Marvel once again is making history. Expectations were high as the release of Avengers: Infinity War approached, reaching a height of excitement not seen since the release of The Force Awakens. With the opening weekend box office numbers to back it up, Infinity War is the biggest movie of 2018. And for good reason too. Infinity War wasn't a perfect film, yet it was executed well considering all the hurdles the Russo brothers faced in combining a massive amount of MCU heroes together. To think this is merely the end of one Phase of the MCU, and that another stands on the horizon, is mind-boggling. Not everyone sadly, will likely make it into Phase 4, though.
Major Spoilers Ahead! You have been officially warned of Spoilers. Go see the movie (if you haven’t already) and come back to find all the things you missed while watching Avengers: Infinity War.
While the ending of Infinity War will likely be dissected and discussed for the coming year as we wait for part two, there’s a possibility that not all the MCU characters who perished will return. This includes Loki, Heimdall, and possibly Gamora. In addition, there are several characters who are currently missing in action. These include Valkyrie, Hawkeye, Ant-Man, Wasp, and the newest addition, Captain Marvel.
The 19th MCU film was jammed full of Easter Eggs, along with spectacular and hilarious moments. Many of these tidbits happened so fast, it’ll take multiple viewings of the movie just to catch a handful of them. Which is why we’ve taken the liberty of breaking down 22 things you likely missed while watching Avengers: Infinity War.
22 Thor Speaks Groot
Thor respectively is the blonde God of Thunder. But once in awhile, Point Break shows off how smart he really is. Reminding Rocket and Thor that he’s on the spaceship, Groot throws a comment towards Thor. To which Thor responds accurately. This blows Rocket’s mind, causing him to question Thor with, “You know how to speak Groot?” Thor replies in a nonchalant manner, stating that he learned it as part of his studies, as all Asgardians study advance and different languages.
Thor could be bluffing with this statement, but thanks to Reddit user UmbrusNightshade, we can trust Thor’s comment about his schooling. Within the series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Sif once stated that the Asgardians learn alien languages during their childhood years. This could have also included Thor’s time in school. He is 1500 years old after all. Thor doesn’t need an Allspeak, all he needed to do was pay attention during a few hundred years of schooling.
Once Groot knows Thor understands him, there is a change in his mannerisms towards the God of Thunder (in a good way). Albeit, they are small and hard to notice, since Groot has his head stuck in the Defenders game for around 90% of the time he’s on screen.
21 Post-Credit Timeline Is Off
At the start of the post-credit scene for Avengers: Infinity War, we first hear, and then see, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) driving in New York. They’re looking for Tony Stark, along with any possible sign of the other Avengers. Hill mentions to Fury that something has entered Earth’s atmosphere, heading towards Wakanda. Fury asks how big, to which Maria replies, “larger than the one in New York.”
This is important because Hill is likely describing the same readout to Fury that Okoye was reporting to T’Challa and the other Avengers in Wakanda. But here’s where things get a little strange. Just a mere second after Hill makes her report to Fury, the car spinning out of control with nobody in it swerves in front of them. In Wakanda, however, an entire battle is about to take place, and Thanos isn’t on Earth yet. Either the writers spaced on their timeline facts, or this is a clue regarding the next installment of Avengers: Infinity War.
Considering the time and effort the Russo brothers put into this production, along with writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, I’m wagering on a clue. And the answer is tied to Dr. Strange (which I mention further down the list).
20 Mysterious Vanishing Arm
The ending of Avengers: Infinity War is heartbreaking to watch for die-hard comic book fans. With Peter Parker apologizing to Tony, and Rocket watching Groot disappear, there were more than a few sniffles and tears throughout the theater. But amongst all these gut-wrenching goodbyes is a baffling puzzle piece.
When Bucky Barnes disappears due to the Thanos snap, his Vibranium arm vanishes with him.
But his gun, which he was holding, drops to the ground. Is this a mistake, or does the White Wolf’s new prosthetic Vibranium arm play a major role in the upcoming part 2 of Infinity War? The inter-web can’t make up its mind on this matter, and to be honest, neither can I. There aren’t any plausible explanations which support why his arm would have vanished, other than it may have been too disturbing for children in the audience to watch. It may also be a conveniently placed plot hole. In the events to come, it would seem likely that Bucky will need his arm. And to support this theory is the fact that he never used it in battle. We only saw him shoot, never getting to see what Shuri incorporated into this new extension of himself.
19 Mantis Shenanigans
One of my favorite additions to the Guardians of the Galaxy lineup was Mantis in Vol. 2. She never fails to disappoint while she’s on screen, whether it be through a comedic comment or action. The Russo brothers and James Gunn elevated her character in Avengers: Infinity War through a series of facial expressions, comments, and actions which will have any GOTG fan rolling on the floor in delight. She is simply way too cute for her own good. When approaching the distress call in the film, Quill still states:
“Alright, Guardians don’t forget, this might be dangerous so let’s put on our mean face.”
Naturally, Mantis takes this as a literal command and does just that. But the best part is when she holds her “mean face” through the rest of the scene (until Thor lands on the windshield). Later while on the planet Knowhere; Quill, Mantis, Gamora, and Drax are quietly approaching what they think is Thanos and the Collector. Everybody is in sneak-attack mode, including Mantis. With her arms close to her chest and her back hunched slightly, Mantis tip-toes along like a cat ready to strike with her very cute finger claws. If this doesn’t make you a full-time Mantis fan, then a pulse reading needs to be performed.
18 Cloaking Personality
Dr. Strange’s Cloak of Levitation has shown signs of life and personality during his standalone film. From wiping away tears to getting involved in battles, the cloak serves as a hero sidekick with the ability of flight. In Avengers: Infinity War, the Cloak of Levitation comes out of its shell even more. It acts so much like another superhero, Peter Parker tries to introduce himself to it. We first get to see Dr. Strange’s cloak in action during the New York battle, as it was almost able to save the wizard from the alien claws of Ebony Maw. This was nothing new, as audiences have seen it behave like this before.
While on the spaceship, however, the Cloak of Levitation presents itself in a whole new way. Stark is scolding Peter for not returning to Earth like he wanted. As he does this, the Cloak of Levitation is standing next to Tony mimicking his movements of frustration and disappointment towards Spider-Man. It even does a movement which symbolizes an individual being shocked or saying, “whaaat?”
The Cloak of Levitation lands it battle-worn moments the most during the fight scenes on Titan. Following its master's instructions, the cloak wraps itself around the Infinity Gauntlet, preventing Thanos from making a fist and using the Infinity Stones against him. It even continues to put up a fight after being ripped by the purple titan.
17 Damaged Infinity Gauntlet
Following Thanos’ infamous snap and his field trip into the Soul Stone realm with a younger Gamora, a critical plot point is revealed. Due to the traumatic events about to take place and quick camera angles, it's easy to miss a severely damaged Infinity Gauntlet. The screenshot moves quickly, giving audiences only a few seconds to view the damage it has taken. Here’s what I saw:
The Infinity Gauntlet is toast. Several spots were bubbling metal, much like when Thor was in Nidavellir creating Stormbreaker. Other spots showed corrosion and had turned from gold to black and grey. There were even fragments of the Gauntlet starting to flake off before Thanos time warps himself out of Wakanda. The most interesting aspect of this scene revolves around the Infinity Stones still being in the Gauntlet.
Due to Thanos being able to escape Wakanda, we know the Infinity Gauntlet may still be working, despite all the damage it took. Or, Thanos could have just tapped into the Space Stone, allowing him to warp out. Either way, he still has the Infinity Stones. In Thanos’ final scene of him watching a sunset, the Gauntlet is nowhere to be found. It is likely with him on this mysterious planet where he’s chosen to take a rest, but in the MCU, nothing is ever a guarantee.
16 Rocket Rabbit: Ship Or Callback?
Rocket isn’t one to take lip service from anyone. As far as squirrels go, he’s clearly the spunkiest in the galaxy. He especially doesn’t do well with being called names, as shown in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 when Quill lashes out a host of names including Trash panda, Triangle-faced monkey, Dumb puppy, and Woodland creature. And for the record, Rocket still hasn’t forgiven Star-Lord for it. Along comes, Thor in Avengers: Infinity War and suddenly Rocket doesn’t mind being called something else.
Thor refers to Rocket as Rabbit four times throughout the movie.
I’ve got two theories about this name mishap. Either Rocket is mysteriously being shipped by the Russo brothers with Thor (anything is possible), or it was a callback to his appearances in Marvel Comics. Ironically, in the comics Rocket has a love interest named Lylla (his soul mate who’s an Otter). She was first introduced in Incredible Hulk #271. The Rabbit reference from Thor likely is a callback to sworn enemy Blackjack O’Hare. Who just happens to be a rabbit Rocket teamed up with in the comic Rocket Raccoon #2, against Red Breath. While the comic references make the most sense, I am still secretly hoping for a little crush action going on between Rocket and Thor.
15 Many Facial Expressions Of Thanos
There’s more than a few articles floating around the inter-web regarding the over usage of CGI in Avengers: Infinity War. And while I might agree with a couple of the points mentioned (CGI is always a difficult beast to manage), most of the comments are worth about a gram of dung. The special effects applied to Thanos’ facial reactions were priceless throughout the entire film. Give those hard-working individuals a raise Disney, they deserve every penny of it.
Whether Thanos is appreciating a good fight, fighting back tears regarding Gamora, or looking exceptionally sly, his face is a treat to behold — once you get past the scars and the purple Grimace reference tossed out by Star-Lord.
Critics are claiming Thanos is the greatest MCU villain in the franchise’s history. What most have overlooked, however, is that it wasn’t the depth of his story that hooked audiences. It’s the humanistic characteristics shown through his expressions.
Due to the abundance of various Thanos expressions throughout Infinity War, I’ve taken the liberty of naming them with song titles like I Can Hold your Hand, I’m going to Destroy you, Who Dookied in my Cheerios, Aren’t you Smart, I’m an Evil Genius, My Moral Compass, and my favorite — Who you Looking at Punk?
14 Original Avengers Escape Gauntlet
There are a few key points to discuss concerning the ending of Avengers: Infinity War. With the snap of his fingers, Thanos initiated what everyone feared would happen. The random elimination of half the universe. But was it really that random, or are we just supposed to believe it was? Following the snap, newcomers to the MCU like Spider-Man and Black Panther fade into dust, along Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, Bucky, Groot, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Dr. Strange, and Scarlet Witch.
The remaining heroes just happen to be the original Avengers featured in their first film, along with a few extras. These include Thor, Black Widow, Hulk, Iron Man, and supposedly Hawkeye too. Rocket also joins the group, seemingly taking Hawkeye’s place. This isn’t simply by chance. The Russo brothers are clearly setting up a storyline for the sequel which will involve all the old timers making things right and avenging their dusted companions. But will all the original Avengers survive part two of Infinity War? Only time will tell, and sadly, we have a whole year to wait for the results. Joining these oldies hopefully in part two will be Captain Marvel (as suggested in the post-credit scene) and possibly Ant-Man and the Wasp. Maybe, we’ll even get a look at Adam Warlock too.
13 Going Foodie With Wong
Wong, master of the Mystic Arts of Kamar-Taj (who goes by the alias Beyoncé) was one of the break-out MCU stars in Dr. Strange. With his stoic personality, Wong provides humor and balance when paired with Dr. Stephen Strange. Sadly, he didn’t wield the Wand of Watoomb like I wanted him to in the New York battle during Infinity War. But he still provided a few memorable moments regarding ice cream flavors and not having any money to his name.
Tony Stark makes a reference towards quitting dairy when, “Ben & Jerry's named a flavor,” after him. Dr. Strange names the aforementioned ice cream, “Stark Raving Hazelnuts.” Tony then states, “it’s not bad,” to which Strange replies, “bit chalky.” Then Wong enters the conversation with the second-best line of the film.
“Hunka-Hunka Hulk is our favorite.”
Before Hulk gets transported into the Sanctum Sanctorum’s basement, Strange and Wong are having a conversation about Wong not having any money. Alarms are going off around the galaxy and Wong is pestering Dr. Strange about getting something to eat while he’s in New York. Being a master of the mystic arts, however, apparently requires one to always be broke. Wong also gets invited to Starks’s wedding after saving his hide during the battle with Cull Obsidian (who mysteriously gets his arm back later in the film).
12 Stan Lee Is A Watcher Informant
If Guardians of the Galaxy II was a film you skipped before watching Avengers: Infinity War, then now’s the time to take a break and watch it. Not only is it the funniest of all the MCU movies, but it gave immense depth to the cameos given by legend Comic book artist and writer Stan Lee. This has been a hard year for Lee, with the passing of his wife and allegations of domestic abuse against him by his own daughter. Not to mention the daily struggle of getting older. But seeing him in Infinity War brought instant smiles to everyone in the theater (along with more than a few cheers).
Guardians of the Galaxy II confirmed Stan Lee’s cameos are more than a tribute towards him. He’s an actual character. In the Marvel Comics, there’s a group known as the cosmic Watchers. They basically spy on Earths superheroes, watching events in the universe unfold. Stan Lee works for the Watchers, making all his cameos an important part of the MCU. Of which there are 45 of them, thanks to an article recently published by Insider. Remember this the next time you see Stan Lee hanging out in the MCU because he’s watching you.
11 14,605,000 Possible Timelines
I said there was a Dr. Strange item you might have missed, and I didn’t make you wait until the number one entry to get to it. Earlier I mentioned the post-credit scene in Avengers: Infinity War had a timeline hole, and I think it’s because Dr. Strange did something to the Time Stone prior to giving it to Thanos. While Star-Lord and Iron Man are swaggering their egos at one another, Dr. Strange takes 14 million plus trips into the future. For the record, neither Phish nor the Grateful Dead can compete against Strange’s trippy time-travel experience.
Once coming out of his travels, he tells Stark and company there was only one scenario in which they were victorious. Fast-forward to Dr. Strange stopping Thanos from permanently taking Iron Man out by offering him the Time Stone. Many believe this is because Tony is part of that one timeline which needs to happen. I agree with this, but there’s more. The look Strange has on his face as Thanos grabs the Time Stone is one of satisfaction, along with a crooked smile of “I’ve got you.” He then tells Stark they’re, “in the endgame now.” Strange might have messed with the Stone, causing some form of ripple effect. This would explain why the events of the post-credit scene happened during a different period of time, then the events in Wakanda.
10 Ocular And Prosthetic Limb Callback
To say that Rocket Racoon is obsessed with eyes and limbs would be a hard understatement. Audiences were first introduced to this disturbing fascination with Rocket during the first Guardians of the Galaxy installment. In the plan associated with breaking out of the prison, Rocket tells Quill he needs one of the prisoner’s prosthetic limbs. Then in Guardians of the Galaxy II, Groot brings Rocket someone’s artificial eyeball instead of Yondu’s Yaka Arrow Controller. In addition, Rocket keeps trying to wink through the movie (another eye reference), which he fails at miserably.
In Avengers: Infinity War, the Russo brothers called back to these events by having Rocket present Thor one of his many ocular pieces he’s acquired over time. It wasn’t clearly stated in the film, but it was implied that the eye Rocket gave Thor had to be smuggled out in a body part where the sun never shines. Hence why Thor makes the comment that everything is black when he first attaches the eye. Ironically, this is not the same artificial eye from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. But he’s not done yet. In Wakanda, Rocket finds time to try and bargain with Bucky (White Wolf) over his prosthetic arm. When denied, he vows under his breath, “I’ll get that arm.”
9 Infinity Stone Usage
For most of Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos primarily uses the Power Stone, followed closely by the Space Stone. This has caused some heated debates on the inter-web, with fans claiming Thanos never used the Soul Stone except when performing his devastating snap of the fingers. But this isn’t true. He might not have used it as much as the other Infinity Stones, but there is clear evidence supporting its use.
Thanos uses the Soul Stone separately from the other Stones, and both incidents occur during the battle on Titan.
The first time we see Thanos use the Soul Stone is when he’s talking to Iron Man, mentioning he’s aware of who Tony is. Thanos may have heard of Iron Man before, but upon being able to see into his soul, he finds a bond between him and Stark. As both are trying to make the galaxy a better place in their own way. The second time Thanos uses the Soul Stone is in determining which Dr. Strange is the real one when the wizard uses his magic to create multiple clones of himself. Lastly, we see the Soul Stone being used on Thanos himself after the snap. He encounters a young Gamora and must answer her regarding what this journey has cost him.
8 Teenage Attitude
The first time I saw teenage Groot during the post-credit scene in Guardians of the Galaxy II, I wasn’t completely sold. Mostly because I had fallen hard for little Groot. Don’t judge me please, I apparently have a weak spot for adorable trees. Avengers: Infinity War, however, totally changed my perspective on teenage Groot. From constantly playing Defender through most of the film and complaining about showing his twig while going to the bathroom, to his teenager attitude, Groot was completely on point. Thank you, James Gunn.
Groot says something snarky on the Milano after being told to put away his game, arousing a reaction from the rest of the group due to his choice language. Quill tells Groot, “You got some acorns on you, kid.” While Rocket chimes in with, “Ever since you got a little sap, you’re a total [explicit]-hole. Keep it up and I’m going to smash that thing to pieces.”
In true teenager fashion, Groot provides more than just attitude. When called to step up to the plate, he doesn’t hesitate. Giving part of himself towards Thor’s new hammer/axe Stormchaser, in the form of a handle. The same held true in Wakanda, with Groot laying into the baddies with all he’s got. Of all the heroes’ who faded to dust, Groot hit me the hardest. Baby Groot may have provided the cuteness, but teenage Groot brings sapling hormones, attitude, and mad fighting skills. Take all my money, Marvel.
7 Losing Super-Bots
The Hulk may have been absent for most Avengers: Infinity War, but Banner helped make up for it with his unique charm. Upon returning to Earth and transforming back in Banner, Bruce proceeds to get Stark, Dr. Strange, and Wong up to speed on current events. During the process, Tony mentions how he may have lost track of where Vision was.
“Tony! You lost another super-bot?”
This joke is a callback to Avengers: Age of Ultron when Stark and Banner would create Ultron, who rebels and goes on a rampage trying to destroy the Earth. Stark losing track of Vision is likely Banners worst nightmare come true. Next to Thanos coming to Earth, of course. What makes this line even more hilarious, is we find out Captain America and Black Widow have also been keeping tabs on Vision. Cap manages to locate Vision with ease, something Tony obviously couldn’t have pulled off.
But the universe isn’t done with Iron Man, yet. As karma would have it, Tony is the one who later becomes lost. Stranded on Titan, half a galaxy away from his home planet. And it’s up to Cap, Banner, Black Widow, Rocket, and Thor to get him back and make things right once more.
6 Unresolved Issues
Leading into Infinity War, several characters had side arcs going which should have met some kind of resolution. There’s the love interest tension between Banner and Natasha leftover from Avengers: Age of Ultron, along with unresolved feelings between Rocket Racoon and Star-Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. Other smaller arcs existed too, like who made Bucky’s arm, the status on Rhodey’s legs, and wherein the world Hawkeye is (not that anyone really cares). Of all these unanswered plot points, it was the relationship between Rocket and Quill which caught me most off guard.
Banner and Natasha were never good at communicating in the first place, so when they only say one another’s name before moving onto business as usual, — it’s not the end of the world. But Rocket and Quill not working out their issues may have played a major role towards the events of Infinity War. If Gamora hadn’t gone to Knowhere, Thanos wouldn’t have gotten his purple paws on the Soul Stone prior to fighting the other Guardians and Avengers on Titan. But since Rocket and Quill were still at one another’s throats, letting their egos get ahead of them — the team divides, rather than staying together like they should.
5 Really Old Movies
Besides Groot and Mantis, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is my “other” favorite new MCU character. His one-liners are spot on every time and his relationship towards Stark is moving and interesting. From the moment Spider-Man shows up in the New York battle to the tragic sight of him slipping away to dust in Tony’s arms, Parker entertains and captivates.
It starts to get interesting when Spider-Man gets his new suit, stating, “Mr. Stark, it smells like a new car in here.” Followed shortly after by, “I should have stayed on the bus,” as the spaceship slowly begins to exit the Earth’s atmosphere. While on the ship, Parker and Stark need a plan to save the wizard to which Spidey asks, “Have you ever seen this really old movie, Aliens?”
The best Spider-Man quote out of the entire Avengers: Infinity War movie comes from an old 80s classic called Footloose. Drax brings up the dance-off from the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, to which Peter responds, “Like in Footloose, the movie?” Quill chimes in with, “Exactly like Footloose. Is it still the greatest movie in history?” But Spider-Man isn’t having any of that nonsense. Peter with a completely straight face looks at Quill and says, “It never was.”
4 Cauldron Of The Cosmos
Tony Stark is enjoying a morning run with Pepper while dropping Easter Eggs about their future child named Morgan. In a typical Iron Man kind of way, he tells Pepper he had a dream about her being pregnant (which she likely is, even though she says she’s not). Following this major tidbit drop, Dr. Strange appears out of thin air demanding help saving the world. In a short series of moments, Stark finds himself sitting in the Sanctum Sanctorum, listening to Banner’s account of Thanos. Slowly the weight of the events starts eating away at Stark, as he realizes Thanos is the big bad guy he’s been preparing for and sweating about for the last six years.
Tony stands up and pretends to be stretching since he just got done jogging with Pepper about five minutes prior. It looks innocent enough, but Dr. Strange will have none of Iron Man’s antics. The vase looking object Tony is using to support himself while stretching is none other than the Cauldron of the Cosmos.
The Cauldron has appeared in several comic books prior to Avengers: Infinity War. These comic books are Man-Thing Vol 1 & 3, Thing, and Marvel Team-up Vol 1. The Cauldron of the Cosmos is an artifact, much like the Cloak of Levitation. It allows Dr. Strange to view time, space, and various alternate realities.
3 A Fitting Alien End
Ebony Maw is the only Black Order individual who can put up a fight against the Avengers. Not only is he the strongest of the group, but he’s the most annoying of them too. Having a thing for long and boring monologues, he seemingly enjoys talking individuals into their next life more than he does through a good battle. Don’t let his dreary speeches fool you, though, he was able to overcome Dr. Strange one on one and held his own whilst Iron Man was in the mix as well.
Thanks to Peter Parker being a pop culture nerd, he quickly realized they were physically outmatched and needed another strategy to save the wizard. Hence, the Aliens reference. In the classic Sci-Fi film, the lead character Ripley opens an airlock on the ship. This causes everything on the ship to be sucked immediately out into space, including the nasty alien queen.
In the film Aliens, the lead character, Ripley, manages to open an airlock on the spaceship, sucking everything out of the room. Naturally, this also scoops up the alien queen and chucks her into space as well, ending her reign of terror. The dynamic duo of Iron Man and Spider-Man repeat this exact scene from Aliens. Stark acts as the distraction, blowing a hole in the side of Maw’s ship. This sucks Ebony Maw into space while Spider-man grabs Dr. Strange before he gets sucked out too.