Only Time – And Avengers 4 – Will Tell
Infinity War’s ending has been criticized, partly due to the MCU’s historically laissez-faire approach to death. Admittedly, it is hard to expect too much reality in a world where magic, advanced technology and reality warping artifacts exist. However, Pepper Potts, Bucky, Nick Fury and Loki have notably sidestepped their demises, so the deaths of Infinity War may not feel entirely novel. Therefore, the film’s cheating of death is only bought by audiences depending on how much disbelief they’re willing to suspend, in the same way that we accept how every bullet that heads James Bond’s way is non-fatal.
On the other hand, some have suggested that only Avengers 4 can determine the standing of Infinity War’s ending. Because of this, many criticized Marvel’s choice to drop the Part I & II subheadings from the film. However, from a marketing standpoint, it’s understandable why they did this, given the diminishing returns of other split finales such as The Hunger Games and Divergent series. But it’s true that some stories require every installment for us to see the full picture. Return of the Jedi directly finishes story strands begun in The Empire Strikes Back, for instance. As such, Avengers 4 could be very reliant on its predecessor, and will therefore be able to contextualize the “snapture.”
How will this grim event affect the surviving (and significantly, the original) Avengers? Will they know they can reverse what Thanos did, or will it simply be a consequence of their revenge? Also, how will the survivors of Avengers 4 function after such an experience? And what will the cost be?
The new synopsis for A4 proposes that the heroes will have to make some sort of sacrifices. Many of the core team’s contracts are up, and that Soul Stone’s hungry for death. Therefore, it’s highly likely that the climax of the film will see either retirement or funerals for some characters. Depending on how this is handled, the deaths of Infinity War’s ending could take on a greater significance. And in many ways, they kind of have to, lest Marvel risks exhausting the “not really dead” trope – and the fictional artifice of the superhero genre at large.
Ultimately, there’s no right or wrong reaction to this tricky plot development. However you feel about the novelty – or the dishonesty – of Avengers: Infinity War’s final moments reveals your preferences as to how you consume fiction. Yet it will be very interesting to evaluate this plot line in the future, in hindsight and with full awareness of the sprawling story.