WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War, now in theaters nationwide.
Avengers: Infinity War assembled its way into theaters nationwide on April 27, and after 10 years of anticipation, it certainly delivered in just about every area that truly counts. However, there are still a few select moments of the film that ultimately left us with more questions than answers.
That being said, here are five questions we have after watching Avengers: Infinity War:
Where Was Valkyrie?
At the start of the film, we see Thanos and the Black Order making life a living hell for Thor aboard the Statesman, with countless dead Asgardians lying all across the ship. However, this scene supposedly takes place just moments after the mid-credits scene from Thor: Ragnarok, and at that time, it wasn’t just Thor, Loki, and the Asgardians aboard the ship – there was also Valkyrie (not to mention the various refugees from Sakaar).
Does that mean Valkyrie was among the dead? It seems highly unlikely that, after such a standout performance in Ragnarok, Marvel Studios would kill the character off-camera. Furthermore, Thor makes it a point to tell the Guardians that Thanos killed half his people (even though he blows up the ship and Thor is seemingly the only survivor). Are we to assume Valkyrie escaped before Thanos’ attack?
Did Hawkeye’s Family Survive Thanos’ Death-Snap?
Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye always seems to get the short end of the stick, so when he was inexplicably left out of all of the Avengers: Infinity War marketing, most fans assumed it was because he would die in the film. Surprisingly, though, not only does Clint Barton not die, but he also doesn’t even appear in the film, at all.
The in-film explanation is that Hawkeye, much like Ant-Man, is on house arrest and with his family, but since Clint is rumored to show up in Avengers 4 under his comic book counterpart’s Ronin gimmick, is it possible this change is spawned from the death of his family? After all, such a drastic makeover would need to have some sort of believable in-universe impetus, and a family tragedy certainly seems to fit the bill.
What’s Wrong with The Hulk?
The only time in Infinity War that we actually get to see Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner as the Green Goliath is during his short-lived battle with Thanos in the opening scene. From there on, Banner is completely unable to unleash the beast, with The Hulk only manifesting to shout “NO!” whenever Banner tries to summon him.
With that in mind, what, exactly, is wrong with The Hulk? In Thor: Ragnarok, Banner mentioned that if he were to transform again, he could end up stuck as The Hulk forever, so is his newfound Hulk-tile Dysfunction just a continuation of that plot point? From a behind-the-scenes perspective, it certainly makes sense to cripple the heroes’ biggest behemoth and further stack the deck against them, but there has to be a good in-story reason, too, and so far, nothing has presented itself.
Is the Infinity Gauntlet Destroyed?
After Thanos snaps his fingers and summons a wave of death across the universe, we see that the Infinity Gauntlet looks every bit as charred as one of those Infinity Gauntlet oven mitts that were recalled in 2016 due to burn hazards. While the Infinity Stones still appear to be unharmed, is the Gauntlet now unusable?
Obviously, the Infinity Stones are still plenty powerful without the Gauntlet, but it’s only with the Gauntlet that all six can be wielded in unison. Perhaps the Mad Titan will need to pay another visit to Eitri the Dwarf King on Nidavellir.
How Will Avengers 4 Undo Thanos’ Genocide?
Even though Thanos wiped them away with the snap of his fingers, you’re kidding yourself if you think characters such as Black Panther, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and half of the Guardians of the Galaxy are gone for good. With the state of the Infinity Gauntlet up in the air though, how will Earth’s Mightiest Heroes undo the deadly effects of Thanos’ so-called “destiny” in Avengers 4?
Clearly, the Gauntlet is going to somehow factor into the equation, but even if it does, you also have to wonder just how many of the casualties from Infinity War will come back. Will it just be those killed by the snap of Thanos’ fingers, or will characters such as Loki, Heimdall, Gamora, and Vision also get new leases on life?
Unfortunately, the answers to these questions – and a whole lot more – likely won’t be answered until Avengers 4 hits theaters next year.