A movie 10 years in the making, Avengers: Infinity War brings together all of the films and characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for an epic battle against Thanos, the warlord from Titan. The film begins with Thanos attacking Thor and the Asgardians after the events of Thor: Ragnarok. Thanos is wearing the Infinity Gauntlet which currently holds the Power Stone. He uses the gauntlet against Thor and Loki and forces Loki to give him the Tesseract, which contains the Space Stone.
During their face-off, the Hulk attempts to save Thor and Loki. However, Thanos quickly overpowers and nearly kills him. Heimdall summons the last of his power to use the Bifrost and send Hulk to Earth, saving him. Loki attempts to confront Thanos, who kills him and leaves Thor floating in space. Now that Thanos has the Power and Space Stones, he sends his followers to Earth to retrieve the Time and Mind Stones.
Thanos steps out of his role of puppet-master and finally reveals himself as the ultimate villain of the Avengers.
Back on Earth, Hulk lands in the New York Sanctum in front of Doctor Strange and Wong. As he transforms back into Banner, he warns Strange that “Thanos is coming.” The group brings Tony Stark (Iron Man) back to the Sanctum to discuss their strategy, including how to get in touch with Captain America and his team (Black Widow, Falcon, and the Winter Soldier). They are interrupted when two of Thanos’ followers show up in New York to take the Time Stone from Strange. Stark, Wong, and Peter Parker (Spider-Man) fend them off, but they still manage to capture Strange aboard the spaceship along with the Time Stone. Stark and Parker secretly board the ship as well.
In Scotland, Wanda and Vision attempt to have a normal relationship. As they watch the news and learn of the events in New York, two more of Thanos’ followers attack them and try to take the Mind Stone from Vision’s head. Captain America and his team show up and rescue them, and they decide to go back to the Avengers base in order to rejoin the team and face the threat together. Rogers and his team reunite with Rhodey and Banner at the Avengers base. They decide to head to Wakanda for help removing the stone from Vision’s head so that Wanda can destroy it.
Like any family, the Avengers don’t always see eye to eye. However, they have a bond that goes beyond their dispute from the events of Captain America: Civil War. They will always set aside their differences for the greater good.
The team is an example of a chosen family. They may not be bonded by blood, but their shared experiences have created an unbreakable connection.
Back in space, the Guardians of the Galaxy rescue Thor and discover their common goal to defeat Thanos. They make a plan and split up into two groups. Thor, Groot, and Rocket head to Nidavellir to obtain a “Thanos-killing weapon” for Thor. Quill, Gamora, Drax, and Mantis head to Knowhere to protect the Reality Stone from Thanos. When they arrive at Knowhere, they find out they are too late. Thanos already has the Reality Stone, and he kidnaps Gamora in order to force her to lead him to the Soul Stone. When she does, Thanos finds himself confronted with a choice – the soul stone or Gamora’s life. He makes his choice and tearfully throws her off the side of the cliff, obtaining his fourth Infinity Stone.
Meanwhile, Stark and Parker manage to save Strange and land on Titan, Thanos’ home planet. They meet Quill, Drax, and Mantis, and learn that they are all here to face Thanos. Strange uses the Time Stone to look forward in time, and he informs Stark that there is only one possible outcome that will lead to their victory. The group works together to form a plan to defeat Thanos, and it almost works. However, Quill is enraged when he learns of Gamora’s death and gives Thanos the opportunity to overpower them. Strange gives Thanos the stone in exchange for sparing Stark’s life.
In Wakanda, King T’Challa’s sister works on removing the stone from Vision’s head while the Avengers await Thanos’ army. An epic battle ensues, but soon the team and Wakandan army are overwhelmed by Thanos’ forces. Rocket and Groot show up with Thor, who is wielding his new weapon Stormbreaker, and with their help they manage to hold off the army. Wanda works on destroying Vision’s stone, even though it’s still on his head. She is successful and kills Vision. However, Thanos appears and uses the Time Stone to reverse her actions. He then rips the stone from Vision’s head, acquiring the last stone and completing the Infinity Gauntlet.
The team experiences shock and loss when Thanos defeats them, and it is difficult to imagine how any of them will continue on.
With a snap of his fingers, Thanos succeeds in wiping out half of all life in the universe. The other members of the team look on as Barnes, T’Challa, Groot, Maximoff, Wilson, Mantis, Drax, Quill, Strange, and Parker turn to dust along with half of Earth’s population. Stark and Nebula are stranded on Titan, and Banner, Rocket, Rogers, Romanoff, and Thor stand around looking shocked in Wakanda. Meanwhile, Thanos heads to his garden and watches a sunrise.
The Avengers are not used to losing, and we as an audience are also not used to seeing them fail. When we face an unexpected loss, it knocks us off balance and may cause us to question the meaning of life. Loss is inevitable, and life is going to throw us some challenges during our time here on earth (although probably not a Thanos-level challenge). We can choose to either ignore the feelings that result from tragic events, or we can use them in order to grow and move forward.
Individual Online Therapy in Florida, Idaho, South Carolina, and Utah
At Calming Transformations Counseling, our therapists understand how life’s challenges can affect your emotional and mental well-being. We offer support for those experiencing anxiety, stress, depression, or relationship issues, including individuals seeking a religious or faith-based perspective. In addition to our standard therapeutic approaches, we also provide movie therapy—an engaging method that uses the power of film to explore emotions, promote self-reflection, and spark meaningful discussions about personal growth.
Photo Credit: Marvel Studios
