Marvel Will Shoot Both Avengers: Infinity War Movies Together

The intergalactic warlord known as Thanos has been biding his time in the MCU ever since his brief appearance in the mid-credits sequence of The Avengers, but that’s going to change in the coming years. In 2018, Avengers: Infinity War Part I will finally put the spotlight on the Mad Titan, and he will continue to shine as the main antagonist in 2019’s Avengers: Infinity War Part II. This will easily be the MCU’s biggest endeavor yet, which is why it makes sense that starting late next year, both movies will begin filming together.

In an interview with Esquire, Captain America actor Chris Evans mentioned that following the completion of production on Captain America: Civil War, he will have time off to either take on another job or just kick back and relax. However, in late 2016 he’ll be returning to Marvel for the extensive Avengers: Infinity War shoot. Said Evans:

So from late 2016 to summer of 2017, every actor involved with this massive production will have their lives dominated by Marvel. This Avengers: Infinity War shoot schedule is essentially the Marvel equivalent of the Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit movie shoots. However, given how connected these movies will be, it makes sense that the filming would occur all at once rather than take a long break in-between.

After Captain America: Civil War, due out next year, Chris Evans only has one movie left on his Marvel contract. Judging by the way he is talking about the filming schedule, though, it sounds like Steve Rogers will play a part in both films. Whether this means he will be working alongside his old teammates or leading a new team into battle is unclear, but having the star-spangled Avenger involved in any capacity is exciting.

Details of the Avengers: Infinity War plot are almost entirely unknown at the moment. All we know is that it will involve Earth’s Mightiest Heroes battling Thanos, who at some point will get ahold of the six Infinity Stones and assemble them in the Infinity Gauntlet to essentially become a god. While the official lineup of heroes hasn’t been announced yet, other heroes that are expected to appear include Iron Man, Thor and Hulk. Rumors surrounding one or both movies include Thanos being joined by multiple villains and Marvel’s Netflix heroes showing up in the second movie.

Avengers: Infinity War Part I will hit theaters on May 4, 2018, while Part II will follow on May 3, 2019. The films will be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, while Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely will be writing the screenplay.