Even though the plot for Avengers: Infinity War centers around heroes within the MCU teaming up to stop Thanos from destroying half the universe, that's not to say it's entirely short on jokes. Blood is spilled, lives are lost, and tears are shed”but that hasn't stopped screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely from injecting some well-placed humor into the movie's epic two-and-a-half hour runtime to lighten the mood.Now, while Infinity War may not have the same kind of a laugh-a-minute patter which Thor: Ragnarok and the two Guardians of the Galaxy movies revolved around, it's hardly as traditionally somber as most war movies tend to be (which makes sense, considering it features a giant purple supervillain, wizards, a talking raccoon and a sulky teenage tree). Despite the massive stakes at hand, as well as how hopeless Earth's Mightiest Heroes end up by the time the credits roll, there's some solid levity keeping spirits afloat.Related: Avengers: Infinity War Solves The MCU's Biggest ProblemsNo, Thanos himself didn't crack any jokes”what with him being on a mission towards mass genocide”but a few of the good guys got to prove that they'd make solid Saturday Night Live hosts someday. Keep reading to check out some of the funniest scenes from Infinity War.
- This Page: Rocket the Rabbit and Pop Culture References
10. Ned's Distraction
When the Black Order invades New York City, Peter Parker's spidey sense doesn't tingle quite soon enough. He's on a school bus with the rest of his classmates, heading to the Museum of Modern Art for a class trip when the hair on his arm stands up, warning him that danger is afoot. However, seeing as his identity is known to only three other people outside of the Avengers (his best friend Ned, his enemy Adrian Toomes, aka the Vulture, and his Aunt May), he can't very well just ask the bus driver to pull over so that he can ditch the field trip and fight. He needs a distraction. And in order to do so, his getaway turns out to be easier than expected.
He turns to Ned, who is sitting in front of him, and tells him that he needs a distraction”and without a single moment of hesitation, Ned shifts gears, jumping to his feet and shouting to everyone that they're "all gonna die!" Naturally, the students panic, moving to the back of the bus, per Ned's orders, and Peter has plenty of time to sneak out the window, undetected.
9. "Get Lost, Squidward."
Before Peter gets a chance to confront the Black Order, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Doctor Strange, and Wong get to them first. When the villains drop anchor in Manhattan, the heroic quartet greets them, prepared to fight. Only, per Stark's natural proclivity towards sarcasm, the fight is prefaced with some casual name-calling. And as it so happens, Stark's go-to jab is equal parts perfect and random”given that it's a SpongeBob SquarePants reference coming from someone who is hardly part of the show's target audience.
Related: Infinity War Black Order Clip: Avengers V Team Thanos
As the mellow, but malicious, Ebony Maw approaches the heroes, Stark manages to kill all the character's menacing introduction dead in its tracks when he says, "Get lost, Squidward." Sometimes, something as simple as a pop culture reference can hold a lot of weight; which is ironic, considering the fact that Stark's stance on this sort of thing makes a drastic shift later on in the movie when the references come from his Avenger-in-training, Peter Parker (more on that later).
8. Rabbit Racoon
Having appeared in three films within the MCU so far, audiences are well aware that Rocket Raccoon is a bit sensitive about his appearance. However, when he and the other Guardians of the Galaxy cross paths with Thor, he's happy to keep his mouth shut when the God of Thunder isn't quite up to speed with the existence of raccoons, and instead refers to Rocket as a rabbit.
It's a gag that continues throughout the remainder of the movie following their first meeting, since Rocket teams himself up with Thor in his pursuit of a new hammer. Rocket's willingness to let the "rabbit" thing slide makes it that much funnier, seeing as audiences are well aware how much frustration he's clearly holding back.
7. "No More Pop Culture References."
In Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker takes down the giant-sized Ant-Man thanks to Star Wars. He asks the other Avengers if they had ever seen "that really old movie, Empire Strikes Back" seconds before webbing up the giant's legs, forcing him to fall over. This line gets a call back in Infinity War when Peter asks Tony Stark if he had ever seen "this really old movie called Aliens." (He's referring to the scene in which Ripley defeats the Queen by opening an airlock, which ultimately sucks the Xenomorph into space.)
Related: Avengers Director On Incorrect' Spider-Man: Homecoming Time Jump
However, once Peter keeps running with various references to movies, Stark calls him out on it, insisting”nay, demanding”that there will be "No more pop culture references" from here on out. And, naturally, given the fact that Peter sees Stark as more of a boss than a teammate, he obliges.
6. Banner Yelling at the Hulk
Even though Bruce Banner and the Hulk never got their own standalone movie in the MCU (not with Mark Ruffalo, at least), the friendly green giant more or less stole the show in Thor: Ragnarok. Banner does eventually get some screen time, but for the most part, it's Hulk's show. In Infinity War, however, the exact opposite is the case. The Hulk makes a brief cameo in the opening scene when he faces off against Thanos, but he ultimately takes a backseat and goes AWOL for the rest of the movie.
Any time chaos ensues, Hulk refuses to come out and play. And though it's frustrating for Banner, the interactions between Banner and the Hulk (which is, technically, just with himself) are comic gold. The first incident where Banner has trouble transforming into the Hulk plays out as though Banner is struggling with erectile dysfunction, embarrassed that it never works when he wants it to and mentioning that he just needs to focus. This gag continues throughout the rest of the movie, ultimately leading to Banner calling Hulk a "giant green a**hole."
5. Quill Defending the '80s
Peter Quill may live in a futuristic setting, but he's eternally stuck in the '80s. His entire character revolves around dated humor and Reagan-era references, so when Stark and Peter start referring back to the era, he lights up. Only, the references that Stark is throwing his way aren't meant to be taken as compliments, especially when he refers to Quill as Flash Gordon”which Quill happily defends and accepts.
Related: Guardians of the Galaxy 3: Chris Pratt Hypes Amazing' Story
What makes this joke work so well is the fact that Quill really is more or less a carbon copy of Flash Gordon. Both characters were taken from Earth, both were launched into space, both fought evil aliens, and both had trouble making their way back home.
If ever there was going to be someone defending the '80s, there's no one better than Star-Lord.
4. Doctor Strange vs. Tony Stark
When Tony Stark and Doctor Strange finally meet, it's essentially a clash of the prodigies. Even though there is imminent danger potentially putting the entire universe at risk, they take no shame in throwing shade at each other. And it all starts with Stark poking fun at Strange's old-fashioned vernacular ("Did you seriously just say 'hitherto undreamt of'?").
This only leads to more jabbing, with Strange criticizing the Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor molded after Stark ("Stark Raving Hazelnut"), Stark asking Strange what his job is "besides making balloon animals," and Strange calling Stark a d-bag. Finally, though, easily the crowning moment of the scene is when Stark tells Banner, who is trying and failing to Hulk out, "You're embarrassing me in front of the wizards."
Related: Watch the Avengers: Infinity War Cast Parody The Brady Bunch
3. Drax Being Discreet
As intimdating as Drax may seem on the outside, he's loaded with his fair share of knee-slappers (even though the jokes are more often than not inadvertent). Mostly, he doesn't ever seem to completely understand the concept of humor, so when he's trying to convey something with total conviction, despite the fact that it's completely over-the-top, the humor lands that much harder.
In Infinity War, his interaction with Peter and Gamora comes so far out of left field that all the drama that had just manifested out of their conversation disappears in a flash. After they ask how long he'd been standing next to them, he says, "An hour," which then leads to him explaining how he is capable of becoming invisible by simply moving very slowly. He eventually realizes that this ability is all in his head once Mantis shows up and addresses him personally. His disappointment would be devastating if it wasn't so funny.
2. "I am Steve Rogers."
Groot is easily one of the most endearing characters in the entire MCU”even though all he ever says are his three trademark words: "I am Groot." So, as upsetting as it was to lose him at the end of the first Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2's Baby Groot and Infinity War's Teen Groot make up for the loss. The thing is, though, not everyone is familiar with him, which, by extension, means that not everyone is familiar with the fact that he only ever says those three words. So, when Steve Rogers meets him towards the end of Infinity War, he just assumes that Groot is introducing himself, which leads to "I am Groot" being followed up with Steve saying, "I am Steve Rogers."
Related: 15 Characters Fans Completely Forgot Were Captain America
It's an adorable moment in an otherwise heart-wrenching scene, and it's a reminder that Steve is not only out of time, but, more often than not, out of touch.
1. Star-Lord's Running 'Captain' Gag
Is it really any surprise that Chris Pratt would be involved with one of the funniest gags from Infinity War?
By the end of the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Peter Quill has more than proven his worth as captain of the Guardians. Unfortunately, his first scene in Infinity War involves an interaction with Thor that immediately changes the game. Thor immediately steals the spotlight and, well... *cue awkward contest*
Quill does everything he can to prove his superiority over Thor, going so far as to deepen his voice so as to sound more authoritative. His crew unsurprisingly calls him out, and from there on out, he is constantly struggling with proving his worth. In another sequence, he attempts to direct his teammates by telling them which direction they ought to go, only to end up having them ignore him completely and go the exact opposite direction.
Maybe he'll earn some respect by Vol. 3.
