Did Avengers: Infinity War's Ending Live Up To All The Hype?

By now, we've had several days to process the many (many) events and consequences of Avengers: Infinity War. It's a film that's had the internet buzzing and fans gushing about what they've seen, because let's face it: this was a titanic cinematic event that left us all breathless at the best of times. That said, there's one aspect of the movie that annoyed longtime Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans: the ending. After such a long build-up and so many teases of huge surprises, was it as satisfying and shocking as the filmmakers promised? We don't think so, and that's what we'll be chatting about in more detail. Look, this doesn't mean that the pic was a complete failure or that it's a terrible movie – quite the contrary – it's just an honest conversation about an aspect of it that we can't ignore. Before we venture deep into spoiler territory here, consider this your final warning. We'll be discussing key happenings in Infinity War, so if you're one of the two people who still haven't watched it yet, please bookmark this page and come back after you've seen it. We'll be waiting. The Superman Effect One thing that the MCU has been reluctant about doing is confirming the definitive plans of Phase 4 of its film slate. It makes sense, though, with many contracts still being up in the air and no one knowing who'll be back for more movies. Two films that they have confirmed though are the sequels to Spider-Man: Homecoming and Black Panther. If you saw the events of Avengers: Infinity War, you'll understand how this is a problem. In terms of T'Challa's next story, the sequel is a few years away. Still, anyone with two brain cells will know there's no way that Marvel will kill off its latest breakout star now. This is definitely one of the deaths that won't stick, despite Kevin Feige's insistence that the deaths in the movie are permanent. Yeah, right… Warner Brothers' DCEU got pummeled by the media for killing off Superman in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, but everyone knew he'd be back in Justice League. Marvel has the same problem with Spider-Man now, but will the studio be called out for it as well? Spidey's film arrives on July 5, 2019, while Avengers 4 is scheduled for May 3, 2019. Considering marketing for these movies starts about six months before release, this creates a problem: How do you promote a solo film when the superhero is supposedly dead? Of course, Spider-Man and Black Panther aren't actually gone for good, because money is greater than any narrative device. This storyline decision, though, was poorly thought out since most fans would be clued-up about the forthcoming movies. So that special teary-eyed moment between Peter Parker and Tony Stark? It lost all of its impact because we know it wasn't really the end of the road for the Web-Slinger. Marvel's Reluctance To Pull The Trigger (And Let It Mean Something) The biggest disappointment was after all the teases about one of the major guns, such as Captain America or Iron Man, biting the bullet, none of them did. It could still happen in Avengers 4, but it failed to happen here. At the end of the day, it's still up the old breed to save the world in the finale of this two-part story. Once again, this shows us the MCU's reluctance to pull the trigger when it comes to big decisions. The studio takes the easy way out and doesn't like taking creative risks that'll have repercussions. It's disappointing, really, because there was real potential to close the chapter on a decade of movies in a more meaningfully way than what we saw. Even the non-vaporized deaths of Loki, Vision, Gamora, and Heimdall feel they could be overturned at any moment – especially Loki's since we never know if he's really dead or faking it. While it's possible that these will be the ones that do stick, you can never be sure with Marvel. Apart from Quicksilver's demise, which was more due to the character's rights being shared between Fox and Marvel, no other hero's death in the MCU has felt like it was final. Any good writer will tell you that a death in a story needs to have meaning and last. Otherwise, we're in a soapie-like situation where Stefano DiMera dies and comes back a million times. After a while no one will believe that your characters are really dead, and death feels as common as a wedding in a CW show. Right now, we think everyone will make a "triumphant" return in Avengers 4. Marvel is a family-friendly studio, after all, and it won't want the culmination of Phase 3 to traumatize kids (again). The Real Story Of The Ending It's understandable to see why the MCU went for the ending it did. For the average moviegoers who don't read the dirt sheets, they have no clue what's coming next on the film slate and might buy this ending as being legitimate. Heck, even the kids in the cinema bawled their eyes out when Spidey died, so there definitely was impact felt there. From the outside, it looks like an edgy climax that perfectly sets the tone for part two of this story and a victory lap for the heroes over the biggest threat they've ever faced. The truth is, this ending was a good insurance policy for the studio, but a disservice to an overall better narrative. It isn't necessarily a bad narrative; it just could've been better. There's an out here for the MCU, filled with so many loopholes that could make all the events of this last film null and void. When Doctor Strange told Tony that he only saw one possibility of defeating Thanos, it's pretty evident that it meant that Tony's supposed to live so he can save the world. Before the good doctor vanished into thin air, he told Iron Man there was no other way. That's a huge clue right there, so don't be surprised if time is reset in the next film and everything goes back to being hunky-dory. Did We Get Robbed? It's difficult to say we were robbed. Avengers: Infinity War played out more like an event than it did a standalone movie. If you went into it not knowing anything about the MCU, you would've been lost and confused. It was certainly more episodic than the other movies we've seen. Look, it was a larger-than-life spectacle that delivered some of the most fascinating scenes we've ever witnessed and brought together an entire universe of characters. On that level, it did something entirely unique and unheard of, so it should be applauded for doing so. The conclusion (or let's say the end of part one) of the film though did leave the impression that more could've happened – or have had lasting consequences. Or maybe it's similar to the case of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, where our expectations and wild fan theories got the best of us. The resentment that film gets ("not muh Star Wars") is mostly a result of the story going against the grain. Perhaps this is the same of Avengers: Infinity War, too. Should we really have expected the MCU to take such massive gambles in the first place? If we've learned anything here, it's that we need to temper our expectations for Avengers 4. It'll be big, yes, but it might not be as shocking as you'd expect it to be. Tell us, do you think the ending of Avengers: Infinity War was a cop-out? Sound off in the comments section below.