INFINITY WAR: Can we please talk about that ending?

(This should go without saying but the following contains major spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War.) 

In early 2015, I realized that if I watched one Marvel movie every other month I would finish just in time for the release of Avengers: Infinity War.

So I typed up and printed off this movie schedule which has been on our fridge ever since.

Yes, The Princess Bride is an honorary member of the MCU, because why not?

As you can see the list is out of date. I made it before Spider-Man: Homecoming had a title, before Black Panther was scheduled and before How to Train Your Dragon 3 was pushed back to 2019. Also, while my wife and I watched Marvel movies on the odd months in 2016 we started watching animated films from our childhoods on the even months.

But enough of all this personal stuff, on to Infinity War:

A shot so bad ass it wasn't included in the film.

For what it's worth, I liked this movie. Yes, it is overstuffed, but I'd argue that it's exactly what most of us wanted. It's an over-the-top super hero bar brawl that included every major (and several minor) characters from the MCU, and while the movie as a whole could have used work on pacing, the filmmakers did an excellent job for such an ambitious story.

But about that ending. 

I was expecting a bleak cliffhanger.  I was certain at least one major character would fall in battle. In fact before we left for the theater my wife said, "Let's go see how Captain America dies!"

But we weren't expecting this. 

I don't think anyone was expecting this. 

Sixteen, that's right, SIXTEEN characters "bit the dust."

And while part of me wants to say good for the studio for being so ballsy, I'm not buying it.

The second the screen cut from Thanos' pleased face to the end credits, my wife and I turned to each other and said, "the Time Stone." And I know we aren't the only ones thinking it.

The scene in which Thanos temporarily brings Vision back even foreshadows what I am certain will happen in the fourth Avengers movie. Tony or Steve or maybe even Rocket will get their hands (paws) on the Time Stone and ctrl-alt-z the most devastating conclusion in super hero movie history.

Also, let's not forget Doctor Strange's little prophesy about how this is the only way they will win.

If you need any proof look no further than IMDB and Wikipedia which both state that Spider-Man 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy 3 are in the works. Also, after Black Panther crossed the billion dollar threshold there is a zero percent chance they aren't making a sequel.

And part of me is happy that T'challa and Peter and Groot and Bucky and maybe even Gamora will be fine in the long run, but such a move also ruins the gravity of death.  There are some exceptions, but one of the major rules of storytelling is when a character dies, keep them dead. 

Harry Potter, The Song of Ice and Fire, Y: The Last Man, Locke and Key and even This is Us all have heartbreaking deaths. We want the other characters to be able to turn back the clock and make things right, but deep down we know that if they could death would become meaningless and the stories would lose their significance. Not to be that guy who compares the MCU to Shakespeare but would Romeo and Juliette be as powerful of a love story if they'd both been resurrected? What about Old Yeller or Where the Red Fern Grows?

In fact, part of me is dreading what Avengers 4 will do. Why stop at bringing back those who were dusted? They could bring back everyone who has ever died in the MCU. The movie may turn out to be one of those notorious events in which the entire universe is "rebooted," a comic book trope that does not need to be translated into movies. 

What might help is if there is a true sacrifice at the end of Avengers 4. One way I could see this playing out is if Steve Rogers gives up his own life (Chris Evans is leaving the franchise after all) to bring back his fallen comrades . Then the Infinity Stones are destroyed, making his death permanent.  Then we will get a bunch of great heroes back while feeling the sting of dramatic loss. While part of me would still be disappointed that they rolled back on such a soul crushing ending, it will still make for a dramatic conclusion. 

At the end of the day, I really did enjoy Infinity War. Even after a three-year movie marathon, it actually managed to exceed my expectations. I just wonder if the future MCU entries will do the same. 

In conclusion, as as certain as I am that most of their deaths are temporary, thanks for the great stories Peter Parker, T'Challa, Gamora, Drax, Adolescent Groot, Mantis, Quill, Barnes, Maximoff, Vision, Strange, Wilson, Heimdall, Hill, Fury and even Loki.