10 Harshest Realities Of Rewatching The Infinity Saga 5 Years After Its End

Summary

• The Infinity Saga excelled but had flaws: plot holes, formulaic structure, and comic inaccuracies.
• The future of the Multiverse Saga struggles without a proper setup for the new Avengers post-Endgame.
• Many Infinity Saga MCU villains were let down by the franchise as it sought to learn how to best adapt them.

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The MCU’s Infinity Saga contained many of the best superhero movies ever released, but rewatching it now comes with some harsh realities. Since it commenced with Iron Man in 2008, the MCU timeline has grown into the most successful cinematic franchise in history, with most of the highest-grossing MCU movies taking place in the Infinity Saga. While the Multiverse Saga still has a way to go, it’s hard not to compare the quality between the two periods – but the Infinity Saga is far from infallible.

It is always going to be difficult to keep the shared narrative of so many composite movies airtight, but some realizations that come with a rewatch are difficult to overlook. Many of the criticisms leveled at the MCU in its first saga concerned plot holes, comic book inaccuracies, and a formulaic structure that began to grow stale quite quickly. It is safe to say the MCU has learned a lot of lessons since its earliest installments, which the realities of a rewatch only help to highlight.

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10 The Infinity Saga Should Have Set Up The New Avengers

There Has Been No Avengers Movie Since Avengers: Endgame

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Avengers: Endgame brought the Infinity Saga to a head in a spectacular fashion, finally bringing all of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes together in a visceral fight for existence. In doing so, it closed several of the MCU’s most central character arcs – with Tony Stark and Steve Rogers being the most prominent. Unfortunately, in finishing the stories of the Avengers’ leaders, it failed to properly establish who would be taking their place.

Possible Multiverse Saga Avengers	Infinity Saga Solo/Duo Movies Focused On The Character
Thor	3
Ant-Man	2
Spider-Man	2
Captain Marvel	1
Doctor Strange	1
Hulk	1
Wasp	1
Black Panther (Shuri)	0
Captain America (Sam Wilson)	0
Hawkeye (Clint Barton)	0
War Machine	0
Wong	0

This has left the Multiverse Saga in a state of disarray. While it seems the new Captain America will finally pull the MCU’s disparate heroes together down the line, their unification cannot carry the same impact as their predecessors’ three phases into the Multiverse Saga. Losing Stark and Rogers meant losing a reason to invest in the future of the MCU for many viewers, which is something the Infinity Saga should have curtailed with a new common cause for the new Avengers initiative – and audiences – to get behind before it was too late.

Avengers: Endgame
PG-13

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The penultimate chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Endgame, marks the finale of the first three phases of the MCU and acts as part two of Avengers: Infinity War. With Earth’s Mightiest Heroes failing to stop Thanos from wiping out half of all existence, the heroes discover one final chance to make things right. Journeying back through space and time, the surviving Avengers attempt to stop Thanos before all is lost.

Director Joe Russo , Anthony Russo Release Date April 26, 2019 Cast Chris Hemsworth , Anthony Mackie , Paul Rudd , Robert Downey Jr. , Scarlett Johansson , Mark Ruffalo , Evangeline Lilly , Sebastian Stan , Josh Brolin , Elizabeth Olsen , Tom Holland , Don Cheadle , Samuel L. Jackson , Bradley Cooper , Karen Gillan , Brie Larson , Paul Bettany , Chris Evans , Jeremy Renner , Chadwick Boseman Runtime 182 Minutes

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9 The Hulk Was Let Down

The Incredible Hulk Only Had One Solo Movie

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It became increasingly apparent as the Infinity Saga progressed that the MCU’s version of Hulk paled in comparison to his comic book counterpart. While Hulk had his share of wow moments in the early days – such as flooring a Chitauri Leviathan with a single punch and humbling Loki in seconds – he would later be used as the punching bag through which the power levels of other characters could be displayed. The rage-fueled powerhouse would ultimately end his tenure by being summarily humiliated by Thanos in a fistfight, petering out before the Smart Hulk persona took center stage.

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The Incredible Hulk was released in June 2008.

The insult to Hulk’s legacy is compounded by the fact that he still only has one solo movie to his name. The Incredible Hulk may not have been the highest-grossing or highest-rated MCU movie, but the founding Avenger deserved more than always playing second fiddle to his colleagues. Thankfully, Smart Hulk is still in operation in the Multiverse Saga, so his redemption – and a deeper look at his character – is not yet beyond the realm of possibility.

The Incredible Hulk
PG-13

The second film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is The Incredible Hulk, which was released in 2008. The film introduced a new backstory for the Hulk to differentiate it from the 2003 movie, Hulk. Actor Edward Norton played the role of the green hulk, and his alter ego Bruce Banner. He is joined by actress Liv Tyler who plays his love interest, Dr. Elizabeth “Betty” Ross. Betty’s father, General Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt), is hoping to recreate a World War II supersoldier program and, in the process, exposes Bruce to gamma radiation that transforms him into the Hulk. He flees to find a cure for himself but is eventually tracked down by Thunderbolt, who forms an alliance with Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth). After The Incredible Hulk, Mark Ruffalo took over the character for subsequent movies in the MCU. 

Director Louis Leterrier Release Date June 13, 2008 Cast Edward Norton , Liv Tyler , Tim Roth , William Hurt , Tim Blake Nelson , Ty Burrell , Lou Ferrigno Runtime 112 minutes

8 The Infinity Saga’s Villain Roster Wasted A Lot Of Antagonists With Major Potential

The Infinity Saga Villains Were Often Criticized

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Some of the earliest teething problems in the MCU concerned its villains. Despite starting strong with Obadiah Stane, Red Skull, and Loki, the Infinity Saga would go on to waste the potential of many iconic Marvel Comics villains. Thor: The Dark World‘s Malekith, Captain Marvel‘s Yon-Rogg, and Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Ronan the Accuser were among the most forgettable characters in the MCU, while the titular villain of Avengers: Age of Ultron barely resembled the original. As most of these villains died in their MCU debuts, the tragedy is compounded by the prospect that they can’t be redeemed.

While the Multiverse Saga is still not immune to the same mistakes – Karli, MODOK, and Taskmaster being three examples – it is safe to say that the MCU has improved in a lot of ways since its earliest days, which arguably helped pave the way to Thanos’ success. With the likes of Gorr the God Butcher being Thor: Love & Thunder‘s most agreed-upon saving graces, and the High Evolutionary’s Chukwudi Iwuji delivering an Oscars-worthy performance, the MCU’s villain track record is hopefully set to continue to improve with time.

7 The MCU’s New Hero Reveals Make Key Infinity War Battles Look Weirder

Where Were The Rest Of Earth’s Heroes?

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As the Multiverse Saga continues to debut and develop the stories of brand-new characters, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to explain where they were when Thanos invaded. The Defenders, for instance, were nowhere to be seen when Ebony Maw descended on New York, which is even harder to explain now that Daredevil and Punisher (at least) are confirmed MCU canon. Xu Wenwu, meanwhile, with the near infinite resources and information at the disposal of his Ten Rings, didn’t see fit to intervene with this alien threat at all.

Re-watching Thanos’ invasion of Earth is now difficult to do without also imagining these new heroes simply twiddling their thumbs somewhere off-screen.

Eternals attempted to explain the absence of the titular team during Earth’s plight by stating that they were prevented from intervening in human struggles. Unfortunately, it is hard to reconcile this directive with the fact that Thanos’ Snap poses a significant setback to the Celestials’ plans to nourish new Celestial life with the lives of a planet’s inhabitants. Re-watching Thanos’ invasion of Earth is now difficult to do without also imagining these new heroes simply twiddling their thumbs somewhere off-screen.

Avengers: Infinity War
PG-13

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Avengers: Infinity War is the third Avengers movie in the game-changing Marvel Cinematic Universe. This film is positioned as the beginning of the culmination of everything that has transpired in the franchise to date. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo, who previously helmed Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Civil War, have assembled the largest ensemble in a superhero film to date. Nearly every living character in the MCU is included as the Avengers join forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy to take down Thanos in a battle that has massive repercussions for the future of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. A sequel, Avengers: Endgame, was released in 2019 and marked the end of the Infinity Saga.

Director Joe Russo , Anthony Russo Release Date April 27, 2018 Cast Chris Hemsworth , Anthony Mackie , Elizabeth Olsen , Robert Downey Jr. , Scarlett Johansson , Mark Ruffalo , Sebastian Stan , Paul Rudd , Chadwick Boseman , Don Cheadle , Samuel L. Jackson , Josh Brolin , Tom Holland , Evangeline Lilly , Paul Bettany , Chris Evans , Jeremy Renner Runtime 149 minutes

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6 The Soul Stone Was Neglected

The Soul Stone’s Purpose Was Hard To Place

Although it wasn’t fleshed out from the jump, the Infinity Saga eventually took shape around the Infinity Stones and Thanos’ pursuit of them in the background. This would lead to powerful items like the Tesseract, Scepter, and Aether being vessels for the Space Stone, Mind Stone, and Reality Stone respectively. The Guardians of the Galaxy and Doctor Strange then debuted with the Power Stone and Time Stone playing central roles in their respective stories. The Soul Stone, meanwhile, debuted in Avengers: Infinity War out of nowhere.

While Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame used the Soul Stone to deliver two of the MCU’s most heart-wrenching deaths, this impact was nullified by how suddenly the Soul Stone appeared. As a result, it is the most nebulous of the collection in terms of specific powers. The fact that Adam Warlock – whose powers are tied to the stone in the comics – would debut in a post-infinity stone landscape only helps to increase the frustration behind the Soul Stone’s sidelining, especially as the character was teased in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

5 Thanos Is The Superior Arch-Villain

The MCU Still Heavily Features The Long-Dead Titan

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Two phases into the Multiverse Saga, it is becoming increasingly apparent that Thanos is difficult to beat in a contest of arch-villainy. The drama surrounding Jonathan Majors has not helped with Kang the Conqueror’s emergence as the new big bad ostensibly intended to kick Thanos to the curb, but neither has the fact that several MCU movies have completely overlooked his presence. Furthermore, while there was only one variant of Thanos to worry about in the Infinity Saga, there is no question that he wouldn’t find himself defeated by Ant-Man and his cohorts in his cinematic debut.

Even Marvel seems resigned to the idea that Thanos is still the paragon of villainy as it continues to spotlight him in various What If…? stories and feature his voice in trailers for movies he has nothing to do with. While most of these appearances admittedly feature his death at the hands of various variants, lingering over Thanos instead of spotlighting Kang only helps to make audiences pine for the erstwhile arch-villain. At this point, Thanos would probably wipe the floor with Kang – which is a notion that should change quickly.

4 Wenwu’s Debut Makes Iron Man’s Worst Movies Worse

If Only The Real Mandarin Had Emerged In Iron Man’s Trilogy

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Despite being emblematic of the MCU as a whole, Iron Man had a somewhat rocky trilogy. This was thanks in part to his underwhelming rogues’ gallery that comprised a series of disappointments. While Iron Man’s roster of comic book nemeses isn’t exactly the most exciting (with most reading from Obadiah Stane’s playbook), his rivalry with the Mandarin is iconic. This made the Trevor Slattery rug pull in Iron Man 3 a hard pill to swallow, but that pill got significantly larger after learning the real Mandarin was in operation the entire time.

The Mandarin retcon began with the MCU one-shot, All Hail the King, in which an imprisoned Trevor Slattery was kidnapped by a Ten Rings lackey of the clandestine terrorist he impersonated. The fact that Xu Wenwu – the real Mandarin – wouldn’t then debut until after Iron Man’s death makes watching his trilogy back frustrating, knowing that the Ten Rings debuted at the same time as Tony Stark and were never fleshed out in his movies. If Xu Wenwu made himself known to Tony after his initial Ten Rings escape, his trilogy could have been so much more iconic.

Iron Man 3
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Iron Man 3 pits genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist Tony Stark (Iron Man) against the Mandarin, an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his world destroyed by his mysterious antagonist, he embarks on a dangerous quest to find those responsible. His journey will test his character at every turn. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him and determine whether or not the suit makes the man or if Tony himself is the hero.

Director Shane Black Release Date May 3, 2013 Cast Ben Kingsley , Guy Pearce , Paul Bettany , Don Cheadle , gwyneth paltrow , Jon Favreau , Robert Downey Jr. Runtime 130 Mins

3 It’s Going To Be Hard To Top MCU Phase 3

Phase 3 Is The Highest-Rated MCU Phase

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As it stands, MCU Phase 3 is the highest-rated phase on average. MCU Phase 5 still has 3 movies in the pipeline, and MCU Phase 4 isn’t technically as bad as online discourse might suggest. Still, when comparing where the MCU was at the start of MCU Phase 3 and MCU Phase 6, it is hard to imagine how the final phase of the Multiverse Saga can deliver as many home runs in short order as MCU Phase 3 did.

MCU Phase 3 Release	Rotten Tomatoes Score
Captain America: Civil War	90%
Doctor Strange	89%
See more : Sistas Season 6 Episode 11 Release Date and Time, Countdown, When Is It Coming Out? Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2	85%
Spider-Man: Homecoming	92%
Thor: Ragnarok	93%
Black Panther	96%
Avengers: Infinity War	85%
Ant-Man and the Wasp	87%
Captain Marvel	79%
Avengers: Endgame	94%
Spider-Man: Far From Home	91%

This is amplified by the fact that the MCU started ramping up release schedules in earnest with MCU Phase 3, so the current release schedule doesn’t even have the benefit of numbers to fall back on. Many of the best movies in the MCU fall within the third phase, while the best movies in the Multiverse Saga feel decidedly more scattered thus far. All that remains is that MCU Phase 6 will pull it out of the bag with anticipated installments like The Fantastic Four and Blade in the pipeline.

2 Captain America Was Selfish

But He Did Deserve It

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After watching Bucky Barnes’ MCU arc culminate in his redemption during the Battle of Wakanda and the Battle of Earth, it is difficult to stomach his best friend leaving him behind in favor of pursuing a life with a woman he knew for a comparatively brief period. Instead of enjoying their hard-won peace together, and helping one another move on from their experiences, Steve capitalized on his access to time travel to reunite with Peggy Carter. Instead of returning to the present to take on the next mission, he made the uncharacteristic call to think of himself.

None of that is to say, however, that Steve Rogers’ ending wasn’t perfect or deserved. On the contrary, the First Avenger had every right to live out the rest of his days in peace and happiness following his victory over the biggest threat the universe has faced. Nevertheless, he wasn’t the only hero to contribute to Thanos’ defeat, yet he seems to be the only one who sidestepped the aftereffects, as he finally put himself first and lived a life of contentment outside the public eye.

1 The Avengers Were Never Friends

There Was Little Emotional Support

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After all they have been through, it is easy to envisage the Avengers being more than just colleagues. After all, Thor’s “Friend from work” comments in Thor: Ragnarok, Bruce’s impromptu therapy session with Tony, and the iconic post-credits shwarma scene in The Avengers all suggest that the Avengers are the best of friends outside of saving the universe. Yet their actions, or lack thereof, suggest otherwise.

Wanda Maximoff, for instance, underwent one of the most tragic character arcs in the MCU. Instead of helping ensure that the traumatic loss of her family, brother, and soulmate could be properly navigated, she was left to her own devices and descended into villainy. Thor’s predictable post-Snap downward spiral was also enabled, as signified by the Avengers’ shock at his appearance after five years. Then there was Tony’s lonely experience with PTSD after saving Earth in The Avengers. If the Avengers were truly friends, it stands to reason that these mental health crises might have been handled better.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.

Created by Kevin Feige Cast Robert Downey Jr. , Chris Evans , Scarlett Johansson , Samuel L. Jackson , Jeremy Renner , Chris Hemsworth , Mark Ruffalo , Edward Norton , Paul Rudd , Tom Holland , Tom Hiddleston , Anthony Mackie , Cobie Smulders , Brie Larson , Chadwick Boseman , Sebastian Stan , Chris Pratt , Dave Bautista , Zoe Saldana , Bradley Cooper , Vin Diesel , Pom Klementieff , Josh Brolin , Karen Gillan , Clark Gregg , Paul Bettany , Don Cheadle , Benedict Cumberbatch , Evangeline Lilly , Simu Liu , Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Angelina Jolie , Kit Harington , Salma Hayek , Richard Madden , Barry Keoghan , Gemma Chan , Ma Dong-seok , Brian Tyree Henry , Kumail Nanjiani , Lauren Ridloff , Lia McHugh , Jonathan Majors

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Upcoming Marvel Movies	Release Date
Deadpool & Wolverine	July 26, 2024
Captain America: Brave New World	February 14, 2025
Thunderbolts*	May 2, 2025
The Fantastic Four	July 25, 2025
Blade	November 7, 2025
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty	May 1, 2026
Avengers: Secret Wars	May 7, 2027

Source: https://www.ngoaingubigben.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment