Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Infinity War is a 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 the sequel to The Avengers () and Avengers: Age of Ultron (), and the 19th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the film features an ensemble cast including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Josh Brolin, and Chris Pratt. In the film, the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy attempt to prevent Thanos from collecting the six all-powerful Infinity Stones as part of his quest to kill half of all life in the universe.
The film was announced in October as Avengers: Infinity War – Part 1. The Russo brothers came on board to direct in April , and a month later Markus and McFeely had signed on to write the script for the film, which draws inspiration from Jim Starlin's comic book The Infinity Gauntlet and Jonathan Hickman's comic book Infinity. In , Marvel shortened the title to Avengers: Infinity War. Filming began in January at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Fayette County, Georgia, with a large cast consisting mostly of actors reprising their roles from previous MCU films, including Brolin as Thanos. The production lasted until July , shooting back-to-back with a direct sequel, Avengers: Endgame (). Additional filming took place in Scotland, the Downtown Atlanta area, and New York City. With an estimated budget of $–&#;million, it is one of the most expensive films ever made.
Avengers: Infinity War held its world premiere on April 23, , in Los Angeles, and was released in the United States on April 27, as part of Phase Three of the MCU. The film received praise for Brolin's performance, visual effects, action sequences, and emotional weight, but the film was criticized for relying on previous MCU films for its story. It was the fourth film and the first superhero film to gross over $2&#;billion worldwide, breaking numerous box office records. It became the highest-grossing film of and the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time both worldwide and in the United States and Canada. The film's visual effects were nominated at the 91st Academy Awards, 24th Critics' Choice Awards, and 72nd British Academy Film Awards. The sequel, Avengers: Endgame, was released in April
Plot
Having acquired the Power Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones, from the planet Xandar, Thanos and his lieutenants—Ebony Maw, Cull Obsidian, Proxima Midnight, and Corvus Glaive—intercept the spaceship carrying the survivors of Asgard's recent destruction.[N 1] As they extract the Space Stone from the Tesseract, Thanos subdues Thor, overpowers Hulk, and kills Loki. Thanos also kills Heimdall after he sends Hulk to Earth using the Bifröst. Thanos and his lieutenants depart, destroying the ship.
Hulk crash-lands in the Sanctum Sanctorum in New York City, reverting to the form of Bruce Banner. He warns Stephen Strange and Wong about Thanos' plan to destroy half of all life in the universe, and they recruit Tony Stark. Maw and Obsidian arrive to retrieve the Time Stone from Strange, drawing the attention of Peter Parker. Maw is unable to take the Time Stone due to an enchantment and captures Strange instead. Stark and Parker sneak aboard Maw's spaceship while Wong stays behind to guard the Sanctum.
In Edinburgh, Midnight and Glaive ambush Wanda Maximoff and Vision in order to retrieve the Mind Stone in Vision's forehead. Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, and Sam Wilson rescue them and they take shelter with James Rhodes and Banner at the Avengers' compound. Vision asks Maximoff to destroy him and the Mind Stone to keep Thanos from retrieving it, but Maximoff refuses. Rogers suggests they travel to Wakanda, which he believes has the resources to remove the Stone without killing Vision.
The Guardians of the Galaxy respond to a distress call from the Asgardian ship and rescue Thor, who surmises that Thanos is currently going after the Reality Stone, which is in the possession of the Collector on Knowhere. Rocket and Groot accompany Thor to Nidavellir, where they and Eitri create a battle-axe Stormbreaker. On Knowhere, Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, and Mantis find Thanos with the Reality Stone already in his possession. Thanos kidnaps Gamora, who reveals the Soul Stone is on Vormir in order to save Nebula from torture. On Vormir, the Stone's keeper, Red Skull, tells Thanos that he can only acquire it by sacrificing someone he loves. Thanos kills Gamora, earning the Stone.
Nebula escapes captivity and asks the remaining Guardians to meet her at Thanos' destroyed homeworld, Titan. Stark and Parker kill Maw and rescue Strange. Landing on Titan, they meet Quill, Drax, and Mantis. Strange uses the Time Stone to view millions of possible futures, seeing only one in which Thanos loses. The group forms a plan to subdue Thanos and remove the Infinity Gauntlet, which he uses to house the Stones. Thanos appears and justifies his plans as necessary to ensure the survival of a universe threatened by overpopulation. Nebula arrives soon after, and helps the others subdue Thanos until she deduces that Thanos has killed Gamora. Enraged, Quill attacks Thanos, inadvertently allowing him to break the group's hold and overpower them. Thanos grievously wounds Stark, but spares him after Strange surrenders the Time Stone to him.
In Wakanda, Rogers reunites with Bucky Barnes before Thanos' army invades. The Avengers, alongside T'Challa and the Wakandan forces, mount a defense while Shuri works to extract the Mind Stone from Vision. Hulk refuses to fight after losing to Thanos, so Banner fights in Stark's Hulkbuster armor. Thor, Rocket, and Groot arrive to reinforce the Avengers. Midnight, Obsidian, and Glaive are killed and their army is routed, but Shuri is unable to complete the extraction before Thanos arrives. Maximoff destroys the Mind Stone and Vision, but Thanos uses the Time Stone to reverse her actions and rips the repaired Mind Stone from Vision's forehead, killing him. Thor severely wounds Thanos with Stormbreaker, but Thanos activates the completed Gauntlet by snapping his fingers before teleporting away.
Half of all life across the universe disintegrates, including Barnes, T'Challa, Groot, Maximoff, Wilson, Mantis, Drax, Quill, Strange, and Parker, as well as Maria Hill and Nick Fury, although Fury is able to transmit an emergency signal on a modified pager.[N 2] Stark and Nebula remain stranded on Titan while Banner, M'Baku, Okoye, Rhodes, Rocket, Rogers, Romanoff, and Thor are left on the Wakandan battlefield. Meanwhile, Thanos watches a sunrise on a peaceful planet.
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.[7][8] Co-director Joe Russo explained that Stark "senses this greater threat approaching, so he is doing everything in his power to keep the Earth safe".[9] Downey added that Stark has smaller goals than in previous films.[10] - Chris Hemsworth as Thor:
An Avenger and the king of Asgard, based on the Norse mythologicaldeity of the same name.[11] 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" with "real emotional motivation".[12] At the recommendation of Hemsworth, writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely consulted Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi and screenwriter Eric Pearson to help carry over the comedic and tragic elements of the re-toned Thor from that film.[13] Joe Russo said that Thor has "the driving hero's arc of the movie which stands in direct opposition to Thanos' argument" and would have been the main protagonist of the film had Thor killed Thanos.[14] - Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / Hulk:
An Avenger and genius scientist who, because of exposure to gamma radiation, typically transforms into a monster when enraged or agitated.[15][16] Banner spends the film trying to reintegrate with the Avengers and "impress upon everybody how dangerous Thanos is".[17] Joe Russo felt the Hulk refusing to appear for much of the film was only partially because he was scared, but also because he realizes that "Banner only wants Hulk for fighting. I think he's had enough of saving Banner's ass". Russo added that this was "really reflective of the journey from Ragnarok [where] these two characters are constantly in conflict with each other over control".[18] Banner's appearance in the film continues a story arc for the character that was established in Thor: Ragnarok and concludes in Avengers: Endgame,[19] with the difference between Hulk and Banner "starting to blur a little bit". Ruffalo described Hulk in Infinity War as having the mental capacity of a five-year-old.[17] - Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America:
The fugitive leader of the non-regulation faction of Avengers. A World War II veteran, he was enhanced to the peak of human physicality by an experimental serum and frozen in suspended animation before waking up in the modern world.[11] Joe Russo said after the events of Captain America: Civil War (), Rogers struggles with the conflict between his responsibility to himself and his responsibility to others. The character embodies the "spirit" of the comic book identity Nomad in the film,[20] and receives new vibranium gauntlets from Shuri to replace his traditional shield.[21] An early draft of the film had Rogers first appearing at the end of the film to save Vision from Corvus Glaive in Wakanda. Markus and McFeely were called "insane" for waiting that long to introduce Rogers into the film and ultimately conceded it was "not [a] satisfying" approach.[22] - Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow:
A highly trained spy, member of Rogers' faction of Avengers, and former agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.[23][24] Johansson said that Romanoff's situation following Captain America: Civil War has been "a dark time. I wouldn't say that my character has been particularly hopeful, but I think she's hardened even more than she probably was before."[25] - Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange:
A former neurosurgeon who, after a car accident that led to a journey of healing, discovered the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions and became a Master of the Mystic Arts.[26] Markus and McFeely described Strange as "[ending] up being the reasonable adult in the room" with the "widest perspective available".[27]Aaron Lazar served as Cumberbatch's stand-in until the latter completed filming on The Current War (). At that point, Cumberbatch re-shot scenes where his face needed to be seen.[28] Julian "JayFunk" Daniels once again assisted Cumberbatch with his finger-tutting movements.[29] - Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes / War Machine:
A colonel in the U.S. Air Force and Avenger who operates the War Machine armor.[30] Following his paralysis during the events of Civil War, Rhodes is given an apparatus by Stark to walk again, although he is reluctant to don his War Machine armor and rejoin the Avengers due to his injury. Cheadle believed that Rhodes is "negotiating this reunion and his rejoining this team". He also explained that Rhodes' relationship with Stark "deepened" from his accident, saying, "I think Tony feels somewhat responsible and culpable in a way. But again, he's always had my back in a way that only he could really have".[31] - Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man:
A teenager and Stark's protegé who received spider-like abilities after being bitten by a radioactive spider.[9] Downey helped coach Holland through his death scene, which was not as drawn out in the script. Anthony Russo said, Downey "kept driving: put more and more emotion into it, and just went up to Tom and said, 'You don't want to go because you're a child. And you're using your strength as Spider-Man to fight this. And then that was the performance that came out".[32] - Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa / Black Panther:
The king of the African nation of Wakanda who gained his enhanced strength by ingesting the Heart-Shaped Herb.[24][33] Boseman, along with the other actors from Black Panther () portraying Wakandans, improvised their war chants on set ahead of the battle in Wakanda. Despite both Black Panther and Infinity War filming at the same time, the Russos were not aware of the chants, as they had not yet seen footage from Black Panther, and felt the moment was "incredibly cool".[34] - Paul Bettany as Vision:
An android and Avenger created using the artificial intelligence J.A.R.V.I.S., Ultron, and the Mind Stone.[26] Anthony Russo called Vision "a living MacGuffin. Obviously, that raises the stakes because Vision's life is in danger, and his life is in conflict with Thanos' goals, so something's got to give".[25] - Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch: A member of Rogers' faction of Avengers who can harness magic and engage in hypnosis and telekinesis.[35]
- 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.[36] Mackie noted that Wilson has a grudge with other heroes like Iron Man and Black Panther after the events of Civil War.[25] - Sebastian Stan as James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes / Winter Soldier:
An enhanced soldier and Rogers' ally and best friend who reemerged as a brainwashed assassin after being thought to have been killed in action during World War II.[37] Barnes, who formerly went by Winter Soldier, is given the name White Wolf by the people of Wakanda, who helped remove his Hydra programming.[21] - Tom Hiddleston as Loki: Thor's adopted brother, based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name.[38]
- Idris Elba as Heimdall: The all-seeing, all-hearing Asgardian and former sentry of the Bifröst Bridge, based on the Norse mythological deity of the same name.[39]
- Peter Dinklage as Eitri: King of the Dwarves of Nidavellir, and weaponsmith, based on the Norse mythological dwarf of the same name.[40]
- Benedict Wong as Wong: A Master of the Mystic Arts, tasked with protecting some of Kamar-Taj's most valuable relics and books.[41]
- Pom Klementieff as Mantis: A member of the Guardians of the Galaxy with empathic powers.[42]
- Karen Gillan as Nebula: An adopted daughter of Thanos who was raised with Gamora as siblings.[43]
- Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer:
A member of the Guardians and warrior in search of vengeance against Thanos for killing his family.[44] At the end of each day of filming, Bautista would have to sit in a sauna to remove his makeup.[45] - Zoe Saldana as Gamora: A member of the Guardians who is an orphan from an alien world and was subsequently raised by Thanos, and is seeking redemption for her past crimes.[46]Ariana Greenblatt portrays a young Gamora.[47]
- Vin Diesel as Groot:
A member of the Guardians who is a tree-like humanoid.[48] 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 ().[49]Terry Notary provided motion capture for Groot, and said the character is "coming of age, so you'll see the teenager find a mentor to look up to and to model himself after".[50] - Bradley Cooper as Rocket:
A member of the Guardians who is a genetically-engineered raccoon-based bounty hunter, mercenary, and master of weapons and battle tactics.[51]Sean Gunn was again the stand-in for Rocket during filming, with his acting and expressions serving as motion reference for the character.[52][53] - Gwyneth Paltrow as Virginia "Pepper" Potts:
Stark's fiancée and the CEO of Stark Industries.[54] Downey felt that "Pepper remains the heart of the [Iron Man] story", which was not a focal point in some of the preceding films with Stark. Downey continued that "we wanted to get back to that reality. Not just for them, but let's really see how that can add to the something-worth-fighting-for of it all".[10] - Benicio del Toro as Taneleer Tivan / The Collector: One of the Elders of the Universe who is an obsessive keeper of the largest collection of interstellar fauna, relics, and species of all manner in the galaxy.[55]
- Josh Brolin as Thanos:
An intergalactic warlord from Titan who seeks all six Infinity Stones to destroy half of all life[56][57][58] for the sake of "re-balanc[ing] the universe".[59] Producer Kevin Feige added that Thanos believes the universe is becoming over-populated, which led to the destruction of his home moon Titan and is something he vowed not to let happen again,[58] and also said "you could almost go so far as to say he is the main character of" the film.[60] McFeely shared this sentiment, describing the film as his "hero journey" in addition to being the film's protagonist, stating, "Part of that is the things that [mean] the most to him. We wanted to show that. It wasn't just power; it wasn't just an ideal; it was people".[27] Brolin likened Thanos to "the Quasimodo of this time" and the novel Perfume, since Thanos was born deformed and considered a "freak" on Titan,[61] while Joe Russo would reference The Godfather () for Brolin at times, which Brolin felt helped "to emotionalize the whole thing".[62] Brolin further added that he preferred playing Thanos over Cable in Deadpool 2 () because of the amount of work that went into creating the character.[63] Thanos does not wear armor for most of the film, which is symbolic of his growing power as he collects the Infinity Stones.[64] In addition to voicing for the character, Brolin performed motion capture on set.[65] - Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord:
The half-human, half-Celestial leader of the Guardians who was abducted from Earth as a child and raised by a group of alien thieves and smugglers called the Ravagers.[35] Pratt described his role in the film as a "guest star" appearance and said "you get to be a little more vibrant; a little more irreverent; a little bit more colorful if you want it to be".[66]
Additionally, several other actors reprise their MCU roles: Danai Gurira as Okoye, the head of the Dora Milaje;[67]Letitia Wright as T'Challa's sister Shuri;[68]William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross, the U.S. Secretary of State;[69]Kerry Condon as the voice of Stark's A.I. F.R.I.D.A.Y.;[70]Winston Duke as M'Baku, the leader of Wakanda's mountain tribe the Jabari; Florence Kasumba as Ayo, a member of the Dora Milaje;[71]Jacob Batalon as Parker's friend Ned;[72]Isabella Amara as Parker's classmate Sally;[73]Tiffany Espensen as Parker's classmate Cindy;[74] and Ethan Dizon as Parker's classmate Tiny.[75]Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders make uncredited cameos as Nick Fury and Maria Hill, the former director and deputy director of S.H.I.E.L.D, respectively, in the film's post-credits scene.[76]
Thanos' henchmen, known collectively in the comics as the Black Order and in the film as the "Children of Thanos",[77] include Terry Notary as Cull Obsidian,[78][79]Tom Vaughan-Lawlor as Ebony Maw,[80][81]Carrie Coon as Proxima Midnight,[79] and Michael James Shaw as Corvus Glaive.[82] The foursome provided voices and motion-capture performances on set for their characters.[83][82] As Coon was pregnant during filming, she mainly did facial capture for Proxima Midnight with some motion-capture,[84] with stuntwoman Monique Ganderton standing-in and providing the rest on set.[85] Ebony Maw's look was inspired by the Marvel Comics character Mephisto, who appeared in the Infinity Gauntlet storyline.[86]
Ross Marquand voices Johann Schmidt / Red Skull, the "Stonekeeper" and former Nazi commander of Hydra during World War II.[40][87][88] Marquand replaces Hugo Weaving, who had expressed reluctance to reprise the character from Captain America: The First Avenger ().[40][87] Red Skull was created through CGI and portrayed with stand-ins on set.[88] Avengers co-creator Stan Lee makes a cameo appearance in the film as Parker's school bus driver,[40] while screenwriter Stephen McFeely cameos as Secretary Ross' aide.[89]Kenneth Branagh, the director of Thor (), voices an Asgardian distress caller in an uncredited cameo.[90]David Cross was invited to make a cameo appearance as Tobias Fünke, his character from the television sitcom Arrested Development, which the Russo brothers had previously worked on; this was prevented by a scheduling conflict, but Fünke still appears in the film as a specimen in the Collector's collection, played by an uncredited extra.[91] Executive producer Jon Favreau was to reprise his role as Happy Hogan, while co-director Joe Russo had a cameo appearance as a paparazzi photographer, but this scene did not make the theatrical cut of the film.[92]
Production
In October , Marvel announced a two-part sequel to Avengers: Age of Ultron (), titled Avengers: Infinity War. Part 1 was scheduled to be released on May 4, , with Part 2 scheduled for May 3, [93][94] In April , Marvel announced that Anthony and Joe Russo would direct both parts of Avengers: Infinity War,[95] with back-to-back filming expected to begin in [96] The next month, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely had signed on to write the screenplays for both parts of the film,[97] which draws inspiration from Jim Starlin's The Infinity Gauntlet comic and Jonathan Hickman's Infinity comic.[98] Anthony Russo added the film was inspired by s heist films, with Thanos "on a smash-and-grab [to acquire the Infinity Stones], and everybody's trying to catch up the whole movie".[58] Producer Kevin Feige said that the Infinity War films were subtitled Part 1 and Part 2 "because they [have] such shared elements, it felt appropriate But I wouldn't call it one story that's cut in half. I would say it's going to be two distinct movies".[99] In May , the Russos revealed that they would retitle the two films, to further remove the misconception that they 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".[] That July, Marvel revealed Part 1's title would be shortened to simply Avengers: Infinity War.[]
Principal photography began on January 23, ,[] under the working titleMary Lou,[] at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Fayette County, Georgia,[] with Trent Opaloch as director of photography.[]Infinity War, along with Avengers: Endgame, were shot using IMAX/Arri 2D cameras, thus marking the first time that a Hollywood feature film was shot entirely with IMAX digital cameras.[] 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.[9] Additional filming took place in Scotland beginning in February The filming occurred in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the Scottish Highlands,[] with studio work taking place at Wardpark Studios in Cumbernauld.[][] In late June , filming occurred in Downtown Atlanta,[] as well as Atlanta's Central Park in early July,[] before moving to Queens, New York in the middle of the month.[] Filming concluded on July 14, [] For the film's final scene, where Thanos settles in a nipa hut, the filmmakers worked with Thailand studio Indochina Productions to acquire footage of the Banaue Rice Terraces at Ifugao, Philippines.[]
Later in July , Joe Russo stated there were a couple of unfinished scenes for Infinity War that would be shot "in the next few months".[] In early March , Disney moved the release of Infinity War in the United States to April 27, , to have it be released the same weekend as some of its international markets.[][] Visual effects for the film were created by Industrial Light & Magic,[]Framestore,[]Method Studios,[]Weta Digital, DNEG, Cinesite, Digital Domain, Rise, Lola VFX, and Perception.[] With an estimated budget in the range of $–&#;million,[2][3][4] it is one of the most expensive films ever made.[] Evans and Hemsworth both earned $15 million for the film.[]
Music
In June , Alan Silvestri, who composed the score for The Avengers (), was revealed to be returning to score both Infinity War and Endgame.[] Silvestri recorded his score from January [] to late March, and found working on the film to be "a really different experience than anything I'd done before, especially in regard to the approach and balancing quick shifts in tone".[]Ludwig Göransson's theme from Black Panther is used in the film.[]Hollywood Records and Marvel Music released regular and deluxe soundtrack albums digitally on April 27, , with physical releases on May The deluxe edition featured some extended and additional tracks.[]
Marketing
In May , Robert Downey Jr. and his philanthropic organization Random Act Funding partnered with Omaze for a contest in which a randomly chosen winner from those that donated would receive an Infinity War set visit.[] A life-sized statue of Thanos, created by Legacy Effects, was on display at D23 Expo ,[] alongside statues of the Black Order / "Children of Thanos": Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, Ebony Maw, and Cull Obsidian.[77] 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.[30] The footage, which was screened exclusively for the panel,[] received strong audience reaction, with fans "literally on their feet and jumping as the footage played".[][] Julia Alexander of Polygon said there was "quite a bit happening" in the footage and it "finally feels like Marvel has made the movie it always wanted to—and the one we've always wanted to see."[] 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".[] Haleigh Foutch for Collider described it as "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".[] The D23 footage was also shown at the San Diego Comic-Con International.[] After the two convention presentations, Avengers: Infinity War generated over 90, 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.[]Infinity War stayed in third the following week, with over 41, new social media conversations, behind Ragnarok and It ().[] By the week of October 16, Infinity War had generated over , total social media conversations.[]
To promote the film's first trailer, Marvel released a compilation video of some of its previous trailers since Iron Man (), "paired with fan reaction videos to those trailers".[] The first trailer for Avengers: Infinity War debuted on Good Morning America on November 29, [] Josh Spiegel of The Hollywood Reporter said, "The most important part of the trailer is how it carefully, deliberately introduces the notion that the Infinity War films are going to function as a passing of the torch, from one set of Avengers to a newer group".[] Scott Mendelson, writing for Forbes, noted that even though the trailer was not much different from the convention footage screened earlier in the year, it was "damn impressive. Moreover, it uses Nick Fury's big 'Avengers Initiative' speech, along with Alan Silvestri's Avengers theme, to excellent effect".[] Conversely to Mendelson, Alexander commented on the different marketing strategy for the film between the convention footage scenes and the trailer scenes, feeling the "two couldn't be more different". She said the convention footage (intended to please the crowd who were "jittery with anticipation") was released between Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 () and Thor: Ragnarok, and heavily focused Thor and the Guardians, while the trailer (designed to explain the film to general audiences) heavily features Black Panther and Wakanda, which Alexander said could not have been done before the additional marketing for Black Panther that happened after the conventions provided additional context.[] Gael Cooper of CNET observed that the trailer was viewed nearly , times in its first 15 minutes after it was posted on YouTube, but questioned if the trailer broke the site after the view counter appeared to be stuck at ,[] The trailer was viewed &#;million times in its first 24 hours, becoming the most viewed trailer in that time period, surpassing the record of It.[]
In January , Marvel Comics published a two-issue prequel comic titled Avengers: Infinity War Prelude, which serves as a bridge between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War.[] A commercial for Infinity War aired during Super Bowl LII, and generated the most social media buzz of all the films advertised according to comScore and United Talent Agency; it was viewed &#;million times across YouTube and Facebook.[] On February 27, Disney and Marvel announced the "Marvel: The Universe Unites" charity campaign leading to the release of merchandise for the film on March 3. The week-long event saw stars from the film create social media challenges to provide funds and raise awareness for charities that support children and families impacted by serious illness. Marvel planned to make a $, donation to Starlight Children's Foundation if these posts collectively reached 1&#;million likes, while Disney planned to donate 10% of all Marvel's Disney Store sales in the United States and online on the weekend of March 3 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, up to $50, Hasbro and Funko each donated $1&#;million worth of cash and products, to Give Kids the World Village and Starlight, respectively.[]
A second trailer was released on March 16, which earned over 1&#;million views on YouTube in less than three hours after it was released.[] Alyssa Rosenberg of The Washington Post was not overly enthused about another superhero film having "special-effects-heavy villains, or the sight of yet another mysterious object hanging over the Manhattan skyline", but felt the trailer made her realize "that I'm actually looking forward to seeing [the characters of the MCU] get to know each other".[] Spiegel agreed with Rosenberg about the potential for character interactions, but felt it was "gimmicky" to have so many "crossover-style introductions or combinations of heroes in a movie like this".[] The second trailer was viewed &#;million times in the first 24 hours, the third-most viewed trailer in that time period, behind the first trailer for the film and It, while also becoming the biggest release for a second trailer, surpassing Beauty and the Beast () (&#;million views).[] A week before the film's release, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai was lit up each night for the film, counting down to its release.[] Marvel also featured tie-in events across seven of their mobile games to promote the film.[] In early May, Marvel and Epic Games announced the "Infinity Gauntlet Limited Time Mashup" mode for Fortnite Battle Royale, where players could find the Infinity Gauntlet hidden on the game map and become Thanos with added abilities. The Russo brothers were fans of Fortnite and approached Donald Mustard, the worldwide creative director of Epic Games, about the potential for a crossover between the properties.[] On November 20, Little, Brown and Company published Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War: Thanos – Titan Consumed, written by Barry Lyga. Despite not existing within Marvel Studios' MCU canon, the novel explores the origins of Thanos before the events of the film. Lyga spoke with Marvel Studios to get an "outline of who Thanos is and what he means to the movies", and "was given great latitude and a free hand [in some areas of the story], while in others I had to tip-toe very carefully through the MCU".[]
All-in-all, the studio spent an estimated $&#;million on prints and advertisements promoting the film.[] Additional marketing partners for the film included Coca-Cola, Quicken Loans and their Rocket Mortgage service, the Infiniti QX50 (which is also featured in the film), Ziploc, Go-Gurt, Yoplait, Synchrony Bank, American Airlines, and Stand Up to Cancer. The partners created television commercials "inspired by or featuring the film's characters and themes", interactive digital initiatives, and robust in-store presences at numerous retailers. Duracell, Unilever, Quaker Oats Company, Chevron, and Samsung ran promotions in smaller markets. Coca-Cola, Ziploc, Go-Gurt, and Yoplait created special packaging in support of the film, with Synchrony implementing a "Save Like a Hero" campaign, and Stand Up to Cancer and American Airlines launching a national campaign with a PSA starring Johansson and Hemsworth. In the United Kingdom, OnePlus released an Infinity War edition for one of their smartphones. Deadline Hollywood estimated the media value was $&#;million, the largest for any Marvel film, with Coca-Cola contributing an estimated $40&#;million.[]
Release
Theatrical
Avengers: Infinity War held its world premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on April 23, , screening also at the adjacent El Capitan Theatre and Grauman's Chinese Theatre.[]
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