Thoughts on that Fantastic Avengers: Infinity War Trailer. What A Great Time To Be A Geek!
I was going to write my blog on my FIVE favorite Star Wars emotional scenes, but, with the release of the new Avengers: Infinity War and my literally dropping dead after watching it, I feel I need to jot down my thoughts on how awesome it is to be a geek...a Marvel fan...today!
Just a warning. I obviously don't know what will happen in the movie, so there is technically no spoilers. BUT, I do talk about some speculation. So, if you don't want to know any of this, proceed at your own caution.
Before we talk about the trailer, adding to my excitement is getting my issue of Entertainment Weekly with Black Panther on the cover promoting Avengers: Infinity War! There are actually 15...FIFTEEN...different covers and I am seriously thinking about getting all of them at the hefty price of $90 and some change.
I want to get them not only because I feel like this is a piece of history, but because it is literally chocked full of awesome information about Avengers: Infinity War and the 10th anniversary of Marvel Studios and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I felt like a little kid sitting on the couch leafing through each page with wide eyes and a giant grin on my face.
Now, let's get back to the trailer released today.
It is absolutely amazing and it so cool to see so many people excited about it. Just like I never imagined an average person walking around exclaiming "Wakanda Forever," I just cannot believe friends who are not traditionally geeks are suddenly talking about Infinity Stones.
Like all of Marvel Studios films, Infinity War will not follow the comic book storyline. But that should come as no surprise to anybody because none of the Marvel films really follow the comics exactly. But it will have the spirit of the original 1992 mini-series written by Jim Starlin with a heavy dose of Jonathan Hickman's 2014 Infinity maxi-series which introduced the Black Order who will be featured in Avengers: Infinity War.
In fact, in the trailer, you see Doctor Strange impaled by light forces and then it cuts to this alien like creature. That would be Ebony Maw who has the power of mental manipulation. In Infinity, he turns Doctor Stranger into a traitor. So, it will be interesting to see where this goes.
If you want to get a flavor for the Infinity War comic stories, Amazon has them in graphic novel form. Click here to buy the 1992 Infinity War graphic novel. And click here to buy the 2014 Infinity graphic novel.
Also, Marvel has released in graphic novel form its prelude to Avengers: Infinity War which is also available on Amazon. There is a lot of retelling of what's gone before, but there is also some back story as to where some of the Avengers have been after Civil War.
Now, back to looking at the trailer. I was struck by Captain America's fighting back Thanos. This is something I think Marvel does so well. You have these giant action scenes peppered with very intimate one-on-one battle scenes. So, here, you see this super powerful Thanos trying to crush Captain America with the Infinity Guantlet and Captain America valiantly tries to push back. It's these moments of god versus human that really raise the stakes.
Another thing that I love is that, despite the gravity of this story, we still have that trademark Marvel humor. My sister, who isn't necessarily always excited about all Marvel films, told me that she is drawn to the humor because it gives a reprieve to the heaviness of the action. I think a lot of people feel that way. I feel that way.
It also makes it easier to blend the various styles of movies. The tone of Black Panther is different from the tone of Guardians of the Galaxy is different from the tone of Ant-Man. But, humor binds them together. And I feel like, based on the trailer, there will be the right amount. It would seem odd for characters like Star Lord and Spider-Man to not make quips.
Finally, I love seeing Wakanda and so many of its citizens involved in this fight. Wakanda has always been impacted in global threats. There is speculation that the last Infinity Stone - the Soul Stone - might be in Wakanda. But, Marvel has been very tight lipped. And I'm glad about that. I feel they always throw us enough of a bone to be excited, yet still have surprises in store.
I am going to go watch this trailer another 100 times now. But this is also the last thing I'll watch on Avengers: Infinity War for now so I can be totally excited for April 27!