Nobody’s perfect. Every superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, however much we root for them, has their flaws. Thor proved to be arrogant. Captain America perhaps was a tad idealistic and even naïve. Iron Man is perhaps one of the biggest egomaniacs on the side of good. In short, they make mistakes. And so it is with the filmmakers of Avengers: Infinity War.
While the MCU's decade-long feat of interconnected cinematic architecture is nothing to sneeze at, there have been a number of technical missteps and continuity kerfuffles along the way. Adding to this list of imperfect fictional metahumans and real-life humans, we cannot forget, are the fans of these films. Most of the loving audiences dazzled by the battle against Thanos were far too engrossed in the drama and action to notice the numerous gaffes, goofs, and head-scratchers spread all across this most marvelous film universe.
Since truly loving something means loving it warts and all, it’s a safe bet that even the most hardcore MCU fans can take a little shine off of the stunning accomplishment of Avengers: Infinity War and, perhaps, share a gentle laugh about these mistakes we caught. There is no shame in this, and we are only looking under the microscope because we appreciate every bit of the movie’s minutia. Besides – being honest about our own shortcomings only make us stronger. If you don’t believe that, ask The Hulk-- he’s deeply damaged yet is the strongest one there is!
Here are 20 Mistakes Fans Completely Missed In Avengers: Infinity War!
All in the Family
When it comes to genealogy, let’s just say the superhero world is all over the map. Loki isn’t really Thor’s brother. Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are Magneto’s kids in the comics, but that’s not the case in the movies. Peter Quill tells Thor that Thanos is Gamora’s “step-father” as if he somehow married the superheroine’s mother. So what’s with the mistake?
Peter Quill can be a bit of an airhead, but maybe he got it right and we just haven’t heard the full story yet? We’d like Intergalactic Child Services to look into this! If not, this was just some off-base witty writing that caused fans to scratch their heads.
An Unalarming Exit
Fans were thrilled when Sony loaned out Peter Parker to the MCU with his appearances in Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Avengers: Infinity War (and hopefully Avengers 4!). It’s been pretty cool as Spidey was the most auspicious hero missing from the Marvel movies’ continuity, along with the Fantastic Four.
Unfortunately, a weird continuity error happened in the 2018 Avengers spectacle which caused a bump in the road. Pete makes a quick exit out a school bus to join the action via an emergency exit window. Those windows are supposed to set off an alarm – which they didn’t – and Spidey crawled away unnoticed, preserving his secret ID. If that alarm malfunctioned, we want to see the bus company penalized in the Avengers 4 post-credits scenes!
The Infinity Gauntlet transforms
When it comes to the events in Avengers: Infinity War, it’s all about keeping the eyes on the prize-- and that prize is the Infinity Gauntlet. This cosmic bit of fancy hand-ware is the ultimate weapon, once powered by the Infinity Stones. Our first look at the oversized glove actually comes in the post-credits scene of Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Comparing it in both films, they are clearly not the same glove. Are these in fact two different items? Did Thanos create a spare? More likely, MCU design teams decided behind the scenes to upgrade the fashion sense of the Mad Titan. Which begs the question: which one is the “real” one? Could one belong to someone else, perhaps clearing Thanos of the intergalactic crimes he’s implicated in?
Bucky's arm "snaps"
As you already know, lots of the Marvel heroes dissolve into nothingness at the end of the film when Thanos infamously “snaps” them out of existence with his fully powered gauntlet. It’s the heartbreaker of all heartbreakers. Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, and so many more just disintegrate into powder which blows away like so much dust in the wind. This includes Captain America’s old pal Bucky Barnes, aka Winter Soldier. His body just disappears – but his gun doesn’t. After all, it’s not his body, right?
Yet, his robotic arm also goes bye-bye, even though that’s not his natural body either. One metal weapon stays, another goes. Let’s call this what it is: anti-bionics bias. Thanos’ glove hates cyborgs so much, it got rid of the whole package.
AV Trouble
One awesome perk of getting some gear from Tony Stark is enjoying some serious upgrades to your normal superhero suit. Spider-Man got one heck of an enhanced metahuman experience with the so-called Iron Spider Armor. This isn’t just new threads; this is Iron Man-level weaponry that can do everything from sprout extra mechanical arms to offer Peter Parker protection from the vacuum of space.
More unbelievably, however, is how the mics and earbuds work in the mask/helmet piece. Clearly, the comm system has a hearing and speaking device embedded in the fabric. Miraculously, it continues to work even after Spidey removed it from his head. He keeps yacking to Stark over the airwaves even though his head is deprived of comm tech. Maybe the whole suit is actually one big Alexa.
One from the Gut
Avengers: Infinity War wastes absolutely no time in establishing the frightening abilities of Thanos and his Black Order. In the very first scene, the Mad Titan takes the Asgardian refugee ship launched at the end of Thor: Ragnarok head on with entourage in tow. In very little time, the bad guys take out some of the biggest power-hitters in the Marvel Universe. The Hulk is smacked down like a lightweight. Thor is subdued in seconds. Facing heroes and gods, the supervillains make mincemeat out of them, including faithful Heimdall, keeper of the Rainbow Bridge.
In his final moments, a continuity error adds insult to injury. In the first shot of his demise, he is speared in the chest. In the next shot, the spear is clearly coming out of his abdominal area. Seems like the film’s editor might need to go back to anatomy class!
Peter's Age
If there’s one diss we all hear way too often in popular culture these days, it’s the tired old line that millennials are one of the more disappointing generations. To begin with, defining any generation is kind of dumb when you think about it. Millions of people from all over the world can’t be said to all act exactly the same. Like all generations, there are just as many good things about millenials as bad. In any case, this hackneyed burn come at one point from Tony Stark’s lips to the younger Peter Parker.
This is wrong, because if Pete is in high school in 2018, he’s too young to be considered a millennial. One would think that the engineering genius behind the Iron Man armor would be a little stronger at doing basic addition.
The Gauntlet Was Created When?
As mentioned, the first look MCU audiences get of the Infinity Gauntlet is in the post-credits scene in Avengers: Age of Ultron. If we are to believe this chronology, the cosmic weapon was created before the events of Thor: Ragnarok. Then, in Avengers: Infinity War, when Thor quests for the Dwarves’ forges in Nidavellir to make a new hammer made, one of the most heartbreaking scenes comes to pass. All of the Dwarves but one have been wiped out by Thanos when he came to force them to create the gauntlet for him. Thor is asked why Asgard did not come to defend Nidavellir from Thanos, and explains that Asgard itself was wiped out by Surtur, so there was nobody to left to help them.
Ragnarok comes after Age of Ultron. That timeline is way off – unless Thanos maybe used the Time Stone to mess with the past?
Green Screen Reflection
After all the bad blood that passed between Captain America and Iron Man in Captain America: Civil War, it took a really, really severe crisis for Tony Stark to call up Steve Rogers for help. When the Black Order shows up to attack New York City to grab Doctor Strange’s Time Stone, that moment comes to pass. Stark gets out his flip phone and dials Cap’s digits.
Keen-eyed fans can spy a little behind-the-scenes slip in that scene. Reflected on the glass of the phone is a faint shade of green (look closely at the bottom of the glass), even though there isn’t anything green anywhere around. On a green screen stage, however, there’s nothing but jade. The crucial CGI tool totally makes the final cut, reminding us that this glorious comic world come to life is really just an effect.
Thor's Pronunciation Problems
Unless you happen to be a disciplined student of ancient Norse languages, a lot of the Asgardian names for people, places and things can be tough on the tongue. While “Thor,” “Odin,” and “Loki” aren’t hard to utter, try saying “Mjolnir” ten times fast. When actor Chris Hemsworth needs to pronounce the name of the Dwarves’ realms, it may not be surprising that he messes it up.
The correct name is “Nidavellir,” but in the scene where he’s explaining to the Guardians of the Galaxy where they need to fly to stop Thanos, he calls it "Nivadellir" – twice! Then later, he actually pronounces it correctly again. What are we to think? Surely a godling raised in Odin’s royal court was properly educated in the grammar of his native tongue.
Mind Stone changes size
With each acquisition of an Infinity Stone, Thanos only becomes more powerful, more unstoppable, and more able to achieve his goal of ending half of all life in the cosmos. When he goes after the one embedded in Vision’s head, the stakes for the audience are even higher because taking that away from everybody’s favorite android means Scarlet Witch’s boyfriend won’t survive the experience.
Fans first saw the stone in Avengers: Age of Ultron when the evil artificial intelligence creates Vision. That stone was far smaller than the one Thanos eventually extracts from the superhero’s head. Is it possible that these things actually get larger over time? If this is the case, it begs another question: what do you feed an Infinity Stone so that it will grow up big and strong?
Thor Needs to Get a Grip
It’s always thrilling to see superhero deities like Thor pull off some truly Herculean feats. Usually, we see him show off his brawn in the middle of battles. In the first Thor film, his ultimate battle against the Destroyer is truly one for the books. The rocking scene where he takes on Surtur in Thor: Ragnarok is also awesomely satisfying. Ironically, his most heroic effort came not in the heat of a fight, but when he pries open the forge to get his new hammer made in Nidavellir.
A continuity error shows him changing his grip on the forge door handles, from underhand to over hand, in the course of successive shots. Unless he’s being a total showoff like those gym guys who do clapping push-ups, it’s not likely the God of Thunder would have shifted positions while prying open a giant cosmic factory.
The Case of the Disappearing Cop Car
The original “Battle of New York” occurred in the first Avengers movie, when Loki led the Chitari in an invasion of the Big Apple. When the Black Order attacks the city, chasing after Doctor Strange’s Time Stone, it’s not quite as destructive, but the clash is definitely memorable. Vehicles are wrecked, buildings are trashed, and roads are ripped up.
During the confrontation, there’s a moment where Ebony Maw strangles Dr. Strange, sending him down towards the ground. The impact actually has the mage landing next to a cop car. Brutal fall, right? Except that in the next shot, when Thanos’ Black Order lackey lifts the very earth around the Master of the Mystic Arts, the police car has apparently disappeared. Maybe in the middle of the chaos, it got scared and turned into an unmarked model.
Thanos Goes It Alone, Until He Doesn’t
Here we once again have a gaffe from the post-credits scene in Avengers: Age of Ultron. What happens is not exactly subtle. It seems that scheme after scheme by Thanos has fallen short. Loki couldn’t get the job done in the first movie. Ultron failed to knock out the Avengers in the second movie. He declares then and there, “I’ll do this myself” as, apparently, he just can’t hire good help these days.
Of course, in Avengers: Infinity War, we learn that he has in fact employed yet more lackeys – the Black Order. Unsurprisingly, they too, can’t hack the gig, forcing Thanos to join the Battle of Wakanda himself. Maybe he should have stuck to the original plan all along.
Are Tony's sunglasses nanotech too?
One of the most incredible creations from Tony Stark’s seemingly endless line of armor upgrades appears in Avengers: Infinity War. This battle suit is – known as the Mark L series – is actually made of nanotech, emerging seemingly from nowhere and covering up to get into a serious brawl. When the Black Order attacks New York, we see this almost magical metal wrap itself around Tony. As that happens, he takes off his sunglasses with his right hand. Upon completing its metamorphosis, we see the shades disappear. Then we watch the suit complete its self-creation. Next shot: there are the sunglasses once again in his right hand.
What happened? The armor is actually supposed to be “disguised” as his clothes and gear. A fully built armor would incorporate the shades. Or maybe Stark is so cool, he always carries a spare with him?
Hair We Go Again
Let’s talk a minute about just how tough it is to maintain continuity. After every camera setup is done, pictures need to be taken to be sure that things will go together in the editing process. Bruises from a fight cannot move or disappear – makeup needs to get it right. Which hand is a character punching with? The windup has to match with the impact. Then there are the hairdos. Styles, hair lengths, and beard shapes all have to be the same for multiple shots which may take place over multiple days of shooting, or even months later in re-shoots.
On the Maw’s ship, they blew it with Peter Parker. Cutting between a conversation Spider-Man has with Tony Stark, his hair goes from slicked back to a fringed look. In all fairness, Mr. Maw could keep a stylist aboard his vessel.
Stormbreaker rotates
When it comes to continuity issues, it’s not just about what an actor is wearing, what their hair looks like, or what position they are in. Sometimes, the problem can happen in the prop department. Case in point: the curiously twisting Stormbreaker.
When Thor finally gets his new hammer made by the last Dwarf, it's an iconic moment. Groot contributes a limb to make a handle for the weapon. It then falls to the ground with the sharp side on the right and the hammer side on the left. When Thor summons it to him, the head’s position is reversed. We know it’s magical and all, but are we supposed to believe this thing turns around at its own whim?
Bruce Banner missing from the hero shot
Boy oh boy, does that Hulk get around. After the end of Avnegers: Age of Ultron, disappears in a Quinjet into space. In Thor: Ragnarok, we discover he somehow ended up on the battle planet of Sakaar, untold light years from Earth. Then he tags along with the Thunder God to Asgard. After their defeat there, he ventures into deep space with the surviving Asgardians, then rides Bifrost back to Earth!
Once he’s Bruce banner again, the Hulk never comes back to the movie. In the Battle of Wakanda scene, he ends up brawling inside of some Iron Man armor. As the defenders of Black Panther’s realm line up for the faceoff, however – the Iron Banner is conspicuously absent. In the next shot, tighter in on T’Challa, he’s suddenly standing there again!
Staff Issues
In Scotland, Scarlet Witch and Vision get totally trashed by the Black Order-- they're goners for sure. Then – as the embodiment of hope – Captain America arrives in the nick of time to save his friends. H e takes on the wicked Corvus Glaive. When fellow teammate Black Widow stabs Corvus Glaive, she kicks him down and he loses his weapon – a mighty cosmic staff that lands right next to him. Proxima Midnight then rushes our heroes, snatching up the staff, which inexplicably is now way further away than from where Corvus dropped it.
How the heck did that happen? Maybe the thing had a mind of its own and was simply trying to hightail it out of that dangerous battle zone. That’s plausible, right?
Tony's disappearing hoodie
Our first glimpse of Tony Stark in Avengers: Infinity War is of him walking in a park, chatting with his fiancee Pepper Pots. The trendy fashion hound has a hoodie on his shoulder, with the sleeves tied around him. Pepper unties the knot at one point to reveal Stark’s chest arc reactor-- the subject of their conversation.
In the next shot – whoops! – there is no hoodie! It’s totally gone, but later, when they get to Doctor Strange’s Sanctum, there it is again. Sure, maybe it's made of nanotech and could technically have receded into Tony’s pants or something-- or maybe the wardrobe department accidentally pulled this minor continuity thread too thin!
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Did we miss any other mistakes in Avengers: Infinity War? Let us know in the comments!