The updated synopsis for next year’s Avengers: Infinity War teases that the threat posed by Thanos extends well beyond Earth and its Mightiest Heroes. For almost a decade, the creative minds behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe have had the ultimate goal of building towards the point where Earth’s mightiest heroes would have to face off with the Mad Titan, Thanos, played by Josh Brolin. However, it was not really until 2012’s Avengers that the path was cleared out, as to what exactly Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige’s long game was going to be.

The post-credit tag in Joss Whedon's first Avengers movie was what first introduced audiences to the purple alien supervillain known as Thanos. For casual movie fans, it may not have seemed all that different from the extra scenes that Marvel Studios had attached to their previous films. For comic book readers however, it was a sign of bigger things to come in the MCU. Cut to 5 years with a few more new superheroes and a divided team, the Avengers are on the verge of facing what should be their greatest foe yet.

For more on that, read the updated Infinity War synopsis that has been made available, courtesy of Licensing Global Magazine:

“As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos. A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment - the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain.”

Avengers: Infinity War artwork

It can be presumed that the “allies” that the synopsis is talking about pertains to the Guardians of the Galaxy teaming up with the Avengers to bring the fight to Thanos. Chris Pratt (who plays Peter Quill/Star-Lord) has confirmed that the Guardians play a supporting role in Infinity War, though it remains to be seen how, exactly, the Guardians and Avengers are brought together. Avengers 3 & 4 co-director Joe Russo has indicated that when Infinity War begins, Tony Stark has gotten wind of a great threat to humankind and is doing everything to keep the Earth safe. With the Guardians having save the galaxy twice now (following Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), it could be Stark that reaches out to Quill and his team for help.

Thor: Ragnarok will bring together Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), as confirmed in the post-credit tag from last year’s Doctor Strange. As for the rest of the superheroes in the Infinity War cast, they could all be in contact with Captain America (Chris Evans) while operating very discreetly, since they have been tagged as vigilantes after the events of Captain America: Civil War.

It is also important to note that the release of Avengers: Infinity War marks that 10th year of the MCU, after it was kickstarted with the first Iron Man in 2008. Over the course the years, the expanded universe was able to build a cinematic empire worth over $10 billion. And with Avengers 3 and 4 still in the horizon before Phase 3 officially closes, the franchise’s overall gross is only expected to skyrocket even more.

NEXT: Kevin Feige's Goal is to Get All Marvel Character Rights Back

Source: Licensing Global Magazine

Key Release Dates