Up until Infinity War , Marvel movies were often criticized for having "low stakes"—the heroes always won, and death rarely stuck. This film shattered that reputation. From the opening minutes, where major characters are killed off, to the haunting finale where Thanos actually succeeds, the film took risks that left audiences in stunned silence.
: Thor, Rocket, and Groot embark on a cosmic mission to forge Stormbreaker, a weapon capable of killing a titan. The Avengers - Infinity War
The primary challenge of Infinity War lay in its structural logistics. The film had to balance dozens of established, headline-level characters without rendering the plot incomprehensible. Screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely solved this by structuring the film around its antagonist, Thanos. Up until Infinity War , Marvel movies were