Avengers: Infinity War Super Bowl Trailer Breakdown

Avengers: Infinity War had a big presence at the Super Bowl, with a trailer full of secrets and teases for the upcoming ensemble. 2018 is the most exciting year yet for Marvel fans. Black Panther looks set to kick things off in style, and will be swiftly followed by Infinity War. This epic adventure is a 10-year celebration of the MCU, and promises to bring Thanos the Mad Titan to Earth. Even the combined might of the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy may not be enough to stop him.

Following up a trailer late last year, Marvel chose this year's Super Bowl to drop a brief teaser for the film. As with all Marvel trailers, it offers hints rather than making statements. It presents subtle clues, pointing to key scenes and suggesting character arcs, but still tends to leave more questions than answers. We're going to break it all down and reveal some hidden secrets.

10. Spider-Man's Latest Team-Up

The trailer opens with a pose that practically seems trademarked for Infinity War; heroes stand, staring up at the heavens in absolute horror. In this case, the heroes in question are Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Man. All three have featured prominently in the film's marketing to date, and appear to be central to a key subplot. This scene appears to be towards the end of the film's first act, or possibly early in the second. Note that Spider-Man is already wearing the Iron Spider costume (he isn't in other scenes in the trailer).

9. Vision and Wanda

The first trailer showed a romantic scene between Vision and Scarlet Witch; as the Avengers: Infinity War Prelude comic established, the two have settled down to live an ordinary life together. Vision hides his identity beneath a holographic disguise, but occasionally - as in this scene - the Mind Stone flares with power.

This shot in the Super Bowl spot appears to carry straight on from that point, as Wanda uses her own power to help Vision master the Mind Stone. It's certainly an appropriate approach, given that Wanda's powers are actually linked to the Infinity Stone.

8. Thor With The Guardians of the Galaxy

Fans are particularly excited at the prospect of seeing the Avengers and the Guardians team up. Unfortunately, that may not be as big a part of Infinity War as hoped; all these clips suggest that the Guardians will ally with Thor and then head off on a side-quest that means they don't meet the rest of the Avengers until the film's third act.

It seems likely that the quest is for a new weapon: Thor will encounter Thanos and his agents in the first act, be defeated and wind up floating through space before seeking out the enchanted axe known as Jarnbjorn (a cosmic weapon that can be used to slay Celestials).

It's time for the Science Bros to reunite. The first trailer revealed that a defeated Hulk will crash-land in the Sanctum Sanctorum (a beautiful homage to Jim Starlin's classic Infinity Gauntlet miniseries, which kicked off with an identical sequence involving the Silver Surfer). No doubt Banner tips Strange off to the threat of Thanos, and soon he's teaming up with Tony Stark once again.

A lot has changed over the last few years. Every time Banner turns into the Hulk, he risks it being his last. Meanwhile, Tony has effectively shattered the Avengers. He's realized too late that the Earth is unprepared for the threat he believes is out there - and now Thanos has come.

6. Loki's Day of Reckoning

Thor: Ragnarok closed with the surviving Asgardians confronted by a massive spaceship. This has been confirmed to be Thanos's vessel, and the first trailer showed it in flames, with the bodies of Asgardians lying on the deck. This brief scene sees Loki amidst the devastation, looking around himself in horror. He will be forced to hand over the Tesseract at last, and nly time will tell whether or not the God of Mischief survives.

5. Spider-Man Unmasks

At the end of Homecoming, Spider-Man decided he wanted to work as a small-scale superhero for a while. He told Tony Stark that he wasn't ready to be an Avenger. Unfortunately, it looks as though the Parker Luck has struck once again. Thanos has come in power, and Peter will have no choice but to step up.

In this case, the scene clearly shows Spider-Man clambering on the side of the mysterious object that's appeared over New York. The blue energy is reminiscent of the Tesseract, suggesting Thanos has used the power of the Space Stone to bring this unknown object here. Meanwhile, note that Spider-Man doesn't yet appear to be wearing the Iron Spider costume; this scene is clearly set earlier on in the film, perhaps shortly after Thanos's first arrival on Earth.

4. Steve Roger's Return

This brief scene may be the most important one in the trailer. Firstly, it confirms that Vision survives the Black Order's attack; although Steve Rogers and Black Widow arrived too late to prevent Vision being injured, they clearly saved his life. It's unclear where this is set - it could be anywhere from Avengers HQ to Wakanda to the offices of General "Thunderbolt" Ross. Wherever it may be, it's clear Captain America's being forced to come out of the shadows.

The next scene shows Cap's Wakandan weapons in play. This is no mere vibranium shield; it's a jagged, ferocious weapon in its own right. Steve Rogers is definitely getting an upgrade for Infinity War.

3. Nanotech Armor Confirmed

The design of Tony Stark's Infinity War armor is similar to an intriguing armor worn by Iron Man in the comics; the so-called "Prime Armor." This is Stark's most powerful armor, and is actually composed of nanotechnology. It responds to Stark's every thought, and can morph into any of a thousand variants - even shifting into a Hulkbuster form. This brief clip confirms the nanotechnology, showing the armor forming over Stark's own clothes, even as he takes his glasses off.

2. Nebula Goes To War

Nebula may prove to be a key player in Infinity War; she's a key part of the Infinity Gauntlet comic arc and was last seen heading off to kill Thanos. However, she wasn't in the previous Avengers 3 trailer. That's rectified here, with her seen gearing up for battle against the battle-ridden landscape seen in the prior tease.

1. The Battles of Wakanda and New York

The final scenes of the Super Bowl are a quick montage of shots set in both Wakanda and New York. The alliance between Iron Man and Doctor Strange certainly looks thrilling, but in truth fans are more interested in the battle of Wakanda. Marvel know this, and repeat the "money shot" showing the Avengers charging into action.

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