Five years ago the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe changed forever, and some would say it still hasn’t recovered. Marvel fans around the world celebrated the fifth anniversary of the release of Avengers: Infinity War and the moment that Thanos finally made his mark on the MCU by defeating Earth’s mightiest heroes and wiping out half of the universe with one snap of his fingers.
In 2018, Anthony and Joe Russo delivered the first part of the Infinity Saga’s finale with a movie that would be one of the biggest superhero films ever put on screen – at least until Avengers: Endgame arrived the following year. Pulling in characters from over ten years of Marvel Studios movies, Infinity War brought with it plenty of amazing action sequences, memorable character returns and one huge final battle which culminated in one of the most devastating endings seen in the superhero genre.
Now five years on, with the real world having caught up with the Marvel timeline following its time jump at the beginning of Endgame, fans have taken to social media to celebrate the achievement of putting the film on screen and share their favorite moments. Naturally, it was also a chance for some to note that it was also a “better time” for Marvel following the lackluster performance of Phase 4 in the last few years.
Will Marvel Ever Reach Infinity War Level Again?
That is a question that will only be answered in time, but if they do it will not be for a few years yet, which is a point that many who criticize the Marvel franchise often forget. Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame were the concluding chapters in a story that took over ten years to tell. After that finale, the franchise needed to almost start again, taking time to show the fallout of the Infinity Saga and bringing in a new wave of heroes as the balance of characters shifts.
For anyone who didn’t jump aboard the Marvel train until The Avengers in 2012, or in some cases even later, it was much easier to jump into the franchise and go back to watch the individual introductions of the likes of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Hulk without waiting years to see them collaborating against Loki in the first big crossover test Marvel Studios produced.
Now it is not so easy to know where to start when it comes to beginning a journey into the MCU, with almost 30 movies and a dozen TV shows to choose from, a multiverse timeline to navigate and many new characters to get to know. All of this, an the overbearing expectation that every new movie is going to be an Endgame level story. With the exception of Spider-Man: No Way Home, with did become Tom Holland’s own Endgame of sorts, the latest additions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe has not quite landed in the same as as their predecessors. In time, people may look back on them in a different way, but for now the MCU is still a long way from recapturing the movie magic of Infinity War and Endgame.
For those wanting to relive Avengers: Infinity War, the epic movie and all other MCU offerings can be found on Disney+.