For the better part of the last 10 years, Marvel Studios has been building towards its most ambitious superhero film to date: Avengers: Infinity War. Now, with the release of the first official trailer, anticipation for the 2018 blockbuster couldn’t be higher.
Despite being just shy of two and a half minutes in length, there’s quite a bit to unpack in this new footage, so let’s not waste any time! Here are 10 things we learned from the Avengers: Infinity War trailer:
Vision Finally Becomes A Real Boy!
You remember Vision, don’t you? The loveable synthezoid with a body comprised of both vibranium and organic tissue? The well-spoken Avenger with the red face and with the glowing Mind Gem lodged in his forehead? Well, apparently Ultron and J.A.R.V.I.S.’ baby boy received a bit of an upgrade since we last saw him in Captain America: Civil War, because aside from the Mind Gem in his forehead, Vision looks strikingly similar to actor Paul Bettany.
Seeing Vision in human form is certainly jarring at first, but it isn’t unprecedented. We’ve already seen his ability to use the Mind Stone to generate synthetic cells, like when he first created his cape and armor in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Perhaps his new look is merely an attempt to woo Scarlet Witch since we learned in Civil War that she isn’t a fan of his cooking.
The Spidey Sense Exists In The MCU
There were a few things missing from Spider-Man: Homecoming that kept it from feeling like a real Spider-Man movie. There was no Uncle Ben, no dancing Tobey Maguire, and most importantly, no spidey sense. However, in the trailer, we finally get to see one of the web-slinger’s most iconic powers in action.
As Peter’s nodding off on the school bus, we see the hairs on his arm suddenly rise, almost as though there’s an electrostatic charge. When he looks up, he sees one of Thanos’ massive machines hovering above New York City. It’s a quick, perfectly executed scene that shows how exactly how his spidey sense works, and it’s a far more grounded interpretation of the ability then we got in the previous two Spider-Man franchises.
Loki Stole The Tesseract From Odin’s Vault
Earlier this month, we speculated that Loki swiped the Tesseract from Odin’s vault when he went to retrieve Surtur’s crown in Thor: Ragnarok. And while the trailer doesn’t outright confirm that he did, it’s easy enough to put two and two together.
After stepping past several dead Asgardians, we see the God of Mischief extend his hand, and as a familiar blue glow comes into frame, we learn that Loki is once again in possession of the Tesseract (aka the Space Stone). In fact, from the way the trailer’s cut, it’s implied that Loki is presenting the stone to Thanos, as the Mad Titan emerges from a portal in the very next scene. Could he be trying to get back in Thanos’ good graces after shortcomings in The Avengers?
Peter Dons The Iron Spider Suit
At the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tony Stark not only offers Peter a spot on the Avengers roster but he also offers him a stylish new costume that looks like a hybrid of the Iron Spider suit from the Mark Millar and Steve McNiven’s Civil War and one of Tony’s own armors. However, Peter declines both in favor of remaining a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, so it certainly comes as a surprise to see him sporting the new suit in the trailer.
We don’t get a clear look at any of the suit’s new abilities (aside from light-up eyes), nor do we learn the circumstances behind his decision to upgrade, but one can assume the new costume is better equipped to deal with Thanos and his minions. At least let’s hope so because Thanos doesn’t appear to be too gentle when he chokeslams Spidey into the ground.
The Hulkbuster Armor Makes A Comeback
Speaking of armor, another one that resurfaces in the trailer is Tony’s Hulkbuster armor, which we last saw in Avengers: Age of Ultron. This time, though, it isn’t Hulk that needs busting, and that’s actually a perfect segue to our next entry…
Thanos’ Soldiers Are The Outriders
We learned several months ago that when Thanos arrived on Earth, he wouldn’t be alone: He’d be accompanied by “the Children of Thanos,” aka the Black Order. However, much like the Chitauri in The Avengers and the Sub-Ultron bots in Age of Ultron, Infinity War will see another army of expendable soldiers that it’s OK for the heroes to kill because they’re not human: The Outriders.
Created by Jonathan Hickman, the Outriders first appeared in 2013’s Infinity event. Used by Thanos to find new planets to raze, they’re a race of genetically engineered humanoid creatures that possess abilities such as telepathy, invisibility, and density control (a la Vision). Their only purpose in life is to fulfill their master’s wishes, and upon doing so, they’re typically assassinated, so needless to say, we’ll probably see some dead Outriders one way or another.
There’s A Target On Vision’s Forehead
When we learned it was the Mind Stone that was used to create Vision, his fate was practically sealed. After all, how can Thanos assemble the full Infinity Gauntlet when one of the Infinity Stones is lodged in the forehead of an Avenger? Easy – he’ll rip it right out.
It isn’t actually Thanos that we see trying to retrieve the Mind Stone but rather a member of the Black Order, but in any case, the extraction seems to have the Android Avenger in a great deal of pain. Whether or not Thanos gets the stone (we’re betting he does) and whether or not Vision can survive without it remains to be seen, but let’s just hope Dr. Cho made another Regeneration Cradle before she was killed by Ultron.
The Soul Stone Is (Probably) In Wakanda
New York City is central to the Marvel Universe, both in the comics and in the movies. That being said, it’s a bit surprising to see that the bulk of the footage from the trailer takes place in Wakanda… unless there’s a specific reason for that.
Thanos and his army targeting Wakanda likely has nothing to do with Black Panther or vibranium. With the Soul Stone still MIA, it’s highly probable that the secluded African nation is housing the final Infinity Stone amongst its other secrets. And even if that’s not the case, Wakanda is clearly the location of a key battle sequence in the film, so either way, 2018’s going to be a Wakanda-heavy year for Marvel fans, with Black Panther hitting theaters in February.
War Machine Is Back In Action
Things weren’t looking too good for Colonel James Rhodes when we last saw him in Captain America: Civil War. After being accidentally blasted out of the sky by Vision, Rhodey was left paralyzed from the waist down, and although Tony developed a device that could help him walk again, his days as War Machine were seemingly over.
Apparently, that isn’t the case, though. In the trailer’s obligatory superhero team shot, we see War Machine flying alongside Captain America, Black Widow, Winter Soldier, Black Panther, and Okoye as they lead the Wakandan army into battle. To be fair, we don’t actually see who’s in the armor, so it could be someone other than Rhodey, or even the armor being operated remotely. However, Don Cheadle is confirmed for the film, so it’s possible he adapted to Tony’s new tech quicker than he expected.
Thor Is The First Avenger To Meet The Guardians Of The Galaxy
The inevitable meeting between the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the most anticipated moments in the MCU’s nine-year history. It was never entirely clear how it would happen, but all that mattered to fans was that it would happen.
In the trailer, we get our first taste of the epic encounter when the God of Thunder, who’s still sporting an eyepatch after Thor: Ragnarok, turns around to find himself face-to-face with Star-Lord, Groot, Gamora, Mantis, Rocket, and Drax. This moment appears to take place shortly after Ragnarok’s mid-credits scene, in which we see Thanos’ massive space vessel encroach upon the Asgardian refugee ship. In fact, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn already confirmed that GotG Vol. 2’s mid-credits scene featuring teenage Groot took place moments before Infinity War, so it’s safe to say that scene, Ragnarok, and Infinity War all take place within extremely close proximity to one another.