When it comes to the current cycle of movies, no rumor is too big or too small to be reported. With all of the curveballs, surprise reveals, and big names who've come out of the woodwork wanting to jump onboard the Marvel Cinematic Universe bandwagon, there are a number of stories that we could easily pick up for discussion. However, The Daily Marvelite laid down a rumor so massive and so promising that we just had to dive into why we think it's such a good idea. Strap in kids, because it's time to discuss why making The Avengers 3 into not one, but two films, is a brilliant idea!
So the big rumor is that the fight against Thanos in The Avengers 3 is going to be so massive that it can't possibly fit into one film. With the Guardians Of The Galaxy planning to team up with The Avengers at some point in the next couple of phases, and the Infinity Stones being the ultimate macguffin, this rumor isn't that ridiculous. After all, if you're going to throw together your two iconic superhero teams into one film, you're naturally going to want to make that one film into two. While many have written this rumor off as Marvel trying to do what blockbusters have already been doing, the two part approach is one that any good Marvel crossover has always taken proper advantage of.
Picture this hypothetical, if you will: The Avengers: Age Of Ultron ends with Bruce Banner/The Hulk being rocketed off into space, as per Ultron's plot to disband The Avengers. With nothing to be done but watch, The Avengers try to locate their dislocated comrade through all of the technology that's available to them. Eventually, The Hulk runs into the Guardians Of The Galaxy (shortly after their next cinematic adventure) and the signal is located. The Guardians and Hulk make their way towards Earth, just as Thanos decides to follow them.
The Avengers 3 sees Thanos coming to Earth with the final Infinity Stone lodged in the Gauntlet, ready to rain down all sorts of pain on the mightiest fighting team on Earth. The remaining Avengers suffer a serious walloping, and just when all looks lost, in come The Guardians and The Hulk to save the day. Next stop: The Avengers 3.5, coming this fall! This of course is a hypothetical structure, but when you look at the rumors for The Avengers: Age Of Ultron and Dave Bautista's possible role in The Avengers 3, it's not a hard stretch to assume that this is a likely way to break things apart.
If Thanos is supposed to live up to the threat that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is painting him out to be, he's not going to be an easy foe to vanquish. There's going to be a huge requirement for hero power to defeat a menace that great. As such, Marvel Studios and Joss Whedon are going to have to take some serious time to build the roles of Thanos (and any hero taking him on) to that level of bad ass. Once they've gotten to that point, you can bet that there's going to be a serious amount of damage done over a good long while to settle the matter once and for all. For all intents and purposes, Thanos could be built as the villain for this cycle of Avengers, leading to some mortal sacrifices being made and others retiring to a life of comfort and occasional appearances after his defeat. In other words, everyone needs to go hard before they go home, and that's if they live to go home in the first place!
Even better, with a gap as short as a couple months and as long as a year between Avengers films, there's a good possibility that Marvel Studios could throw in a sequel and/or origin story for other standalone heroes, that could lead from one half to the next. Imagine Captain America dying in The Avengers 3, with a standalone film showing Bucky Barnes' ascension into the role of America's Avenger just in time to kick some ass in The Avengers 3.5. It doesn't necessary have to be that event in particular, but obviously a couple of other films tied into the story of The Avengers 3 wouldn't hurt the bottom line.
With the stakes being raised each time a Marvel cycle completes, The Avengers 3 is going to have a huge debt to pay off in terms of spectacle and thrills. With some extra time and set up thrown in for good measure, the third chapter in the saga of The Avengers will be something to behold, with no expense spared and no explosion left unused. Joss Whedon, Chris Evans, and any one else who really wanted to jump ship after the third film would be able to do so as they pleased, knowing that they contributed to one of the most climactic franchise finishes in Hollywood history. The board can be reset, and Marvel can start to wow us again with a new roster of Avengers and a new cycle of cinematic heroes in the making.
