Avengers: Infinity War has left audiences with a lot of questions, but fortunately directors Joe and Anthony Russo are providing the answers. The modern blockbuster involves an unprecedented degree of between directors and their audiences, and Marvel knows how to use that to ensure their films receive a constant stream of publicity.
With so many characters to involve and so complex a plot, it's no surprise that viewers have a lot of questions. The Russos, for their part, seem to be quite enjoying answering them - or, in some cases, offering hints. They're refusing to give away anything that they believe would spoil Avengers 4, of course, but that doesn't mean we haven't been treated to some fascinating insights into Infinity War.
Related: Avengers: Infinity War's Ending Explained
Why were the trailers so different to the final film? What was the last thing Teen Groot said to Rocket? And why didn't Thor take that head shot? They've tackled all this and more. In all these cases, the answers to fan questions add yet another layer of depth to the film, opening up entirely new thematic areas.
- This Page: The Russos Explain Their Most Surprising Decisions
Why Were The Trailers So Different To The Final Film?
There's a marked Avengers: Infinity War and the theatrical cut. According to the Russos, that's entirely deliberate; they view the trailers and movies as completely separate products. "You have to be very smart about how you cast a trailer," Joe Russo explained, "'cause an audience can watch a trailer and basically tell you what's gonna happen in the film." The Russos actually filmed some scenes specifically for the trailers - including the first trailer's "money shot," with the Avengers charging towards the screen. Characters like the Hulk were then added using CG.
Other moments from the trailers were actually lifted from earlier cuts of scenes; that's why some lines of dialogue have been changed. "Fun isn't something one considers when balancing the universe," Thanos declared in one trailer, "but this does put a smile on my face." This line was originally said by Thanos as he emerged from what the Russos call the "Reality Cloak," revealing to Gamora that he is still alive. The Russos switched it for dialogue that's a little more "characterful," but retained the line for use in the trailer.
Why Didn't We See Thanos Acquire the Power Stone?
The crowded plot of Avengers: Infinity War had quite a few "tell, not show" moments - and Thanos's acquisition of the Power Stone was one of them. The Mad Titan had already taken the Power Stone from Xandar by the beginning of the film, and used its power to terrifying effect against the Asgardian refugees. But why did the Russos choose not to show the fall of Xandar in the movie? Speaking at his alma mater, the University of Iowa, Joe Russo explained that the directors thought it would be "one too many" - that it would cause the writers to "get into a trap," where the film just became repetitive and predictable. Given Guardians of the Galaxy had clearly established where the Power Stone was, it was "easy to deal with it off screen."
Related: Did Thanos Just Create NOVA in Avengers: Infinity War?
Why Did We See So Little Of The Black Order?
Thanos is generally viewed as one of Marvel's best villains, but the Black Order served their purpose, and essentially provided mini-battles on the way to the biggest Boss Battle of them all. "Thanos is the true bad guy of the movie," he added, "you don't want the sub-villains overshadowing the super-villain."
Why Wasn't Hawkeye In The Film?
Almost all of the original Avengers got their chance to shine in Infinity War - with one sole exception. Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye was completely missing from the film. In an interview with Hawkeye's absence in the marketing was good for the character.
Related: What's Going On With Hawkeye In Avengers: Infinity War
Why Wasn't Adam Warlock In Infinity War?
Adam Warlock's part in the entire epic, the Russo's said he won't be in Avengers 4 either, with the clarification "I have no interest as a director in telling a story that's already been told or in seeing one that's already been told. If I know all the events story as they're going to happen then what's the point of going to the film?"
How Does Infinity War Fit With Avengers: Age Of Ultron?
For all the talk of culmination, Avengers: Infinity War doesn't pay off all that much of the prior setup. One particularly awkward part of the build-up to Infinity War is the post-credits scene for Avengers: Age of Ultron, where Thanos dons the Infinity Gauntlet and famously declares: "Fine, I'll do it myself." Asked about this at a press junket, screenwriters Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus seemed unconcerned about this. Not our movie, McFeely joked. We've all sat there and went, What the hell is he talking about,' Markus added, Where was he when he did that?
Read More: Avengers 3 & Ragnarok Made A New Infinity Gauntlet Plot Hole
Fortunately, the Russos themselves have an explanation. In an interview with Comic Book, Joe Russo suggested this scene is actually on Nidavellir. "I think that it would be connected to Eitri," he explained. "I think that clearly he is the one who forged the gauntlet and Thanos had the gauntlet at that point in time. It's been a while since any of the Asgardians have interacted with Eitri and his people." The explanation makes sense; Loki took over Asgard at the end of Thor: The Dark World, and under his rule the Asgardians stopped protecting the other Realms. Thanos clearly took advantage of this.
Why Didn't The Hulk Turn Up In The Battle Of Wakanda?
One of the most surprising arcs in Avengers: Infinity War is the Hulk's. Beaten down by Thanos in the film's opening scene, the Hulk refuses to come out and play for the duration of the movie. The Hulk doesn't even participate in the Battle of Wakanda, even though he appeared in the trailer's "money shot." "We have to be careful with the character of Banner," Joe Russo explained. "Because if every time he's in trouble Hulk saves him, Hulk becomes the hero and he becomes whiny. We wanted to force Banner to be the hero."
Most viewers have interpreted the Hulk's recalcitrance as fear; that he'd never been beaten down as badly as he was by Thanos before. The Russos, however, favor a different interpretation. They see this as a continuation of the Hulk's arc in Thor: Ragnarok, with the Hulk stressing that he is a person in his own right, and refusing to do Banner's bidding:
"I think people have interpreted it as Hulk's scared. I mean, certainly, that's not a I don't know that the Hulk is ever¦ he's had his ass kicked before, and he loves a good fight. But I think that it's really reflective of the journey from Ragnarok. Is that these two characters are constantly in conflict with each other over control. And I think that if the Hulk were to say why, it'd be [that] Banner only wants Hulk for fighting. I think he's had enough of saving Banner's ass."
Related: Did Marvel Change Hulk's Story In Avengers: Infinity War?
This particular narrative thread was particularly surprising given there had even been promotional action figures teasing the Hulk smashing out of the Hulkbuster. The Russos seemed to imply that was something that happened in earlier scripts; they suggested action figures and promotional material are organized up to a year before filming, while the script is still being worked over. As a result, sometimes there's a "disconnect" between the merchandise and the final movie.
Why Wasn't The Reunion Between Steve Rogers and Bucky An Emotional One?
Bucky Barnes is Steve Rogers's closest friend, his only link back to the time he originates from. As a result, some viewers found the brief embrace between Captain America and Bucky to be a short, relatively low-emotion scene in Avengers: Infinity War. Joe Russo explained that there's a simple reason; this wasn't the first time Cap and Bucky had met since Shuri awoke the former Winter Soldier from cryogenic suspension. "I think [Cap's] made his way to Wakanda a couple of times," he explained, "and that is how we directed that scene, that was not the first time that they were seeing each other since he woke up." While it made for a less emotional scene, it was presumably necessary in order to maintain the film's pace.
What Happened To Black Widow And Bruce Banner?
Another underwhelming reunion in Infinity War was the one between Bruce Banner and Black Widow. Avengers: Age of Ultron saw director Joss Whedon introduce a surprising romance plot between the two. The Russos elected to largely ignore this relatively unpopular relationship, simply showing Bruce and Natasha share a deep, meaningful glance. As they pointed out in an interview with Happy Sad Confused, a lot of time has ed for both characters. "There's a sort of unspoken truth that there's no need for a spoken resolution," Joe Russo explained.
Related: How Avengers 4 Can Use Black Widow Properly
What Happened To Scarlet Witch's Accent?
Scarlet Witch was easily one of the most powerful and prominent characters in Avengers: Infinity War; her romance with Vision was one of the driving forces of the film's plot, and she was portrayed as second only to Thor in of power levels. But attentive viewers noticed one major change to Wanda: Elizabeth Olsen had dropped the Eastern European accent. Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Joe Russo explained there was a very good reason for that. "We intentionally tried to strip that accent away for a couple of reasons," he noted.
"One is that you'll notice at the beginning of Civil War, Black Widow is training her how to be a spy. Two, she has now been on the run and one of the most distinguishing characteristics she has is her accent. So if you're going to try to disguise yourself and not be caught, you're going to try to limit those trigger warnings that would make it easy for someone to identify you which would be inclusive of her accent."
