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USA TODAY

SPOILER ALERT! The following contains details about the ending of Avengers: Infinity War . Stop reading now if you don’t want to know.
Seriously, if you haven’t seen it yet, this is your last chance to bail. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Hey, kids, let’s have a talk about death.
Chances are, if you’ve seen Avengers: Infinity War , which had the biggest box-office opening ever, you might be flipping out over all the casualties. The 18 previous Marvel films introduced a bevy of superheroes who’ve left an indelible mark, and with one snap of the fingers and the combined might of the mystical Infinity Stones, many of the good guys just disappeared.
Poof. Dust in the wind. The end.
Really? Well, probably not.


Infinity War embraces a number of tropes from superhero comic books, including utilising two different kinds of death. There’s real death, usually of a figure whose loss means something – like when Uncle Ben died, reminding Spider-Man that “with great power comes great responsibility.”
But more often there’s comic-book death, where a beloved hero dies for plot or publicity reasons, and returns sooner rather than later. (Captain America, Wolverine and Spider-Man have all been among those high-profile personalities who were “resurrected” on the comic page.)
With Avengers: Infinity War out, we rank Marvel Cinematic Universe films from the worst to best
Which brings us to Infinity War – and its jaw-dropping finale. Fans bet on perhaps one or more of the elder statesmen – Iron Man (Robert Downey Jnr), Captain America (Chris Evans) or Thor (Chris Hemsworth) – to be victims of Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet.
But instead, Marvel went all in with the most unexpected folks. Audiences who’ve made Black Panther a box-office powerhouse might be a little saddened by the sudden departure of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa.
We’ve been privy to the ups and downs of Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Captain America’s best friend and one-time brainwashed sleeper assassin, so it hurts a little to see him go. And while Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) are high-profile members of the body count, who wasn’t hurt worse by Spider-Man (Tom Holland) tearfully telling father figure Iron Man that he doesn’t want to die just before he does?
Avengers: Infinity War – Black Panther stars on dropping friends, foes and Bucky into Wakanda
Before you cue up the Bee Gees’ Tragedy, let’s be logical for a second: There’s no way Marvel is killing off Black Panther. (“Wakanda forever,” come on!) And there’s already a Spider-Man sequel slated to kick off phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so Holland’s not going anywhere.
Groot toy sales alone necessitate more of that alien tree, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has also been announced. (This is one of those times where the knowledge of future films, while fun for nerd speculation, hurts storytelling instead of helping.)
The fourth Avengers film will bring together the remaining heroes, those who weren’t in Infinity War – Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye, Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly’s Wasp – plus Brie Larson’s soon-to-debut Captain Marvel. Maybe they are seeking out a way to create new Infinity Stones.
Maybe Thanos is hiding something. Maybe there’s some crazy, alternate-reality mumbo jumbo or time-travel shenanigans that seems odd now, but a year from now in retrospect we’ll be thinking “Oh, yeah, should have seen that coming.”
Avengers: Infinity War makes Hong Kong box office history on opening day
What’s brilliant about Infinity War’s finale is that it shocks at a time when it doesn’t seem like we can be surprised any more. This is on the level of “You just put Han Solo in carbonite?!” Superman fell in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice , but we knew he’d be back in Justice League . The sheer chutzpah and body count of Infinity War knocks us for a loop, and this malaise will last until the good guys come through in Avengers 4. Hope is only lost until it’s found again.
A little more complicated, however, are those “real” deaths that didn’t involve disintegration. Loki was strangled, and Tom Hiddleston might have actually gone adios after a memorable Marvel career. (Sorry, internet.) Paul Bettany’s Vision is an android who started out as an artificial intelligence, so just give him an iPad to inhabit.
Gamora was sent to her apparent doom by her adoptive dad Thanos so he could have the Soul stone, yet at the end of the film, he has a conversation with her as a young girl in what looks like a higher plane of existence, making it seem like she might not be gone for good. (Her death scene is so good that bringing her back seems like a cheat, but Zoe Saldana is superb as that character and I’d let it slide.)
Avengers: Infinity War directors and cast on what to expect from epic Marvel throwdown
The mourning period for her and others might be brief. That’s both what’s good and bad about death and superheroes: even the most heartfelt losses are more minor inconvenience than permanent holiday.


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American cinema

Avengers: Infinity War deaths explained. Don’t read this if you haven’t seen the film yet

What happened at the end of Infinity War? We look at the two kinds of death that can happen to a superhero, who was killed in the film and their chances of being seen again in a future Marvel production

This image released by Marvel Studios shows, from left, Benedict Cumberbatch, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo and Benedict Wong in a scene from "Avengers: Infinity War." (Marvel Studios via AP)

Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) sharpens his senses for battle against Thanos in the trailer for "Avengers: Infinity War." MUST CREDIT: Disney-Marvel

This image released by Disney shows Elizabeth Olsen, left, and Paul Bettany in a scene from Marvel Studios' "Avengers: Infinity War." (Marvel Studios via AP)

This image released by Marvel Studios shows Tom Holland as Spider-Man in a scene from "Avengers: Infinity War." (Marvel Studios via AP)

Josh Brolin as Thanos in a still from Avengers: Infinity War. Photo: Marvel Studios

Avengers: Infinity War film review – Marvel’s superhero extravaganza is one of the great blockbusters of our time

From left: Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Wong (Benedict Wong) in Avengers: Infinity War.

From left: War Machine/James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) in a still from Avenger: Infinity War. Photo: Chuck Zlotnick..©Marvel Studios 2018.

From left: Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) in a still from Avengers: Infinity War. Photo: ©Marvel Studios 2018.

Black Panther/T'Challa (front, Chadwick Boseman), with M'Baku (Winston Duke), Captain America (Chris Evans) and Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) in a still from Avengers: Infinity War. Photo: ©Marvel Studios 2018.

Avengers: Infinity War makes Hong Kong box office history on opening day

The 19th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Infinity War proves as popular as anticipated and usurps a previous title in the comic book franchise for the opening-day box office crown

This image released by Disney shows Josh Brolin as Thanos in a scene from Marvel Studios' "Avengers: Infinity War." (Marvel Studios via AP)

Avengers: Infinity War features a huge number of heroes including (from left) Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff). Photo: AP

Culture

Film & TV

What happened at the end of Infinity War? We look at the two kinds of death that can happen to a superhero, who was killed in the film and their chances of being seen again in a future Marvel production
