Thread by @polotek

Time to talk about #InfinityWar. I'll keep the hashtag in all tweets.

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by @peterquillsI view original on Twitter

#InfinityWar is the culmination of 10 years of building a whole connected universe of movies. It is an incredible feat. And all of that was to make it even more devastating to watch it all collapse.

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by @polotek view original on Twitter

I don't know what their plans are for Avengers 4. But the MCU is effectively changed as of #InfinityWar. It'll be like TV where the second to last episode is really the season shocker. The season finale is just about wrapping up and setting up next season.

Now I'm gonna give some opinions that might be unpopular. That's okay. We're all fans here, and you don't have to agree with me.

#InfinityWar was a mess of a movie. It had holes everywhere, and only a few stories were given enough time to be effective.

That's to be expected. It's better to think of it as a TV show season. In order to get the payoff to #InfinityWar, you had to have been invested in the characters all season.

Aniyia and I watched all of the canon movies leading up to this. So our memories were pretty fresh. I don't know how people could get into this movie without that refresher. It started in the middle and shit started going down immediately. There was no time to take a breath.

So there's been much speculation on who was going to die in #InfinityWar. After seeing it, I don't think that's very interesting topic. They made the safe choices. They could've only surprised me by sacrificing Iron Man or Cap.

But still, #InfinityWar was bold storytelling. Over the years, they've built up the Avengers as unstoppable. I was worried that the filmmakers would shy away from having Thanos dominate them so thoroughly. They did not.

The MCU has always been anchored by it's villains. The worst movies are invariably the ones where the villains are too cookie cutter or underdeveloped. I didn't know how they were gonna play it with Thanos. They surprised even me.

So I have this rant about superheroes that are too overpowered. It mostly comes up with Superman and The Hulk. Their stories are boring, because there's never any actual danger or conflict.

This has been a problem with The Hulk since day one. Rather than driving the story, he's used as a Deus Ex Machina. They find ridiculous ways to explain why he's not there until it's time for him to smash everything. #InfinityWar

They started to unravel this trope in Thor: Ragnarok. Both Thor and The Hulk were shown to have limits. And I loved the relationship between Hulk and Valkyrie. They should've leaned into that. #InfinityWar

All that said, watching Thanos casually stomp The Hulk was really important for this film. That's when you knew that all was lost. The Avengers we're out of their league. And it came quite early in the film. #InfinityWar

Also, I don't know if folks are still debating why Hulk wouldn't come out the rest of the movie. My money is on him being afraid. Truly afraid for the first time in his existence. That's going to be part of his arc in Avengers 4. #InfinityWar

Also notice that Thanos took off his armor after decimating the Asgardian ship. He knew he wouldn't need it. He wasn't worried the entire film. It was just a matter of time and how many people needed to die. So gangsta. #InfinityWar

This is the moment when we remember what Stark says in Age of Ultron. He was having nightmares of what was coming. He saw that they were playing on a much bigger field. Vision also calls it out in Civil War. Their power invites conflict. And the universe noticed. #InfinityWar

This is something that the Marvel comics have always done. They go through cycles where they start small and local. But the villains and the threats keep mounting until they are planet scale and then cosmic scale. #InfinityWar

Guardians of the Galaxy was our introduction to cosmic scale conflict in the MCU. And you saw how that turned out. They were running the entire time. And the only way they win is subterfuge. Ronan was a match for them. But he was terrified of Thanos. #InfinityWar

This is why keeping the infinity stones on earth was always a terrible idea. Stark knew even before he understood what they were. He couldn't get anybody to listen. They were maybe safer on Asgard, but the Asgardians let their arrogance destroy them first. #InfinityWar

The Asgardians are the only entities we have been introduced to in the MCU who can play on a cosmic scale. They let us know this when Thor meets the Guardians in #InfinityWar. They are much more knowledgeable about the wider universe. They are in awe of him.

Yeah, Starlord is half celestial. That matters, even though he can't tap into it.

PS: This is the real reason he was able to hang on to the power stone briefly in the first Guardians. Rather than vaporizing instantly like a normal human would. #InfinityWar

Anyway. All of this comes back to why I liked this movie despite being worried. If Thanos needed to be so overpowered, how would they make him into a nuanced and sympathetic villain? I'm astounded they pulled it off. #InfinityWar

In the comics, Thanos is a megalomaniac (most of the time). He's a pontificating, monologuing villain just like the rest. He's just smarter and more powerful than most.

In #InfinityWar he is a self-appointed god, weary of gathering his children and doing what's best for them.

That's why it's important for Thanos to be set against Thor. Thor has spent most of his time learning that he is wrong to appoint himself a God. Culminating in Ragnarok, where he learned of the atrocities his family has wrought in their conquest. #InfinityWar

I think this is what's been going on with Odin too. He has been softening in his old age. But he also saw what was coming. He saw that Asgard wasn't ready. He has been pushing Thor into his power. He had to release Hela. #InfinityWar

Thanos never learned humility like Thor. His family abandoned him (or he murdered them). That's why he has been gathering an adopted family. The only question was whether he actually cared about them. #InfinityWar

This was the best part in #InfinityWar. The scene where he sacrifices Gamora to obtain the Soul Stone. This was also the perfect place to put Red Skull. A true megalomaniac who cares about nothing. Thanos will succeed because he is not only fighting for himself.

The other part where we see Thanos humanized is when they find him on Knowhere. He could've destroyed them all easily. The reason he didn't was because he knew Gamora had feelings for Starlord. He treated Quill like a father meeting a potential suitor. #InfinityWar

There is a question of whether Thanos chose who got wiped out at the end and who didn't. Whether consciously or unconsciously. This is part of Thanos's character in the comics. He has a fatal flaw that he always creates the circumstances for his eventual defeat. #InfinityWar

He left Thor and Stark alive. The only combination that can probably still take him on. He did wipe out Doctor Strange, who actually saw what would happen. I wonder if Thanos also knows. He has the time stone now. But maybe he wants to let it play out. #InfinityWar

One last spoiler. People are probably also wondering about the scene after the finger snap, where Thanos is talking to young Gamora. She asks "is it done?". This was almost certainly meant to be the incarnation of Death, who originally set Thanos on this path. #InfinityWar

Thanos gave us this whole mess about reducing the population to save resources. That's bullshit. With the infinity gauntlet, there were lots of ways to solve that without killing. Death was the goal from the beginning. We'll see how they explain it in Avengers 4. #InfinityWar

If you're referring to Scarlet Witch, they never fully explain her power. It's not telekinesis and it's not simple. They said her power resonates with the mind stone. That says more about her power than it does the stone. #InfinityWar

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FYI y'all. Please don't tell people things you found out online that weren't explained in the movies. It's akin to spoilers and it's not cute or fun. #InfinityWar

I didn't tell you my favorite small part of #InfinityWar. There are so many great set pieces. But the thing that blew me away is when Thanos recognizes Tony Stark. It's so out of nowhere. I need to understand where that comes from. I hope they don't just drop it.

Thanos says "I too am cursed with knowledge". Which tells us nothing. But it reminded me of this common thread in the marvel comics. There are certain characters who are considered "super geniuses". They're always vying against each other for who is the smartest. #InfinityWar

Thanos is also considered super genius level. And obviously Stark and Banner are on this list. Interestingly, T'Challa is also a super genius in the comics. The MCU transferred this title to Shuri. I love the scene with Vision where she throws shade at Banner. #InfinityWar

Another person who is supposed to be a super genius is Hank Pym from Ant-Man. They kind of sidelined him in the MCU though. He's kind of a one-trick pony with the Pym particles. I'm okay with it. #InfinityWar

Other people who are supposed to be super geniuses but are not yet in the MCU. Beast from the X-Men. Reed Richards and Dr. Doom from the fantastic four. I'm really hoping they introduce a decent Doom in the future. #InfinityWar

We didn't even talk about The Black Order. I thought it was cool that they were added to be more of a match against the Avengers. But it was the right call not to make them a bigger part of the story. There was already too much to go through. #InfinityWar

That said, I was annoyed that they kept insisting on the "Lady fight" by throwing the the women heroes against Proxima Midnight. Pretty unnecessary. #InfinityWar