10 Ways That Avengers: Infinity War Can Live Up To Expectations

To say that Avengers: Infinity War has a lot of expectations to meet would be an understatement. After all, the upcoming blockbuster will serve as the culmination of the entire cinematic universe - one that was established with 2008's Iron Man - to date. The first Avengers brought the MCU's greatest heroes together and gave fans a mind-blowing experience back in 2012. It might not have aged as well as some may think, but it's still a solid team-up film. Age of Ultron didn't fare quite as well, however, leaving a lot of people disappointed. With IW, Marvel now has the chance to bring us a timeless superhero extravaganza for fans and non-fans alike. In order for the studio to deliver though, there are certain things that need to happen in regards to both the plot and the handling of the vast amount of characters. While it's still early days and we really don't know too much about what Marvel's got planned just yet, here are 10 things that Infinity War absolutely needs to do in order to be a hit. 10) No Post-Credits Stinger "What?! But the post-credits scenes are a Marvel movie staple," we hear you say. Yes, that may be, but when you consider how IW is like a series finale for the MCU, it's important that fans feel a strong sense of closure by the end. In order for that to happen, audiences need to know that there's nothing left to see once those credits roll. That's why in order to provide longtime fans some closure, Marvel should avoid putting any post-credits scene at the end of Infinity War. Although these scenes are typically an entertaining way to progress the universe, they tend to detract from the movie they're attached to and place viewers' attention elsewhere. With this being the culmination of everything that's come before, a post-credits scene would take away some of the impact that'll inevitably come with IW's conclusion. There can certainly be some universe-building for Phase Four within the film (more on that later), but don't let our final thoughts be focused on whatever happens during the credits. 9) Take The Conflict Seriously During the much-lauded airport sequence in Civil War, Captain America asks Spider-Man, after noticing his light-heartedness and playful comments throughout the battle, whether he understood how serious the situations was. It's somewhat of an eye-opening moment for Spidey, but coming from Cap, it feels like something he should be saying to EVERYONE instead of just Peter. Throughout the airport scene, all of the heroes are quipping back-and-forth nonstop. Sorry Steve, but nobody seems to be taking this seriously. This tends to be a problem with some MCU films: not exactly taking things seriously, even when the situations is pretty dire. With the heroes not seeing the need to drop the quips and jokes, much of the tension is lost because of it. It's pretty telling that the most tense moment within that airport sequence is when Rhodey got shot down and everyone lost their smiles. Considering the potential destruction and causalities coming in the battle against Thanos, it's essential that everyone utilizes Cap's advice and takes the final confrontation seriously. This point is easily possible without removing any of that recognizable MCU humor, too. All it takes to ensure that audiences feel the severity of the situations is to allow these more serious moment to stand on their own. Sure, you may be sacrificing potential laughs, but the film will gain a stronger sense of tension and stakes in their place. 8) Give MCU Veterans Importance Over Newcomers It's starting to become clear that some of the Avengers may not make it beyond Phase 3. With that in mind, it's of vital importance that long-time MCU mainstays don't get tossed aside in favor of the newcomers. Kevin Feige and company will definitely be tempted to focus on the future, but they've got to fight the urge. Heroes like Nick Fury and the original Avengers were essential to the success of this universe, and they deserve a proper send-off. With over 60 characters confirmed for Infinity War, screentime will certainly be limited. However, much like high school, you can expect there to be some senior privilege. This isn't a call to shove the newcomers into the background, but if longtime fans don't feel proper closure with the departing MCU veterans, then these characters' legacies may end on a sour note. Sure, giving Captain Marvel and Spider-Man some flashy action scenes is an exciting thought, but those key moments are better saved for the heroes that have been there since day one. 7) Utilize Some Of The MCU's Diverse Locations Whether it's the colorful worlds in Guardians of the Galaxy or the golden landscapes of Asgard from Thor, the MCU is full of visually-interesting locations. With an otherworldly threat like Thanos coming down to take on Stark and Co., it's unlikely that the confrontation will unfold in just one place. Although each hero's powers will keep things interesting, it'll be the locations that determine how visually striking IW ends up being. Although the potential venues for this action-packed confrontation are plentiful, it's important that Marvel doesn't go the conservative route. Another fight in a standard, colorless NYC or Sokovia location simply isn't enough. If Doctor Strange and Guardians have proven anything, it's that a nice splash of color within a unique setting can really strengthen climactic battles. With the cast of characters present, there's no reason to not visit numerous, varied locales. 6) Avoid Dedicating Time To Romance Something about Marvel and romance just doesn't click. Almost every romantic pairing across both standalone and Avengers team-up flicks has lacked that needed spark that sells the audience on each pair's chemistry. Worst of all, these couples largely end up feeling forced and like they're more of an obligation rather than a natural plot element. To avoid another Hulk-Black Widow situation, it'd be best if Infinity War avoids dedicating too much time to love interests and one-note Jane Foster-type characters. Romance, when used properly, helps define motivations and arcs for both individuals. In Marvel films, the hero goes through an arc while the love interest remains the same person as they were before. It's irritating and ultimately pointless as it rarely ever adds anything special to the overarching plot. Much of Age of Ultron dragged in the moments where Bruce and Natasha would indicate a mutual, long-gestating love, even though the audience didn't quite understand where it came from. Add that in with Jane Foster's obligatory-feeling relationship with Thor or Star-Lord's predictable on again/off again flirting with Gamora, and you notice an underwhelming series of relationships that go nowhere. Besides, Infinity War already has plenty of ground to cover, so the last thing anyone needs is another romance that's forced for the sake of the protagonist's arc and their arc alone. If the female love interests are only in the film for the sake of a damsel in distress or a stepping stone for the main characters, then Marvel may as well leave them out of this one. 5) Don't Use Another Faceless Chitauri Army The Avengers have an epidemic on their hands, and it's these faceless enemies that they've now come across in both movies. First it was the Chitauri, who could've had some standouts, but didn't. Then there were the Ultron-controlled Iron-Man suits that served as fitting target practice for each Avenger. While they were fine as disposable enemies, they offered nothing memorable or particularly noteworthy in the long run. If this third Avengers movie hopes to be the best team-up yet, it's time that hostile characters (other than the main antagonist) are at least worth taking note of. Make lieutenants and sub-bosses that can be present throughout the film to serve as hostile presences. Man of Steel did this very well with the combination of General Zod and his right-hand woman Faora. Zod was imposing on his own, but Faora was ruthless and a more-than-worthy opponent for Superman. Thanos is threatening, sure, but with the Avengers, Doctor Strange and the Guardians of the Galaxy all joining forces, some back-up will probably be requested. Proxima Midnight and Clorus Glaive have both been confirmed for Infinity War, so it's clear that Marvel is intending on having a Zod/Faora dynamic with their villains. The two could combine to make a seriously vicious and challenging threat for Stark and company if given the chance to thrive. As such, let's hope they don't get shortchanged. 4) Limit The Universe-Building From day one, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has put plenty of focus on the "universe" component. Ever since the first Iron Man post-credits scene teased The Avengers Initiative, each installment in the MCU has helped build up and expand what came before. However, while the universe-expansion components are entertaining, they can get out of hand. With the first Avengers, any expansion of the MCU world only took place with the Thanos tease during the credits. Compare that to Age of Ultron, which ended up teasing Civil War, Black Panther and Thor: Ragnarok DURING the movie. It's essential that if the standalone entries are meant to build up to the main Avengers films, then fans need to feel that these movies don't serve as just more teases for future MCU installments. For that reason, Infinity War needs to avoid the universe-building so that it doesn't overshadow the main plot. All too often, those Marvel execs get too excited about the future of their world and compromise the current story to promote the next MCU movie. Avengers: Infinity War is meant to be the crown jewel of the Marvel Studios brand, so saddling the film with an abundance of teases and in-movie Marvel promotions would only hurt the audience experience. This doesn't mean that there shouldn't be ANY teases for the future of the MCU, but make it reasonable. After all, once a movie focuses solely on building up the universe instead of telling a satisfying self-contained story, then you lose sight of what makes the cinematic universe special in the first place. 3) Be Willing To Kill Off Characters Whether it's the twice-resurrected Loki or Nick Fury faking his death in Winter Soldier, Marvel hasn't been able to commit to the death of major characters. Up until this point, only Quicksilver and pretty much all single-movie villains are the only ones that have died and remained dead. Without the audience feeling that there's the possibility of death during a fight scene, the action lacks any real tension, effectively neutering those moments. In order for IW to have tense confrontations, viewers need to feel that death could happen to any one of their favorite Avengers. Death and long-standing consequences are key to establishing a sense of unpredictability (which is something more Marvel movies could use), and this is a film that absolutely needs it. Civil War ended up being weaker because of the lack of any real body count, and IW could fall into the same trap if it's not careful. Portraying long-lasting consequences isn't always the simplest task, but a couple of fallen Avengers is a quick way to indicate that Thanos and his crew aren't people to mess with. 2) Don't Overload The Comedy One of the major issues Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 faced was its attempt to force humor into every scene. Jokes are by no means bad, but once they're told a mile a minute and start to hit less and less, then the audience begins to grow tired of them. Long story short, in order for Infinity War's serious moments to hit AS WELL AS its humorous moments, then they've got to maintain a strong balance. There's a real risk of comedic unbalance with characters like Star Lord, Iron-Man and Spider-Man all potentially being in the same room at once. The quips, the one-liners, all of it could begin to annoy the audience if it happens too constantly. If the characters who are at the heart of the intense conflict aren't taking things seriously, then why should viewers? Although the airport scene in Civil War is fun, there's almost no tension in it because everyone's joking with one another while they're supposedly intently fighting each other. Thanos would ultimately be wasted in this scenario, as he'd have to to do the standard "Marvel villain waits while hero tells jokes" every time one of the comedy relief characters has something funny to say. Once again, the humor shouldn't be removed entirely, but it must be kept in check. If it isn't, then by the end of the movie, there'll be more than just a couple people who leave their screening annoyed and disappointed. 1) Treat Thanos Like A Main Character It's no understatement to say that the MCU's villains have always been the universe's Achilles heel. Most of them fall victim to limited screentime and a lack of overall character development, leading to typically under-cooked antagonists. There have been multiple well-known villains that have made appearances in previous MCU movies, but Thanos is on a higher level than all the rest. He can't be watered down and reduced to "just another Marvel villain." If Kevin Feige and the Russo brothers want to avoid missing the mark on their universe's most prominent baddie, then they've got to give him plentiful opportunities to shine. To do that properly, Thanos needs to serve as both the main antagonist and a primary character. The Mad Titan has been shoved into the background up until now, so audiences don't really have any idea what to expect with him. Will he be the Thanos comic book fans remember, or will he be receiving his own MCU interpretation like Ultron did in Age of Ultron? It's difficult to tell as the character's only had about 2 minutes of screentime so far across the entirety of the Marvel Studios films. As such, he remains a mostly unknown quantity, so plenty of time will be needed to break down his personality for audiences. Because of that needed development time, there may need to be several Thanos-focused scenes that take the place of other hero-to-hero moments that are enjoyable, but mostly unnecessary. In addition to that, there needs to be a clear connection between Thanos and the more high-stakes situations within the MCU so it feels like he's always been the one in control of all things bad and destructive. Without that, Thanos will feel more passive and less like an all-powerful presence. Most of the time, the MCU's struggle with villains comes down to their oversimplification of them, as well as an overall lack of character development. If Thanos is going to work (and he can't work on just name recognition alone), then he needs to be given time to establish himself in the minds of the audience. If Marvel refuses and continues to focus solely on their heroes, then they'll have effectively wasted their universe's biggest possible antagonist. This kind of issue may not ruin a Rotten Tomatoes score, but Kevin Feige's and Marvel Studios' reputation will surely take a massive hit because of it. In the end, it'll be up to them to decide whether or not they're up to the challenges Avengers: Infinity War presents.