I think with all of the various thinkpieces and reveals that have come out regarding Avengers: Infinity War, this interview by the Russo Brothers is as good a place as any to close the book on that stuff. The duo spoke on the Happy Sad Confused podcast and touched on a number of subject, from that killer opening scene, to the various deaths and the potential for comebacks, to the reasons why certain characters acted how they did. So let's just start right from the top with their thoughts on the film's first few minutes, which saw the brutal deaths of both Loki and Heimdall...
“We wanted to let people know that the stakes were real and we were going to go to a tonally complicated place,” Anthony Russo said. He then added that Loki's death is very real and the trickster won't be popping up again miraculously like he has before. “No resurrections this time,” he added. The interviewer wouldn't let it go, asking for sure if this is a finality for Loki, to which Russo replied, "Yes."
As we and others have talked about plenty at this point, Infinity War isn't so much about the Avengers. It's Thanos' journey, and thus there are twists in the story that mess with our expectations. We expect Thor, who has lost Asgard, his brother, and best friend to Thanos, to get his revenge at the end, but Joe Russo says it was all misdirection...
“It’s the misdirection,” Joe said. “You want to believe that this character deserves to win the movie,” he said. “Had he gone for [Thanos’] head he might of [finished him],” explained Joe Russo.
In a separate interview with Comicbook.com, they add that Thor's actions and those of Star-Lord reveal their human sides, and the decisions they made giving into that had drastic ramifications. Thanos couldn't have gotten as far as he did if they hadn't...
"I would argue that the fan base could be equally upset with Thor, who chose to throw that ax into Thanos chest and not his head. Because he wanted to tell Thanos that he got his revenge." Joe Russo continued, "Had he gone for a kill shot, that snap would not have happened. These are choices that characters who are feeling immense pain make and hopefully, the audience can learn to empathize with those characters because they can grow through stories. Stories can teach us things and that we should try to see every choice from the perspective of the character that made the choice."
When asked if Star-Lord would ever get his chance at redemption, Joe responds emphatically that he won't "because he is dead." Damn, okay. We get it.
One of the most surprising deaths was that of Guardians of the Galaxy member, Gamora, who perished so that Thanos could acquire the Soul Stone. The Russos say they didn't have to run it past GOTG director James Gunn for approval first...
"No, Marvel is very good about allowing every director to have their freedom,” Joe explained. Anthony continued, “We settle on a story we want to tell and then we present that to Marvel and we got no pushback on that choice. We didn’t have a direct conversation with James about Gamora choice, but certainly, Kevin [Feige] did.”
Many, including myself, have figured Gamora could return because of the connection she and Thanos now have to the Soul Stone. A younger version of the character is seen towards the end of the movie, so does that mean a comeback is imminent? Anthony says nope, “I think it’s a reflection of her spirit and the power required to use all the stones at once is so significant, it sends him into this dream state."
So what was up with Hulk and Bruce Banner, anyway? First up, the duo acknowledge those trailer scenes featuring Hulk on the battlefield were all just a means of faking out the "predictive" audience. It's one of many fake-outs that appeared in footage or in set photos that were deliberately cut from the movie, or were never part of it at all.
Ultimately, Hulk won't do squat to help Banner out of every tight spot he's in during the movie, and the Russos want to make it clear it's not because he's scared of Thanos. Banner and Hulk aren't friends, and after the events of Thor: Ragnarok they are in greater disharmony than ever...
“These two beings don’t like each other and don’t like helping each other,” Joe said. “We thought it would be more interesting to explore Banner as a hero. We thought it would be more interesting choice to take him down a path where the Hulk is not interested in helping him anymore. That these two have reached an impasse with each other and Banner has to rise to the occasion. I think people have interpreted it that Hulk’s scared,” “[And] certainly, he’s had his ass kicked before and he loves a good fight, but I think it’s really reflective of the journey from ‘Ragnarok,’ that these two characters are constantly in conflict with each other over control. And I think if Hulk were to say why [he didn’t return in ‘Infinity War’], he’d say, ‘Banner only wants Hulk for fighting’. He’s had enough of saving Banner’s ass.”
Finally, what's going to happen to Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor after Avengers 4? Is this really the end for them? Of course, the directors don't give a final answer but they do tease different paths for all of them. For some it may be an end, others a new beginning...
“We describe it as, if the first 10 years of the Marvel Universe as a book, these are the final chapters,” Joe said. “A new book will be written, beyond this book, but certainly there will be some endings and some new beginnings.”
“Even for those three characters, we handle differently,” Anthony added. “Everybody is on their own journey and at a different point in their journey and for some, as Joe said, it may be an end. For some, it’s a new beginning. We’ll have to see…”
There's actually a lot more that gets covered in the podcast so if you want to learn about Infinity War in greater detail it's definitely worth a listen.
