by Dustin Steiger, broadcast director
Ever since “Iron Man” landed in theaters in mid-2008, kicking off the box-office giant known as the MCU (also known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe), hardcore comic book fans have yearned for the Infinity War story-arc to reach theatres. Now, it’s here.
Hinted at for years, “Avengers: Infinity War” is the culmination of everything the MCU has built towards. The story follows the Mad Titan Thanos’ quest to obtain all six Infinity Stones, powerful gems that control Space, Reality, Power, Time, Mind, and Soul. Most of these stones have been seen before in the Marvel Universe (The Tesseract in Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers; The Aether in Thor: The Dark World; The Orb in Guardians of the Galaxy; The Time Stone in Doctor Strange; and the Mind Stone in Age of Ultron, as well as other various Marvel films), although one- The Soul Stone- has remained mysteriously absent… In order to stop Thanos from obtaining all the Infinity Stones and becoming an unbeatable god, the world’s mightiest heroes and the Guardians of the Galaxy must team up to bring down the Mad Titan and his children, the Black Order.
With this movie comes an impressive cast of new characters and old favorites, and, due to the incredible risks and twists the story takes, it provides moviegoers with a fresh take on the superhero genre. There’s nothing quite like it. It shocks and dazzles its audience with an impressive story and spectacular graphics, proving once again why the MCU is the box-office it is today.
Speaking of which, Infinity War is made all the more impressive by its box office dominance. It’s currently the number one movie worldwide, holding this title for two-weeks and counting, with the film pulling in over $250 million on its opening weekend. In comparison, the original Avengers made slightly under $210 million for its opening weekend, and Avengers: Age of Ultron made around $191 million. Infinity War even managed to beat out the newer Star Wars films, The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Overall, it’s already grossed over a billion dollars worldwide, and these impressive numbers continue to climb.
All in all, Avengers: Infinity War is a powerful must-see movie. However, due to its massive plot-threads that can tend to convolute those unfamiliar with the current state of the MCU, it might be best for those that aren’t caught up with franchise to wait before going to theaters (Here’s a list of movies it’d be best to watch beforehand, some of which can be streamed on Netflix). It’s a complex and emotional rollercoaster, with powerful moments and painful consequences, so be sure you’re ready for it.
