Warning: Spoilers Ahead
Avengers: Infinity War is a film of monumental proportions, there was a lot riding on it and while there are some parts which may have missed the mark – after all it’s rare a film is ever flawless – it lived up to all the hype.
Even the most cynical of ‘edge lords’ can’t deny this fact, no matter how hard they want.
You all know the drill by now – but for you newcomers, I’m letting you know now we’re going to be talking major spoilers here. So if you haven’t seen Infinity War yet (you’ve had a whole week now, what are you doing?) click out of this article and do something else. Maybe go paint a picture, do your taxes or – and this one comes highly recommended – go and watch the film!!!
The ending of Infinity War was devastating and polarising to say the least as we watched Thanos finally claim all six Infinity Stones and snap his fingers to wipe half the universe, along with its heroes, out of existence. It’s pretty brutal stuff as we watch the remaining survivors stand around shocked and dumbfounded with what’s just happened.
They’ve been so used to coming out on top during these ‘end of the world’ moments the taste of defeat is a concept so foreign to them. Furthermore, it’s heartbreaking as we watch fan favourites like Black Panther, Bucky, Falcon, the Guardians of The Galaxy and Spider-Man crumble out of existence. The latter being the most heart-breaking to watch.
However, Comicbook writer Nicole Drum thinks Thanos’ devastating and game-changing move might not be so devastating and game-changing as we think it might be. Her theory of Infinity War’s dark conclusion might even change the way you think about the film’s ending.
Drum writes:
… what if the heroes fans thought they saw survive didn’t survive at all? What if those who turned to ash were the ones who remain alive and very much confused while the ‘survivors’ are the ones have died or, possibly even worse, been taking into Soulworld? On first glance it seems like an insane theory.
Why would people crumble if they weren’t the ones snuffed out? Doesn’t it make sense that the original Avengers would survive? Both are valid points, but there is something to be said for the idea of a twist and there are a few of moments in Avengers: Infinity War that seem to hint that the ending audiences saw may not be the ending they got.
Her theory links all the way back to Tony Stark (aka Iron Man). She says there are two key lines during the battle on Titan (Thanos’ now-barren homeworld) which stick out. The first is from the Mad Titan himself, just before he’s about to deliver the killing blow, he says to Stark ‘I hope they remember you’. He doesn’t kill him, thanks to the intervention of Dr Strange (and to his detriment as well) who gives up the Time Stone.
But Drum says:
… that doesn’t mean Thanos didn’t expect Tony to vanish when he snapped his fingers. Thanos spared Tony from immediate death. There’s no promise that he spared him from the random act of ‘balancing’ the universe. And yes, balancing the universe would be a random act.
Thanos previously recalled how he had a completely fair plan to halve the population of Titan by randomly choosing those who would die. The Mad Titan might be well, mad, but he does seem to have a solid sense of equality.
The other line she points towards is Strange’s apology to Stark after Thanos makes off with the Time Stone. Logic will tell you he said sorry to Stark because by saving his life he helped Thanos get one step closer to his goal. But what if giving Thanos the Time Stone was the only way for the heroes to win?
While they took a big L at the end you need to remember the next Avengers film is out next year in May and when the heroes were preparing to fight Thanos on Titan Strange used the Time Stone to see which outcome would be best for them.
What if the outcome he saw resulted in him giving Thanos the Time Stone, this would mean a larger game is at play here.
Drum writes:
Why would Strange owe Tony an apology unless, in the one possible outcome where the good guys won Tony ended up dying, sent to another dimension, or somehow otherwise suffered?
She also brings up the small matter:
… of Thanos recognizing Tony and informing him that Tony isn’t the only one cursed to know things.
Another thing to consider is one of the stones Thanos has in his possession is the Reality Stone, Drum points out he may have used it (along with the other stones) to alter the perspective of the heroes, as well as the audience. We saw him use it to trick the Guardians of The Galaxy into giving up Gamora and to show the heroes what Titan looked like before it became desolate.
Drum thinks because:
Thanos has all the stones. He can make people see whatever he wants them to see. Maybe the perspective audiences saw in the end was the perspective Thanos wanted them to see. Maybe even the dead don’t really know they’re dead yet because of that stone. There are limitless possibilities – and in this case, none of them particularly happy.
I guess the only way we’ll find out is next year in May for the next, still-to-be-titled Avengers 4 film.
However, before that, we’ll be getting Ant-Man & The Wasp on August 3 and Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019.
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