‘Infinity War’ Countdown Anxiety: No Biggie?
While everyone is excited, no one is really ready for Avengers: Infinity War; those who say they are just lying to themselves. On March 1, the third installment of the beloved Avengers series got bumped up a week early from May 4 to April 27. While I would have preferred it to come out May 4 because that’s when the first one came out in 2012, it makes sense when you consider factors like Deadpool 2 coming out May 18 and international spoilers. But because Marvel basically owns my emotional stability—and my wallet—these days, this means I had to move my mental breakdown a week earlier. Avengers and finals never mixed well together.
Oh boy. Picture credit to Geek Culture
With the roster, actors’ contracts, and it literally being called Infinity War, so much is at stake with this film and because of all the implications, just about anything can happen. So while we can’t be really ready, here are a few tips to help cushion the blow if you will.
- Take a break from finals or whatever stressful things you have going on, grab your fellow geeks and watch your favorite MCU movies. You can watch all of them if you have the time, but just watching your favorites should do the trick by reinforcing the fact that you’re just enjoying great movies of a genre you love and Infinity War should be no different. All of your favorite superheroes in one big action-packed movie, with quotable one-liners, working together to save the world? Oh, man. Remember when you first saw Avengers and you couldn’t believe all of this was happening? The same thing is happening now, just six years later. No biggie.
- It’s like the first one, but different: watch a few of your least favorite MCU movies. The franchise isn’t horrible by any means in my opinion, but because it is an adaptation of a world already established, there are bound to be imperfections. That’s okay. That just means that it’s run by real people who make real decisions, not gods who have foreseen everything including studio rights, casting, and future competition. I mean, aren’t we to assume that Marvel adapted their Captain America 3 movie into Captain America: Civil War because Batman v. Superman was scheduled to come out the same day? These inevitable imperfections show that this movie is just an adaptation and not the end-all-be-all. So again, no biggie.
- Instead of waiting for the next superhero movie for your healthy dose of superheroes, read a comic book. They can be expensive when buying them issue-by-issue, so as an alternative I would suggest buying a graphic novel compilation of the run you’re interested in. Or better yet, listen to in-depth summaries of them. I personally enjoy Comicstorians on YouTube because they read well and keep you ready for the next issue. If you’re on the run, we actually review comics too! Infinity War is based on the Infinity Gauntlet run, so I would suggest getting well-versed in that run if you can. Even with the inevitable imperfections, at least you get to see the movie from a different perspective because still, no biggie.
It should be a lot shinier in the movie though. Photo credit to Wikipedia.
- This is tricky, but try avoid seeking anything related to the upcoming movie until the time comes for you to finally see it. By this, I mean avoiding new TV spots, teasers, trailers, interviews, and even wild conspiracy theories. This one is easier said than done because I’ve become one of those people who prefers not knowing—or at least speculating—what to expect when watching a movie. It’s more authentic in the sense that I am no longer anticipating my reactions. But unlike me, some people need to know everything possible before the movie is even out, watching every and reading everything about it. It’s okay if you’re that type of person, but for me, it takes the fun away from it because it takes away that authenticity. I don’t want to expect myself to cry at a part shown in a trailer, I want to genuinely cry when it hits me by surprise, because there’s nothing stopping me from getting too caught up in my feelings and tearing up next to my friends who have dry eyes because they knew it was coming. If I cry, I cry. Like I said, no biggie.
- After trying to follow at least one of the aforementioned tips, understand that I lied and it is a big deal. We are the first generation to live in a surplus of live-action superhero movies. We are witnessing first-hand the climax of a cinematic universe so extensive and long, some of us practically went through puberty the same time Peter Parker and Shuri did. Think about that. Relish in it. But it’s no biggie.
Nothing but love.
