Spoiler discussion of Infinity War.

[JasonPratt]

Back with a question for discussion.

"Nanotech" armor. I understand the convenience of it from a film-making perspective. But I still feel like it's a mistake. The suits no longer feel real to me, I guess. I don't have the same problem with "Asgardian nanotech" (which I assume in-story Tony has reversed engineered or something like that, as it seems like a big jump since, wow, literally since only Spider-man a few story-months ago), but mainly because it's used sparingly in the films.

Did anyone else get a weird feeling of disappointment from the nano-tech applications in the film? Does it go so far as to break suspension of disbelief or something like that? I don't think I'll go on a crusade against it, but...  :-\

[Sir Slash]

I thought the whole nano-tech thing was just an easy way to have the actors faces on screen all the time without pulling off their helmets and then putting them back on---Ironman, Black Panther and Spider-Man. And Cap did have shields on each arm or at least one that I saw, small black shields that I assumed were made in Wakanda. I agree the biggest dishonesty was the scene from the trailers of the Hulk in the final battle when he didn't show up at all but maybe the decision to leave him out occurred last minute and the scene was already shot. Don't know. The funniest line I thought was Banner's, "There's an Ant Man AND a Spider-Man now"?

[JasonPratt]

He also had the best battle line: "Oh, you guys are so screwed now!"

He may have had the best battle lines overall through the movie.

[JasonPratt]

Put here for spoiler potential.

Rich Evans: "It's the most depressing summer popcorn flick since... insert joke here?" Mike suggests Ghostbusters '16.

There's also a nod to the possibility that Kevin Feige decided to model Cap's "Nomad" face on the toy, on Jay!

[JasonPratt]

I'll be curious to see if the RLM team (or anyone else) agrees that the biggest mistake for plot composition going forward was that all the original Avengers survive (plus Rhodey who has been there since IM1, though not as War Machine). Almost all the new characters introduced since then got axed. Vision and Scarlet, gone. Black Panther, gone. Spider-man, gone. Doctor Strange, gone. Cap's sidekicks, gone. All the Guardians except Rocket Raccoon and, arguably, Nebula, gone. Ant-man isn't. Maybe not the Wasp, but I wouldn't bet on that: I fully expect his movie will take place mostly before Av3. (Ditto Captain Marvel.) I half expect her to be sacrificed for plot stakes on his side of things. More than half-expect.

This contributed to the ending feeling especially hollow and incomplete for me. At the meta-textual level, I know there's no way this is going to be permanent; simply because the people whose contracts are running out survived and the new hot moneymakers died. (Admittedly Black Panther has a way forward, since Shuri can be BP now, and there would be an interesting story in his supporting cast dealing with this fallout -- potentially much more interesting than his own first film's story. For the record, a black female associate of mine was not consoled about the concept of Shuri inheriting the kingdom and mantle now.)

Edited to add: amusingly, at imdb the first cast credits feature the survivors first, right down to War Machine. Nebula and Rocket are the exceptions, but Rocket's actor though great isn't playing a character on screen per se, and Nebula is very much a side character.

[JasonPratt]

Meanwhile: so, like, Monique Ganderton (a stunt actress/double who helped coordinate stunts in Av3 and upcoming Av4, as well as helping in Thor 3), and Carrie Coon (best known probably for the Fargo TV series) worked together for the character of Proxima Midnight.

They'd be absolute gold for She-hulk, right? Presumably Carrie would be Jennifer normally, with Monique as the hulk-form?

[RedArgo]

My original guess for the next movie is they get the time stone back from Thanos, then go back and this time Thor hits him in the head with his super axe instead of the chest and prevents him from killing everyone.  Then I realized Dr Strange died, not sure how I missed that, so maybe this doesn't make as much sense.

[JudgeDredd]

My original guess for the next movie is they get the time stone back from Thanos, then go back and this time Thor hits him in the head with his super axe instead of the chest and prevents him from killing everyone.  Then I realized Dr Strange died, not sure how I missed that, so maybe this doesn't make as much sense.

Yeah but Wong isn't. He's still in New York. He stayed at the house.

[Sir Slash]

I was kind of surprised that there wasn't more between Banner and Black Widow than an awkward 'Hello'. My wife would've chewed major ass if I flew to another planet for a couple of years. And didn't call I mean. If I flew to another planet she'd probably celebrate and then throw away all my old clothes.

[RedArgo]

Yeah but Wong isn't. He's still in New York. He stayed at the house.

True, I forgot about him.  I don't remember from the Dr Strange movie if he was the only one who could do the time thing or others in his order could too.

[JudgeDredd]

Yeah but Wong isn't. He's still in New York. He stayed at the house.

True, I forgot about him.  I don't remember from the Dr Strange movie if he was the only one who could do the time thing or others in his order could too.

I think others in the order could - however, IIRC there was only Dr Strange and Wong left - the rest all died and they were left to protect the house in New York...iirc.

[JasonPratt]

I suspect Dr. Strange used the Eye to create a time copy of itself, so that there's something still on Titan for Stark (and Nebula) to use. This would go a long way toward explaining how Stark gets back in action, trying to make the Time Gem work.

Heck, that stets up Av4 as being a retroactive fan-salute to the completion of the first 10 years of the MCU, as he bounces around the timeline (maybe with Ant-Man) visiting key scenes from the prior films, and working on setting up better preparation for Thanos' arrival.

(Along the way he can run into Kang the Conquerer, who has connections to the Fantastic Four by being a descendant of Doom, and who would be highly interested not only in acquiring the gauntlet but in undoing the damage to the timestream caused by its usage. Kang could also provide future evidence to Darkseid that his plan sucked after all and made things worse instead of better, whereas if Thanos had been less crazy and/or had had more imagination he could have used the gems to better effect. For bonus points, since the MCU likes to drastically rewrite their villains, Kang could be a future manifestation of the Red Skull! -- now able to seek the soul stone once someone has retrieved it! This gives Thanos a redemption arc, too, since he's a Woobie Destroyer of Worlds.  ::) )

[Sir Slash]

I'm thinking for Avengers 4 Nebulla and a re-born Vision should get together and make a whole army of cyborg babies to take on Thanos. They would be his grandkids after all. And who better to  :pullhair: than a bunch of unruly grandkids?

[JasonPratt]

Actually, she forgot that in the film Thanos does know about at least one planet where everyone is living a paradisal life (or so he thinks anyway) thanks to his decimation. (Bi-cimation?) Namely Gamora's homeworld.

[JasonPratt]