This morning was a wild one for hardcore Marvel fans. The studio released the latest trailer for the Russo Brothers' highly anticipated Avengers: Infinity War, which teased the high stakes ride that fans will go on next month. The movie is the product of ten years of filmmaking, and will feature all the major characters from the shared universe. But there is one aspect of the MCU that is always a bit confusing: the overall timeline. Luckily we won't have to be puzzled by wondering what year it is during Infinity War. The Russo Brothers revealed to CinemaBlend where the upcoming blockbuster sits on the timeline, specifically how long its been since the events of Captain America: Civil War. As Joe Russo tells it:
It'll be roughly two years.
It looks like The Avengers have had some serious time to digest their choices from Civil War, which should make for a fantastic dynamic once Thanos' invasion forces the group back together. Let's break down all the possibilities this opens up for storytelling.
Joe Russo cleared up the timeline during CinemaBlend's visit to the set of Infinity War in Atlanta. It looks like our favorite group of heroes has had two long years to think about their actions, which should make for some fascinating exposition and interactions. This means that Iron Man and his scrappy team of Vision and War Machine probably have been doing all of the crime fighting, since Cap's team are all fugitives on the run and Peter Parker turned him down. Rhodes has been given two full years to recover from the injuries sustained during the epic airport battle, which explains why he's up and running in the footage for Infinity War.
For Team Captain America, the two year gap may have even graver consequences. This means they basically had to be on the run for the entirety of the gap, which probably wasn't easy and likely has implications for the characters' personal lives. Paul Rudd's Scott Lang presumably had to spend some time away from her daughter, after escaping The Raft with the rest of the crew. Scarlet Witch's life was one again uprooted, and she probably misses Vision greatly. It's also unclear how it all affected Hawkeye, who has been noticeably absent from Infinity War's marketing material.
Two years of resentment has likely been brewing for all of The Avengers, which should make their reunion an interesting one. Tony Stark will have to make amends with Steve Rogers, while also dealing with his feelings toward Bucky (who is now cured from his mind control thanks to Black Panther's Shuri). Add in the likes of Doctor Strange and the Guardians of the Galaxy, and we're in for a wild mixture of personalities and powers.
Avengers: Infinity War will arrive in theaters April 27, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
