black widow – Page 2 – Dr. K's Waiting Room

Movie Night [National Superhero Day]: Avengers Assemble

28/04/202111/01/2025Dr. K26 Comments

In 1995, Marvel Comics created “National Superhero Day” and, in the process, provided comics and superhero fans the world over with a great excuse to celebrate their favourite characters and publications.

Released: 4 May 2012
Director: Joss Whedon
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Budget: $220 million
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Stellan Skarsgård, and Samuel L. Jackson

The Plot:
When Loki Laufeyson (Hiddleston) arrives on Earth wielding a mind-controlling spear and in search of the Tesseract, Nick Fury (Jackson), director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.) activates the “Avenger Initiative”. Tony Stark/Iron Man (Downey Jr), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Evans), Doctor Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Ruffalo), Thor Odinson (Hemsworth), Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Johansson), and Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Renner) are called into service and must find a way to co-exist before they can combat this otherworldly threat.

The Background:
The development of an Avengers film began in 2003 with an outrageous plan to release a series of solo films for each character before having them all meet up, similar to how the Avengers formed in the comics back in 1963 courtesy of Martin Goodman, Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Dick Ayers. It was an unprecedented move, one which saw fledging studio Marvel Studios roll the dice on lower-tier heroes such as Iron Man and win big time with a slew of massively successful and popular superhero films, each one hinting towards a much larger, shared cinematic universe. When the time came for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to finally meet onscreen, Marvel Studios turned to Joss Whedon to rewrite the script and direct the film and included Iron Man (Favreau, 2008) and Iron Man 2 (ibid, 2010) director Jon Favreau as an executive producer. After some differences of opinion, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige chose to recast Edward Norton in the role of Banner/Hulk and easily the biggest superhero film of all time was officially underway. The Avengers (known as Avengers Assemble here in the United Kingdom) was an absolutely phenomenal success, making over $1.500 billion at the box office, receiving rave reviews, and kicking off the extraordinary blockbuster success we know of today as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The Review:
Avengers Assemble was the first time we had ever seen superheroes come together in a big screen, big budget movie. Before the MCU, before Iron Man, superheroes always existed in isolated bubbles and never interacted and, as a big fan of the interconnected world of the comics (not just in Marvel but in DC Comics and pretty much ever comic publication), I was excited to see these characters come together onscreen for the first-time and will always lean towards an interconnected, shared continuity. It was a risky venture taking admittedly B to D-tier characters like Iron Man and Captain America and shaping a series of movies around them but Avengers Assemble totally justified that risk, allowing these volatile egos and characters to share the same screen and mixing fantasy, science-fiction, magic, and technology all together in one action-packed adventure.

*Loki comes to invade Earth and realise his grandiose desires for power and servitude.*

Loki’s threat is immediately established when he suddenly arrives on Earth and makes short work of Fury’s men and then uses his spear to take control of Professor Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård) and Barton. Though only a singular villain, one whom Thor has been able to best in combat before, Loki is a significant threat to the world since he is, effectively, a God and he has the entire Chitauri army at his command. Before the Chitauri arrive, though, Loki is formidable enough to justify bringing in Iron Man (despite Fury’s earlier reservations) and Cap since Thor wasn’t supposed to be able to get back to Earth. When Thor does arrive, his mission to capture Loki and bring him back to Asgard is hampered by Earth politics (since Fury wants to hold Loki accountable for the death and destruction he’s already caused) and as a result Loki manages to manipulate the fledgling Avengers into bickering and fighting with each other rather than him, allowing him to take possession of the Tesseract and bring the Chitauri to Earth. While he avoids active, physical combat, Loki is a daunting opponent when he does engage in battle, able to go toe-to-toe with Thor (thanks, largely, to Thor holding back out of love for his brother), easily catching Hawkeye’s arrow, and tossing Stark out of a window with just one hand. His downfall comes not only through the unification of the Avengers but is spelt out by Stark, who monologues about how, win or lose, they would hunt down and hold Loki personally responsible to ensure that he never truly wins, and, of course, more explicitly through the sudden and hilarious beat down he receives at the hands of the Hulk.

*It’s a rough experience for Cap, who has awoken to a world that has radically changed.*

Essentially, the film is a significant chapter in Cap’s story; since Captain America: The First Avenger (Johnston, 2011) ended with Cap being dethawed in the modern day, this was only the second time we had seen him in action; unfortunately, because of the nature of the film, Cap’s reintegration into society is largely glossed over and, rather than being dwelled upon, is replaced with Cap wishing to be given a mission, a focus, a reason to fight in the modern world. As a result, he unquestioningly follows Fury’s directions primarily out of instinct, duty, and a need to have a reason to go on in a world that has largely passed him by; he clashes with Stark’s rebellious attitude, believing that they should follow orders like soldiers, but is convinced enough to investigate further and is disgusted to find Fury in possession of Chitauri technology and with contingencies in place to combat the Avengers since they have the potential to be a threat to humanity. Cap is all business when in battle, instinctively taking command and exuding leadership even though he is the most out of touch and out of place of all the characters; his initial antagonism with Stark is eventually put aside to lead the team during the Chitauri invasion and Cap fights to the bitter end even when he is vastly overpowered by the alien forces, taking the most damage of any of his team mates (including the “weaker” members like Natasha and Barton).

*Stark joins the team with his own agenda but eventually comes to respect and defer to his peers.*

Stark is just as stubborn and snarky as ever; he’s clearly insulted by Agent Phil Colson (Gregg) and Fury’s decision to relegate him to a “consulting” role in the Avengers Initiate despite his claims to not want to be part of the team and believes himself to be the only one smart and capable enough of combating Loki’s impending threat. He comes aboard with the program purely out of a selfish desire to lord himself over Fury and the other Avengers and to learn more of S.H.I.E.L.D.s secrets, using them to call Fury out on his hypocrisy, and constantly goading his team mates (particularly Banner) into being themselves and rejecting Fury’s orders and control. While the prevailing arc for the entire team is learning to work together, Stark personifies this as he is the most antagonistic and reluctant to work as a team; he’s the most affected by Coulson’s death due to him knowing the agent the best, his experiences witnessing death and suffering first-hand in Iron Man, and his inability to properly cope with death and loss. Coulson’s death galvanises Stark, turning his incredulity to vengeance and giving him the motivation to not only put aside his ego to work with the team but also acknowledge Cap’s superior leadership skills.

*The naturally apprehensive Banner has attained a measure of tenuous control over the Hulk.*

Banner appears very differently to where we left him in The Incredible Hulk (Leterrier, 2008); fearing the unpredictability and ferocious nature of the Hulk, he has stayed in hiding, suppressing the Hulk with some success, but is unable to deny his innate wish to help others in need with his scientific and medical expertise. Banner has managed to keep the Hulk at bay not only through a risky and unique technique (he’s “always angry”, indicating that he constantly keeps his emotions at a level where the Hulk is satiated but doesn’t actually emerge) and a vehement refusal to acknowledge or speak the Hulk’s name. Banner is convinced to help advise on Loki’s spear by Natasha’s beauty and simply her asking him nicely, rather than forcing him to comply, but, while he is clearly excited to be working with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Tesseract and forms a fast, budding friendship with Stark (with Stark goading Banner and acting like an annoying brother to him), he quickly comes to realise that Fury’s intentions aren’t entirely noble and questions the validity and ability of a team that is little more than a “timebomb” of ego and emotions. When the Hulk is forcibly unleashed as part of Loki’s plan, he is unbridled rage and fury, lashing out at everything and everyone around him in a mindless rage since the transformation was against Banner’s will. Later, during the Battle of New York, Banner initiates the transformation willingly and the Hulk is much more…maybe not “docile” but let’s say willing to cooperate, taking Cap’s orders and specifically targeting to Chitauri threat while protecting and aiding his teammates. A measure of Banner’s influence and the Hulk’s intelligence is seen as the Hulk makes the effort to save Iron Man from his fatal fall and his dismissive grunt of “Puny God!” after beating the piss out of Loki.

*Thor’s complex relationship with Loki is a pivotal plot point throughout the film.*

Thor’s arrival on Earth comes out of nowhere and is quickly waved away with a brief line about “dark energy”; personally, I never liked this or understood why the filmmakers had the Bifrost be destroyed in Thor (Branagh, 2011) when they knew very well that Thor would be back in Avengers Assemble but it is what it is and Thor is there. Thor is handicapped by his emotions towards his brother; he is elated and heartbroken to see Loki alive after believing him dead and just wants his brother to abandon his crusade and come home. Loki, however, is too full of jealously, rage, and resentment and constantly taunts, defies, and dismisses his brother, who finds himself unable to simply wade in, muscles bulging, and retrieve Loki thanks to opposition from Iron Man, Cap, and Fury and the greater issue concerning the Tesseract. Thor offers knowledge of another world, another level of understanding, that is unique amongst his teammates and spends much of the film believing his brother still has good in him and wishing to return him home. After Loki kills Coulson before Thor’s eyes and tries to kill him with a trap intended for the Hulk, Thor reluctantly gears up and enters the fray, so determined to stop his brother’s mad schemes that he’s willing to fight alongside the Avengers and submit to Cap’s orders since he, like Cap, is a stranger in this world and still learning how to navigate modern, human society.

*Natasha remains a mystery* *despite the showcase of her skills and hints towards her past.*

Natasha is still relatively new in this film since audiences only saw a fraction of her true character and abilities in Iron Man 2 so it’s good that she gets a solo action scene at the start of the film to showcase her physical and manipulative abilities. We learn bits and pieces of her character and backstory through her interactions with Banner, Loki, and Barton but she remains very much a mystery even by the end of the film. This would, of course, continue over the years since Black Widow was one of the last of the original Avengers to get a solo film, meaning an air of mystery constantly surrounds her, but much of her arc is focused on her relationship with Barton (which is one of duty, gratitude, and mutual, platonic respect) and her commitment to Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. Like Cap, she follows orders unquestioningly but it also feels like she has her own agenda and reasons for going along with S.H.I.E.L.D.; while she, like Barton, is one of the weakest links in the Avengers, she’s still capable enough to hold her own against the Chitauri…for a time, at least.

*Though he spends the majority of the film under Loki’s spell, Barton proves a formidable opponent.*

Barton, who is only referred to as Hawkeye once in the film, spends most of the movie under Loki’s command (though this does harken back to his comic book beginnings as a villain); as a result, all we know about him is the few bits and pieces Natasha reveals about their relationship and their background. However, we do get to see him in action on more than one occasion; he’s a crack shot, almost to superhuman levels, and is able to bring down an entire Helicarrier with a single, well-placed arrow. He is an essential soldier in Loki’s army, offering him insight into Fury’s operation and resources, but is also able to provide the Avengers with key information regarding Loki after Natasha literally knocks some sense into him. He proves himself capable enough in the finale by providing much needed and peerless cover from a high vantage point, from which he is able to take out multiple Chitauri with a few well-aimed shots. He’s easily the least developed of all the characters thanks to the role he plays in the film but it works for the plot and means we’re left wanting to know more about him and his backstory. Fury plays a much larger role in this film than in the previous MCU movies since he’s a pivotal supporting character rather than a mere cameo; he believes that Loki represents a very real threat to humanity but also believes wholeheartedly in the concept of heroes and the ability of the Avengers Initiative to combat Loki’s threat.

*Coulson is the glue that connects Fury’s Avengers and his death galvanises the team into action.*

Fury opposes the World Security Council when they dismiss the Avengers as a legitimate solution and when they order a nuclear strike on New York which, along with his own brand of snark and dry wit, makes him a rebellious and layered character in his own right. However, he’s also a secretive and manipulative individual, constantly telling everyone only as much as they need to know and a handful of half-truths (as Stark says: “Fury’s secrets have secrets!”) and believes in having contingencies against any and all possible threats, both foreign and domestic. While he doesn’t fight alongside the Avengers in the final battle, he’s crucial to their formation and is a charismatic and alluring figurehead for their group. Sadly, this was as prominent as Fury would be for some time, with him quickly going back to being either a cameo or supporting character over the years, which is a shame as it’s always great to see Samuel L. Jackson in the role and interacting with these characters. Similarly, Coulson also gets much more screen time and development this time around; still acting as Fury’s go-to and the liaison between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers, Coulson (whose first name is revealed to be “Phil” rather than just “Agent”) is the relatable man among Gods, the common thread that links all of these volatile personalities together. Initially, all they really have in common beyond their heroic tendencies is their relationship with Coulson, with Stark having the closest link to him and Coulson being especially in awe of Cap, his hero and idol, and Coulson’s death is both sudden and heartbreakingly brutal. It’s a fantastic moment that serves to galvanise and motivate the them and, as much as I’ve enjoyed some episodes and seasons of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013 to 2020), it did annoy me that his dramatic death was undone so soon after the film’s release. Thankfully, the MCU movies don’t acknowledge Coulson’s resurrection so his tragic death remains the principal motivating factor behind the coming together of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

The Nitty-Gritty:
Considering the large cast of bombastic, unique characters and actors, Avengers Assemble is fantastically well paced; sure, Natasha and, especially, Barton don’t get anywhere near as much screen time or development as established guys like Cap or Stark but they get several character defining moments and character beats that help to keep them relevant and integral to the plot. The film isn’t full of non-stop action but it never feels slow or like it’s wasting time; any time there isn’t some kind of physical conflict, there’s a conflict of character, beliefs, or ideologies as each of the characters interacts with each other in different ways. The central conflict in the film is between the individual Avengers as much as it is with Loki as each one must learn how to interact and co-operate with the other, which leads to some friction between Rogers and Stark, disdain from the God-like Thor, and distrust from the understandably agitated Banner. This all comes to a head in one of the film’s most intense moments where the fledgling Avengers argue over Fury’s manipulations, the threat each of them oppose, and their conflicting egos in a scene that is easily as powerful as any of the film’s fight scenes. Here, each character talks and argues over each other; lots of fingers are pointed, egos are bruised, and accusations are made thanks to the influence of Loki’s spear, which exacerbates their most negative aspects and fuels the distrust and tension between the group. It’s an amazingly realised scene, with lots of dynamic camera work on offer and allows the characters to vent their frustrations and concerns about each other, the mission, and the inevitable escalation of conflict that threatens Earth now that it has experienced otherworldly threats and, in it, these conflicting personalities actually grow stronger as a result of their brutal honesty.

*Seeing these colourful and volatile individuals interact is every fan’s dream come true!*

However, amidst this, there are also numerous amusing little moments that help to add to the film’s levity and develop each character: Rogers handing Fury a $10 bill after being awe-struck by the Helicarrier, Stark pointing out that one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents is playing Galaga (Namco, 1981), Thor’s humiliation regarding Loki’s actions and heritage, and Banner’s flashes of anger all help to make the characters real and relatable. One of the best examples of this is Cap’s confrontation with Loki in which he, despite being “out of time”, recognises Loki’s evil and potential threat and openly opposes him just as he did a similar dictator in World War Two and engages him in combat despite Loki’s clear physical advantage over him. Cap’s whole character is that he continues to fight no matter the odds and that is continuously seen in Avengers Assemble as, even when outclassed or outnumbered, he continues to get back up and go on with the fight until it’s done, one way or another, and fails to give in to intimidation from concepts beyond his time such as Gods, aliens, and advanced technology. Their interactions with each other are equally impressive, with the heroes just as likely to come to blows as they are to work together; this means we get to see these bright, colourful costumed characters fighting with each other as much as alongside each other. Iron Man fights with Thor, Cap joins in to make it a triple threat, Black Widow fights with Hawkeye, and Thor memorably goes toe-to-toe with the Hulk to set up a friendly rivalry that would be fantastically revisited in Thor: Ragnarok (Waititi, 2017). It’s a staple of superhero team-ups that the heroes simply must fight at least once and Avengers Assemble delivers on this in spades; we’ve watched each of these characters in their own films, or be involved in other MCU films, over the years so to see them match wits, trade blows, and fight together is a true fanboy’s delight.

*The Chitauri are, admittedly, underwhelming antagonists but they serve their purpose.*

The finale is little more than a battle against mindless, indistinguishable alien hoards who, conveniently, operate in a hive mind and are “easily” shut down by Stark tossing a nuclear weapon at their mothership. I honestly expected a version of the Masters of Evil for the first Avengers movie, with Loki joining forces with Johann Schmidt/The Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) outside of the Realms and then teaming up with Emil Blonsky/The Abomination (Tim Roth) and/or Samuel Sterns/The Leader (Tim Blake Nelson) once they reach Earth for a smaller scale, six on six style team vs. team movie and, in some ways, it is a bit disappointing that the Avengers only went up against one villain and an army of drones but it really works in the film since the entire point of the movie is to bring these volatile characters together. The actual antagonist could have be anyone or anything and it wouldn’t really matter but it being Loki works wonders thanks to Tom Hiddleston’s iconic performance; he’s truly a snake in the grass, a wily, manipulative, vindictive villain who is intelligent and cruel enough to match wits with each of the Avengers both physically and vocally and the only previous villain I could see being able to do anywhere hear as good a job would be Hugo Weaving.

*The Avengers win the day but a greater, far more powerful threat looms in the background…*

One issue I have though is that, as much as I loved the “Avengers Assemble!” scene we eventually got, I still don’t get why we couldn’t have heard that iconic cry during that awesome panning shot of the team standing back-to-back. I think we definitely could have heard this cry in each of the team-up films and appearances of the group and it wouldn’t have taken away from that impactful scene; if anything, it would have added to it since it would be a rallying cry for the reunited heroes. Still, the Battle for New York is amazing in its scope; the Chitauri may be interchangeable alien drones but they are relentless. The Avengers are able to combat them and easily defeat them but their numbers are legion and, apparently, inexhaustible and it isn’t long before they are overwhelmed even with the might of Thor and the Hulk. The Chitauri’s larger reinforcements and advanced weaponry and sheer numbers mean that it is simply a matter of time before the Avengers, for all their power, are overwhelmed and Loki is successful, meaning that the Avengers’ main concern is holding the line and keeping the invasion at bay while their team mates confront Loki and cut off the source of the invasion. All throughout the film, Loki converses with “The Other” (Alexis Denisof) and is clearly being given power and resources from an unseen third party, revealed at the very end of the film to be none other than Thanos (Damion Poitier). At the time, we could never have anticipated the extent to Thanos’s threat and importance to the MCU but the bringing together of cosmic characters like Asgardians and threats like the Chitauri and Thanos only hinted at how large and varied the MCU was destined to become.

The Summary:
Avengers Assemble is still one of the biggest and most entertaining movies in the MCU and, perhaps, ever made. Of all the movies in the MCU’s first phase, it’s easily my favourite and, for me, set the standard not just for subsequent MCU team-up movies but for every film in the MCU going forward. No longer were these characters going to exist in their own isolated bubble; they would interact with their fellow characters, reference the larger world we finally saw in all its glory, and be part of something much bigger and greater than a series of self-contained films. For me, this is the greatest appeal of the MCU; before Iron Man, superhero films were always solo affairs and we never saw heroes interact with each other. Thanks to the MCU, all of that changed and, finally, the movies came to resemble the comics by having a shared universe that has a tight continuity and an actual tangible, long-term plan. The film is alive with character moments, an amusing dry wit, and action-packed sequences but, as thrilling as the bombastic fight scenes can be, it’s all the little interactions and interpersonal conflicts that really make this film so entertaining and appealing to me even to this day.

My Rating:

Fantastic

What are your thoughts on Avengers Assemble? How do you feel it holds up now that the MCU has become this massive, multimedia juggernaut? Were you disappointed that the film focused solely on the one villain and side-lined Hawkeye with a mind control sub-plot or were you satisfied with Hiddleston’s performance and the interpersonal conflicts between the characters? Which of the Avengers is your favourite and which of the comic’s characters are you excited to learn more about or see join the team? Which of the MCU movies, shows, or characters is your favourite and why? How are you celebrating National Superhero Day today? Whatever your thoughts, leave a comment below and be sure to stick around for more superhero and comic book content throughout the year.

Movie Night: Avengers: Endgame

02/05/201911/01/2025Dr. K36 Comments

Released: April 2019
Director: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Budget: $356 million
Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper, and Josh Brolin

The Plot:
Three weeks after the Mad Titan, Thanos (Brolin), acquired the six Infinity Stones and snapped his fingers, the Avengers are desperate to set the world right after watching their friends (and half the universe’s population) disintegrate from reality. When Tony Stark/Iron Man (Downey Jr.) and Nebula (Gillan) return to Earth and Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Rudd) returns from the Quantum Realm, the Avengers pull together every resource available to bring Thanos to justice.

The Background:
After decades of superhero films existing in self-contained bubbles, Iron Man (Favreau, 2008) set the stage for the incredible success of Avengers Assemble/The Avengers (Whedon, 2012) and the MCU becoming an unstoppable multimedia juggernaut. The MCU’s flagship characters then reunited in Avengers: Age of Ultron (ibid, 2015), which received mixed reviews despite being a box office success. Marvel embarked on their most ambitious venture yet, a two-part Avengers film heavily inspired by from the classic Infinity Gauntlet (Starlin, et al, 1991) story arc. Avengers: Infinity War (Russo and Russo, 2018) was an astronomical financial success, critically and commercially, and filming of the follow-up began immediately. With the title initially kept under wraps, a multitude of complex CGI shots and visuals from numerous effects studios were employed for this the biggest and most emotionally MCU movie yet. Rumours ran rampant about the production, which was kept tightly under wraps, even down to the marketing campaign. This paid off gang busters when Avengers: Endgame released and briefly became the highest-grossing movie of all time with a worldwide box office gross of just shy of $2.800 billion! Like its predecessor, Avengers: Endgame was met with universal acclaim; critics lauded the emotional journey of the film, the performances and character arcs, and the climatic conclusion to the first ten years of the MCU. The release of Avengers: Endgame heralded a new direction for the MCU, one that dealt with the fallout of the film and expanded the MCU into new directions with new characters, though some have questioned whether the MCU can ever match the hype and success of this period.

The Review:
Avengers: Infinity War was certainly a hell of an experience. Even I wasn’t sure if it would actually go through with Thanos snapping his fingers, and the emotional fallout from that bleak, dramatic ending had everyone reeling and speculation running rampant about how this would be resolved. I was under the impression that this would come through an exploration of Doctor Stephen Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) willingness to give up the Time Stone. I was expecting we’d see him lead a team of heroes trapped within the Soul Dimension (an aspect that isn’t explored or even raised here) in tandem with the heroes spared by the Snap (or “Blip” as it would later be termed). When the first rumours of time travel appeared, speculation only increased as fans scrambled to explain why this would be necessary, but Endgame establishes early on that Thanos’s second act after achieving his goal was to destroy the Infinity Stones to ensure his victory. Ultimately, I was quite satisfied with the narrative Endgame provided. I always thought that it was fitting that the original six Avengers were spared erasure to help bring things full circle, but I’m still surprised that the film not only jumped ahead five years to show a world devastated by change and loss but that the MCU chose not to undo this. It probably would’ve cleared up a lot of issues and constant explanations and references to the Blip if Endgame had seen Doctor Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Ruffalo) use the Infinity Gauntlet to wind time back, restored the lives lost but also keeping the lives gained in the process. Or if Tony had perhaps willingly sacrificed his young daughter, Morgan (Lexi Rabe), for the sake of the entire universe. But I think it definitely indicated a massive change in the status quo of the MCU…even if things got back to normally pretty quickly, all things considered.

*Haunted by defeat, Tony’s priorities shift towards safeguarding his daughter by any means necessary.*

Endgame immediately explores the devastating fallout of the Avengers’ defeat and foreshadows its dramatic and emotional finale by finding Tony drift in space alongside Nebula. Although she’s still stoic and aggressive, it’s clear Nebula is deeply affected by the loss of her sister, Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), and her reluctant adopted family, the Guardians of the Galaxy. While Nebula naturally bottles these feelings up, Tony sees his end coming. Realistic and ready to die after being worn down by his survivor’s guilt and desperate need to defend the Earth at all costs, he records a farewell message to Virginia “Pepper” Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and prepares to meet his end….only for them to be rescued and returned to Earth by Captain Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson). However, returning to Earth brings little solace for Tony; deeply traumatised at witnessing his protégé, Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), disintegrate before his eyes (to say nothing of his other teammates and the crushing weight of defeat), Tony lashes out at former ally Captain Steve Rogers/Captain America (Evans) and refuses to join the expedition to confront Thanos, having lost the will to fight. Not that it would’ve made much difference given that Thanos guarantees his actions cannot be undone, but Tony instead chooses to focus on his family. In the five year gap, he has a daughter and settles down with Pepper, his priorities shifting from the lives of everyone else to the lives of his family. Thus, when Cap, Scott, and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Johansson) come calling looking for Tony’s scientific input on their bonkers “time heist” idea, Tony initially scoffs at the suggestion, though he has let go of his animosity towards Steve in the interim. Still, ever the scientist, Tony can’t help but be intrigued and, upon running a few simulations based on Scott’s Quantum Realm data, quickly devises a means to navigate the dimensional vortex and effectively allow travel through time and space. Realising that they now have a very real shot at regaining the Infinity Stones and undoing Thanos’s devastating actions, Tony agrees to re-form the Avengers and don his iconic armour once more but on the very specific proviso that Morgan’s safety and existence is ensured. It’s a dramatic culmination of Tony’s character arc; he went from a selfish, womanising arms manufacturer to a snarky, egotistical superhero, to risking losing everything to safeguard the Earth from otherworldly threats, to literally sacrificing himself to not only bring back those lost, but ensure his daughter grows up in a world that hasn’t been crippled by loss.

*Cap’s fighting spirit galvanises the team and sees him standing against incredible odds.*

While Tony falls into despair and then devotes himself to his family to cope with the tragedy, Cap is initially adamant to make Thanos pay for his actions. When Carol and Rocket Racoon (Cooper) pinpoint Thanos’s location, Cap’s first thought is, appropriately, to avenge their losses. Unfortunately, Cap’s forced to face a heavy reality: there’s no way to undo what’s happened so, instead, he devotes himself to offering counselling and trying to help everyday folk pick up the pieces of their lives. With most of the world’s governments apparently gone, Natasha and the remnants of the Avengers apparently still fight to maintain order across the world, but there’s a clear sense that they’re just desperately holding on to what little they have left. However, Scott offers them hope through a clunky form of time travel. Despite outlandish science being outside his wheelhouse, Cap eagerly reassembles the Avengers and galvanises them to travel back to key moments in their past to reacquire the Infinity Stones and set things right. Steve teams with Tony, Scott, and Banner and revisits the battle for New York. Although Banner convinces the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) to lend them the Time Stone, they’re unable to secure the Space Stone when Loki Laufeyson (Tom Hiddleston) steals it, forcing Cap and Tony to pay a further visit to 1970 to restock on Pym Particles and reacquire the Space Stone. Here, not only does Tony finally reconcile with his father, Howard Stark (John Slattery), in an amusing and poignant way, but Cap finally lays eyes on his old flame, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) for the first time in a hundred years. Cap is devastated when the team returns to find Natasha was lost in the pursuit of the Soul Stone, but continues to soldier on with the plan, focusing solely on the restoration of the world. Despite this being far from a traditional fight, Cap stands against nature – and time – itself, betting everything on the slim chance that they can succeed. Although clearly burdened by defeat, he continues fighting and encourages everyone around him to do the same no matter how bleak the odds. This is, of course, explicitly demonstrated in the climactic finale. When the younger Thanos violently attacks the Avengers and lays waste to his allies, Cap grits his teeth and stands tall in in the face of what appears to be an inevitable end and his faith is rewarded not only in the dramatic arrival of his much-needed backup and proving himself worthy to wield Mjölnir, but in finally walking away from the fight and have a life of his own.

*Hulk is smart now, while Thor has succumbed to self-despair and desperately seeks redemption.*

Two characters fundamentally altered between Infinity War and Endgame are the Hulk and Thor Odinson (Hemsworth). While I do agree that it’s a shame we never get to see Banner and the Hulk finally reconcile their differences and come together as one united entity (a “Smart Hulk”, if you will) and I definitely would’ve preferred to see this in the finale of Infinity War as originally intended (though tweaked with the united Banner/Hulk being portrayed as grey), I’m satisfied with the explanation we got and both film are already so stuffed with characters and plots that it could have bogged things down. Now a far calmer and intelligent being, the Hulk sees his brutish ways as “gratuitous” and instead puts his mind to work trying to figure out time travel in Tony’s absence. He’s primarily here as exposition and a bit of comedy relief but I liked how everyone just accepted his new normal, that he proved pivotal in reversing the Blip by being the only one strong and capable enough to handle the destructive power of the Infinity Stones (retroactively suggesting that the Hulk was fated to exist for that very reason), and he’s a key factor in convincing Thor to rejoin the Avengers. No one shoulders the burden of failure more than Thor; this once proud and arrogant warrior is reduced to a depressed, out of shape, drunken king of New Asgard all because he failed to land a killing blow on Thanos. Even decapitating Thanos brings him little catharsis as it changes nothing, and Thor clearly struggles with both survivor’s guilt and costing the lives of untold billions. He sees the time heist at a shot at redemption, a personal mission to prove that he’s still worthy of being the Mighty Thor, but is largely seen as a hinderance since he’s so wracked by grief and guilt that he struggles to keep his emotions in check. It’s only after a pep talk from his beloved mother, Frigga (Rene Russo), and the knowledge that he can still wield Mjölnir, that bolsters his self-worth, though Thor is so desperate to undo his mistake that he practically begs to bring everyone back with Tony’s gauntlet, despite the fact that the effort would probably kill him. Ultimately, Thor’s redemption comes in the most fitting way: on the battlefield. I liked how Thor doesn’t snap back to being a super-buff warrior in the finale; I think it was important to show that he was still carrying the burden of his failures even as he cut down foes with both Mjölnir and Stormbreaker, and there’s a definite sense that he rediscovers himself in battle with Thanos and through the loyal support of his friends and allies.

*Each of the Avengers has an emotional and personal stake in the desperate time heist.*

Although they either didn’t get too much to do or missed out entirely on the events of Infinity War, Endgame allows fellow Avengers Natasha, Ant-Man, Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Renner), and Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine (Cheadle) play key roles in the time heist. Indeed, without Scott (and that one-in-a-billion rat), the Avengers would never have reacquired the Infinity Stones since it was only his knowledge and insight into the Quantum Realm that allowed Tony to crack time travel. Scott continues to be in awe of working alongside his idols, but even his chirpy demeanour is tested by the Blip. He arrives in a world where millions have perished and his daughter, Cassie (Emma Fuhrmann), is now a teenager but he remains as optimistic as ever about their chances of success, even if you can tell that he’s clinging to hope as desperately as the others. The same can’t be said of Hawkeye; after witnessing his wife and children disintegrate before his eyes, Barton spends the next five years going on a killing spree, murdering crime bosses and those he deems unworthy of being spared with a cold-blooded precision as “Ronin”. Although he’s clearly scarred by his losses, his loyalty to Natasha sees him join the time heist in a last-ditch effort to restore the world, but his character has been given an obvious edge. Now sporting a frankly ridiculous mohawk and an array of tattoos, Hawkeye is more than willing to sacrifice his life for the Soul Stone when directed by the enigmatic Johann Schmidt/The Red Skull/The Stonekeeper (Ross Marquand). What follows is a test of the two’s loyalty and friendship and a desperate and emotional battle to save the other while restoring countless lives. The two literally fight to give up their lives for the Soul Stone, willing to die for their friends and family, but ultimately Barton is left carrying the burden of Natasha’s selfless sacrifice and finding a way to live with his dark deeds. Rhodey finds himself teamed up with Nebula; as reliant upon his armour as she is on her cybernetics, the two find some surprising common ground and working with the Avengers definitely helps to soften both her and Rocket and make them more open to co-operation. Their jaunt to retrieve the Power Stone from Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) has dire consequences, however, when a past version of Thanos is alerted to their presence. This not only sees Nebula face off against her less morally inclined past self and brings a past version of Gamora into the main timeline, but sees Thanos renew his campaign for the Infinity Stones using knowledge of the future!

*Despite being killed, Thanos comes across time to plague the heroes once again.*

Indeed, Endgame is largely unique among MCU films in that the battle is already lost at the start and the heroes are mostly fighting against intangible foes: grief, loss, guilt, and time being chief among them. While Carol leads them in confronting Thanos at the start, he’s no longer a threat and doesn’t even try to fight them. Injured from his actions and content with his victory, he simply mocks their attempts at revenge and meets his end victorious. While in New York, Cap, Scott, Banner, and Tony are mainly tasked with avoiding their past selves in true Back to the Future Part II (Zemeckis, 1989) fashion, though Cap does have a brief scuffle with his past self that sees even him exasperated by his can-do attitude. The Stonekeeper could be classified as a threat but he’s simply a messenger for the Soul Stone; the real threat comes from having to sacrifice a loved one to acquire the Stone, similar to the Ancient One’s warnings that the Avengers must return the Infinity Stones or risk the destruction and collapse of other, alternate timelines. However, when that past version of Thanos learns of his fate and orders the evil version of Nebula to travel to the future, the Avengers’ compound decimated by Thanos’s ship, Sanctuary II, the return of his monstrous army and his “children”, the Black Order, and Thanos himself back on Earth with victory within his grasp. I’ve seen it suggested that there’s less emotional catharsis in seeing the Avengers battle this version of Thanos since he technically isn’t the one who wronged them, but I don’t think this really matters all that much. There’s little difference between the two Titans except one died knowing he had achieved his goal and the other was determined to expedite his goal after learning of his victory. Perhaps because of this foresight, Thanos is far more aggressive and less honourable than his counterpart. Rather than offering to spare those he respects or aiming to wipe out half of life so that people can learn to appreciate what they have, Thanos now aims to completely rewrite history in his image. To that end, this Thanos takes to the battlefield in a way his counterpart avoided. Garbed in gleaming armour and wielding a massive double-bladed sword, Thanos is positioned as the ultimate threat, regardless of which timeline he’s from, since the Avengers know full well how destructive he is. Indeed, Thanos’ threat truly shines in the finale, where he not only goes toe-to-toe with Cap, Iron Man, and Thor but also shows his wiles and raw strength by matching blows with Captain Marvel, fuelled the entire time by his obsession for victory and unrivalled power.

The Nitty-Gritty:
As mentioned, grief, loss, and time are key themes in Avengers: Endgame. While the film doesn’t linger or go into massive amounts of depth exploring how the Blip has affected the world, it effectively conveys the desolation and loss through some eerily silent aerial shots, Cassie’s overgrown and dishevelled neighbourhood, the monument erected to those lost, and through the way each character deals with their failure. At the time, it definitely shook things up to jump ahead to a world left in ruins by Thanos, and even though even I will admit that the potential of this was largely undone and sadly played for laughs in subsequent films, it really works in the context of this movie to hammer home just how devastated everyone is, which in turn drives their mission to defy the laws of physics and set things right. Endgame makes sure to lay the rules for time travel out as plainly as possible. Thanks to Scott and Tony, characters can navigate the Quantum Realm and travel to the past using Pym Particles, but anything they do in the past will not change the present because time isn’t a straight line, but a multiverse of different pathways. Yet, removing the Infinity Stones will cause the collapse of those branches, meaning the Avengers have a moral obligation to return them when they’re done. Like most time travel stories, it’s not perfect and has some holes in it but I think it works to sell the idea that you can’t just go back in time and kill Thanos to set things right. Banner very emphatically explains that time just doesn’t work that way and it’s a great way to place importance of the “main” timeline and add some additional tension to the heist since they risk other timelines while saving theirs.

Endgame *explores new levels of these characters and then goes all-out with an action-packed finale.*

In many ways, Endgame is a far more grounded, subdued character study compared to Infinity War. Thus, bombastic, action-packed scenes give way to exploring the emotional fallout from the Blip and how each character has been changed by their defeat. That isn’t to say that action and big CGI sequences aren’t here, though; it’s just more a fight for redemption and against those intangibles I mentioned than against a singular foe, for the most part. You would never know it but the Avengers’ time suits are all entirely CGI; their stark white and uniformity unites the team in a way we haven’t seen before and allows them to safely navigate the chaotic Quantum Realm and avoid being physically altered by the timestream like Scott is during Banner’s test run. While in the past, the team revisit the Battle of New York, now expanded to show that the Ancient One and the Sanctum Santorum were also fending off the Chitari and what happened after the Avengers defeated Loki, where Cap uses his knowledge of Hydra’s infiltration of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.) to his advantage. This, and their later trip to 1970, allows for some fun cameos from Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), Brock Rumlow (Frank Grillo), and even a de-aged Doctor Henry “Hank” Pym/Ant-Man (Michael Douglas), complete with retro helmet. The rest of the time heist is spent revisiting key moments from previous MCU films, recreating and reframing certain events from a new perspective, before the massive climactic battle at the end. One thing I enjoyed about the time heists, and the film in general, was seeing characters like Rocket and Nebula interact with the Avengers and become part of the team. In the spirit of pooling all available resources, Natasha directs a joint effort of every remaining superhero to try and maintain order, but her focus is squarely on the Earth. The rest of the universe is dealt with by Captain Marvel, who sadly misses out on joining the time heist but more than makes up for it with her dramatic entrance during the finale. Since she’s the most powerful hero in MCU, she easily wipes out Sanctuary II and ploughs through the aliens before going one-on-one with the Mad Titan himself. Although a bit arrogant in her abilities, Carol more than backs this up with her incredible power. Indeed, it’s shown that she probably could’ve wrestled the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos had he not had the wherewithal to use the Stone’s individual powers to fend her off, meaning that even Captain Marvel’s might required the support of her teammates to wrestle the gauntlet from the Mad Titan.

*Cap’s resolve is bolstered by the emotional and dramatic return of his restored allies.*

The remnants of the Avengers come together with a simple goal: to retrieve the Infinity Stones from the past, insert them into a nanotech gauntlet, and undo the Snap with a snap of their fingers. Although Thor pleads to perform this, the Hulk is the only one capable of surviving the act, and the film really sells the reveal of his success as a strange anti-climatic event…at first. Cap, Iron Man, and Thor are too busy fighting for their lives against Thanos and his army to focus on much else. Each one has a personal and emotional stake in the battle and each one falls to Thanos’s power, regardless of how hard they fight. Thor, especially, leaps head-first into the bout and ends up at the mercy of Thanos, desperately calling to Mjölnir…only for the hammer to fly into Cap’s waiting hand! Seeing Cap wield Mjölnir and attack Thanos with renewed vigour drew a rare cheer from the audience when I saw Endgame and is easily one of the most memorable moments in the entire MCU, but it’s quickly followed by one of the most emotional. Left as the last man standing and ready to go down fighting, Cap is suddenly stopped when he hears his friend, Sam Wilson/The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) in his ear. Relief and emotion sweep through Cap as he beholds a series of magic portals. Through them step his allies, friends, and teammates old and new, restored and ready to fight. It’s a sweeping, cinematic, incredibly powerful sequence jam-packed with cameos, from the Ravagers to Howard the Duck (Seth Green), and little moments, like Scott reuniting with Hope van Dyne/The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) angrily confronting and nearly killing Thanos, Star-Lord’s ill-fated reunion with Gamora, Tony unashamedly embracing Spider-Man, and a fun scene where the various female heroes of the MCU come together to clear a path for Captain Marvel. This climatic battle is an absolute wet dream for any Marvel fan. It’s the literal culmination of a ten-year journey for the MCU and I always spot different things each time I watch it, but the entire battle is made even sweeter by Cap finally uttering that rallying war cry: “Avengers Assemble!” While I would argue that we definitely should’ve heard this before this moment, this doesn’t take away from how powerful that moment was or just how amazing it was (and still is) to hear it and see all the MCU’s heroes battling alongside each other.

*Tony’s sacrifice defeats Thanos and clears the path for a new generation of heroes.*

Despite all these heroes, and Captain Marvel’s last second save, Thanos proves true to his word; no matter what’s thrown at him, he seizes the gauntlet and appears to be truly “inevitable”. However, just as he’s about to snap his fingers again, Iron Man leaps in for one last attack and steals the Stones away from Thanos! His body wracked with cosmic energy, struggling to contain the immense power, Stark utters his famous line once more – “I am Iron Man!” – and obliterates Thanos’s army with a snap of his fingers. Thanos, startled to see his army disintegrate around him, can only watch on and slump down with quiet defeat, accepting his end as nobly as possible. Sadly, this victory is bittersweet as the effort fries Tony’s body and mind and leaves him a babbling, near-lifeless wreck. Peter, Rhodey, and Pepper gather around him to say their goodbyes and Pepper tearfully gives him permission to finally rest, and death finally catches up to Tony amidst his friends and family. While I would’ve loved to see the scene where his comrades all take a knee kept in the film, the emotional weight of Tony’s sombre funeral delivers as strong a message. Everyone that was close to him gathers in quiet gratitude and respect to honour his sacrifice and take comfort in each other, and it’s a hell of a way to close the book on the character that kickstarted the emotional rollercoaster that is the MCU. Of course, it doesn’t end there; as the heroes go their separate ways and prepare for their next steps, Cap steps back into the Quantum Realm to make good on Banner’s promise to return the Infinity Stones. After sharing a heartfelt farewell to his old friend, James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), it initially seems like Steve has gotten lost in the timestream. However, Bucky and Sam spot a old man (Evans/ Patrick Gorman) sitting nearby who’s revealed to be Cap, age finally having caught up with him, who chose to take a leaf out of Tony’s book and settle down with Peggy. He gifts his shield and Captain America identity to Sam and reflects happily on his life, finally at peace with the world. While there’s a lot of debate and disagreement about the specifics of this, I really don’t care. Whether Cap lived in an alternate time or the main timeline, it makes no difference and the entire point was to finally give him some peace and happiness, which I think is conveyed beautifully, and to pass the torch to a new generation of heroes.

The Summary:
It’s amazing to think how massive Avengers Assemble was and how incredibly the MCU built upon it with Avengers: Infinity War. It’s so rare to see a film franchise have such longevity and build such intrigue for its next entry, but the buzz surrounding Avengers: Endgame was so real that I was practically frothing at the mouth to see how the story would be wrapped up. Rather than going bigger and more explosive, Avengers: Endgame focuses on the original six Avengers and the remnants of their group and explores new depths to their characters. Each is affected by their defeat in different ways and embodies that failure in ways that make them so much more vulnerable and relatable. I loved how they all came together, united in grief and in their determination to put things right, “whatever it takes”, and how the time heist gave us fresh new interactions between them. Sure, time travel is a bit of a cliché solution and some of its aspects are a bit wonky under close supervision, but I’m okay with that as the purpose was to celebrate what came before and sow the seeds for the MCU’s future, which was set to be very different based on the new status quo established here. Honestly, Avengers: Endgame is worth a watch for the emotional and action-packed finale alone. Even now, it never fails to give me goosebumps and bring a tear to my eye since it’s such a fantastic culmination of everything that came before and a satisfying, if bittersweet, end to these beloved characters. Avengers: Endgame could have easily collapsed under its own narrative, the weight of expectation, and the high standards set by its predecessor and the MCU in general. Instead, with a poignant heart at its core, riveting action, and some genuinely moving moments amidst its big action set pieces, Avengers: Endgame is a fantastic endnote for the first ten/eleven years of Marvel movies.

My Rating:

Fantastic

What did you think to Avengers: Endgame? Were you satisfied with how it wrapped up the ending of Infinity War or would you have liked to see it take a different direction? What did you think to the five-year time jump and the way this was handled in subsequent films? Did you like the depiction of time travel here? What was your reaction when those portals opened, when Cap picked up Mjölnir, and to Tony’s dramatic death? Have you been happy with the MCU film we’ve seen since Endgame or do you think it peaked here? What are some of your favourite Avengers stories, characters, and villains? Whatever your thoughts about Avengers: Endgame, and the Avengers in general, leave a comment below or on my social media and be sure to check out my other Marvel content across the site.

Movie Night: Avengers: Infinity War

05/05/201804/08/2025Dr. K28 Comments

Released: 27 April 2018
Director: Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Budget: $325 to 400 million
Stars: Josh Brolin, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Pratt, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, and Zoe Saldaña

The Plot:
Thanos (Brolin) carves a path of self-righteous destruction across the universe in search of six all-powerful cosmic gems that will allow him to erase half of all sentient life with a snap of his fingers. Though fractured from recent events, the Avengers scramble to oppose the Mad Titan’s plot, and join forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy to seek out and protect the remining Infinity Stones and acquire the means to combat Thanos and his vast army.

The Background:
“There was an idea […] to bring together a group of remarkable people to see if they could become something more. To see if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could”. For decades, superhero films existed in self-contained bubbles; sure, there would be sly hints towards other heroes, but costumed avengers primarily fought alone on the big screen. That all changed with Iron Man (Favreau, 2008), the first tentative step towards the largest interconnected series of movies ever created, but the unprecedented success of Avengers Assemble/The Avengers (Whedon, 2012) saw the MCU make massive strides towards becoming an unstoppable multimedia juggernaut. After success with characters both known and obscure, the MCU’s flagship characters came together once more; although Avengers: Age of Ultron (ibid, 2015) saw writer/director Joss Wheden part ways with the studio and critical reception was mixed compared to the first film, Age of Ultron still grossed $1,404 billion at the box office and Marvel pushed forward with their biggest venture yet, a two-part Avengers film shot back-to-back by established MCU directors Anthony and Joe Russo. Although Whedon initially had no plans for Thanos when he included the Mad Titan in a post-credits scene at the end of Avengers Assemble, Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige quickly began planting the seeds for Thanos’s quest for the mysterious Infinity Stones throughout the MCU for this massive production, which drew significant inspiration from the memorable Infinity Gauntlet (Starlin, et al, 1991) and Infinity (Hickman, et al, 2013) stories.

*Multiple characters, comic inspiration, and complex CGI brought to life the MCU’s biggest film to date.*

After explaining away a blink-and-miss it inconsistency regarding the all-power Infinity Gauntlet, writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely set to work deciding which characters they would use, in which combinations, and gearing the first movie towards a series of unique interactions and set pieces. The Russos worked closely with other MCU directors, like James Gunn, to ensure that the tone and characterisation of the individual films could be retained, although characters from the popular Netflix shows unfortunately did not appear in the massive line-up. Central to the film was, of course, Thanos himself; though his obsession with Lady Death was removed from his motivation, Thanos was cast as the hero of the film and brought to life as a complex digital character thanks to the work of Digital Domain. Featuring nearly every character in the MCU and spanning the galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War boasted over 253 shots from animation studio Framestore alone, to say nothing of 200 digital shots of Thanos produced by Weta Digital, and over 3000 overall digital shots from a variety of studios to bring to life the Russo’s ambitious and complex plan for the unprecedented team-up. Avengers: Infinity War was the very definition of hype, with the first trailer alone becoming the most viewed trailer of the time; this, naturally, translated into astronomical financial success as the film made nearly $2.050 billion at the box office and became the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time. Reviews gushed over the film’s perfect balance between drama, action, and humour, the characterisation of Thanos, and the sudden gut-punch of its ending. After a year of agonising hype, speculation, and anticipation, the story continued in Avengers: Endgame (Russo and Russo, 2019), which was actually more critically and commercially successful and the MCU continued on into its fourth phase with more momentum than ever before.

The Review:
If you’d told me all those years ago when Tony Stark/Iron Man (Downey Jr.) graduated from a C-list Marvel hero to the face of the largest, most successful superhero franchise ever conceived, that we’d see him not only team up with some of Marvel’s most iconic superheroes but also end up rocketing into space to fight alongside obscure characters like the Guardians of the Galaxy and punching a massive purple alien in the face to safeguard half of all sentient life from the misuse of six cosmic space gems…well, I would’ve called you mad. Superhero films just didn’t do this sort of thing; they were always “grounded”, based in some kind of reality, even when they dealt with cosmic subject matter. And they never, ever interconnected. The closest we ever got were some sly references, or teams of characters who already existed together, but we never got to see an interconnected universe like in the comics. And, quite frankly, I couldn’t be happier. Go and pick up The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 (Lee, et al, 1964) and see how many gratuitous cameos are wedged into the Sinister Six’s first appearance alone! Marvel, DC, hell almost every comic publisher has a shared universe of heroes and, as much as I’ve enjoyed the solo superhero movie efforts of the last forty-odd years of my life, I couldn’t be happier that the MCU actually has the balls, and the skill, to pull of such a vast, interconnected series of movies that is both respectful of the source material rather than ashamed by it and offers a fresh, new take on these beloved characters.

*Thanos, and his mad desire to bring a twisted “balance” to the universe, is the focus of the movie.*

However, with all that said, Avengers: Infinity War isn’t about Iron Man; it’s not the story of the titular Avengers, or a celebration of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes coming together to oppose a maniacal despot. No, this is the story of Thanos, the hulking, conquering Mad Titan himself. Previously cameoing at the end of the last two Avengers films, and popping up in Guardians of the Galaxy (Gunn, 2014), Thanos was more of an ominous, looming force throughout the galaxy. Unless you’d read the comics, you probably had no idea why he was such a big deal but Infinity War establishes his threat immediately by having him ransack the Statesman alongside his “children”, the Black Order, in search of the Space Stone. In the build up to this film, I always assumed Thanos would be introduced by slaughtering Odin Allfather (Anthony Hopkins); after all, what better way to establish the biggest bad in the MCU than having him kill an actual God? However, since Odin is already dead, Infinity War establishes Thanos’s power by having him already be in possession of not only the Infinity Gauntlet, but also the Power Stone, having sacked Xandar off-screen. Thanos then has his henchman kill half of the remaining Asgardians, puts a sound beating on Doctor Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Ruffalo), and chokes the life out of beloved anti-hero Loki Laufeyson (Tom Hiddleston). Unlike in the comics, were Thanos was driven by a desperate desire to win the affection of Mistress Death, the MCU Thanos has a twisted take on the destructive and wasteful nature of the universe; since his warnings failed to save his home world, Thanos made it his life’s mission to purge half of all life on every world so that billions more will be saved in the long run. After realising that the six Infinity Stones can make his dreams come true with a literal snap of his fingers, Thanos sets his minions out into the cosmos to acquire them while he tracks down his adopted daughter, Gamora (Saldaña), the only person who knows the location of the Soul Stone.

*Blasted into space, Iron Man is determined to bring the fight to Thanos before he can threaten the Earth.*

Since Thanos brings death in his wake, the arrival of his minions, Ebony Maw (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor) and Cull Obsidian (Terry Notary), on Earth naturally causes quite a stir. Forewarned of Thanos’s impending arrival by the shellshocked Banner, Doctor Steven Strange (Cumberbatch) and Wong (Benedict Wong) quickly recruit Stark to help them prepare a defence. Despite having retired (…again…) from the superhero life and ready to start a family with Virginia “Pepper” Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) Stark doesn’t hesitate to show off his brand new nanotech armour and stand against the alien invaders, though his arrogance and recklessness causes him to quickly butt heads with Dr. Strange. Still in possession of the Time Stone, housed within the Eye of Agamotto, Dr. Strange is as focused on the big picture as Thanos, in many ways; while Stark wants to commandeer the alien spacecraft and bring the fight to Thanos in a pre-emptive strike, Dr. Strange is more concerned with keeping the Time Stone from being misused and, despite his Hippocratic Oath, is fully prepared to let Stark and even Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Holland) die if it means protecting the greater good from the Time Stone. Having sensed the Black Order’s arrival, Spider-Man jumps in to help with his usual blend of heroism, enthusiasm, and desire to impress his mentor, but soon ends up blasting through the cosmos in an alien vessel and garbed in his “Iron Spider” outfit. Although Stark is pissed that Spidey tagged along for the ride, he dubs him an Avenger (much to Peter’s immense pride) and prepares his make-shift allies for the coming battle. While Dr. Strange is right that Stark is bolstered by his overinflated ego and sense of superiority, Stark’s reasoning for wanting to confront Thanos is fully understandable considering that he’s been taking the direct (if reckless) approach ever since he escaped from that cave. Traumatised by his brief glimpse of the vast danger that awaits in the universe, Stark wishes to protect the world in a suit of armour and has constantly been working to find ways to prepare the planet for greater threats. His methods, however, have been highly questionable; not only did they lead to the creation of Ultron (James Spader), but his willingness to sign the Sokovia Accords directly led to the disassembling of the Avengers right when they’re needed the most, and yet he’s determined to power through and to prove he was right by ending Thanos’s threat before it can begin.

*Cap and Natasha turn to Wakanda for help, but Wanda’s forced to make the ultimate sacrifice.*

Since the Avengers are splintered, Steve Rogers/Captain America (Evans) has been on the run; having grown out a delicious beard and donning a modified version of his famous suit, one that casts him more as a nomad than a representative of the United States or Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Steve and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Johansson) have been forced off the grid to avoid being arrested by Senator Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt) for opposing the Accords. His main concern at the start of the film is locating Wanda Maximoff (Olsen) and the Vision (Bettany), who took off for some alone time and ended up being viciously attacked by Proxima Midnight (Carrie Coon) and Corvus Glaive (Michael James Shaw) of the Black Order; since the Vision has the Mind Stone imbedded in his forehead, he receives the brunt of the attack and is left in critical condition, leaving Steve no choice but to take him to Wakanda so that Shuri (Letitia Wright) can help separate him from the stone. There, they’re reunited with T’Challa/Black Panther (Boseman) and James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), who offer them safe refuge and some much-needed allies for the coming battle. Thanks to Wakanda’s advanced technology, the heroes are effectively shielded from Thanos’s army, but his alien monstrosities are relentless and think nothing of tearing through the energy shield even as it shreds them to pieces, forcing Cap to lead a battle into war once more. Despite being on bad terms with Stark, Cap’s dedication to his friends and the safety of the world remains his top priority; he’s largely clueless to the magnitude of the greater threat at hand, and yet doesn’t hesitate to oppose Thanos when he comes to claim the remaining Infinity Stones, literally throwing himself in front of his friends to try and buy them time. Sadly, it’s Wanda who suffers the most; despite Shuri’s best efforts, the heroes run out of time and Wanda’s forced to use her unmatched powers, born from the Reality Stone, to destroy her lover to keep the Mind Stone out of Thanos’s hands…only for the Mad Titan to turn back time, wrench it from the Vision’s head, and force Wanda to see her beloved rendered inert before her eyes.

*Rocket and Groot aid Thor in creating a new weapon, while Gamora is captured by her mad foster father.*

Thanos is able to accomplish this goal despite the best efforts of the MCU’s greatest heroes thanks to an ill-timed emotional outburst from Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Pratt). Touring the galaxy alongside his friends and fellow Guardians, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Quill’s masculinity is tested when the group stumble upon the beaten body of Thor Odinson (Hemsworth) out in the endless void. Already traumatised after the death of his father and the destruction of his home world, Thor buries his grief and anguish beneath a determination to re-arm himself with a Thanos-killing weapon courtesy of weaponsmith Eitri (Peter Dinklage) at Nidavellir, a titanic forge orbiting a dying star. After furnishing him with an artificial eye, Rocket tries to console Thor, whose losses have been absolutely devastating, but, though the God of Thunder brushes off any concerns for his welfare with his usual bravado and is determined to kill Thanos as recompense for his actions, it’s clear that Thor is wracked by denial and despair at the loss of his brother and people. He finds new allies with the Guardians, despite Peter feeling threatened by him, and Rocket and Groot help him to reignite Nidavellir’s forge to craft his new weapon, Stormbreaker, a mighty axe capable of summoning the Bifrost and unbound by Odin’s enchantment. Meanwhile, Gamora, shaken by how close her adopted father is to completing his life’s goal, begs Peter to kill her if it comes to it to keep the Soul Stone out of Thanos’s hands. Although he’s reluctant, he actually shows a willingness to go through with this, only to be thwarted when Thanos manipulates reality in his favour. Gamora’s repeated attempts to kill herself and defy Thanos are similarly deflected by the Mad Titan, who forces her to divulge her knowledge to spare her sister, Nebula (Karen Gillan), from a macabre torture. This sees Gamora accompany Thanos to Vormir, where the ethereal presence of “The Stonekeeper” (Johann Schmidt/The Red Skull (Ross Marquand) making a much-welcome return to the MCU) details that the stone can only be claimed if one sacrifices someone they love. While Gamora is initially amused by this, believing Thanos is too twisted to ever love anything, she (and audiences everywhere) is soon aghast to find that Thanos truly did love his adopted daughter, and thus he casts her to her death on the rocks below to get one step closer to achieving his goal. The knowledge of her lover’s death drives Peter into a rage, ruining the carefully laid out plan he and the others concocted to subdue Thanos with a multi-stage attack and Mantis’s sleep-inducing abilities. However, while many may rage at Peter for being so stupid and costing them their best chance at removing Thanos from the source of his power, his outburst is fully understandable given how deeply he cared for Gamora, and ultimately plays into his overall characterisation as a flawed human being rather than some infallible hero.

The Nitty-Gritty:
Since Avengers: Infinity War features so many characters, you might think that some are more developed than others, but that’s not really the case here. Thanks to the core cast featuring in their own movies and team ups prior to this, Infinity War easily jumps right into the central conflict without having to worry too much about establishing origins or motivations. While this is great for long-time followers of the MCU, newcomers might be a bit bewildered but if this was your first MCU film then that’s really on you more than anything else. While not every character gets a significant sub-plot or side mission, they still find some way to make an impression, even it’s something as simple as being funny or having an action scene. Despite having his own vendetta against Thanos, Drax is basically a non-factor in the entire proceedings; his one attempt to kill the murderer of his family leaves him crippled by the power of the Reality Stone, but he makes up for this with some hilarious moments such as his attempts to be “invisible” and his ridiculous “Why is Gamora?!” line. As ever with an MCU production, it’s the little things that make the most impression; things like Spider-Man not being able to remember everyone’s names, Star-Lord flipping Thanos the bird, and Eitri and Thor’s “Only if I die” exchange are great moments of levity and characterisation, especially in a film where the stakes are so high. The Russos do a fantastic job of recreating the look and feel of each separate character and franchise so it all feels seamless. While some seemed confused as to why Thor needed to create a new weapon after harnessing his lightening powers in Thor: Ragnarok (Waititi, 2017), the point is to have something tangible to focus his energies through, to craft a weapon specifically to negate the Infinity Stones and kill Thanos, and to give Thor a goal to work towards so he can feel useful and not give in to his utter despair. On the flip side, it’s true that we never really get (or got) much time to invest in the Wanda/Vision romance; their connection is undoubtable and a pivotal part of the film, but we very much pick up with them trying to figure it out rather than discovering it.

*While there’s not much Hulk action and the Black Order are a bit random, we do learn a lot about Thanos.*

Similarly, there’s a sub-plot regarding the Hulk’s refusal to emerge after his thrashing at Thanos’s hands; while this is amusingly played as an allegory for sexual performance, it’s never actually stated why Hulk won’t come out. It’s assumed that he’s scared and humbled, but we’re told (outside of the movies, so it doesn’t really count) that the Hulk was just sick of fighting Banner’s battles. Personally, I do feel the excised scenes of the Hulk bursting from the Hulkbuster armour would’ve only added to the action-packed finale (and I would’ve loved if he’d been the Grey Hulk as well), so Hulk fans might be a little disappointed by how small a role the Jade Giant plays in the proceedings. Additionally, we really don’t learn anything about the Black Order except their absolutely loyal to Thanos and pretty sadistic villains in their own right; introduced and offed over the course of this film, the foursome is really only here to act as Thanos’s proxies, and I still think it would’ve been cool if guys like Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) and even Loki had filled these roles. Still, it’s honestly nothing short of a miracle that Infinity War manages to juggle all its characters and interweaving plot lines so well; I’ve seen team-based movies that have struggled with less than half the amount of content of this film, though it helps that the MCU has a competent plan, enthusiastic directors and actors, and so many films behind it to lay all the foundations. Some characters are notable in their absence, like Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), but these characters got their due in the follow-up so it all works out. Infinity War had easily the highest stakes of any MCU film at the time, with the fate of literally half the universe in the balance, and the whole film is framed as a frantic chase to prepare for, and stop, Thanos from reaching his goal. Fittingly, we do learn quite a bit about Thanos; easily the most complex and layered villain in the entire MCU at that point, Thanos believes himself the hero of the story. He longs to save billions of lives and to balance the universe through the culling of millions and is more than willing to kill anyone who stands in the way of that goal, but also shows respect, compassion, and genuine affection for both his foes and his adopted family. Through Thanos, we also learn a bit more about Gamora and Nebula’s chaotic and violent upbringing, and the film definitely goes out of its way to present Thanos as both a maniacal despot bent on genocide and a reasonable, well-meaning individual who actually has some solid arguments…even if he goes about enacting his plot in the most diabolical way imaginable.

*The film’s visual style is absolutely top notch and bolstered by loads of fun, unique action and interactions.*

The scope of Avengers: Infinity War is simply off the charts. The narrative is constantly jumping between the outer reaches of space and here on Earth, and characters travel to several different, visually interesting worlds and locations during the course of the film. Many of these are established places in the MCU, like Wakanda and Knowhere, but even these locations are given a new perspective thanks to Thanos’s influence; the sight of his monstrosities tearing across the Wakandan plains makes for one hell of an epic shot and fight sequence with a grander scale than anything we’d seen in the MCU up to that point. Indeed, the CGI and visual effects are fantastic all throughout Infinity War, with Thanos being the obvious standout. A fully realised, flesh and blood character, his creation is so intricate that you’d barely even realise he was a computer creation so detailed are his physical quirks and emotive qualities. While the CGI on Iron Man’s nanosuit is a little spotty, and Spider-Man’s mask vanishes a little too smoothly for me, all the visual effects are undeniably top-notch on both characters, and it’s frankly astounding that everything looks and feels like it’s actually real despite how much of it is all digitally created. Thanks to the Reality Stone, Thanos is free to bend reality and physics to his will, reducing Drax and Mantis to cubes and ribbons with a thought, leaving Taneleer Tivan/The Collector’s (Benicio del Toro) museum a flaming shambles, and even projecting a lush, verdant recreation of Titan to parallel the desolate wasteland it has become since his people ignored his warnings. This sets the stage for the climatic battle between Thanos and Iron Man’s makeshift team, in which Dr. Strange puzzles the Mad Titan with his incantations and the maniacal despot implodes a moon and curls its fragments at his foes! There’s so much happening in each of these battles that you can spot new things every time you watch the film, and every character gets a little something to do, whether it’s Spidey frantically webbing up his new friends as they’re tossed about, Bucky spinning Rocket around so they can blast at Thanos’s creatures, or Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle) carpet bombing the invading army around the Wakandan perimeter.

*In a shocking twist, Thanos succeeds in his goal and snaps away half of all life in the universe!*

Obviously, the thing that separates Infinity War from the rest of the MCU (and most comic book movies) is the fact that the villain actually wins in the end. Stark and the others were able to keep him off balance long enough to largely avoid him using the Infinity Gauntlet, but Star-Lord’s outburst costs them the chance to get the gauntlet off him and results in the team being soundly defeated. Skewered and left gravely wounded, Iron Man is unable to keep Dr. Strange from bargaining for their lives with the Time Stone; while it seems as though this goes against his earlier declaration to sacrifice them in favour of the stone, it’s actually all part of a larger endgame as Dr. Strange had looked into the future and found only one outcome where the heroes were victorious out of billions of possible scenarios, and that outcome was predicated on Thanos being victorious. Thus, armed with the collective powers of Reality, Time, Power, Space, and Soul, Thanos is easily able to teleport to Wakanda, swat aside Cap’s fledgling opposition, and tear the final Infinity Stone from the Vision’s head. Thankfully, Thor is on hand to enact his revenge, driving Stormbreaker right into Thanos’s chest and seemingly saving the day but, sadly, he didn’t go for the head and, just like in the comics, Thanos snaps his fingers and the worst possible scenario plays out before our eyes. All noise, whether ambient or otherwise, is sucked from the film and we’re forced to watch as these iconic characters literally turn to dust before our very eyes! Bucky, Groot (hell, all of the Guardians except Rocket and Nebula!), Sam Wilson/The Falcon (Anthony Mackie), and even Black Panther disintegrate into nothingness but easily the most harrowing loss is that of the young Spider-Man. Clinging to his existence with a tenacious desperation, he fades away in the arms of his stunned mentor, and Stark is left hurt and injured with the weight of his monumental failure. Similarly, those left alive are barely able to comprehend the scope of what has happened and end the film in a dazed confusion, the realisation that they have lost (and lost badly) just sinking in. Even now, many years removed, this remains a haunting and deeply impactful ending; never before had the MCU witnessed such instant and total failure and the shock of seeing some of its most iconic characters simply sniffed out with but a thought remains a disturbing visual to end on. As for our “hero”, Thanos makes good on his promise to retire following his victory, happy in the knowledge that the universe will be better off with half its population dead, and unaware that a small glimmer of hope for those left has been signalled to assist.

The Summary:
As someone who had waited his entire life to see a group superheroes finally come together in one movie, to share an interconnected universe just like in the comics, and to interact with each other in unique and fun ways, I was super excited for Avengers Assemble. I remember watching the MCU unfold back in the day and still not quite being able to believe that this was actually happening, and then being blown away when it actually did and the MCU exploded into a massive success. Now, take all that and multiply it by a hundred and you have Avengers: Infinity War! Not once would I have ever guessed that we’d see Thanos, or an adaptation of The Infinity Gauntlet, make it to cinema screens. Hell, I was surprised the Avengers came together to fight Loki and the Chitauri rather than a gaggle of their solo villains, and the idea of this tyrannical dictator carving a path of destruction throughout the universe (not just Earth), besting the MCU’s strongest characters and even succeeding in his diabolical goal was just unprecedented. And even if I could have guessed that we’d see that, I never would have imagined that such a villain would be presented as a complex and, yes, relatable character. Even setting aside the MCU’s “villain problem”, it really wasn’t the normal thing to frame a superhero film’s bad guy as the lead character, one with lofty dreams and understandable motivations, especially one created entirely out of CGI! The idea was laughable, but damn…Marvel Studios did it; and not only did they do it, but they absolutely smashed it! Avengers: Infinity War was a near-perfect culmination of the MCU’s long ten-year journey. All those solo films, team ups, the risks taken on obscure characters all paid off in the biggest superhero crossover ever conceived at the time. An astonishing blend of action, humour, heart, and visual effects flawlessly captured the look, feel, atmosphere, and characterisations of these different franchises and they all felt perfectly at home co-existing in this vast fictional universe. I say “near-perfect” only because Angers: Infinity War isn’t one movie; it’s two. I don’t say this as a detriment, though; what I mean is, Infinity War is bumped up to perfection when viewed alongside Avengers: Endgame, which completes the story in a way that fundamentally changed the landscape of the MCU going forward. It all started here, though, with the Avengers’ greatest failure, an ending that never fails to leave an impression in its raw morbidity that just leaves you salivating to throw in the next film and see this tragedy undone through the noblest of sacrifices. And yet, Avengers: Infinity War still works incredibly well when viewed by itself; it’s packed with spectacle and more superhero action than you could ever imagine and is a fitting love letter not just to fans of these movies, but lifelong comic book fans such as myself who dreamt of the day when the sprawling, interconnected tales we grew up with would make it to the big screen.

My Rating:

Fantastic

What did you think to Avengers: Infinity War? Were you impressed by the scope and spectacle of the film or were there a few too many characters for your liking? Were you disappointed that the Hulk didn’t play a larger role in the film and which characters were missing from the film for you? What did you think to Thanos, his revised motivations, and his depiction in the film? Were you annoyed that Star-Lord cost the heroes their best chance at stopping Thanos? How did the ending affect you at the time, and how do you think it holds up today in hindsight? What did you think to it as an adaptation of The Infinity Gauntlet? How are you celebrating the debut of the Avengers today and what are some of your favourite Avengers storylines, characters, or adaptations? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions on the Avengers in the comments below.

My Rating:

Fantastic

Share:

My Rating:

Fantastic

Share:

My Rating:

Fantastic

Share: