Avengers: Age of Ultron review: How does it impact Infinity War?
By Mike McNulty
Credit: Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Pictures; from Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
How will the events of this movie play into Infinity War?
Re-watching Age of Ultron with the knowledge of what’s to come, it’s surprising how much it feeds into the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War. I’m not just talking about the mid-credits scene with Thanos putting on his Infinity Gauntlet and saying “Fine, I’ll do it myself.” The entire movie takes every opportunity for sequel-baiting.
Look what happens with Thor after the Scarlet Witch invades his mind. Not only do his visions of the Infinity Stones hint towards Thanos’ plan, his dreams of Valhalla also foreshadow Thor: Ragnarok (2017). I do, however, find it curious Thor only sees the Infinity Stones already revealed in previous movies instead of all six of them. Maybe Marvel Studios didn’t know whether Doctor Strange would use the Time Stone or not, or decide upon the Soul Stone’s whereabouts.
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More intriguing is how Wanda’s powers affect Tony. Him seeing the Avengers dead as the Chituari swarm towards a defenseless Earth can be dismissed as a nightmare. But what if Tony is right in that it’s a glimpse of the future? I’m sure I wasn’t the only comic book fan who saw that scene and think of The Infinity Gauntlet.
Let’s not also forget how the Mind Stone plays a huge factor in the plot of this film. This one Infinity Stone is responsible for the creation of four different characters, especially The Vision. From the moment he appears, his importance in Infinity War was guaranteed. Thor even says how Vision as the wielder of the Mind Stone gives them an advantage for what’s coming. Vision’s origin in the film also adopts aspects of Adam Warlock’s from the comics. That makes sense as both characters are artificial humanoids, thus combining them into one character saves time.
Finally, there’s Thor leaving the Avengers to search for the Infinity Stones. It’s a logical in-film explanation for why Chris Hemsworth’s absence until Thor: Ragnarok, and, of course, sets the stage for the third Avengers film. This solidifies that, out of all the Marvel Studios films up to this point, the events of Age of Ultron are the ones which have the most bearing on Infinity War.
Next: Guardians of the Galaxy: How does it impact Avengers: Infinity War?
Bam Smack Pow’s Marvel Studios retrospective continues as we move into Stage III, and a surprise blockbuster about a teeny-tiny superhero who talks to ants.