While the genocidal snap that concluded Avengers: Infinity War came as a shock to many filmgoers, directors Anthony and Joe Russo dropped quite a few hints of the purge to come throughout the movie’s runtime, even if some of these clues may require at least a second viewing to pick up on.
Take this recent find from ComicBook.com, which concerns an early scene that separates the survivors from the goners. The sequence in question starts with James Rhodes speaking to a hologram of General Ross at the Avengers Compound. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff and Vision, all of whom are seen standing at the top of a small flight of stairs. When Ross tells Rhodey to arrest them, he hangs up the call, before Cap and Black Widow walk down the stairs to reunite with their old friend. Moments later, the three of them are joined by Bruce Banner.
At this point, the group has divided into two camps. On the ground floor you have Rhodey, Bruce, Nat and Steve, all of whom ultimately live through the events of the film. And at the top of the stairs are Sam, Wanda and Vision, all of whom suffer tragic fates at the movie’s climax.
While it could be just a coincidence that the team separated like this, it wouldn’t be a surprise to find the Russo Brothers had this subtle foreshadowing in mind, especially when they knew how closely fans would scrutinize the movie for clues. Speaking of which, it’s likely that Avengers: Infinity War is packed with hints of what’s to come in the sequel, though we probably won’t pick up on them all until after Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26th.
