Avengers: Infinity War is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is intended to be the sequel to 2012's Marvel's The Avengers and 2015's Avengers: Age of
Ultron and the nineteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, with a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, and features an ensemble cast. In Avengers: Infinity War, the Avengers join forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy to confront Thanos, who is trying to collect the Infinity Stones.
The film was announced in October 2014 as Avengers: Infinity War – Part 1. The Russo brothers came on board to direct in April 2015 and by May, Markus and McFeely signed on to write the script for the film. In July 2016, Marvel shortened the title to Avengers: Infinity War. Filming began in January 2017, at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Fayette County, Georgia, and lasted until July 2017, shooting back-to-back with a direct sequel. Additional filming took place in Scotland, England, the Downtown Atlanta area and New York City.
Avengers: Infinity War is scheduled to be released in the United States on May 4, 2018, in IMAX and 3D. The sequel is scheduled to be released on May 3, 2019
Premise
Four years after the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,[1] the Avengers, torn apart after the events of Captain America: Civil War, join forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy along with the master of the mystic arts Doctor Strange and the newly rising Spider-Man to battle Thanos, who is trying to amass the Infinity Stones for a gauntlet that will allow him to bend reality to his own will.
Cast
- Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man:The leader and benefactor of the Avengers who is a self-described genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist with electromechanical suits of armor of his own making.[4][5] Co-director Joe Russo said that "Tony senses this greater threat approaching, so he is doing everything in his power to keep the Earth safe."[6]
- Josh Brolin as Thanos:An intergalactic despot who longs to collect all of the Infinity Stones in order to inflict his will on all of reality.[7][3] Co-screenwriter Stephen McFeely noted that Thanos wants to collect the Infinity Stones so he can "re-balance the universe as he sees it."[8] In addition to providing the voice for the character, Brolin performed motion capture on set.[9] On choosing to portray Thanos, Brolin said that his "good friend" Marvel Studios co-president Louis D'Esposito "called me up and started talking about this thing. It was nice because I could intimately talk to him about it. What I liked. What I didn't like about the whole idea of it... It was really exciting because of the possibilities that it could become. Not as an idea or as a blockbuster, but just as something different. It's a character mentality."[10] Brolin was looking to explore the humanity of the character.[11] Producer Kevin Feige talked about the character's role in Infinity War, saying that "in a movie that has a lot of characters, you could almost go so far as to say he is the main character, and that’s a bit of a departure from what we've done before [with other villains], but that was appropriate for" this film.[12] He also said that Thanos would have similar motivations in the film to those he had in the "Infinity Gauntlet" storyline from the comics.[13] Joe Russo would reference The Godfather for Brolin at times, which Brolin felt helped "to emotionalize the whole thing."[14] Thanos does not wear armor, taking "a more casual approach" which is "very philosophical for him" according to Joe Russo. Joe continued, "It's a spiritual journey for him to collect the Stones, and one with which he doesn't need armor. Once he starts acquiring the Stones, he doesn't need armor in the same way he did when he was a war lord. It's a very symbolic costume."[15]
- Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / Hulk:An Avenger and a genius scientist who, because of exposure to gamma radiation, transforms into a monster when enraged or agitated.[16][17] The character continues a story arc that was established in Thor: Ragnarok and concludes in the Infinity War sequel.[18]
- Tom Hiddleston as Loki: Thor's adoptive brother and nemesis based on the deity of the same name.[19]
- Chris Evans as Steve Rogers:The superhero formerly known as Captain America, leader of a faction of Avengers, and a World War II veteran, who was enhanced to the peak of human physicality by an experimental serum and frozen in suspended animation before waking up in the modern world.[20] The Russo brothers hinted that Rogers would no longer go by Captain America in the film, explaining, "I think him dropping that shield [at the end of Captain America: Civil War] is him letting go of that identity" and "admitting that certainly the identity of Captain America was in conflict with the very personal choice that he was making."[21] Joe Russo added, "His responsibility to himself is now in conflict with his responsibility to others, and he will struggle to resolve that. His road forward involves figuring out who Steve Rogers is without the shield."[22]
- Chris Hemsworth as Thor:An Avenger and the king of Asgard, based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name.[20] Joe Russo stated that Thor's storyline picks up after the events of Thor: Ragnarok, which finds him in a "very profound... very interesting place" and gives him "a real emotional motivation after that."[23]
- Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye: A master archer and former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., who is a member of Rogers' faction of Avengers.[24][25]
- Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord:The half-human, half-celestial leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy who was abducted from Earth as a child and raised by a group of alien thieves and smugglers called the Ravagers.[26]
- Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch: A member of Rogers' faction of Avengers, who can harness magic and engage in hypnosis and telekinesis.[26]
- Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier: An enhanced assassin and Rogers' ally and best friend, who reemerged brainwashed after being thought killed in action during World War II.[27]
- Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange:A neurosurgeon who, after a car accident that led to a journey of healing, discovered the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions and becomes a Master of the Mystic Arts.[28] Aaron Lazar served as Cumberbatch's stand-in during filming, until the latter completed filming on The Current War. At that point, Cumberbatch re-shot scenes where his face needs to be seen.[29] JayFunk once again assisted Cumberbatch with his finger-tutting movements.[30]
- Paul Bettany as Vision: An android and Avenger created using the artificial intelligence J.A.R.V.I.S. and the Mind Stone.[28]
- Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill: The former commander and deputy director of S.H.I.E.L.D. who worked closely with Nick Fury.[31]
- Benedict Wong as Wong: One of the Masters of the Mystic Arts, tasked with protecting some of Kamar-Taj's most valuable relics and books.[32]
- Zoe Saldana as Gamora: A member of the Guardians who is an orphan from an alien world who seeks redemption for her past crimes. She was trained by Thanos to be his personal assassin.[33]
- Karen Gillan as Nebula: An adopted daughter of Thanos who was raised with Gamora as siblings, and reluctant member of the Guardians.[34]
- Vin Diesel as Groot:A member of the Guardians who is a tree-like humanoid.[35] Executive producer James Gunn explained that Groot is still an adolescent in the film, in the same state of growth seen in one of the post-credit scenes in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.[36] Terry Notary provides motion capture for Groot. Notary said that Groot "[is] coming of age, so you’ll see the teenager find a mentor to look up to and to model himself after."[37]
- Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer: A member of the Guardians and warrior in search of vengeance against Thanos for killing his family.[38]
- Bradley Cooper as Rocket:A member of the Guardians who is a genetically-engineered raccoon-based bounty hunter and mercenary, and is a master of weapons and battle tactics.[39] Sean Gunn once again serves as the stand-in for Rocket during filming, with his acting and expressions serving as motion reference for the character.[40][41]
- Pom Klementieff as Mantis: A member of the Guardians with empathic powers.[42]
- Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow:A highly trained spy and former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers.[43][44] On Romanoff interacting with the Guardians, Johansson said it would not "faze her at this point" given the character has already seen aliens descend from the sky in The Avengers.[45]
- Benicio del Toro as Taneleer Tivan / The Collector: An obsessive keeper of the largest collection of interstellar fauna, relics, and species of all manner in the galaxy.[46]
- Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man: A teenager and Stark's protegé who received spider-like abilities after being bitten by a genetically-modified spider.[6]
- Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon: A member of Rogers' faction of Avengers and former pararescueman trained by the military in aerial combat using a specially designed wing pack.[47]
- Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa / Black Panther: The king of the fictional African nation of Wakanda, who gains enhanced strength by ingesting the Heart-Shaped Herb.[44][48]
- Danai Gurira as Okoye: The head of the Dora Milaje, the all-female special forces of Wakanda who serve as T'Challa's bodyguards.[49]
- Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man: A member of Rogers' faction of Avengers and a former petty criminal who acquired a suit that allows him to shrink in scale but increase in strength.[50]
- Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes / War Machine: A former officer in the U.S. Air Force who operates the War Machine armor and is an Avenger.[51]
- Letitia Wright as Shuri: T'Challa's sister and the princess of Wakanda who designs new technology for the country.[52]
Additionally, Jacob Batalon and Isabella Amara reprise their roles as Ned and Sally, respectively, from Spider-Man: Homecoming,[53][54] and Winston Duke and Florence Kasumba return as M'Baku and Ayo, from Black Panther.[55] Terry Notary appears as one of Thanos' henchmen.[56] Tom Vaughan-Lawlor has been cast in an unidentified villainous role.[57]
Production
In October 2014, Marvel announced a two-part sequel to Age of Ultron, titled Avengers: Infinity War. Part 1 was scheduled to be released on May 4, 2018, with Part 2 scheduled for May 3, 2019.[58][59] In April 2015, Marvel announced that Anthony and Joe Russo would direct both parts of Avengers: Infinity War,[60] with back-to-back filming expected to begin in 2016.[61] The same month, Kevin Feige said the films would be two, distinct films "because they [have] such shared elements, it felt appropriate... to [subtitle the films] like that. But I wouldn’t call it one story that's cut in half. I would say it's going to be two distinct movies."[62] By May 2015, Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely signed on to write the screenplays for both parts of the film.[63] A year later, the Russos revealed that they would be retitling the two films, to further remove the misconception that the films were one large film split in two, with Joe stating, "The intention is we will change [the titles], we just haven’t come up with [them] yet."[64] In July 2016, Marvel revealed the film's title would be shortened to simply Avengers: Infinity War.[65]
Principal photography began on January 23, 2017,[66] under the working title Mary Lou,[67] at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Fayette County, Georgia,[68] with Trent Opaloch as director of photography.[69] In early February, Marvel confirmed the involvement of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man, Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord, and Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man in the film.[6] Additional filming took place in Scotland beginning in February 2017. The filming occurred in Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Scottish Highlands,[70] with studio work taking place at Wardpark Studios in Cumbernauld.[71][72] Filming also began at Durham Cathedral in Durham, England in early May 2017.[73] In late June 2017, filming occurred in Downtown Atlanta,[74] as well as Atlanta's Central Park in early July,[75] before moving to Queens, New York in the middle of the month.[76] Filming concluded on July 14, 2017.[77]
Later in July 2017, Joe Russo stated there were a couple of unfinished scenes for Infinity War that would be shot "in the next few months".[78] Visual effects for the film were completed by Framestore and Industrial Light & Magic.[79][80]
Music
In June 2016, Alan Silvestri, who composed the score for The Avengers, was revealed to be returning to score both Infinity War and its sequel.[81] Silvestri is scheduled to begin recording his score in January 2018.[82]
Release
Avengers: Infinity War is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom on April 27, 2018,[83] and in the United States on May 4, 2018,[58][59] in IMAX and 3D.[84][85]
Marketing
In May 2017, Robert Downey Jr. and his philanthropic organization Random Act Funding partnered with Omaze to initiate a contest to benefit Random Act Funding. A randomly chosen winner from those that donated would receive an Infinity War set visit.[86] A life-sized statue of Thanos, created by Legacy Effects, was on display at D23 Expo 2017,[87] alongside statues of the Black Order members and Thanos's children Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, Ebony Maw, and Cull Obsidian, which were revealed at the event.[88][89] Additionally, Feige, Joe Russo, Downey, Brolin, Bettany, Olsen, Klementieff, Gillan, Bautista, Cheadle, Mackie, Cumberbatch, Stan, Holland, Boseman, Ruffalo and Hemsworth appeared at D23 Expo to present a clip highlighting the 10 years of MCU films along with footage from Infinity War.[51] The footage, which was screened exclusively for the panel,[90] received strong audience reaction, with fans "literally on their feet and jumping as the footage played".[90][91] Julia Alexander of Polygon commented, "to say that there was quite a bit happening in the trailer would be one hell of an understatement, but that’s not what got me excited about the promises Infinity War may deliver upon. Seeing Spider-Man in the same movie as Iron Man, Thor, Star-Lord and the Scarlet Witch finally feels like Marvel has made the movie it always wanted to — and the one we’ve always wanted to see. For nearly ten years we dreamt of this reality and to see it play across a massive screen... it was impossible to not feel emotional."[91] CinemaBlend's Eric Eisenberg said the footage left him "literally shaking", with the film looking "like it could be one of the most epic blockbusters ever created," concluding "the hype [for the film] most definitely feels very, very real."[92] Haleigh Foutch for Collider said, "It looks dark and dramatic, and utterly epic. It’s clear Marvel is trying to do something different here... to pay off a decade’s worth of narrative and world-building. While it’s impossible to tell from two minutes work of footage, it certainly looks like that gamble paid off."[93] The D23 footage was also shown at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con International.[94] Due to the two convention presentations, Avengers: Infinity War generated over 90,000 new conversations on social media from July 17 to 23, the third-most during that time period behind Thor: Ragnarok and Justice League, according to comScore and its PreAct service.[95] Infinity War stayed in third the following week, with over 41,000 new social media conversations, behind Ragnarok and It.[96] By the week of October 16, Infinity War had generated over 679,000 total social media conversations.[97]
In January 2018, Marvel Comics will publish a two-issue prequel comic titled Avengers: Infinity War Prelude, which will serve as a bridge between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War.[
