Virtual Roundtable: "Avengers: Infinity War"

There was an idea called the Virtual Roundtable. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable guest bloggers, to see if they could become something more. To write the blog that we never could...

"Avengers: Infinity War" is arguably the biggest, most-anticipated blockbuster movie in the last decade; Marvel fans have literally waited 10 years for it. It premiered at the end of April and we here at The Underground kindly, generously, benevolently waited nearly two weeks before posting anything about it, as to allow our lovely readers time to get out and see it for themselves. Now that some time has passed and we've all had time to process the far-reaching ramifications caused by the Mad Titan, himself, let's break it all down with a star-studded panel of new and returning bloggers. Before we get down to business, let's meet the aforementioned panel:

Aaron Christensen: Main (and, for all intents and purposes, sole) contributor to SotT: Underground. The only person you know that still likes playing Rock Band. Recently referred to as a "pro online dater."

Suzy Peterson: First-time Virtual Roundtable contributor. Author. Celebrity birthday binge-watcher.

Mickael Stevens: First-time Virtual Roundtable contributor. Poster of funny videos and memes. The artist formerly known as Steve-O.

Austin Christensen: Believe it or not, a first-time Virtual Roundtable contributor. Currently serving the United States Air Force in Taiwan. Lover of sports.

Jonathan Blackham: Yet another first-time Virtual Roundtable contributor. The last remaining Junior Mountie. Probably the nicest person you will ever meet.

Brad Randall: Second-time contributor. Game Night champion. Allegedly works for the most successful real estate company in the world. It's in a magazine - look it up.

Karrie Randall: Also returning for her second Virtual Roundtable. "Stranger Things" mega-fan. Super-mom.

Now that we have familiarized ourselves with the gladiators in this Coliseum of Pop Culture, let's do this thing! But first, be ye warned...

The remainder of this blog will contain MAJOR SPOILERS for "Avengers: Infinity War." If you have not yet seen the movie, and if you have any interest whatsoever in seeing it eventually, please do not continue reading until you've seen it for yourself.

In the immortal words of Judge Mills Lane, "Let's get it on!"

Question 1: How would you rate this movie?

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Aaron, Mickael, Austin, Jonathan

⭐⭐⭐⭐: Suzy, Brad, Karrie

Question 2: What made this movie good or bad?

Suzy: I went in expecting huge, grandiose plot lines and amazing crossovers from all the other movies, which was true in a lot of ways. I loved the character interactions and seeing how far everyone has come. It was everything I was hoping for it to be.

Aaron: I've been experiencing a little Marvel fatigue lately - too many movies, too many characters - makes it hard to keep up. But this was everything I hoped it would be. I didn't feel like any characters really got shafted for screen time and I loved seeing them all come together with a united, mutual goal. What's more, I truly believe that the movie ended on the greatest cinematic cliffhanger of all time.

Mickael: Characters were well-balanced for screen time. Story was engaging. Humor did not overwhelm the serious moments. 

Austin: The ability to include all the characters without making it seem like they were bouncing around. The fact that the heroes actually lost and the villain stayed true to form.

Jonathan: It was the culmination of 10 years of movies (and TV shows).  Up to this point, Marvel has only been adding tons of powered individuals into their movies and, miraculously, they have always been up to the task to save the world.  No casualties among their ranks (except Quicksilver).  Their time ran out, and we are all attached to the characters now.  We're emotionally invested in this, our super heroes.  They cannot fail.  And yet they do.  Where do you go from here?  Perfect message for life.  We all fail.  Where do we go after we fail?

Brad: I felt that, given the high number of characters, they did a good job balancing all of them. I felt that Thanos was fleshed out more deeply than I anticipated, which was a strength to the movie. At times, I felt the story and plot were a bit scattered and that this suffered from the fact that it is the first part of a two-part series. There is a bit of an anticlimactic finish in these types of movies ("Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows: Part One," "Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part One"). Overall, I really enjoyed it. 

Karrie: I was very impressed by how well they managed such a large amount of very important characters! My only negative critique is there are so many jumbled back-stories that they are still trying to include. It’s hard to keep it all straight!

Question 3: Now that we've been fully introduced to Thanos, what do you think of him?

Jonathan: Thanos is the best antagonist that the MCU could have pitted the Avengers against.  His reasoning for his actions is something you could understand, but the way he solves the problem is what we have problems with.  Thanos isn't doing this for himself; he doesn't want to rule the universe (although that's a byproduct of his actions) -- instead, he wants to keep it going so it can continue to sustain life.

Karrie: Honestly, I feel for Thanos, I believe that he truly believes that what he is doing is right and is helping to save the universe! I disagree with some of his choices, but he is led by his belief! I don’t think he has [truly] evil desires!

Suzy: I like that he's a real character. He doesn't do bad things because he's a bad person. He has an agenda and what's really surprising about him is that he's not entirely wrong. I don't want him to succeed, but he thinks he's trying to help people which is the sign of a well thought out villain, in my opinion.

Brad: I think he is the strongest character in the film and they wanted him to be. Even though he is fierce and aggressive, there is much more humanity to him than I thought.

Mickael: Great villian. He had a interesting motivation. He was powerful and threatening. You also felt for him at times.

Austin: Thanos is hardcore. He’s a nasty dude, but he was true to character throughout the movie.

Aaron: I thought he really needed to hit the ground running in order to make him as big and bad as he had been hyped up to be. They gave him the ol' Kylo Ren treatment ("Go ahead and kill some beloved characters!"), and I'll be honest: when they trolled us with "Thanos will return," I just about gave that movie screen the full-armed flip-off. Screw you, Thanos!

Question 4: Was there anything about the movie or your movie-going experience that you wish would have been done differently?

Brad: I recognize that when you have a movie taking place in lots of galaxies there will be a lot of CGI, but I really appreciate the real-life settings, practical effects and work that is done [without special effects]. I felt there was a whole lot of CGI - and it was mostly used well - but could have used a few more traditional on-location shots.

Jonathan: Thanos' skin color, but I'm not as hung up on it as some outraged fans are.  I would have also loved to have seen the fights for the other infinity stones, but the movie was long enough as it was.

Suzy: The story line was pretty basic. I was not surprised at all by any of the character's actions. It was exciting and I left the theater wondering where it would go next. I think the next movie will be absolutely amazing because we only saw the first half of the story, and they followed their formula to a T. Now we will see what they've got up their sleeves when the second half comes out next year.

Aaron: The only bad thing about my movie-going experience (other than the inevitable handful of obnoxious fans that I had to put up with each of the times I saw the movie) was that I bought Friday night tickets a month ago, with no way of knowing that Game 6 of the Jazz's first-round playoff series would be at the exact same time. But hey, I kept my phone off for 6 hours, came home and watched the Jazz eliminate the Thunder, so we're all good, baby! Go Jazz!!

Karrie: I had a headache during the movie.... but that’s about it! I enjoyed the film much more than I expected!

Austin: I wish I would have first seen it in America.

Question 5: Which moment was the biggest surprise?

Austin: When Thanos snapped his fingers. We knew he had the ability, but it was like, “Oh crap, that really happened.”

Jonathan: I think the final break down of the fateful casualty list was the biggest surprise.  I wasn't surprised by its occurrence (even not knowing the comic story line).  I just didn't know what the sides would be.

Mickael: Red Skull

Aaron: Red Skull. Did not see that coming.

Brad: Loki!!! That was quick and I realized how much I like Loki about the same time I realized he was going to die. 😦

Karrie: Loki’s death. I love Loki!

Suzy: Loki's actual death. Gamora's actual death. Captain Marvel's logo at the end.

Question 6: What was the funniest scene or line of the movie?

Jonathan: Mr. Stark and the wizards' banter.

Suzy: "We have a Hulk." - Loki (You know he's waited 6 years to say that.) The whole interaction between Thor and Star-Lord. The fact that "Groot" is an elective on Asgard.

Austin: Star-Lord copying Thor.

Mickael: Drax admiring Thor's body.

Aaron: Drax: "How long have you been standing there?" "An hour."

Karrie: When Drax thinks he has figured out how to be invisible!

Brad: Drax spoiling Gomora and Quill's emotional moment was brilliant.

Question 7: Were you surprised at how much you liked or disliked any of the heroes?

Aaron: I think my favorite character in this movie was Doctor Strange. I forgot how much I liked him.

Brad: I really struggle with Vision. I don’t feel a connection to him, so I wasn’t sad to see him go.

Jonathan: I'm still not sold on Winter Soldier.  He's Cap's weakness.  I mean, he's a gun in a pinch, but his character has kind of flat-lined for me.

Karrie: I have never loved Vision or Scarlet Witch, but by the end I was very invested in them both!

Suzy: I was surprised at how much I liked it without being very surprised by it all. When stories seem as predictable as this one, I usually feel cheated, but I think it was everything I wanted it to be and now I just have to look forward to the next one.

Question 8: The award for Most Improved Character goes to ____________.

Suzy: I think I'm going to go with Vision on this one. He was so stuck on right and wrong in "Civil War," it was really cool to see him in this movie wanting a life with Wanda and evolving to the point that he knew the only way to protect everyone was to die. I loved the way he talked to Wanda about it, understanding all that she's lost and what this would mean for her in the long run. I loved it.

Austin: Iron Man. He’s obviously one of the most important characters, but he left a bad taste in my mouth from "Civil War."

Aaron: Gamora. In my Avengers Power Rankings blog, Gamora was rated as one of the least important characters. In "Infinity War," she played one of the most important roles in the entire story.

Mickael: Gamora

Jonathan: T'Challa

Brad: Doctor Strange

Karrie: Doctor Strange. I hated his movie but thoroughly enjoyed his character this time.

Question 9: All deaths aside, which two characters would you use for your dream spin-off/team-up movie?

Austin: Iron Man and Black Panther would be awesome to see the gadgets they come up with. Thor and Doctor Strange would be cool because they could protect the universe. Cap/Falcon and Iron Patriot will be protecting the country. Lots of spin-offs. The one I would most like to see is probably Thor and Doctor Strange.

Jonathan: Shuri and Stark would be absolutely hilarious.  Who can out-tech the other?

Aaron: I am all over another Doctor Strange and Iron Man team-up!

Karrie: Hulk and Loki.

Suzy: I would love to see Tony and Dr. Strange in a longer team up. They're so unalike, I love it.

Mickael: Spider-man and Captain America.

Brad: Thor and the "rabbit" and Groot were great.

Question 10: Which death was the most shocking?

Aaron: That entire final sequence was just horrific, but Spider-man's death surprised me the most.

Suzy: Loki's death was really sad, because it was actually real and he died protecting Thor. Also Vision's death - both of them - were heartbreaking.

Austin: Doctor Strange. He kinda played a huge role in this movie and then died. Sad stuff. 

Jonathan: Gamora. I mean, I knew she was going to die, but not in that intimate way. Not as a sacrifice at great cost to Thanos.

Brad: Gamora

Karrie: Gamora

Mickael: Gamora

Question 11: How on earth are they going to undo what Thanos did?

Suzy: That's what I want to know!! I literally have no solution for this! Especially with half the universe completely gone now!

Aaron: I have no idea. But what if the Avengers use that spare gauntlet that Thor found and somehow create their own Infinity Gauntlet? Thanos is so overpowered at this point (largely due to his possession of the reality and time stones) that I don't see any other way for him to be defeated.

Mickael: Something to do with time.

Karrie: The time stone!!!!!

Austin: Get the time stone back and bring people back. Maybe. Who knows?

Brad: Captain Marvel. [Maybe] there is a seventh stone that will wield power in the future.

Jonathan: How many scenarios do you want? Agents of SHIELD have plenty of doorways into that mess already stacking up. ["Agents of SHIELD"] Season 5 has been all about this. This whole season has been about how to change the inevitable ending you know is coming. Time travel, bootstrap paradox, time loops, etc. It's also a good thing that Fury was contacting Captain Marvel, whose upcoming movie in 2019 will feature a younger version of Phil Coulson.

Question 12: Who will kill Thanos in Avengers 4?

Other: Suzy, Austin, Jonathan, Brad

No One: Mickael, Karrie

Thor: Aaron

Question 13: What is your biggest unanswered question?

Austin: Thanos claimed he was going to rest, which we saw with the last scene from the film. He’s already killed half of the universe. How are they going to bring him back?

Jonathan: Why didn't they destroy the time stone instead of the mind stone?

Suzy: How does Tony get back to Earth? Will Pepper still be there to forgive him? How can Spider-man be gone?! Will the Fantastic 4 (the real ones) show up to save the day?

Karrie: Why did Thanos see a young Gamora after the “snapture”?

Brad: Is Gamora trapped in the soul stone?

Aaron: What other kinds of Avengers Ben & Jerry's flavors are there??

Bonus: Give us a #HotTake!

Mickael: Red Skull will get the Infinity Gauntlet.

Jonathan: The fallen heroes will rise again, but we will lose some (some for a second time, and some new deaths), and there's no way around it.

Karrie: Doctor Strange saw the outcome of his actions when he gave Thanos the time stone. I think he did that either because he had to save Iron Man so he could fix it all or this was the one way that they would win!

Aaron: The mind stone may be gone, but the "best parts" of Vision are still alive. He will be resurrected in the next movie.

Suzy: After Tony and Cap are killed by Thanos, Captain Marvel is going to show up with Hawkeye, Ant-Man and Wasp, and they're going to find a magic stone that trumps the infinity stones and stop Thanos.

Austin: Iron Man and Pepper Potts won’t get married.

Brad: Captain America will save Iron Man but die in the process. Iron Man will have a kid and name him Steven.

Bonus: Pick any topic and speak your mind!

Suzy: If everyone is actually dead and they don't find a way to bring them back, what does this mean for the MCU? I know it's shifting because Cap, Tony, and Thor are most likely done, but Spiderman is out, Dr. Strange is also out, most of them are gone. And there's no way to really recover from that.

Aaron: Marvel has got to stop announcing sequels two years ahead of time. They announced post-Avengers 4 sequels for Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-man and Black Panther months ago, so either this is all an elaborate hoax or we are very clearly going to have a mass resurrection on our hands, come May 2019.

Jonathan: I can't wait for the movies to have guest stars from the TV shows. It's going to be SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK. I'd love to see AoS' Graviton, Yo-Yo and/or Ghost Rider fight Thanos - just for kicks, though. I honestly don't know who would win. Even with a fully loaded Infinity Gauntlet.

Brad: I love that, in order to reach Captain America, Iron Man uses a flip phone.

Austin: Really happy with how the Utah Jazz played in the playoffs. The grit we saw from a rookie, a dude who got cut and the 27th pick in the draft is awesome. I love this team.

The Final Word: Is this the best superhero movie of all time?

Yes: Aaron, Mickael, Austin, Jonathan

No: Suzy, Brad, Karrie

***

Well, there you have it! Did you agree? Disagree? Were we spot on or way off-base? Let us know in the comments section below! And if you're in the mood for more Virtual Roundtables, check out our spoiler-laden breakdowns of "Captain America: Civil War" and "Stranger Things: Season 2." As for us, well... we don't feel so good. . . . . .