Avengers Infinity War trailer: Key takeaways

We see Gamora explaining Thanos to Avengers at the beginning of the trailer. Gamora and Thanos go way back as those of us who have seen Guardians of the Galaxy movies know. Gamora and Nebula were adopted and raised by the Mad Titan for some (no doubt sadistic) reason. He made them fight each other, but Gamora always won. This is why Nebula is as much a machine as she is human, as she was being constantly ‘improved’. In the trailer, there is a glimpse of a flashback when Thanos holds Gamora’s (as a child) hand, possibly after having exterminated most of her race. Will flashbacks help flesh out Thanos’s character? Perhaps, and we may also see the softer side of Thanos here.

The being torturing and shushing up Doctor Stranger

Ebony Maw is the name of the guy who seems to be torturing Doctor Strange in the trailer, Hellraiser style. Maw is one of Thanos’s lieutenants, a Child of Thanos, one of the Black order, and while he is not known for his physical fighting abilities in comics, he has a radical mental effect on people just by talking to them. He changes the mind of people. His character might be written in a different way in films and he may well be trying to get the Time Stone from Strange.

Loki among Children of Thanos

Loki is an opportunist. A god with fluid morality. He does what he thinks would benefit him, or save his life. We saw he had the Space Stone at the end of Thor: Ragnarok. Now, Thanos has it. Loki, to protect himself, has likely offered it to him. He may be among the Black Order, but like all things about him, it is temporary and he may switch sides again. That is assuming he really is working with Thanos.

A headless red-caper?

This was pretty heart-stopping, but more likely the head is just bowed. While this film has a villain who is a ruthless galactic tyrant, it is unlikely we will see a superhero (Thor? Vision? Doctor Stranger) without a head. This is just a clever camera-angle and editing.

The God of Thunder

Thor is not shown with what would be his new weapon in Infinity War, a battle-ax called Stormbringer. Instead, he used lightning just like in Thor: Ragnarok after losing his hammer Mjolnir, and is he jump-starting the forge that would make his new weapon? And is that Peter Dinklage we hear? Will he play Eitri? God, can’t this movie come earlier?

The last stand in Wakanda

The superheroes have probably decided that Wakanda will be the place to hide Vision and the Mind Stone that Thanos will come to claim for his gauntlet. This is why we see Captain America and Black Widow meeting T’Challa, Okoye and the Dora Milaje. This is where that sprawling, open battle will be fought. It would be Thanos and his outriders versus most if not all the superheroes. The last stand will be in Wakanda owing to its superior technology and weapons. A huge battle in the savannah.

Thanos vs Iron Man?

There is a moment in the trailer when Thanos seems to taunt Iron Man. Probably before punching the hell out of him, Thanos says, “I hope they remember you.” Please don’t die, Tony.

Cap vs Thanos

Captain America is a man with a deceptively enormous strength. In MCU itself, he was able to move Mjolnir a little, causing Thor some discomfort. Steve Rogers is also a man who will always stand up against bullies because he does not like them. Captain America’s masculinity is not bravado, it is empathy and understanding. And here is he, able to stop a Thanos punch from the hand that houses two Infinity Stones.

Shuri gazes upon Vision

Shuri is a tech mastermind, but even she is awed by Vision. Vision is an AI being that was created with the help of Mind Stone that is now embedded snugly in his head. Shuri may have seen it all, what with her being a Wakandan, but she has not seen everything.

Where are Ant-Man, Hawkeye, Valkyrie, and others?

There is no clue. Valkyrie was in the aircraft that left at the end of Thor: Ragnarok. In the end credits, we saw Thanos’s giant space-ship confronting it, so she may be… dead? Unlikely, since there are rumours of Tessa Thompson being in an all-female Marvel movie. Hawkeye may be dead since he was one of the most undeveloped and dare we say, uninteresting Avenger. Ant-Man? He may have an important role to play in the film that Marvel wants to withhold in the trailer.