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r_grayjoyHoly crap. My first real post in... I don't even want to think about how long. Somehow, Infinity War has caused me to have thoughts and observations and ideas that I think are worth sharing. Or at least posting for posterity's sake. :P
So... I adored it. I walked away from the theatre thinking, "Wow, that was awesome and everything an Avengers film should be, and there's so much potential for great fic between now and the time the next film is released! Fandom is gonna love this!" So imagine my surprise when I got online and started seeing all the negative reactions... *headdesk*
If any of you think those "dead" characters aren't coming back, you weren't paying attention.
Setting aside the fact that this is set in a comic book-based universe where virtually no one ever stays dead, and setting aside the logic that it simply doesn't make sense to eliminate half of your most beloved and potentially useful characters only halfway through a story, the writers dropped anvil-sized hints that we shouldn't consider those "deaths" to be too permanent. Hell, they practically spelled it out on a flashing neon sign.
Dr. Strange allowed things to play out the way they did, "deaths" and all, because he saw six billion some-odd possible outcomes and that was "the only way," right? But prior to that, how many times throughout the film did we see some character try to pull an "I'll sacrifice myself; you save yourself" scenario and some other character refuse to have it? They repeatedly said, "Nope, we don't trade people/leave people behind like that." If I recall correctly, the exact line that came up at one point was: "We don't trade lives." (Or "souls"? It might have been souls...?)
Either we have to believe that all of that was B.S. and that they do, in fact, "trade lives" if the stakes are high enough... OR we have to see all of those scenes as the writers blatantly telling us, "They'll be back, obvs." They didn't bother to do that much set-up, driving home the same idea over and over, for no reason, folks.
I'm willing to bet that "Avengers don't trade lives" line will find its way into the next film too -- and probably in a very "we told you so" sort of way.
Now for just a bit of related storytelling theorizing/prediction: The very first thing we're going to see in the follow-up film is the "dead" characters waking up/arriving in whatever alternate/pocket dimension they end up in and gradually regrouping. The last to show up will be Loki. He will make an appropriately dramatic and sarcastic entrance. The audience will collectively wet itself.
A possible tidbit to ponder: Obviously it's necessary for these characters to be "dead" for a while in order for them to do something in whatever alternate dimension/state they end up in. If we consider the specific powers and abilities of those characters, we might get some clues as to what it is they'll end up doing. And possibly how they'll make contact with/get back to the others. Those characters weren't chosen at random.
Aaaahhhh, OMG, remember when we all used to engage in this sort of analysis of new canon and speculation about what would come next all the time?! The good old days...
So... I adored it. I walked away from the theatre thinking, "Wow, that was awesome and everything an Avengers film should be, and there's so much potential for great fic between now and the time the next film is released! Fandom is gonna love this!" So imagine my surprise when I got online and started seeing all the negative reactions... *headdesk*
If any of you think those "dead" characters aren't coming back, you weren't paying attention.
Setting aside the fact that this is set in a comic book-based universe where virtually no one ever stays dead, and setting aside the logic that it simply doesn't make sense to eliminate half of your most beloved and potentially useful characters only halfway through a story, the writers dropped anvil-sized hints that we shouldn't consider those "deaths" to be too permanent. Hell, they practically spelled it out on a flashing neon sign.
Dr. Strange allowed things to play out the way they did, "deaths" and all, because he saw six billion some-odd possible outcomes and that was "the only way," right? But prior to that, how many times throughout the film did we see some character try to pull an "I'll sacrifice myself; you save yourself" scenario and some other character refuse to have it? They repeatedly said, "Nope, we don't trade people/leave people behind like that." If I recall correctly, the exact line that came up at one point was: "We don't trade lives." (Or "souls"? It might have been souls...?)
Either we have to believe that all of that was B.S. and that they do, in fact, "trade lives" if the stakes are high enough... OR we have to see all of those scenes as the writers blatantly telling us, "They'll be back, obvs." They didn't bother to do that much set-up, driving home the same idea over and over, for no reason, folks.
I'm willing to bet that "Avengers don't trade lives" line will find its way into the next film too -- and probably in a very "we told you so" sort of way.
Now for just a bit of related storytelling theorizing/prediction: The very first thing we're going to see in the follow-up film is the "dead" characters waking up/arriving in whatever alternate/pocket dimension they end up in and gradually regrouping. The last to show up will be Loki. He will make an appropriately dramatic and sarcastic entrance. The audience will collectively wet itself.
A possible tidbit to ponder: Obviously it's necessary for these characters to be "dead" for a while in order for them to do something in whatever alternate dimension/state they end up in. If we consider the specific powers and abilities of those characters, we might get some clues as to what it is they'll end up doing. And possibly how they'll make contact with/get back to the others. Those characters weren't chosen at random.
Aaaahhhh, OMG, remember when we all used to engage in this sort of analysis of new canon and speculation about what would come next all the time?! The good old days...
(no subject)
Date: 2018-04-30 10:23 am (UTC)