Summary

• Avengers: Infinity War had a shock ending rarely seen in theaters, leaving audiences in silent disbelief worldwide.
• MCU audiences knew the movie's ending in advance, but it was still shocking, even with spoilers.
• It's uncertain if the MCU can sur Avengers: Infinity War's ending due to subsequent storylines and evolutions.

Six years ago, the Infinity Stones and their immense power. Although the Infinity Saga narrative wasn't fully formulated at the start of the MCU, The Avengers would be the first installment to herald the arrival of Thanos and his pursuit of the stones.

The MCU took some creative liberties with Thanos' motives in one of the best diversions from Marvel Comics that superhero movies have seen. Whereas the Thanos of Marvel Comics intended to wipe out half of existence to court the physical embodiment of Death, Thanos in the MCU had more sympathetic motives. This culminated in Thanos' victory over the Avengers, and one of the best endings I've ever witnessed for the immediate aftermath alone.

Avengers: Infinity War Did Something No Other Movie Ending Has

Avengers: Infinity War flipped the script to such a devastating degree that cinemas worldwide were left in a state of silent disbelief.

Very few movies end with the villain getting their way. Avengers: Infinity War flipped the script to such a devastating degree that cinemas worldwide were left in a state of silent disbelief. Even in the seconds leading to the credits, there remained some semblance of hope that the heroes could pull off a last-minute Hail Mary. Instead, the shock was conveyed by the final line of the movie spoken by Steve Rogers himself: "Oh, God."

It was a sentiment that could be felt for the seemingly endless 10 minutes preceding the post-credits scene. There are very few instances in any movie with a post-credits scene where I can recall the entire theater sitting in sheer silence. The decision to not include a mid-credits scene in this movie only intensified the atmosphere of bewilderment. The truth, however, is that most of us saw this ending coming - but it still didn't nullify the impact.

Infinity War Is More Impressive Because Everyone Knew What Was Coming

While the MCU's propensity for creative liberties may have helped to spark a glimmer of hope that the heroes would snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, those familiar with "The Infinity Gauntlet" run in Marvel Comics knew that the movie adapting it could only go one way. Thanos snapping half of the universe out of existence is so integral to the narrative that it could hardly renege on this twist. Besides, the MCU already made a similar error with Avengers: Age of Ultron, in which the titular villain was significantly nerfed compared to its comic book counterpart.

Avengers: Endgame was where the MCU diverted most significantly from the comics, as it sidestepped Nebula's possession of the Infinity Gauntlet and all involvement of Adam Warlock entirely.

It wasn't long before the notion that the first of the two-part Avengers: Infinity War storyline would end in the titular team's loss became common knowledge. This was thanks in no small part to the likes of Mark Ruffalo spoiling the ending in an interview with Good Morning America alongside Don Cheadle, where he enthusiastically revealed: "Everybody dies." Yet this did not diminish the shock when Thanos emerged victorious, especially when every second felt like the Avengers could still clinch victory, right up until Thor said he "should have gone for the head."

I'm Worried The MCU Will Never Have A Better Ending Than Infinity War

Having the rug pulled out from beneath our feet is now a familiar feeling. The standard trope of good triumphing over evil has already been subverted once, making a second time feel inferior at best and contrived at worst. That isn't to say the MCU still can't shock us into silence, but pulling off a better ending than Avengers: Infinity War is an exceedingly tall order. The mere existence of the multiverse diminishes the idea of death in general, and yet the imminent destruction of multiple universes instead of half of one is somehow harder to invest in.

This does, at least, feel like where the MCU is headed. Incursions have been looming since Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Similarly to how we expected the Snap in Avengers: Infinity War, the notion that a swathe of legendary MCU characters are about to be annihilated is practically common knowledge in the lead-up to Avengers: Secret Wars. The difference is that the ending will struggle to hit as hard.

Source: GMA/YouTube