Infinity War: The Ultimate Face-off!
The Marvel Cinematic Universe, a behemoth of its kind, is nearing the culmination of an arc.
An arc that has spanned a decade, producing 18 movies that best celebrate superheroes. Since the release of Iron Man way back in 2008, and the introduction of its eponymous hero a.k.a. Tony Stark, movie lovers have witnessed the genesis of a plethora of characters. Over the years, with addition of every new movie from the house of Marvel, an interconnected universe was established; uniting our favourite characters into one stronghold under the banner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
As the universe matured over the years, we audiences have come to acquaint ourselves with these characters, so much so that every Tom, Dick, and Harry have favourite characters they root for. And unlike their DCEU counterparts, Marvel took its time phasing out their characters, thus weaving out a cumulative story line that is as intriguing as it is an exhilarating joyride.
Now Infinity War beckons.
All the movies till now have been leading up to this ultimate showdown. Our favourite characters are pitted up against the strongest being in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Mad Titan — Thanos. That same Purple dude obsessed with collecting the Infinity Stones, and hell bent on entailing balance to the universe.
The stakes can’t get any higher, and it’s a pretty well known fact that some beloved characters are gonna kick the bucket.
So here below is a whimsical, and a passionate list of MCU characters that we’d like to see survive Infinity War.
10. Hawkeye
Clint Barton, weakest of all Avengers had his best moments in Avengers : Age of Ultron, wherein he was shown to be having a family. It added emotional depth to an otherwise expendable character. Facing Thanos or his underlings doesn’t bode well for his chances of survival. Let’s face it — Hawkeye ain’t no fan favourite. He is perhaps the most ignored of all Avengers. Hey! Poor chap was not even featured on the posters, and trailers of Infinity War. But fret not! Actor Jeremy Renner has promised us a well defined path that Hawkeye would be treading on during the events of Infinity War. We’d all be cheering for this underdog to bask on some screen time and escape unscathed.
9. Dr Strange
As Infinity War dawns, the Sorcerer Supreme has a mighty task at his disposal — protecting the Time Stone from falling into the hands of Thanos. Bearing the eye of Agomotto which conceals the time stone, Strange has a lot to strive for. From the look of the 2nd trailer, Strange would find himself in a lot of pain. Plausibly at the hands of Ebony Maw; a very powerful member of Thanos’ black order, a master manipulator, and a mind controller. In foresight, things sure do look bleak for the good doctor.
8. Rocket raccoon
“Ah what the hell, I dont got that long of a lifespan anyway.”
Who doesn’t love Rocket? The most funniest and engaging of all characters among the Guardians of The Galaxy is a furry raccoon. His punchlines, and penchant for dark humour renders a colourful appeal to his persona. Do not let his furry — ness fool you into taking him lightly. His weaponry arsenal, and engineering capabilities can… dare say, put Tony Stark to shame. The skirmishes, and small talk with many of the Avengers, especially with Iron Man will be something to watch out for. Infinity War is going to be the endgame for many, but please… surely not for Rocket!
7. Vision
Vision is the epitome of a living macguffin. For god’s sake! He has a mind stone embedded on his vibranium bodied forehead. Thanos would be very keen on ripping it off for the central space on his Infinity gauntlet; which very well speaks of the chances he has of surviving Infinity War. Before Vision was initialized as an android in Avengers: Age of Ultron, he was Jarvis, Tony Stark’s AI. Throughout the events that have transpired in the MCU, Jarvis has been indispensable. Then as an AI, now as an Android. His death though seemingly inevitable would leave a vacuum in the MCU.
6. Black Widow
Natasha Romanoff has survived every damn time she has been faced with insurmountable odds. Perhaps the ultimate sacrifice for her team, her friends foremost, would finally be enough to see her wipe of all the red in her ledger she keeps talking about. It would be saddening to see Black Widow depart the MCU. Being the sole female hero in the Avengers before the arrival of Scarlet Witch, Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow has showcased bravery, zest and zeal to cement her place as one of the most loved MCU characters of all time.
5. Spiderman
“When you can do the things that I can, but you don’t, and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you”
Sure, there is a Spider-Man sequel on the charts scheduled after Infinity War and avengers 4. But, one can’t help but worry for littlest Avenger on the fray. Spidey is the audience proxy in Infinity War, and best represents what hope, and innocence stands for. It will be all the more painful to see him get beaten up by Thanos. Try teasing his death, and marvel heads shall realise the fury of fans.
4. Iron man
“Is it better to be feared or respected? I say, is it too much to ask for both?”
Iron man was the first ever superhero to be introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony is a nuanced, and a conflicted character. Tony may not be as skilled a fighter as Cap, but he more than makes up with his technological genius. Ever since the events of the first avengers movie, Tony has been obsessed with keeping the Earth safe, leading him to go through a period of panic attacks during Iron Man 3. His paranoia was exacerbated with the vision of a dark and nihilistic future that Scarlet witch gave him during the events of the second avengers film. Tony has his share of evils that haunt him, and he’d do anything to protect the ones he loves. He might shy away from expressing his feelings of compassion for his friends and the love of his life, Pepper Potts. But he’s always been perseverant. Working day in and day out to envisage a safe future. His death would be monumentally traumatising, and would amply demonstrate the extent of the stakes that Infinity War professes.
3 Loki
The most charismatic character in the MCU, has seen his allegiance shift from time to time. He started as a villain in the first Thor movie, going on to be the prime antagonist in the first Avengers film. Loki has seen massive character development in the years that have followed. From a villain to an anti hero to finally seeking redemption in Thor Ragnarok, Loki…. we will be watching out for you!
2. Captain America
Captain Steve Rogers has always been selfless and dutiful towards the protection of his friends, allies, and the world. He represents the best of humanity. Even when the odds have been stacked against him, he has not withheld from giving out his all. The trailers show him withstanding Thanos’s gauntlet wielding hand with all his might. Even when death stares at point blank range, Cap stands unperturbed. He ain’t giving up! It’s an over chewed rumour that Steve’s gonna die in the movie. Out of all our heroes in Infinity War, Steve deserves a chance at life. A simple life away from the constant fighting and defending.
1. Thanos
In a universe which has often been criticised for having mediocre villains, Marvel has been upping the quality of its bad guys since Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2. Infinity War has been shot like a heist movie. Where the main protagonist, Thanos is on a spiritual journey to collect the six infinity stones. We don’t know what the Mad Titan is capable of, nor the extent of his powers. The trailer shown at the San Diego comic con has teased Thanos throwing a Moon at some of the heroes. The purple dude with the goatee is touted to be the most powerful character ever. Killing off Thanos (sounds stupid!), by the end of Infinity War would be unpalatable. Though we’d all be devastated with his actions in Infinity War, somewhere we’d all like to see Thanos be the biggest threat the heroes would have ever faced.
In Conclusion
Infinity war is in theaters due 27th April. In few weeks time, you will know what it’s like to be amazed. Let the countdown towards the greatest cinematic spectacle begin. Prepare yourselves for an extravaganza like never before!
