Spoilers
Avengers: Infinity War, is Marvel Studios’ epic culmination of a decade of superhero storytelling. The Avengers, a group getting increasingly larger with every passing MCU entry, are pitted up against Thanos, a giant purple alien with genocidal ambitions and one of the most unique goatees you will ever see. Thanos, voiced perfectly by Josh Brolin, seeks to collect all of the infinity stones in the universe, all-powerful gems and long running MCU plot devices that have served as macguffins for the better part of a decade. With these stones, Thanos plans to wipe out half of all life in the universe to account for overpopulation… or something (it’s best to turn off your brain for this movie, it can be ruined for you if you spend to much time mulling over the details of Thanos’ haphazardly hatched plan). Despite some confusing plot elements and a glut of characters, Infinity War mostly succeeds at pulling off this monumental filmmaking task.
The Russo Brothers, Marvel’s prized directing duo, have been given the keys to the kingdom and the lofty task of closing out this epic chapter in the MCU with Infinity War, and next year’s sequel which promises to be an even tougher task. While Infinity War is not perfect, the Russo brothers have pulled off something truly impressive with this film. Looking at the cluttered poster for the movie does a good job of showing just how expansive the logjam of A-listers in this movie is, and how tough a job it is for them to give each of this cherished characters the necessary screentime to be fleshed out and satiate the egos of the copious amount of celebrities in this thing. Infinity War finds Marvel at arguably their most conservative, but also their most ambitious. While they are fully aware that this formula would guarantee billions, the endeavour is still audacious for reasons beyond the insane cast and comparatively bloated runtime. Infinity War essentially bypasses all exposition and flexes Marvel’s might as the preeminent IP in Tinseltown. There is not even a slight attempt to fill in the many blanks for more passive viewers, Marvel has reached the rare position to tell audiences that they’re just along for the ride at this point and if you aren’t caught up at this point, then they don’t need your business. This attitude is usually impossible to get away with, unless your Marvel and can do no wrong in the eyes of their legions of fans. The MCU is yet to be tainted like Disney’s other tentpole franchise, Star Wars. The Marvel comic-book stans have not turned on Disney’s cinematic offerings like the more toxic and impossible to please Star Wars fans. The MCU has yet to have a perceived “mis-step” like The Last Jedi, and this is largely due to the infallible formula established by the MCU.
Kevin Feige, the architect of the MCU, has created one of the most viable products in cinematic history. There is endless material to use and reboot time and again, especially with the impending Fox acquisition, and a winning formula that has yet to grow stale with audiences. Yet, Infinity War is representative of everything both right and wrong about the franchise, fitting as it is the MCU’s crowning moment thus far. There are likable characters, a surprisingly compelling villain for a Marvel movie, franchise best special effects work (a department that has been lacking in past efforts), and even a satisfying conclusion for fans finally waiting to see something different from this franchise. And yet, this supposedly risky ending, where nearly half of the new characters disintegrate after Thanos snaps away half of the planet’s population is not risky at all. Many of the “deceased” characters have movies scheduled in the future, essentially killing all of the manufactured suspense. Infinity War is the franchises Empire Strikes Back. The heroes lose, which is a welcome sight, but they don’t actually lose. Marvel’s corporate structure and penchant for building hype for their future projects somewhat undermines what could have been a more shocking conclusion. Marvel would never let the good guys be down for too long, but announcing a Spiderman sequel and release date while the character is supposedly dead sucks all the tension out of the room.
However, there is still reason for excitement for the inevitable sequel. The depleted cast is a blessing in disguise for the Russo brothers, who now have a much smaller roster to work with and incorporate. The original Avengers cast is essentially all that’s left after Thanos wins, and seeing Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the rest of the most seasoned crew save the days one last time is an enticing prospect. A possible swan song for Chris Evans and the MCU’s most important actor Robert Downey Jr. has potential to be both epic and heartbreaking. Infinity War cleared the deck and set up a potentially phenomenal finale, but not without some underhanded jockeying for the future. Marvel has always had one eye on the long term without always focusing on the task at hand. Their penchant for worldbuilding in the middle of another character’s movie has always taken me out of the experience. You remember that this is a studio, a business, and choices made in their movies make less narrative sense and are really more devices to set up future characters and future plot points. This is on full display in Infinity War, the most bloated Marvel movie ever. Interestingly, it is the film’s bloated nature that makes it such a monumental feat. Despite the likely massive studio interference and necessary plot points that needed to be broached for future use, the Russo brothers delivered in spades.
Infinity War has great action sequences, despite Marvel’s historically choppy combat editing. There is a particularly memorable face-off on Thanos home planet, and all of the characters have fantastic chemistry. Infinity War benefits from a decade of character development, yet stands very well on its own if you want to just turn your brain off and watch superheroes team up and kick ass. But the film works best in the context of a 17 movie build-up, a huge storytelling endeavor, and really can be seen as this generation’s seminal franchise. The MCU is this era’s Star Wars to a great extent. While these movies, Infinity War included, don’t push the envelope artistically, they have completely reshaped what’s possible for movies going forward and has raised the stakes for what it means for a film to have scope. The sprawl and ambition of this movie is something to be revered. While traditionalists may scoff at the franchise being more of a product than a piece of art, they have to understand that the theater industry has been dying for years, and the MCU has shown the roadmap to consistently sell out the box office. Marvel has figured out what many others haven’t, which is absolutely worth something. If you spend a decade following anything, becoming even slightly emotionally invested, the grand conclusion almost has to be epic even if it us just closure. The MCU has captivated our attention and delivered on our lofty expectations. Sometimes, even just meeting expectations is a huge success when failure is not an option this deep into the franchise. We’ve seen how a rabid fan-base responds to something vaguely considered a failure, and Marvel’s ability to garner applause instead of jeers from one of the largest and pickiest fan bases is a massive feat in the age of toxic fan culture.