The villain gets what he wants.
The structural achievement is that it is Thanos’s film. Everyone else is reacting, the story follows his plan rather than theirs, and it gives him the one thing this material usually withholds from its antagonists, which is interiority.
It is also the only entry that assumes almost everything. Ten years of setup is called in, and the film does not stop to explain any of it.
Major spoiler
He succeeds. The film ends with the plan carried out and the heroes having failed, and it does not undo it before the credits.
Show detailsWhat you need before it
More than any other title here. The three Avengers films before it at minimum, plus Guardians of the Galaxy for half the cast and Doctor Strange for how the ending works.
This is the film that makes the case for release order better than any argument could.
Who is in it
- Bruce BannerHulkEdward Norton, Mark Ruffalo
- Bucky BarnesThe Winter SoldierSebastian Stan
- Drax the DestroyerThe DestroyerDave Bautista
- GamoraThe deadliest woman in the galaxyZoe Saldaña
- GrootI am GrootVin Diesel
- James RhodesWar MachineDon Cheadle
- Loki LaufeysonGod of MischiefTom Hiddleston
- MantisEmpathPom Klementieff
- Natasha RomanoffBlack WidowScarlett Johansson
- NebulaNebulaKaren Gillan
- Nick FuryDirector of S.H.I.E.L.D.Samuel L. Jackson
- OkoyeGeneral of the Dora MilajeDanai Gurira
- Pepper PottsRescueGwyneth Paltrow
- Peter ParkerSpider-ManTom Holland
- Peter QuillStar-LordChris Pratt
- RocketRocket RaccoonBradley Cooper
- Sam WilsonFalcon, then Captain AmericaAnthony Mackie
- ShuriPrincess of WakandaLetitia Wright
- Stephen StrangeDoctor StrangeBenedict Cumberbatch
- Steve RogersCaptain AmericaChris Evans
- T'ChallaBlack PantherChadwick Boseman
- ThanosThe Mad TitanJosh Brolin
- Thor OdinsonThorChris Hemsworth
- Tony StarkIron ManRobert Downey Jr.
- VisionVisionPaul Bettany
- Wanda MaximoffScarlet WitchElizabeth Olsen
- WongSorcerer SupremeBenedict Wong
How it connects
Watching these first makes this one land.
This one sets these up.
Sources
- Avengers: Infinity War, Wikipedia
- Infinity Stones, Wikipedia
- Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline, Wikipedia
Facts last checked on Sep 7, 2026
Released: April 27, 2018