The Final Scene: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’

The Final Scene looks at the past few minutes of a few of the most famous movies of the previous fifty years. This week, in honour of the launch of ‘Avengers: Endgame’, we’re looking at ‘Avengers: Infinity War’…

Cliffhangers in movies are not anything new. In the’30s and’40s, the chapter performs – by their own nature – relied on cliffhangers in order to make sure people came back, but also to direct the narrative along. The Marvel Cinematic Universe was built around this idea, that each narrative leads into the following, which leads to the next, etc and so on. Together with ‘Avengers: Infinity War’, the end was what made the movie – and what sets it up for Avengers:’ Endgame’.

So often, the issue with all the Marvel Cinematic Universe has ever been that there are little to no bets. Tony Stark is obviously going to survive because, well, there is just no way it’s going to go on without him. Likewise, you are not just going to present characters such as Spider-Man and Black Panther, then wipe them out at an instant. Would you? Apparently, you are able to.

It is a nod to Tom Holland’s performance as Spider-Man that he can turn up for 2 movies and audiences react more to his demise than every other personality, chiefly because his suffering isn’t just the most prolonged but the one which no uncertainty haunts Tony Stark the maximum. After all, he brought him into this mess – as we watch in the beginning of the movie – and he has to contend with the failure, and the cost of this collapse in real terms.

The Final Scene in which”The Snap” happens, by turning everyone to dust, is a fascinating choice. In the comic books, the event simply happens with a snap of Thanos’ fingers, and also the heroes have no prior understanding. Even more pointedly, people simply disappear. There’s no turning to ash, but rather a simple vanishing act before people’s eyes. Compare this to the movie, where we see not only all the heroes, but we know precisely why Thanos is doing what he is doing.

The nearest comparison, aside from the serial plays of the’50s, for’Avengers: Infinity War’ was in’The Empire Strikes Back’ – which was affected greatly by’Flash Gordon’ serials of the’30s. The movie, as we know, ends following Luke Skywalker has his hand sliced off by Darth Vader, who is only revealed that he is his father. Not just that, Han Solo has been encased in carbonite and taken away for a conversation starter for a crime leader he’s been running out of since the first movie. The shock of the ending wasn’t lessened by the fact that we understood a third one was arriving.

The same is true for’Avengers: Infinity War’. Though we are aware that the next chapter is coming, the impact is still there and really heightens it.