The trailer for Avengers: Infinity War finally dropped today, after months of speculation and a leaked comic-con trailer.
There are many questions on the lips of fans as the fractured Avengers team come to fight Thanos (Josh Brolin), a villain that has been looming since the end credits of the first Avengers film. Looking over the two minutes and 24 seconds, here’s some things we noticed, and what they might mean.
Tony’s grief
One of the first shots is Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark crouched, dirty and clearly inconsolable, with a battleground in the backdrop.
A kind of PTSD has been a factor in Stark’s journey since the first Avengers film, particularly in Iron Man 3 and Age of Ultron, where his fear of one day coming up against an unbeatable villain leads him to make irrational choices. Could Thanos be that villain?
Take That, Steppenwolf
DC’s Justice League, the supposed rival of Marvel’s Avengers, disappointed for many reasons, but one of the most complained-about factors was how bad computer animated villain Steppenwolf looked. There are no such problems with Thanos, filmed using motion capture technology and looking pretty damn impressive striding on to the battle field.
The character comes with an impressive CV as one of the most powerful villains in the Marvel canon, and the MCU has struggled for truly memorable bad guys over the last decade (aside from Loki of course), so the big screen incarnation better be good!
‘Dread it. Run From It. Destiny Still Arrives…’
Thanos’ speech midway through the trailer could be a foreshadowing of what’s to come for Earth’s mightiest heroes. One of the MCU’s other problems is that death is rarely permanent if you’re a good guy. If you’re going to make an impact, as well as hand over the Avengers franchise to a new generation of heroes, you’re going to have to kill some big names.
There’s long been rumours that one of more of Avengers’ ‘Big Four’ – Iron Man, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk and Thor – would be leaving us, as well as talk that the title of Infinity Wars’ follow up, due in 2019, is being held back as it reveals a ‘spoiler’. Is Tony’s time up? Is Thor hanging up Mjolnir? It’s all so tense!
Loki Hands Over The Tesseract!
… or does he? Just as Thanos talks about destiny, we see Loki walking over bodies, apparently tears in his eyes, holding up the infinity stone first seen in Captain America: The First Avenger. Is he handing it over to Thanos, and if so does he have a choice? Loki has been the shadiest character in the Marvel Universe, with moments of heroism in between being the Avengers’ most charismatic foe.
Could he really turn against his brother? Is he trying to save him? His motives could be a key component of the plot.
‘Get This Man A Shield!’
The trailer sees the emergence of leaders old and new. Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) take a leadership role within the film, bringing a bearded Captain America (Chris Evans) out of the shadows. Cap has been in exile ever since Civil War, seeking refuge in Black Panther’s home of Wakanda. Boseman could become a huge part of the Avengers’ future, and seems to lead the charge alongside Captain America in one of the last shots of the movie. With Evans teasing ‘retirement’ in recent interviews, this film could be a passing of the torch.
‘Who The Hell Are You Guys?’
We end on a lighter note with Thor (Chris Hemsworth) meeting The Guardians of The Galaxy. The Avengers seem scattered for this film, which would make sense given the acrimonious way Iron Man and Captain America parted in Civil War.
