The Infinity War: Art of the Movie book shows Spider-Man battling Outriders to protect Doctor Strange. Peter Parker and Strange didn't really meet until the youngster came to his rescue aboard the Q Ship. Parker's knowledge of the 1986 sci-fi classic Aliens was instrumental in helping to rescue Strange from Ebony Maw, but it appears that an earlier version of the Infinity War script had the duo meeting back in New York, before boarding Thanos' ship.

While looking at Marvel's new concept art book, it seems that the Outriders were going to play a much larger role in the movie than what ended up being shown in the final cut. The latest piece of concept art from the book features Spider-Man fighting off several Outriders while Doctor Strange is wrapped up safely in some of Spidey's webbing back in New York. Cull Obsidian and Ebony Maw ended up being the only villains to land in New York to obtain the Time Stone on the big screen.

It appears that the original plan in Infinity War was to set up the Black Order with their own gangs of Outriders, instead of them showing up in Wakanda towards the end of the movie. In a different version of the script, Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian could have brought their own gang of Outriders to New York City in order to acquire the Time Stone, while Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive could have taken a gang to Edinburgh to obtain the Mind Stone from Vision. Additionally, the Outriders were featured more in the LEGO sets for the movie.

As to why the Outriders scenes were cut, that is unknown. However, it's a safe bet that the Russo Brothers were looking to trim some of the fat from Infinity War for runtime, as well as storytelling purposes. Having the Outriders appear during the massive battle of Wakanda is great because it proves that the Black Order initially underestimated the Avengers, which is why they needed all of the help that they could get to accomplish Thanos' goal. Plus, leaving the focus on the Black Order helped to show just how powerful they were.

The relatively easy killing of the Black Order was one of the main gripes that Marvel Cinematic Universe fans had with Infinity War. But, that could all change with the upcoming Avengers 4, which will reportedly have some time traveling components that could, in theory, bring back Ebony Maw, Cull Obsidian, Corvus Glaive, and Proxima Midnight. That doesn't mean that it's confirmed that the villains will return, but it is a possibility at the moment. Marvel Studios is keeping every little detail, including the official title of Avengers 4, under wraps for the time being. While we wait for more information, you can check out the Infinity War concept art below, thanks to Marvel.