of conflicts that offer unexpected reversals. T’Challa, as he promised at the end of “ Black Panther ,” makes good on his plan to open Wakanda to the world, and, when the other heroes are in need of allies to defeat Thanos, he invites them in. At first, the ingenuity of Wakandan technology and strategy prevails; but then things go haywire there, as they do elsewhere in the universe. Thanos wreaks havoc and leaves a trail of misery in his wake, and the most powerful impression left by the movie overall is its sense of bewilderment and betrayal, of mightily mournful and unreconciled desolation that feels, inescapably, like an allusively emotional transcription of the current American political landscape. (Even the title suggests a comment on the current state of American foreign policy.)

But that ending is also a narrative cheap shot, because it doesn’t feel like an ending—it feels like the turning point of a movie that is about to enter its heroic final act (which, in this case, will instead be the sequel). The ground rules governing the film’s superheroics are undefined and limitlessly malleable: infinite powers mean infinite dramatic possibilities, and none of the limitations by which real lives and choices are constructed and compelled. That’s why, for all the colossal C.G.I. kinetics and pyrotechnics of the movie’s massive battles and thudding fights, the stakes seem so low. Even the surprising deaths of beloved characters, for all their momentary power to disturb, feel cheap, because the powers of superheroism—amped up by the reversibility of time thanks to the time stone—make no result seem conclusive, no death seem final. The redemptive heroics that are doubtless forthcoming in the next episode are little to look forward to; they have the inevitability of the calendar. The only thing to hope for is a little meta-playfulness: if the producers had a sense of humor, they might give Thanos, with his infinite powers, the ability to control even the Marvel Cinematic Universe itself. Imagine, for instance, a world in which he could go back in time to reëdit “Avengers: Infinity War” and make himself come out not the villain but the hero.

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Movie Review: Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

• Vincent Gaine
• Movie Reviews
• --> May 5, 2018

Over the past decade, Marvel Studios have proved time and again their mastery of the superhero genre. Central to this success is the combination of superhero tropes with other genres: World War II film with “ Captain America: The First Avenger ,” conspiracy thriller with “ Captain America: The Winter Soldier ,” heist movie with “ Ant-Man ,” high school comedy with “ Spider-Man: Homecoming .” With Avengers: Infinity War , Marvel once again develop the superhero genre, pushing the envelope in a number of ways. The scale and breadth of the canvas on which the story unfolds is unprecedented in the genre’s history, the sheer number of characters is staggering, the tone and measure of the piece is truly epic, and the central conceit of the film as a whole is something new. This conceit is that while Avengers: Infinity War is a superhero/fantasy epic film, it is also a super villain film.

Whereas previous films in the franchise followed the selfless exploits of Thor, Iron Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War focuses on Thanos (Josh Brolin), a Titan in search of the Infinity Stones, most of which have appeared in the franchise. After the feeble Abomination (Tim Roth) of “ The Incredible Hulk ,” the flamboyant Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) of “Captain America: The First Avenger” and the charismatic Loki (Tom Hiddleston) of “ Thor ” and “ The Avengers ,” Thanos emerges as the most prominent, rounded and engaging villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Indeed, it may be overly simplistic to label him as a villain: His quest propels the drama in such a way as to make him the protagonist. Arguably, such “villainous” characters are frequently the protagonist because they are attempting to change something, whereas the “heroes” endeavor to maintain the status quo.

In the case of Thanos, he is trying to make significant changes, the Infinity Stones providing him the means to a profound end. Thanos’ wish is distinctive among his counterparts like Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds) of “ Justice League ” and Green Goblin (Willem Defoe) of “Spider-Man”: Those figures displayed a vague desire for power, but Thanos has a belief in something beyond himself, something that he sees as good for others and to which he is fanatically devoted. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo take the time to flesh out this ideology, enabling the viewer to understand Thanos’ perspective and perhaps even sympathize with him. Brolin’s performance is remarkable: Despite the hefty dose of digital make-up that transforms him into a large purple alien, he conveys a sense of weight and pathos through body language and eyes, while his voice carries a sense of heavy responsibility and regret. Despite this, Thanos’ ruthlessness and viciousness are never compromised. These contradictory elements make him a complex character, convinced that he is helping others and, furthermore, his perspective does make sense, despite his various opponents repeatedly describing him as “insane.”

These opponents of Thanos are a motley and familiar crew, Avengers: Infinity War incorporating the vast majority of characters previously seen in the MCU (with a couple of notable exceptions). Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely also situate the film neatly within the MCU, continuing plot threads from “ Thor: Ragnarok ,” “ Captain America: Civil War ,” “ Doctor Strange ,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “ Black Panther .” The Russos combine this familiarity with innovation, as the film deviates from the structure of “The Avengers” and “ Avengers: Age of Ultron ,” both of which focused on the difficulty of our heroes’ cohesiveness and cooperation.

Here, different groups of heroes follow particular plotlines, the film cutting smoothly between them in a way that balances the plotlines with equal weight. The film’s form therefore mirrors its content since balance is a major and recurring theme: Balance of resources and feelings, as well as an ethical balance over what how much is justifiable. The characters demonstrate familiar elements in new combinations, such as quippy zingers between Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jnr.) and Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), competing egos between Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), tenderness between Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany). Yet there is also development: Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is a more grim and embittered figure than we have seen before, Bruce Banner and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) have a new difference of opinion, and the previously straightforward Gamora (Zoe Saldana) is given more background as well as internal conflict. These developments often lead to emotional outbursts, which may leave the viewer surprised and shaken.

Not that the action is restricted to internal conflicts, as Avengers: Infinity War delivers multiple spectacular set pieces on a variety of scales. Thanos’ lieutenants clash with different heroes, potentially fatal exploits of strength and resilience are undertaken, entire armies clash on vast battlefields. Despite the scale, the Russos maintain a keen eye for detail, the various powers of the Avengers, the Guardians and the non-affiliated allowing for variety both in interpersonal combat and against multiple opponents. Director of photography Trent Opaloch maintains a fluid, mobile aesthetic, weaving deftly between characters much as editors Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidt cut between narrative strands. With its grand scale, multiple threads and range of characters, the closest cinematic cousin to Avengers: Infinity War may be “The Lord of the Rings,” specifically “The Return of the King” as, like in that film, many unite against a malevolent force, stories running in parallel while also building to more than one thunderous climax. Much like Peter Jackson’s magnum opus, Avengers: Infinity War runs the risk of becoming bloated and unwieldy, a problem that did afflict “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Captain America: Civil War.” But the Russos manage to avoid this pitfall through their careful balance of the myriad characters, and their central focus on Thanos.

What marks Avengers: Infinity War out is that it adds something different exceptional to the mood and indeed the meaning of Marvel’s movies. While there is fun and enjoyment, comedy, affection and visceral thrills, the film also carries an overwhelming sense of destiny and doom. The fatalism of the various characters suggests knowledge and acceptance of their mortality, and the viewer may well expect at least someone to die. But there is a deeper, more philosophical aspect to the film. Thanos’ immense power not only makes him menacing, it also lends credence to his quest, suggesting that might may actually make right. This is a common criticism made of superhero narratives: These immensely powerful individuals operate without oversight and are effectively above the law, making them unstoppable fascists. “Captain America: Civil War” and, from the DC Extended Universe, “ Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice ,” presented this problem but more as window dressing than thematic substance.

Avengers: Infinity War , however, takes a less direct but perhaps more effective approach to this concept. Thanos is the protagonist of the film, so we follow his arc, sharing his excitement and sometimes regret even as his power may evoke fear in us. His goal is understandable and could be considered noble, while his devotion goes beyond that of Stark, Rogers or Strange. Like them, he believes in something greater than himself and is willing to make hard choices. He is, therefore, the epitome of Nick Fury’s (Samuel L. Jackson) description of the Avengers Initiative: A remarkable person who fights the battle no one else can. He is an unstoppable fascist in his pursuit of a better universe, seeking to save lives in his own way, which happens to be violent and destructive. The key difference between Thanos and Thor, Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), is that Thanos will make greater sacrifices. Rogers mentions on more than one occasion that “We don’t trade lives,” but the convenience of this perspective is that Rogers and his ilk end the lives of their enemies while prizing those of their friends. Vision offers another perspective when a single death might save many others. In addition, various “good” characters including Drax (Dave Bautista), Nebula (Karen Gillan) and Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) are largely motivated by personal goals including revenge. Thanos, however, prizes his higher calling above everyone and everything. And maybe he’s right, at least from a perspective that is prominent throughout superhero narratives: The ends justify the means, those with power have the authority to wield it as they see fit, the strong prevail.

Viewers may not share the perspective of Thanos, but have we not gone along with similar perspectives through our support and endorsement of ostensibly “heroic” figures? Avengers: Infinity War is therefore a fascinating development for the superhero genre. While it does incorporate elements of the fantasy epic into an established formula, the film’s focus on a super villain creates fascinating ambiguity, not only within the film but also in the perspectives of the audience. It is a film that raises intriguing questions, and while future installments in the MCU may provide answers, Avengers: Infinity War will likely remain a compelling adventure as well as a remarkable thought experiment.

Tagged: aliens , battle , comic book adaptation , sequel , superheroes , team , villain

Dr. Vincent M. Gaine is a film and television researcher. His first book, Existentialism and Social Engagement in the Films of Michael Mann was published by Palgrave MacMillan in 2011. His work on film and media has been published in Cinema Journal and The Journal of Technology , Theology and Religion , as well as edited collections including The 21st Century Superhero and The Directory of World Cinema .

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Avengers: Infinity War

The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe. The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe. The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.

• Anthony Russo
• Christopher Markus
• Stephen McFeely
• Robert Downey Jr.
• Chris Hemsworth
• Mark Ruffalo
• 4.6K User reviews
• 527 Critic reviews
• 68 Metascore
• 46 wins & 80 nominations total

• Tony Stark …

• Bruce Banner …

• Steve Rogers …

• Natasha Romanoff …

• James Rhodes …

• Doctor Strange

• Peter Parker …

• T'Challa …

• Wanda Maximoff …

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• Trivia Tom Holland was not allowed to read the script for this movie, since he revealed too many secrets for Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) . In one of the promotional videos for the movie, several of its cast members are in an interrogation room refusing to reveal any spoilers, and Holland's mouth is conspicuously taped shut.
• Goofs (at around 1h 1 min) While on the Maw's spaceship, Tony Stark, Peter Parker and Dr. Strange's cape have a conversation. and for the entire scene Peter's hair is slicked back. During an intense exchange with Tony, Peter says "You can't be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man if there's no neighborhood"; the camera cuts to a speechless Tony and then goes back to Peter, who now has a completely different hairstyle, featuring a fringe. His hair turns back up for the rest of the scene.

Rocket Raccoon : This is Thanos we're talking about. He's the toughest there is

Thor : Well, he's never fought me.

Rocket Raccoon : Yeah, he has.

Thor : He's never fought me twice.

• Crazy credits The Marvel Studios logo changes the "io " in the word Studios to the numbers "10" to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
• Alternate versions In the theatrical version released in India, some profanity has been muted. Also, the middle finger of Star-Lord during an action sequence has been blurred.
• Connections Edited into Marvel Studios: Legends: Wanda Maximoff (2021)
• Soundtracks The Rubberband Man Written by Thom Bell (as Thomas Bell) and Linda Creed Performed by The Spinners Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Group By arrangement with Warner Music Group & TV Licensing

User reviews 4.6K

• andreascaloni
• Feb 16, 2021
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• Why did Black Widow dye her hair blonde in this film?
• Why isn't Wolverine in this movie?
• Why is Gamora?
• April 27, 2018 (United States)
• United States
• Marvel (United States)
• Official Disney+ Hotstar
• Cockburn Street, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK (Pizza Shop)
• Marvel Studios
• Jason Roberts Productions
• South Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $321,000,000 (estimated)
• $678,815,482
• $257,698,183
• Apr 29, 2018
• $2,052,415,039

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 29 minutes
• IMAX 6-Track
• Dolby Surround 7.1
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Atmos

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• DVD & Streaming

Avengers: Infinity War

• Action/Adventure , Drama , Sci-Fi/Fantasy , War

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In Theaters

• April 27, 2018
• Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man; Chris Hemsworth as Thor; Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk; Chris Evans as Steve Rogers; Josh Brolin as Thanos; Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow; Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange; Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes/War Machine; Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man; Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa/Black Panther; Paul Bettany as Vision; Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch; Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/White Wolf; Tom Hiddleston as Loki; Idris Elba as Heimdall; Danai Gurira as Okoye; Peter Dinklage as Eitri; Benedict Wong as Wong; Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord; Pom Klementieff as Mantis; Karen Gillan as Nebula; Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer; Zoe Saldana as Gamora; Vin Diesel as Groot; Bradley Cooper as Rocket

Home Release Date

• August 14, 2018
• Anthony and Joe Russo

Distributor

• Walt Disney

Movie Review

For years, Thanos has watched.

When the Avengers beat back an alien invasion, he watched. When the Guardians of the Galaxy saved a faraway planet from annihilation, he watched. For nearly the whole of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, as our superheroes did their hero things, Thanos has lurked in the story’s borders, watching, waiting, biding his time.

But now, his time has come. He is the coming storm, the creeping death, the threat of apocalypse and Armageddon, oblivion and omega.

Thanos’ name recalls Thanatos, the Greek personification of death. He might argue he’s unjustly named. Thanos doesn’t want to annihilate all life in the universe, after all. Just half of it. Just half.

All he needs is six stones, seeds of power sown when the universe was first born.

The first of these Infinity Stones is in his possession already— the purple Power Stone, taken from the same planet that the Guardians of the Galaxy saved not so long ago. That stone alone would be enough to lay waste to civilizations, to planets, to whole systems.

But it’s not enough. He needs all six.

The blue Space Stone , also called the Tesseract, was last seen in Asgard—Thor’s home world—before it was destroyed. Thanos suspects it might’ve survived, thanks to Loki, Thor’s brother. Easy enough. Thanos has dealt with Loki before.

The red Reality Stone was last in the possession of the Collector, a mysterious being who gathers the treasures and detritus of the galaxy like an extraterrestrial hoarder. But the Collector’s museum of the odd and arcane suffered its own cataclysm not so long ago. Thanos will have to visit and see how he—and it—are doing.

The Mind Stone could be trickier, given that it’s in the forehead of Vision, one of the Avengers’ most powerful, most enigmatic, heroes. Hardly seems possible that Vision and the rest could stop him, but they might muster enough strength to pester.

And then there’s the green Time Stone , lodged in the Eye of Agamotto. True, Doctor Strange used the stone to fine effect against Dormammu, a galactic demi-demon after Thanos’ own dark heart. But if Thanos has a couple of Infinity Stones of his own in tow by the time he faces Strange, he’ll hardly be a threat.

But what of the Soul Stone, hidden for so long? A glowing orange needle in a cosmic haystack? Perhaps Thanos has an inkling of where this most elusive stone is, too. Perhaps its secret will unfold like a flower.

One down. Five to go. And—yes, there it is, the spaceship carrying Thor, Loki and the refugees of Asgard. Another Infinity Stone nearly in hand.

For nearly all of the 10 years and 18 movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thanos has been coming … slowly, inexorably.

Now he is here. And that Universe will quake as he passes.

Positive Elements

Let’s start in an unexpected place: with Thanos himself. He is, most certainly, the movie’s villain. But he sees himself as its hero—the only guy in the cosmos willing to do what (he believes) must be done. He thinks the universe has an overpopulation problem, and he reasons that if you kill some of its residents—OK, half of them—quickly and humanely, the folks left behind will live far better lives. He wants to help . He intends well.

‘Course, you know what they say about good intentions, and never has that saying been more true than it is here. While Thanos sees the universe simply as a math problem in need of some serious subtraction, our heroes understand that the lives at stake are precious. Every one of them. Those whom Thanos so cavalierly wants to kill have hearts and minds and souls. They love and are beloved. And they work like crazy to save the universe from Thanos’ genocidal number-crunching.

All of the heroes here display a great deal of courage throughout the movie, and all are willing to sacrifice a great deal—down to their very lives—to oppose Thanos. And even when things look bleak, there’s no quit in ’em. When someone tells Okoye, Wakanda’s great general, that it looks as if this battle could be the end of the country itself, Okoye says, “It will be the noblest ending in history.”

Spiritual Elements

Infinity War offers lots of interesting spiritual rabbit trails we could explore, but explicit references to faith are fairly rare. That said, we are dealing in a world of demigods here, and a few characters are considered by some to be gods (lowercase “g”, of course).

Loki refers to himself explicitly as the “trickster god.” Thor, meanwhile, tells Thanos that the purplish villain will “never be a god” (though Thanos’ powers become indeed quite god-like as the film goes on). Indeed, Thanos’ lackeys practically worship him throughout the film, reverently using titles such as “almighty Thanos,” and “Father.”

While not referenced explicitly in this film, we know from its predecessors that other characters owe their powers to godlike beings: Black Panther, for instance, credits the goddess Bast for his skills ; Peter Quill (leader of Guardians of the Galaxy) has the DNA of a powerful planet-like being (Ego) in his blood.

Elsewhere, Quill makes a joking reference to Jesus. When the Guardians of the Galaxy run across an unconscious Thor, the blue-skinned Drax admires the man’s body, calling him a cross between a “pirate and an angel.” Later, he’s jokingly referred to as a “god-man.” We hear a recitation of the universe’s creation at the Big Bang, and we learn of the simultaneous creation of the Infinity Stones in the universe’s first moments.

The very name of the Soul Stone suggests an understanding of the “soul,” and its powers seem predicated on sacrifice. One character has a dreamlike vision that perhaps suggests some manner of afterlife. Some characters are referred to as “wizards,” and their powers are quite magical. Someone looks into the future.

We hear conversations about how fate and destiny shape characters’ lives. One character says, “Attachment to the physical is detachment from the spiritual.” We see Doctor Strange assume the lotus position while meditating; a scene pictures him with multiple sets of arms, visually echoing depictions of the Hindu god Shiva. Someone tells Thanos, “The universe has judged you.” Thor says a prayer of sorts to the “Allfather.” There’s a verbal reference to resurrection.

A fight takes place in and around a church, and we see flashes of stained glass windows and the church steeple.

Sexual Content

Vision and Scarlet Witch drop off the grid and spend a couple of weeks in Scotland, and we see the two kiss. (They’re obviously sharing a hotel room as well.) Two other prominent characters kiss and express their undying love. Bruce Banner and Natasha Romanov bat their eyelids at one another.

Drax, a blue alien, never wears a shirt. Quill compares Thanos’ chin to a part of the male anatomy (using a crude slang phrase to do so), and Quill becomes rather defensive when his team admires the muscles on an unconscious Thor. (When Gamora massages Thor’s muscles in an apparent effort to revive him, Quill pleads with her to stop.) Someone uses the phrase “booty call.” Scarlett Witch and other female characters wear tight, revealing outfits. A character says suggestively, “Shoulda stayed in bed.

Violent Content

Infinity War is a superhero movie, and superhero movies are inherently violent. (I have yet to see a pacifist one, at least.) But here, the stakes feel far higher … as does the body count. We can’t detail every bit of mayhem here, but we’ll do what we can.

In flashback, we see Thanos’ lackeys execute countless citizens of Gamora’s home planet. Scores of others lie dead or dying on the floor of a spaceship. A massive battle with toothy, beast-like things creates numerous casualties (though, mostly, among other beast-like things). Sometimes, people simply turn to ash and blow away. We hear about the deaths of others. Various characters ponder whether someone’s death might avert calamity.

Blades wreak a lot of damage, though we see very little blood. One exception: A hero gets stabbed in the side, leaving a bloody wound and causing blood to trickle out of his mouth. Other folks are sometimes impaled through the chest or back, and we see blade jut from the other side. Still others are simply stabbed to death. One unfortunate hero suffers at least three separate chest wounds, only to bind them up and dive into the fray again. A man is tortured through what appear to be glass needles, one of which punctures his cheek (and turns part of his face a little gray and veiny).

One of the stones gives Thanos the ability to manipulate matter, and he uses it to pull apart one character, cause another to fall into blocks and still another to devolve into ribbons. (All these mechanizations, oddly, are non-lethal.) Someone is thrown from a great height and dies. Laser-like force fields kill myriad monstrous creatures; a force field also severs someone’s arm (which we see fairly cleanly detached and lying on the ground). Machinery crushes others.

Someone apparently dies in the vacuum of space. Another character has his throat crushed. People are tortured via other means. A hero withstands a long blast of celestial heat. One character comes close to asphyxiating. Quill asks crudely if a particular grenade is the kind that will “blow off your junk.”

We see lots and lots of fighting with fists and feet and various implements. I’ll spare you (ahem) the blow-by-blow.

Crude or Profane Language

Four s-words and a gauntlet of other profanities, including uses of “a–,” “b–tard,” “h—,” “d–n,” “p-ss,” “crap” and “douchebag.” Someone calls someone else a “d-hole.” Someone says “motherf—,” suggesting an f-word afterward without voicing it. Another character abbreviates the f-word as well, exclaiming, “Chill the eff out.” God’s name is misused about ten times. We see one crude hand gesture. There are a couple of slang references to the male anatomy (in the context noted above in Sexual Content).

Drug and Alcohol Content

Other negative elements.

We hear someone brag about smuggling a stolen eyeball his backside. Spider-Man skips school (albeit, I should add, to save the universe).

Avengers: Infinity War is unlike any superhero movie I’ve seen and, narratively, almost impossible to classify. Is it good? Is it bad? Hard to say. Aesthetically it works: It takes risks I’ve never seen in the genre before, and it’s got some really satisfying moments. But it’s not, in the end, a very satisfying movie.

That’s by design. Infinity War is really the first part of a two-part story, what with another Avengers’ movie rolling out next year. How I will ultimately feel about this movie depends, in large part, upon how well the next one works.

But given that we’ve got a whole year to wait—and without getting into any spoilers—let me offer this warning: Infinity War will challenge many a moviegoer, especially young ones. Kids and teens who’ve really invested in this universe will find this intense flick hard to watch at times.

At Plugged In , we often talk about how important it is to talk through the entertainment we consume, and that’s especially true for Infinity War . If you decide to see this movie—and if you take your family to see it—budget time to talk about it afterward. There’s a lot to process here, and many who watch it will need to process it. I won’t lie to you: I’m still processing myself.

Because of this movie’s astronomical profile, and because many viewers have invested so much into this universe and its characters, I imagine that plenty of families will feel like they have to see Infinity War . I totally get that. But remember, the word “war” is a wholly appropriate descriptor of Infinity War . And all wars—even fictional ones like this—come with consequences.

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

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Avengers: Infinity War (United States, 2018)

Minimal spoilers. There are some vague references to things that happen and the usual discussion about plot elements available via trailers and pre-release clips, but I have tried to remain as “spoiler-lite” as possible. As always, however, if you’re concerned about maintaining the “virgin” experience, avoid reading this until you have seen the movie.

Avengers: Infinity War knows what it wants to be and goes about pursuing that goal with relentless intensity. An exhausting 150 minutes after opening with a bang, the film concludes with a quieter, solemn moment that illustrates how this movie has done something never previously attempted by a superhero film. No, it’s not a game-changer like Deadpool or Logan . It remains firmly anchored within the “traditional” comic book milieu. But, with an unwavering devotion to spectacle and action, the film throws down a gauntlet where this kind of mass team-up is concerned.

The volume of characters guarantees that no one gets much screen time and a few (like Ant-Man and Hawkeye) are absent altogether. If you’re a big Tony Stark fan, know that Robert Downey Jr. clocks in more minutes than most of the actors but that’s still not a lot. Thanos appears more than any of the heroes; in some ways, this is his movie. In order to make things manageable, the characters are broken into groups. Iron Man, Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) hang out and trade quips. The Guardians – Star Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Buatista), Rocket Racoon (Bradley Cooper), Brooding Teen Groot (Terry Notary), and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) – are joined by Thor (Chris Hemsworth) when they find him floating around in space. No-Longer-Captain-America (Chris Evans) returns to the fray, bringing his ex-Avengers compatriots with him. Vision (Paul Bettany) and Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) share a few tender moments before eventually winding up in Wakanda with Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) starts out the film with one group (the one he was with at the end of Thor: Ragnarok ) before moving on to another then a third.

This movie is a lot of fun, with a dash of substance thrown in for those who care to look (Thanos and his plan are allegorical). It satisfies the deep-rooted escapist desire most movie-goers experience from time-to-time with its spectacular visuals, unflagging pace, and understanding on the part of Joe and Anthony Russo of what MCU fans want from this important piece of the saga. The staunch superhero fan won’t need a morning cup of coffee before seeing Infinity War – the film offers a bigger jolt than caffeine could ever provide. As for those who are fatigued by the genre or were never interested in the first place, there’s nothing in this film that re-invents the comic book movie or morphs it into something else. The mission of Infinity War isn’t to convert the pagans; it’s to satisfy the true believers and, to that end, it succeeds admirably. Twelve months will seem like a long time to wait for the next Avengers movie to see whether the Russo Brothers craft a worthy conclusion to the story begun in Infinity War , but for at least a year we can savor where this story has taken things.

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The 10 Most Underrated Quotes from the Avengers Movies, Ranked

Might as well call him Tony Snark.

Though the series is an action-packed one, there’s an argument to be made that what makes The Avengers movies work as well as they do is the writing, particularly the banter-filled character interactions. These movies aren’t comedies, necessarily, but they can be very funny, having self-awareness about how extravagant they can get, how extreme certain characters are, and how high-stakes things typically are within such entries in the MCU.

Beyond the humor, though, there’s also a good deal of pathos to be found, with many of the most intense and emotional moments in the MCU saved for these big crossover/event movies. On the topic of Avengers films, there have been four so far, and all are filled to the brim with memorable dialogue . The following quotes might not always be the most famous, but they’re worthy of attention and worth remembering. It should be clarified that calling any quote from a series as big and popular as this “underrated” might seem like a stretch, but nevertheless, these instances of dialogue tend to be even more quotable than most give them credit for.

10 “This is beyond you, metal man. Loki will face Asgardian justice.”

‘the avengers’ (2012).

Thor , as a movie and a character, more or less launched Chris Hemsworth’s career , though it took a little while for everyone to warm up to him, given the hammy seriousness of the character’s MCU debut wasn’t for everyone. Still, it was an important movie in the lead-up to The Avengers , introducing not just a core member of said team, but also the main villain of the first Avengers movie: Loki, Thor’s brother.

2012’s The Avengers built their dynamic well, and also did a little of the groundwork needed to humanize Thor as a character, what with him being a literal god and all. Humor was a good way to achieve this, and Thor calling Iron Man “metal man” is an underrated and amusing line, kind of getting lost within an eventful and exciting action sequence, as well as overshadowed by Tony Stark’s more memorable quip regarding “Shakespeare in the park.”

The Avengers

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9 “It's like a pirate had a baby with an angel.”

‘avengers: infinity war’ (2018).

Avengers: Infinity War was great for many reasons, with one of them being the fact that it brought the Guardians of the Galaxy into a crossover movie for the first proper time, following their more isolated adventures in the excellent Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and the solid follow-up that was Vol. 2 (2017). Sure, that first movie in 2014 did help build Thanos – Infinity War’s villain – as a threat, but it wasn’t until 2018 that the Guardians themselves got to interact with the members of the Avengers.

The film made a wise decision to pair Thor up with the Guardians, with the squad rescuing him from space, allowing for plenty of humor and emotion (given the members of the Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor are all dealing with loss and/or heartbreak). But to focus on the comedy, Drax of course gets some of the best moments, rather accurately describing Thor, upon seeing him, as a combination of an angel and a pirate.

Avengers: Infinity War

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8 Doctor Strange: “Is that everyone?” Wong: “What, you wanted more?”

‘avengers: endgame’ (2019).

For as monumental as Infinity War was, its follow-up, Avengers: Endgame , arguably went even bigger, having a runtime that was half an hour longer and an even more monumental box office gross (the highest of its decade) . And no scene in Endgame quite demonstrated the film’s commitment to scale like the climactic battle, which brought an unprecedented number of superheroes into one huge sequence, battling against Thanos and his forces.

It's just non-stop as a scene, being perhaps the biggest (and possibly best) final act of the 2010s, at least as far as blockbusters go. There’s so much to take in visually, and so many one-liners fired out in all directions by various characters. The exchange between Doctor Strange and Wong works at emphasizing the size of the scene and stands as particularly funny… though if a future Avengers movie can top Endgame in character count and/or battle size, then perhaps Dr. Strange “wanting more” won’t seem so outrageous in hindsight .

Avengers: Endgame

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7 “They're gods, and they need someone to keep them down to Earth.”

‘avengers: age of ultron’ (2015).

Few people would call Age of Ultron their favorite Avengers movie, and indeed, it is the lowest-ranked overall from a critical perspective . Yet despite its less-than-great reputation, it’s really not a terrible superhero movie; more just an inconsistent one. It doesn’t quite have the scope of Infinity War or Endgame , nor the simplicity and charm of 2012’s The Avengers, but it has its moments and does serve certain characters well .

Case in point, it was a movie where Hawkeye really started to come into his own as a character, and overall helped establish him as a bit less of a pop-culture punching bag. He has a lot more screen time here, compared to The Avengers , and viewers even get a look at his family life. His wife, Laura Barton, also neatly summarizes his purpose within the Avengers team, emphasizing how he can help keep them – and their egos – grounded, what with the capacity for their godlike/fantastical/complex powers to lead to dysfunction and fierce rivalries.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

6 “he's never fought me twice.”.

Across Infinity War and Endgame , Thanos antagonizes and crushes the spirits of too many characters to count, with his actions in Infinity War’s opening scene proving particularly shattering to Thor. The hopeful ending of 2017’s Thor: Ragnarök is somewhat undone by that film’s foreboding mid-credits scene, decimated off-screen right before Infinity War starts, and then further crushed in the first 10 minutes of that movie, especially owing to the fact that Thanos kills Heimdall, a close ally of Thor’s, and Loki, his brother.

Thor discusses his quest for vengeance with Rocket Raccoon, the latter correcting him when Thor claims Thanos has never fought him before. Thor then awkwardly says, “He's never fought me twice” – a line that’s funny in the moment, but becomes heavy later in the film, when Thor does indeed clash with Thanos once again… and Thor makes a fatal mistake, neither using his head nor going for Thanos’ .

5 “Apparently I'm volatile, self-obsessed, and don't play well with others.”

Iron Man (2008) kick-started the MCU with style , introducing Tony Stark/Iron Man to a bigger audience than he’d ever had before as a comic book character. It was a movie that helped usher in the superhero genre’s dominance at the box office and within pop culture, and the titular character was instantly popular, continuing to be one of the most sharp-witted and sarcastic characters in the MCU for over a decade’s worth of movies.

Tony Stark has his moments of genuine kindness, more so as the series goes along, but The Avengers allows him to be in tip-top shape sarcasm-wise for the majority of its runtime. Addressing how he apparently didn’t qualify for the Avengers initiative at first , Stark admits he’s “volatile, self-obsessed, and (doesn’t) play well with others,” which is right on the money, even if he does eventually become an essential team-player in his own way later in the film.

4 “You have my respect, Stark. When I'm done, half of humanity will still be alive. I hope they remember you.”

Thanos made some brief appearances throughout a handful of earlier MCU movies, but it wasn’t until Avengers: Infinity War that he emerged as arguably one of the best villains in recent movie history . He poses a genuine threat to the entire universe, given the movie sees him determined to obtain all the Infinity Stones, and use them in combination to wipe out half of all life in the universe to reduce over-population on a massive scale.

He has clear goals, is ruthlessly efficient, and has a strong moral code and even respect for those superheroes who try – in vain – to stop his plan. He makes this apparent after besting Iron Man in combat, reiterating his desire to decimate half of humanity while telling Tony Stark – who seems to be on the verge of dying himself – that he’ll hopefully be remembered by those left behind .

3 “Actually he's the boss. I just pay for everything and design everything, make everyone look cooler.”

The ambitious Avengers: Age of Ultron continued to showcase Tony Stark at his snarkiest, and also built off the first Avengers movies by continuing to show some unease between him and Steve Rogers/Captain America. Their disagreements would boil over and become something more substantial in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War , but their alliance – while shaky – still holds throughout Age of Ultron .

Nevertheless, Tony Stark doesn’t want to give Captain America any wins too easily, surprisingly conceding that Captain America’s the leader of the Avengers, but that it’s actually himself who does most of the “cool” stuff. It’s one example of banter in a film that some would feel has too much of it , but as always, Robert Downey Jr.’s line delivery is on point, further showcasing how Tony Stark was a character he more or less seemed born to play.

2 “He's pissed. He thinks he failed. Which, of course he did, but you know, there's a lot of that going around, ain't there?”

Sure, Avengers: Endgame sees the MCU at its biggest and most epic , but the first half of the movie is surprisingly dominated by a focus on characters and some more intimate, downbeat scenes. After all, before the exciting climax that inevitably resurrects many of those lost during Infinity War , the characters all have to process their intense emotions and the fact that they comprised the losing side in the most important battle they ever fought.

Rocket Raccoon and Thor had a great dynamic when they were paired up together for much of Infinity War , both being able to discuss with each other the sorts of losses they’d faced and the grief they felt. Of course, they’re pushed even further into despair following Infinity War , with Thor failing to land a killing blow on Thanos and Rocket dealing with everyone else in his squad being killed by Thanos. Rocket highlights this general sense of failure with brutal honesty, and pins down why Thor is feeling extra rotten about it all.

1 "I got low. I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it out."

Sometimes, recasting a significant role works , as is demonstrated by Mark Ruffalo stepping in as the Hulk after Edward Norton played him in what was (sort of) an earlier MCU movie: 2008’s The Incredible Hulk . Norton’s a great actor in the right role, but either didn’t fit the character of Bruce Banner/The Hulk ideally, or simply didn’t have as good material to work with as Ruffalo did.

Whatever the case, Mark Ruffalo slipped into the role with ease, and made a great impression in The Avengers . The film overall did the character of Bruce Banner justice in a way that 2003’s Hulk and the aforementioned The Incredible Hulk didn’t quite manage to do. The best instance of this is the surprisingly intense line Banner has about the anguish he feels, with the condition he has, and admitting he tried to take his own life is pretty grim by the MCU’s standards . Still, it’s a powerful moment, and a strong reminder of how difficult Banner’s life is, given he's torn between two very different personas/beings.

NEXT: The Best Quote From Each Spider-Man Movie

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Here's how to watch every Marvel movie in order on Disney+

The MCU is a sprawling franchise with 33 films and counting.

Matt Kennedy/Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Everett; Paramount/ Everett; Laura Radford

Over the last 15 years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the highest-grossing film franchise in the world, capturing audiences with a sprawling, interconnected story that includes a plethora of superheroes, from Spider-Man and Captain America to Black Panther and Shang-Chi . But with 33 movies and more on the way, it's hard to know where to start watching. 

Fortunately, Disney+ has almost every MCU movie available for streaming, so if you've fallen behind and missed a few films — or if you're just getting started, and you've got about 70 hours on your hands — here's how to get caught up. 

The MCU films are split into two massive story arcs. "The Infinity Saga" shows how the Avengers formed a superteam to battle trickster god Loki, a runaway AI called Ultron, and finally Thanos, who could destroy half of creation with a single snap. In "The Multiverse Saga," the franchise is expanding to include other timelines — although crossing the boundaries between worlds brings new challenges for the Avengers to tackle. 

Below is a list of the 32 Marvel movies on Disney+ in release order and chronological order. (2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home is, in fact, yet to come home.) Enjoy your MCU adventure!

How to watch Disney+ Marvel movies in release order?

The infinity saga:.

• Iron Man (2008)
• The Incredible Hulk (2008)
• Iron Man 2 (2010)
• Thor (2011)
• Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
• The Avengers (2012)  
• Iron Man 3 (2013)
• Thor: The Dark World (2013)
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
• Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
• Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)  
• Ant-Man (2015)
• Captain America: Civil War (2016)
• Doctor Strange (2016)
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
• Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
• Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
• Black Panther (2018)
• Avengers: Infinity War (2018)  
• Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)
• Captain Marvel (2019)
• Avengers: Endgame (2019)
• Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) 

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/ Everett

Related content: What Disney's new content plan means for the future of Marvel

The Multiverse Saga:

• Black Widow (2021)
• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
• Eternals (2021)
• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) 
• Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
• Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
• The Marvels (2023)

How to watch Disney+ Marvel movies in chronological order?

• The Avengers (2012)
• Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
• Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
• Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Marvel Studios

Related content: Anthony Mackie enters Brave New World in first look at next Captain America

Where can I stream Marvel movies that are not on Disney+?

While you can find almost every Marvel movie on Disney+, there's one exception: 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home , which stopped airing on Starz in January and has yet to find a new streaming home. This is due to a complicated deal between Disney and Sony, the latter of which owns the rights to the Spider-Man movies. 

Right now, you can find Spider-Man: No Way Home on Amazon , where it's available for purchase or rental.

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10 best IMAX movies ever, ranked

Not too long ago, IMAX movies were seemingly reserved for documentary and nature films at museums and science centers with giant dome movie screens that dwarfed anything available in local theaters. But in the last two decades, filmmakers have gravitated towards using IMAX cameras for even greater images, while moviegoers have shifted to watching mainstream releases in IMAX theaters around the world.

10: Tron: Legacy (2010)

9. avatar: the way of water (2022), 8. dunkirk (2017), 7. avengers: infinity war (2018), 6: gravity (2013), 5. avengers: endgame (2019).

• 4. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)

3. The Dark Knight (2008)

2. interstellar (2014), 1. oppenheimer (2023).

Last month, Dune: Part Two  hit theaters, and the critical consensus of the sequel is that it’s best enjoyed on the biggest screens possible. Before you make plans to see the hit sci-fi sequel in IMAX for the second or fifth time, we’re taking a look back at the 10 best IMAX movies ever.

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Unlike many of the films on this list, Tron: Legacy was not filmed with IMAX cameras. But it was converted into an IMAX release, and the visuals of the Grid really lend themselves well to the larger format. Despite the disappointing box office returns of Legacy , director Joseph Kosinski established himself as a top filmmaker. His experience with this movie surely helped guide him on his later films, including Oblivion and Top Gun: Maverick .

Legacy is a sequel to the original Tron from 1982. Garrett Hedlund plays Sam Flynn, the son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), who disappeared into the Grid decades earlier. After unexpectedly following his father into the living computer world that he created, Sam encounters Quorra (Olivia Wilde, director of Don’t Worry Darling ), a sentient isomorphic algorithm. Sam also discovers that Clu (Bridges), an evil duplicate of his father, has taken over the Grid and transformed it in his image.

Watch Tron: Legacy on Disney+ .

The original Avatar was shown in IMAX during its initial 2009 release, but James Cameron went several steps further with the sequel. Avatar: The Way of Water was filmed entirely with IMAX cameras. That made a huge difference when creating a larger canvas for the visuals of Pandora and the expanded scope of the story. One of the reasons why The Way of Water earned $2.320 billion worldwide is that audiences flocked to see it in both IMAX and 3D.

Avatar: The Way of Water picks up a few years after the original, as Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) start a family, including their adoptive daughter, Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), who is more than an ordinary Na’vi or an avatar. When humanity reinvades Pandora, Jake discovers that the armed forces are led by an avatar clone of his old nemesis, Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang). To protect his family, Jake relocates them from the forest and joins a water tribe of Na’vi.

Watch Avatar: The Way of Water on Disney+ .

You’re going to see Christopher Nolan ‘s name come up a lot on this list, and that’s because few filmmakers have so thoroughly embraced IMAX as he has. Nolan’s World War II epic, Dunkirk , was filmed almost entirely in IMAX. In addition to using IMAX cameras to film vintage aircraft and boats, Nolan was also the first theatrical director to utilize handheld IMAX cameras in a mainstream movie.

Dunkirk is based on the true story of what could have been the premature end of World War II. After British and French forces lost the Battle of France, they were pinned down on the shores of Dunkirk by the enemy. It took an extraordinary effort, including British civilian ships, to rescue the troops and allow them to fight another day.

Watch Dunkirk on Peacock .

Almost every superhero movie gets an IMAX release, but Avengers: Infinity War  and its sequel, Avengers: Endgame , have the distinction of being the first major studio movies to be entirely filmed with IMAX digital cameras. Anthony and Joe Russo not only had a larger canvas to fill the screen, they also had the narrative momentum of almost every previous Marvel Studios film to date leading to this crossover event.

Several parts of this movie seem like they were designed to make the audience cheer, especially when Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and the Guardians of the Galaxy show up. But this story belongs to Thanos (Josh Brolin), and his triumph gave the film a truly shocking cliffhanger.

Watch Avengers: Infinity War on Disney+ .

Alfonso Cuarón won an Oscar for Best Director, thanks in no small part to his brilliantly executed use of the IMAX format. Sandra Bullock isn’t actually floating above the Earth during this movie, but Cuarón specifically decided to film Gravity like a documentary so that audiences could buy the illusion of space.

Bullock spends most of the movie onscreen by herself because her character, Ryan Stone, is the only survivor after her space shuttle is destroyed in orbit. And without that ship, Ryan’s chances of survival or rescue are slim to none.

Watch Gravity on Netflix .

How do you top the sheer spectacle of Avengers: Infinity War ? For Avengers: Endgame , the Russo brothers started small as the team was forced to deal with their devastating defeat in the previous film. They also had to dwell on their personal losses as well. With three hours of screen time to play with, there was enough room for those character beats before the Avengers literally dived back into their earlier films for a time heist.

Both Infinity War and Endgame are available to stream on Disney+ in the IMAX ratio. The two films are pretty close in terms of quality, but Endgame gets the edge with its more crowd-pleasing moments and an epic battle between an army of Avengers and Thanos’ forces.

Watch Avengers: Endgame on Disney+ .

4. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)

The Mission: Impossible movies have been so successful that it’s easy to forget that the franchise was essentially done after Mission: Impossible III in 2006. It took another five years before The Incredibles director Brad Bird made his live-action directorial debut with Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol . That film revitalized the franchise. And for his first time in the big chair, Bird insisted on using IMAX cameras for key parts of the movie, including a sequence where Tom Cruise climbs the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, on location in Dubai.

Ghost Protocol finds Cruise’s Ethan Hunt in hot water with both the American government and the Russians after he’s blamed for a terrorist attack in Moscow. That’s why Ethan and his entire IMF team, William Brandt (Jeremy Renner), Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), and Jane Carter (Paula Patton), have to go rogue to clear their names and save the day.

Watch Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol on Paramount+ .

Nolan’s IMAX journey began in The Dark Knight , which was also the first big Hollywood production to utilize IMAX cameras. Only a few of the film’s sequences were filmed in IMAX, including the opening bank robbery and the thrilling detour to Hong Kong which proved that “Batman has no jurisdiction.” He goes where he wants to go.

The third film, The Dark Knight Rises , featured more IMAX camera work than The Dark Knight . But The Dark Knight earns its place on this list for being one of the all-time great superhero movies, if not the greatest. Batman (Christian Bale) finally met his match in The Joker (Heath Ledger), and the bar was set high for all future cinematic trips to Gotham City.

Watch The Dark Knight on Max .

Nolan significantly ramped up his use of IMAX cameras for Interstellar , his first real venture into science fiction. Space has rarely seemed larger than in this movie or more foreboding. Additionally, Nolan’s preference for practical effects and sets made both the space shuttle interiors and exterior planet shots seem more real.

Matthew McConaughey plays Joseph Cooper, a former NASA pilot who is recruited to join Dr. Amelia Brand ( Anne Hathaway ) and others on a long-term mission in space to find a new home for humanity before Earth becomes unlivable. The price for that journey is that Cooper misses the lives of his children, including his now adult daughter, Murph (Jessica Chastain), who in turn has to figure out a way to get humanity off-world. Late in this film, there’s a sequence where Cooper’s emotional turmoil is joined with spectacular visuals as the solution presents itself.

Watch Interstellar on Paramount+ .

It wasn’t a surprise that Oppenheimer won the Oscar for Best Picture as it was a critical hit and a surprising success at the box office, the latter was driven by the collective need to see it in IMAX. Nolan’s latest film once again extensively uses IMAX cameras. Unlike The Dark Knight , Dunkirk , or Interstellar , the story isn’t driven by action or effects. Instead, it’s about the race to build the atomic bomb, as well as more intimate dramatic scenes like senate confirmation and security hearings that don’t often make for riveting viewing. In this film, they are.

Nolan used black-and-white IMAX film during a few sequences in Oppenheimer , which doesn’t unfold in a typically linear fashion. Instead, the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer ( Cillian Murphy ) is shown before, during, and after his part in The Manhattan Project, as well as flash forwards to a disastrous security hearing that was meant to destroy his reputation. Meanwhile, a separate part of the narrative belongs to Lewis Strauss ( Robert Downey Jr. ) as he pays the price for his efforts to strike back at Oppenheimer. It’s a fantastic movie from start to finish and also the pinnacle of IMAX filmmaking to date.

Watch Oppenheimer on Peacock .

Editors' Recommendations

• The best fantasy movies on Netflix right now
• 5 sci-fi movies on Netflix you need to watch in May 2024
• 3 underrated Amazon Prime Video movies you should watch this weekend (May 10-12)
• 3 Hulu movies you need to stream this weekend (May 10-12)
• 3 great free movies you should stream this weekend (May 10-12)

This week, the most popular movies on Netflix are all about Shrek. Only the first and fourth Shrek films are on Netflix, but they're both in the top 5, and they've helped end the long run of The Super Mario Bros. Movie landing in the top 10. Even the hit rom-com Anyone but You has now been banished from the list.

But if you're not in the mood for Shrek or its final sequel, the action film One More Shot is the latest unheralded movie to rise on Netflix's list. The Peanut Butter Falcon is also a worthy addition, and it would have been enough to get Dakota Johnson out of movie jail if it had come out after Madame Web instead of five years before it.

When the flow of new movies on Amazon Prime Video slows down, there's only one thing to do: Dive into the library! Prime Video added a lot of new films at the beginning of May, and two of our favorites were among them: Whiplash and Run Lola Run. Between those two movies, you've got a riveting drama and a thrilling movie that still dazzles 26 years after its release.

For romance lovers, The Idea of You is still on top of Prime Video's movie chart, and The Holdovers is doing pretty well for an emotional Christmas movie that's out of season by about six months.

Planet of the Apes is one of the most unlikely film franchises in Hollywood history. The 1968 original is a social sci-fi thought experiment best remembered for its shocking twist ending. But rather than simply becoming one of cinema’s most ubiquitous spoilers, the revelation that the Planet of the Apes was Earth all along opened the door to a variety of new stories about power, oppression, compassion, hubris, societal self-destruction, and redemption. Now, over half a century later, the saga of a world whose evolutionary ladder turned upside down is still in top form, delivering its most intriguing and compelling installments yet. They may not all be winners, but from Chimpan-A to Chimpan-Z, nearly all of them are interesting.

10. Planet of the Apes (2001) Yes, despite the existence of four, increasingly cheap sequels from the 1970s, the Tim Burton remake is still the worst Planet of the Apes movie. Though the special makeup effects applied to Helena Bonham Carter, Tim Roth, Michael Clarke Duncan, Paul Giamatti, and company are marvelous and the production designers clearly put their hearts into designing the ape city and culture, it’s all in the service of an awful script and loathsome characters. It is a remake of a famously thought-provoking sci-fi classic, and yet it is brainless. It is an adventure movie starring first-rate actors as very convincing talking apes, and yet it is joyless. There’s no need to even get into specifics about the plot or the weird twist ending — this one’s a stinker. 

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Wolverine just repeated the biggest mistake in avengers: infinity war.

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Nightcrawler Gets A Sleek Redesign For The MCU Following His X-Men '97 Debut In Vibrant Art

X-men ’97 episode 9 just made gambit's death even sadder in time for the finale, how gambit can still return before the end of x-men '97.

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for X-Men '97 episode 9.

• Wolverine's failure to kill Magneto in X-Men '97 episode 9 mirrors Thor's last-second mistake in Avengers: Infinity War , where the God of Thunder aimed for Thanos' chest with Stormbreaker instead of the head.
• Wolverine quotes Magneto's line "the brave always die first" , showcasing the hero's respect for the villain.
• However, Wolverine's last words of respect for Magneto backfire, leading to Magneto's brutal retaliation, as the villain forsibly removes the adamantium from Wolverine's skeleton.

Wolverine made the same last-second mistake in X-Men '97 episode 9 that cost Thor the victory in the MCU 's Avengers: Infinity War . As X-Men '97 heads to an exciting conclusion, X-Men '97 episode 9's ending sees Professor X and the X-Men confront Bastion. However, Magneto throws a wrench in the mutants' plans, as he refuses to follow Charles Xavier's peaceful philosophy. With clashing ideals and stirred emotions, all the mutants involved resort to fighting each other, giving Bastion the upper hand.

The X-Men's mission to defeat Bastion goes wrong as soon as it begins. Not only do most of the X-Men fail to go past Mister Sinister and the Sentinels, but a mind-controlled Cable also seems to kill Jean Grey , and Wolverine gets his adamantium stripped off his skeleton by Magneto in X-Men '97 's homage to the Marvel Comics storyline Fatal Attractions . Besides, Wolverine's painful experience is only made worse by the fact that he gets extremely close to killing Magneto moments earlier.

Wolverine Should Have Aimed For Magneto's Head

Wolverine Missed His Chance To Defeat Magneto Once And For All

Since removing Magneto's helmet and letting Charles Xavier do the rest doesn't work, Wolverine takes it upon himself to incapacitate Magneto by stabbing him in the abdomen. Wolverine also takes his chance to call back to an earlier Magneto quote, telling him "the brave always die first" . This proves to be a disastrous mistake, as Magneto retracts Wolverine's claw and extracts all the adamantium from his skeleton in one fell swoop. If only Wolverine had attacked Magneto on the head, the fight would have been over instantly , and the Master of Magnetism would have been defeated once and for all.

Like Thor in Avengers: Endgame , Wolverine may develop deep emotional distress over his failure in the near future.

In Avengers: Infinity War , Thor makes the exact same mistake in his fight against Thanos and dooms the entire universe as a result. Instead of taking advantage of Thanos' distraction to hit him on the head with Stormbreaker, Thor aims for Thanos' chest only so he can give him his last words, "I told you you'd die for that" . Thanos takes advantage of this to perform the Snap, and he later heals himself in the Garden. Like Thor in Avengers: Endgame , Wolverine may develop deep emotional distress over his failure in the near future.

In the comics, Wolverine's feral instincts start to take over his body after Magneto forcibly removes his adamantium.

Wolverine Respected Magneto Too Much

Wolverine forgets how stubborn magneto really is.

Wolverine has always had a personal grudge against Magneto. However, Wolverine also understands Magneto's well-founded ideals and agrees with him to a certain extent, though he opposes the villain's methods just like his fellow X-Men. After years of enmity, Wolverine doesn't want to miss the chance to acknowledge Magneto's efforts , so he chooses to send him off with a final expression of respect. What Wolverine forgets is that Magneto's determination is endless, and that the only way to truly stop him is by killing him. Eventually, X-Men '97 's heroes might need to do just that.

X-Men '97

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X-Men '97 Is Following the MCU's Most Valuable Lesson

X-Men '97 has one episode left before the Season 1 finale, and with the X-Men divided, the Disney+ series is set to follow the MCU's best lesson.

• X-Men '97 delivers an emotional first season by stoking paranoia and tragedy among mutants.
• X-Men '97 reflects Marvel's lesson from Infinity War, creating a slow burn and showcasing heroes' vulnerabilities.
• With a dark ending, X-Men '97 sets up a potential Avengers: Endgame-like alliance to save mutants and mankind.

The following contains major spoilers from X-Men '97 Season 1, Episode 9, "Tolerance Is Extinction - Part 2," now streaming on Disney+.

Over the course of X-Men '97 Season 1, fans are being taken on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Not even the original X-Men: The Animated Series did this. Here, it's all about tragedy after tragedy, stoking paranoia and alienating mutants more than ever. A lot stems from the Genosha massacre where many women and children were killed. Now, the Summers family has been torn asunder, while a civil war erupts within Professor Xavier's ranks, with things progressively getting worse.

In X-Men '97's penultimate episode, "Tolerance Is Extinction - Part 2," it does feel like the show is following the Marvel Cinematic Universe's biggest lesson as it digs a deep hole that can only be filled by hope, inspiration and light. It's following the Avengers: Infinity War path to create a slow burn and produce what fans want from superhero movies and TV shows.

Why Avengers: Infinity War Worked For the MCU

X-men '97's dramatic wolverine moment was originally conceived as a joke.

2018's Avengers: Infinity War cleverly played on the cerebral aspect of war. Fans saw heroes winning in various franchises. Sure, there were losses here and there, but Captain America, Thor and Iron Man looked invincible together. Throw in other heroes like Black Widow, Hawkeye and Hulk, the Trinity got help needed to paint Earth's Mightiest Heroes as paragons of virtue, beacons of hope and sentinels of liberty.

But Infinity War broke them all right down. Thanos slowly operated in the background, filled the Infinity Gauntlet with the cosmic stones and snapped half of life away in the galaxy . Many casualties fell, rendering losses like never before. Heroes watched friends and family turn to ash. This wrecked many people's minds, leaving audiences surprised as well. It proved that the Mad Titan was a credible threat and the heroes were vulnerable, no matter if people shaped them as infallible in their minds.

This was a shocking but appreciated breath of fresh air. The stakes were high and it felt like comic book movies were going in a new direction. Heroes didn't always have to win, and sometimes, villains emerge victorious, too. Fans have, after all, seen despots triumph in many comic books. However, Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios were strategic and tactical. By having these heroes rise from the ashes and depths of despair and failure, there would be a cathartic response from viewers.

In the interim, it was all about creating an intimidating and lasting threat to force the good guys to regroup, reassess and rebound in a less-than-idealistic world . It's something the Fox movies failed to do with the X-Men and Fantastic Four , as did Sony with the various Spider-Man movies pre-MCU. Warner Bros. especially struggled with this due to the haphazard way the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) was launched.

X-Men '97 Episode 9 Has the Franchise's Darkest Ending

'we had to': x-men '97 ex-showrunner talks about throwing shade at fox's costumes.

The Genosha massacre was brutal. But X-Men '97 Episode 9 goes even darker by playing on the psychological toll it's taking on the heroes. This episode has Cable being corrupted by Sinister and seemingly killing Jean Grey. With Madelyne Pryor (his mother) killed in Genosha, it's a bold move to now have him murder his step-mother. For Cyclops to get telepathic vision and see all this unfold is equally heartbreaking. After all, he sent baby Nathan Summers to the future to be cured of an illness. Thus, watching an adult Nathan as Cable doing this under Mister Sinister's control is devastating.

Other dark story arcs pop up in an ending that has spread to outer space. Wolverine impales Magneto for trying to use Asteroid M to help break the magnetic fields of the planet. Magneto also rips the adamantium out of Logan's body in kind. Throw in Professor X trying to shatter Magneto's mind, it's sheer, unabashed chaos. These are mini-massacres, in and of themselves, at a time when mutants need leaders to defend them, not kill each other. This finale is all about philosophy and letting the viewers see their heroes fall.

Even Storm gets shot down and falls into the ocean. Bastion and his Prime Sentinel program are running wild, leaving no quarter and coming off relentless in how they heap misery on the other X-Men team. The heroes are either dead or mentally crushed, giving that same effect that Captain America and his team had when they saw nothing left after the MCU Snap in Wakanda . It's unfettered defeat and a sense of dismay they never experienced before. To top it off, there is fear that no one will be able to improvise, adapt and recover. This is an optical creative play with the human psyche struggling to see these idols fall.

X-Men '97 Can Raise the Same Stakes as Avengers: Endgame

X-men '97 clip reveals the return of classic costumes.

The setup in X-Men '97's penultimate episode will allow the Season 1 finale to pull an Avengers: Endgame . That 2019 follow-up to Infinity War had the Avengers plucking heroes from the brink of death like Iron Man, new ones joining the fore like Captain Marvel, and bigger alliances being made with familiar faces like the Guardians of the Galaxy. Through unity and cooperation, this coalition brought down Thanos, surprising the villain with the epic "Avengers Assemble!" moment out of the blue. It felt very comic book-y, but it was praiseworthy in that sense of raw realness embedded.

The moment highlighted that, when enemies least expect it, heroes can make miracles happen. These scenes left fans cheering in theaters because it's the very visceral payoff of storytelling: heroes digging deep and doing the impossible . With one episode left, X-Men '97 has set this angle up. There is room for Thunderbolt Ross and the military to surprise audiences and come to the X-Men's aid at Bastion's lair and/or on Asteroid M . The Avengers can show up too, as Captain America knows the mutants need help. Xavier has already sent word to the US government he needs trust and possibly aid.

There might even be cameos from teams such as X-Factor, the Starjammers, or Lilandra's Shi'ar forces. They would all feel organic to the story having appeared in X-Men: The Animated Series or in X-Men '97 . These missions would be the perfect stomping ground for all these figures to stamp their footprint, be authoritative, and repay the X-Men. Furthermore, they'd get to help save two groups: humans and mutants. X-Men '97 has even had cameos such as Spider-Man, Doctor Doom, and Silver Samurai, opening avenues for more super-powered people to help out.

The MCU capitalized on this direction and saw huge success by having everyone come together, so there is no reason why fans -- who are already mostly digging the show -- wouldn't take to an Endgame moment in X-Men '97 . It's all about creating genuine mystique and intrigue, and celebrating the spirit of these heroes . With the foundation down, the best reaction is to rebuild by playing on fans' passions by letting as many Marvel heroes as possible help each other out in their time of need. Ultimately, the X-Men are in the endgame now, and a major alliance would be the best way to end the season on a bang, while galvanizing that there is a united front in this realm.

X-Men '97's Season 1 finale will air Wednesday, May 15 on Disney+ .

X-Men '97

X-Men '97  is a continuation of X-Men: The Animated Series (1992).

X-Men '97 Actor Believes His Character Could Have Resolved Avengers: Infinity War

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X-Men '97 Episode 9 Recap

X-men 97: 6 other animated shows that need revivals, sonic the hedgehog 3 needs to make fun of shadow's edginess.

• Magneto's potential to stop Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War sparks intriguing speculation on the Marvel universe's possibilities.
• Examining Magneto's power over metals adds complexity to the theory, questioning its feasibility against Thanos's Infinity Gauntlet.
• Proposed alternate timeline scenarios for Magneto's intervention in Infinity War would have dramatically changed the narrative impact.

While Thanos inflicted mass devastation in Avengers: Infinity War by erasing half of the world's population, one actor from X-Men '97 believes his character could have stopped such destruction.

While X-Men '97 resides within its distinct corner of the Marvel multiverse and occasionally showcases cameos from other animated Marvel characters, fans have begun to speculate about potential crossovers and their feasibility. Adding to this speculation, an actor from the series has proposed a theory that could have had a profound impact on the outcome of the Marvel universe.

X-Men '97's penultimate episode sets the table for a thrilling finale, but does not hold back on its own shocking moments.

In a recent interview on ComicBook's Phase Zero podcast , Matthew Waterson, known for his portrayal of Magneto in X-Men '97 , shared a thought-provoking scenario that could have altered the course of events in Avengers: Infinity War. According to Waterson, he speculates that Magneto, with his extraordinary abilities, might have been able to intervene and prevent Thanos from executing his catastrophic snap , thus preventing the devastation that followed. While Waterson's suggestion was likely meant as a joke, it raises intriguing questions about the potential impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Adding Magneto to this scenario could have been intriguing, but the situation is more complex than it appears. Waterson suggested that Thanos's gauntlet, although made of metal or a metal-like material, might have been vulnerable to Magneto's powers, as he remarked, "Magneto might have been able to solve that relatively quickly". However, grappling with the Infinity Gauntlet, crafted from Uru metal like Thor's Mjölnir and Stormbreaker , presents a formidable challenge. Could Magneto truly manipulate such a strong weapon? Magneto's lifelong refinement of his abilities, notably his control over various metals, lends credence to this theory. That is just one reason why he remains one of Marvel's most formidable villains . Although this scenario is purely speculative, Waterson's inquiry raises thought-provoking questions about the limitations of formidable powers: "To what extent does this person's powers actually give them an ability to manipulate whatever that is? What could you do with that, or what can you do with this?"

If this scenario were incorporated into the movie, it could have expedited Endgame 's resolution significantly. However, doing so would have sacrificed the dramatic and thrilling narrative arcs that fans eagerly anticipate with each new installment. Waterson astutely observes that while the solution may seem straightforward, its implementation would undercut the broader narrative impact. As he notes, "'Oh, we're all fighting this thing. There's this one guy who just [uses his powers once] and it's done, negates it.'" But Waterson proposed that while this scenario might not fit within the main continuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it could be fascinating to explore in an alternate timeline, such as in the MCU's What If...? series .

X-Men '97 is exclusively available for streaming on Disney Plus.

X-Men '97

The animated X-Men team returns in the Disney Plus reboot, X-Men '97. With Professor X gone, Cyclops, Wolverine, Jean Grey, and the rest of the mutants find themselves under the leadership of Magneto and facing a new threat. X-Men '97 is the first project under the newly created Marvel Animation banner.

X-Men 97 has made big waves after reviving the iconic '90s animated show. This list covers other great animated shows that need the same treatment.

Source: Phase Zero podcast | YouTube

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