The results are in, the votes have been counted, and Fandango has crowned Avengers: Infinity War as 2018’s most-anticipated movie, followed by Black Panther and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
Per USA Today, the popular ticket site surveyed more than 8,000 visitors, before arriving at the definitive conclusion that, yes, Infinity War is practically in a league of its own when it comes to 2018’s biggest releases.
Erik Davis, Fandango’s managing editor, believes the allure of Avengers: Infinity War can be traced back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has been foreshadowing the advent of Thanos since as far back as 2012. And credit to Marvel’s roster of directors, as the Mad Titan has been consistently name-dropped (and often showcased!) through a steady stream of post-credits stingers.
He is, in essence, the ultimate villain, one capable of bringing balance back to the universe (whatever the hell that means) through the power of the Infinity Stones. And just like all other MCU standalone movies before it, Black Panther will help propel the story forward ahead of next year’s main event. This, coupled with the vocal demand for more diversity, ensured Ryan Coogler’s spinoff placed second on the Fandango charts.
At least, that’s according to Davis:
People have been waiting for the entire Marvel Universe to appear onscreen for a long time. Fans love these combinations of heroes; seeing Guardians of the Galaxy characters interacting with Thor for the first time is going to be really interesting. Like Wonder Woman in 2017, Black Panther is going to be a film that will enhance a conversation that’s already happening. Audiences are demanding more diverse casts and stories.
Elsewhere, Fandango’s top five was rounded out by Deadpool 2 and Solo: A Star Wars Story, which will kick off 2018’s summer slate with a bang, before our attention is drawn toward Pixar’s long-in-development sequel, The Incredibles 2. Brad Bird’s family of Supers claimed sixth, with Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, A Wrinkle in Time, X-Men: Dark Phoenix and the female-fronted Ocean’s 8 completing the list.
Infinity War, meanwhile, is due to tear the MCU asunder on May 4th, 2018 – figuratively speaking, of course, as Avengers 4 will tend to unfinished business and any loose ends the following year.
