Avengers: Infinity War—A Movie 10 Years in the Making

Three phases, 18 movies, and 11 television series after the film where it all started, “Iron Man” (2008), we see the culmination of a 10-year journey for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU): “Avengers: Infinity War.” Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, who also directed “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014) and “Captain America: Civil War” (2016), this film remains both unprecedented and unique. The Russo brothers managed to take over 40 characters, keep them consistent with the personalities in their stand-alone films, and incorporate them authentically into a coherent storyline, which clearly attests to their great skill. (Not surprising, considering the nearly $4 million budget, making it the second most expensive film of all time.)

But this movie doesn’t just “work”: it surpassed expectations, breaking the records for biggest domestic opening, biggest worldwide opening, best advance ticket sales for a superhero movie, fastest movie to gross $1.5 billion globally, and fourth highest-grossing film of all time, earning over $2 billion.

This can be attributed to the film’s appeal to viewers of any Marvel movie, though the film may be disorienting to those who have not watched all 18 Marvel films beforehand. “Avengers: Infinity War” wastes no time with explanations and dives straight into the main conflict: Thanos (Josh Brolin) is set on balancing an overpopulated and resource-lacking universe. He sets off to collect the six Infinity Stones (movie MacGuffins that essentially grant the beholder infinite power), which will allow him to rid the universe of half its population with the snap of his fingers.

Thanos is a refreshing addition to the MCU, as it has been said that two-dimensional villains are often the weak point of these movies. However, with the success of Killmonger—the antagonist of “Black Panther” (2018)—and now Thanos, the future of Marvel villains is looking bright.

That is because, despite his obvious messiah complex, Thanos is a sympathetic villain: his motivations are understandable, and his empathetic nature is accentuated by the exploration of his complicated relationship with his adopted daughter, Gamora (Zoe Saldana).

Just as the movie-going experience is heightened by the relationships the audience makes with all the characters, it’s the bonds forged between these characters that make the movie. The relationship between Peter “Starlord” Quill (Chris Pratt) and Gamora from the “Guardian of the Galaxy” series—whose friendship has been full of romantic subtext—has blossomed into a full-blown relationship, complete with romantic banter and in-law drama. In addition, the father-son relationship that was evident in “Spider-man: Homecoming” (2017) between Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Peter Parker (Tom Holland) flourishes in this film, becoming a satisfying arc for Tony and Peter, who have both lost family members. However, it’s the camaraderie and new friendships between both the Guardians and the Avengers that add a bit of lightheartedness to the dismal tone the film takes.

The dialogue largely contributes to that feeling of lightheartedness as our characters continue to quip in the midst of heavy situations. A humorous tone is largely maintained by the more comedic characters. Characters like Drax (Dave Bautista) and his entertaining tendency to take sentiments literally, Peter Parker and his pop culture references, and Rocket Racoon (Bradley Cooper) and his slightly sadistic sense of humor all continue their wisecracking ways throughout the film. Additionally, the film creates new amusing rivalries with the clashing of characters from different series, such as Starlord and Thor (Chris Hemsworth), as well as Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Tony Stark.

However, the muted shades of the planets our characters explore make it clear that this is the darkest Marvel film to date—fitting, considering Thanos is also the most powerful Marvel villain to date, evident in his path of destruction. The planet Titan is bleak, the orange and red hues of its atmosphere are intensified, and its structures are left obliterated, with their remains lying hopelessly on the ground. Blazing fires and wreckage are scattered across the planet Knowhere. Even in the opening scene, a sense of dread is established on the Asgardian ship, where Thanos massacres half the population while searching for an Infinity Stone. The blues and greens coloring the ship are dampened as blood paints the floor and corpses are strewn across debris.

Along with that, the somber soundtrack composed by Alan Silvestri generates intensity and a sense of urgency. The use of heavy percussion and intense brass sounds contributes to the anticipation, as there are points where the large orchestral sounds stop and a few instruments are singled out. For instance, “Undying Fidelity” is played when Loki proves his loyalty and cements the brotherly relationship he has built with Thor, which, until the near-end of “Thor: Ragnarok” (2017), had been oscillating between sibling rivalry and pure antagonism. Seldom does the score undercut what’s going on in the film, and every so often the soundtrack reaches a thunderous, almost overwhelming sound. “Even For You” remains especially unforgettable, partly due to the scene during which it plays: Thanos is forced to pay “a small price,” and the consequences of his ambition catch up with him. It’s a chilling sound, roaring with a tinge of despair, and it’s goosebump-inducing. And the inclusion of the iconic theme, “The Avengers,” throughout the film creates a nostalgic feel, as we are once again reminded of the journey we’ve gone on with these characters.

There are clear stakes in this film, the weight of which is clearly encapsulated by the nuanced yet spectacular performance of Robert Downey Jr., who has been with us since the beginning and captures the internal struggle Tony Stark faces. He maintains a contemplative demeanor—with the exception of a few snarky comments—and it’s evident through his tonal work that the weight of responsibility looms over him, especially now with Peter Parker’s presence, a teenager whom he has decidedly taken under his wing.

Nevertheless, this film is only half of a larger story, and so we are left on a massive cliffhanger. Perhaps some are less than satisfied with the “conclusion” of the movie, but all are eagerly awaiting “Avengers 4” (initially titled “Avengers: Infinity War—Part 2”), which is set to be released in the US in April 2019.

This is not a perfect movie—far from it—but the film’s existence is a success in its own right. Extensive planning went into “Avengers: Infinity War”: consulting other directors of stand-alone films on the characters, traveling around the world (Atlanta, New York City, England, and Scotland), and going through the trouble of writing fake scripts in order to prevent spoilers. Even the planning before writing the screenplay and beginning production was immense: bringing these superheroes together, referencing other characters in stand-alone movies, finding enough cameos to fill the void, and more. It’s incredible and deserves to be applauded, regardless of what you may think of the MCU.

"You've become part of a bigger universe, you just don't know it yet.”

Those were Nick Fury’s words to Tony Stark during the post-credits scene of “Iron Man.” Audience members left the theater, nervous yet excited for a new era of filmmaking, with an interconnected universe that would contain extraordinary characters and endless adventure. But little did the audience know, we became part of a bigger universe as well, and that is something to Marvel at.