Seen ‘Avengers: Infinity War’? Here’s What to Read About That Shocking Ending

“Avengers: Infinity War” incinerated global box-office records over the weekend, taking in $630 million around the world. But the movie’s earnings are less surprising than its dark conclusion, which surely had fans from Chicago to China stumbling out of theaters with their mouths hanging open. (Read the Times review by A.O. Scott, here as well as his thoughts on the film’s ending.) If the latest developments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe left you puzzled, our roundup of what to read after you’ve seen “Infinity War” should clear up some confusion. Some spoilers lie ahead.

What Happened?

‘A Complete List of Who Lives and Dies in “Avengers: Infinity War”’ [Time]

There are a lot of major characters — and a lot of deaths and disappearances — in “Infinity War.” Thankfully, Eliana Dockterman has put together a scrupulously annotated list of who’s alive, who’s dead and whose fate has yet to be revealed by the end of the film.

‘Six Questions and Answers About the Post-Credits Scene in “Avengers: Infinity War”’ [The Verge]

Another Marvel movie, another cryptic post-credits sequence. Tasha Robinson clears up any lingering confusion about the call Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) attempts to make to Captain Marvel, a female superhero who hasn’t yet appeared in the Marvel movies and who will headline her own film next year, just before he turns to dust. “Fury is clearly contacting Captain Marvel to alert her to the situation on Earth,” Robinson explains, “a move that both sets up her solo film, and her eventual reappearance in the Infinity War sequel, as an important part of the solution to the Thanos problem.”

‘Our Nine Biggest Questions About “Avengers: Infinity War”’ [Vulture]

Nate Jones offers a rundown of all the questions the film leaves unanswered, from the fate of that Asgardian refugee ship to whether Doctor Strange predicted some or all of the conclusion.

What’s Next?

‘Where Do the Avengers Go Now?’ [The Hollywood Reporter]

Graeme McMillan points out that the movie’s shocking climax mirrors an older Marvel story line and looks to the 27-year-old comic books for clues about what’s next for the Avengers. “In Marvel’s 1991 comic book series ‘The Infinity Gauntlet,’” he explains, “Thanos actually kills 50 percent of everything on page 28 of a 40 page first issue, with the subsequent five issues dedicated to the universe’s response to that event and, perhaps more importantly for movie fans worried about how Peter Parker is going to star in the already announced 2019 follow-up to ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ if he’s dead, how everything gets restored back to normal.”

‘Let’s Talk About That “Avengers: Infinity War” Ending [Time]

“The entire original Avengers team — with the possible exception of Hawkeye, who is curiously missing from the entire film — survived Thanos’ attack,” Eliana Dockterman notes. She predicts that, “Presumably, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, the Hulk and Hawkeye will reunite one last time in ‘Avengers 4’ to fight Thanos and bring back their friends. By the end of that movie, some of the original Avengers will die.”

‘“Avengers 4” Theories: What Happens Next?’ [Newsweek]

“How will ‘Avengers 4’ bring back our fallen heroes and defeat Thanos?” Autumn Noel Kelly wonders, before offering not one, but five possible scenarios.

What Does It All Mean?

‘The End of “Avengers: Infinity War” Is What Happens When Money Writes Movies’ [HuffPost]

Matthew Jacobs argues that any suspense inherent in the movie’s ending is destroyed by our prior knowledge that many of the actors whose characters are vaporized in “Infinity War” have signed on for more Marvel films. “Fundamentally, the Marvel machine is not about storytelling,” he writes. “It’s about commerce. These films cost a fortune ― with a reported $300 million to $400 million budget, ‘Infinity War’ may be the most expensive movie ever made ― and must be negotiated years in advance. That only leaves so much room for narrative mystery. When we know which characters are slated for which future installments, death is relatively futile.”

‘“Avengers: Infinity War”’s Ending Is Incredibly Bold. And Maybe a Little Cheap.’ [Vox]

For Todd VanDerWerff, the problem with the ending isn’t that it’s too easy to predict the return of characters like Black Panther and Spider-Man, but that he doesn’t trust the Marvel Cinematic Universe to realistically depict the emotional fallout of such a catastrophic plot twist. “When major, life-changing events happen in the world of the Marvel movies — like the ending of ‘Infinity War,’ in which half of all sentient beings in the universe are erased from existence,” he writes, “they’re rarely given the weight they should have, beyond some of the characters expressing, ‘I am feeling bad about this.’”

‘“Avengers: Infinity War” Is the First Marvel Crossover Event to Embrace Tragedy’ [NBC News]

Not everyone was underwhelmed by the ending. “This is Marvel, not Shakespeare,” Ani Bundel argues. “And so like all comic books, characters really can’t stay dead. Next year’s crossover sequel will have to find a way to bring back at least some of the characters they ‘lost’ this time around. But even if the devastation is only temporary, Marvel has shown that they are willing to mature a little.”