Welcome back to Sound Off!, a semi-regular column where members of Speculative Chic gather together to chat about the latest BIG THING in entertainment. This time, team up to fight the biggest bad and discuss Avengers: Infinity War, which premiered in the United States on Friday, April 27, 2018.

Sound Off! is meant to be a reaction, but not necessarily a review. After all, while we are all individuals, even mutual love of something (or hate) can come from different places: you may find everything from critique to fangirling to maybe even hate-watching.

Now, join Nicole Taft, Jennifer Lee, Nancy O’Toole Meservier, Ronya McCool, Shara White, and J.L. Gribble as they talk about Avengers: Infinity War. [Note: Some writers feared Thanos enough to avoid spoilers, but you can join the rest of us for some much-needed group therapy after the big red warning!]

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Nicole: For these Sound Off posts we get 300 to 500 words in which to provide our reactions to a movie. But in this case, I don’t even think I need that many. Frankly, I’m not even sure I want that many. I don’t want to start waxing poetic about how excited I was throughout almost the entire film when it came to what was happening on the screen. My blathering might get away from me.

Suffice to say: It was a damned good movie. Bringing together all of the characters we’ve previously seen (including a few unexpected ones) into one film that didn’t even break the 3 hour mark was seamless. All the working parts we’ve experienced so far fit together without a problem.

I was thrilled at a few actors that showed their faces since I had no idea they were involved. I tend to stay away from information surrounding big movies these days — including trailers — so things don’t get spoiled for me. But I may be in the minority so maybe it won’t be a surprise to others. The scope in which the story takes place is far and wide, whereas I thought a lot of it would be on Earth. I am totally willing to buy into the relationship between Vision and Scarlet Witch because they’re cute together, and I’m also a huge sucker for Paul Bettany (he’s sweet and adorable and I can’t escape the accent). You will laugh. You might cry. You might see certain things coming. You may question why other choices were made — though if some of those choices didn’t happen we wouldn’t have as much of an exciting movie, so I’m willing to accept them and move on. The acting was on point, the music effective, and I have absolutely NO idea how our heroes are going to resolve this. I am fully on board.

And though all of us saw what was on screen, as panic-inducing as some of it may initially seem, anyone with a rational mind (or who has simply seen plenty of speculative fiction movies) who hears Dr. Strange’s words to Tony Stark will know exactly what he means.

See? 289. I told you. Oh, but before I go —

Dear Loki, I don’t believe you.

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Jennifer: I wish that I could give you something insightful. An extensive and constructive critique. Maybe even something cheerful.

But Marvel doesn’t want to let us have nice things.

Like many fans, I recently saw Infinity War. Like many fans, I am not okay.

Did I enjoy the movie? Had you asked me about forty minutes before its end, I would have said, “Yes, but I’m waiting for something.” Now? Now I will tell you, “No. I’m still waiting.”

Here’s the thing. I go to Marvel movies for escapism. Do I mind if they occasionally delve into heavy themes? Not really. I like when they do. But I am ultimately there for humor and a happy ending. For a bit of outlandish hope. I don’t want to leave the theater grappling with my emotions.

Infinity War had humor. It had action. In a few places, it had optimism, but I found all of that ultimately overshadowed by the grim tone that recurred throughout and upon which the movie closed. I needed a little more than a tiny tease in the end credit scene to truly look forward to more Marvel. Instead of being anxious for the next installment, I left the theater feeling downtrodden and disappointed.

I will applaud Marvel for playing the long game. I will say that Infinity War was well put together. Will I watch it again? I don’t know. Right now, my gut instinct says that I won’t, but maybe Marvel will change my mind when the as-yet-untitled Avengers 4 comes out. I hope they do.

What I do know is that when I got home from Infinity War, I changed out of my Loki top, into my Justice League hoodie, and curled up with my dogs for a little R&R.

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Spoilers! So many spoilers!

Nancy: I can remember what it was like to see The Avengers back in 2012. In the months leading up to it, there was such a feeling of anticipation. What would it be like to see the Avengers together on screen for the first time? How would they manage to balance so many characters? And how could the film possibly live up to all the hype?

Multiply those feelings of anticipation by a thousand and you’ll get pretty close to the level of anxiety I experienced while waiting for Infinity War.

Fortunately, just like with the first Avengers film, I was completely engaged by Infinity War. And that’s because the Russo brothers clearly know why people like me have shown up for Marvel movie after Marvel movie for the past ten years — the characters. Sure, the film really invests into effects-heavy set pieces (and trust me, they are jaw-droppingly good!) but those exciting sequences are always interspersed with character moments. We see Scarlet Witch and Vision steal time away from their separate teams (thanks to the events of Captain America: Civil War) to be together, and watch as the Guardians ogle over an unconscious Thor’s impressive physical form. These scenes, both dramatic and humorous, remind us why we care so much about these characters. That way, when the bodies start dropping, we really feel it.

Speaking of bodies dropping, let’s talk about those character deaths. The decision to kill off Heimdall and Loki in the first scene, while horrific, effectively sets the tone for the rest of the movie. This is a film where anything can happen, and no one is safe, including characters who have made their mark on several movies. As a result, I found myself on the edge of my seat constantly, never quite sure what was going to happen next. This is something emphasized by the performances of the massive cast. There are a couple fake-out moments in this movie, but they got me pretty much every time, and a lot of that is based on how well each actor sells it. Every cast member really gives it their all in this movie, so it feels strange to call out stand-out performances, but I still have to give credit to Josh Brolin (Thanos), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Tom Holland (Spider-Man), Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch), Paul Bettany (Vision, as well as an actor that I’ve been a fan of for the past 17 years), and the always incredible Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man — the rock of the Marvel Cinematic Universe).

Watching Infinity War was an emotional roller coaster of a movie-going experience, but also a reminder of why I have been such a big fan of this franchise for so many years. I can’t wait to see what will happen next.

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Ronya: Infinity War is probably the most maddening Marvel movie I’ve seen in a long time. I left this movie as upset and depressed as when I walked out of Matrix: Revolutions. I made my peace with the Matrix trilogy, partly because of the genius of the philosophical ideals behind it, but I don’t know what to think about Infinity War. Thanos is a total badass — the boss of all bosses — but I don’t think the movie gives the viewers enough time to process what happens in it. Right from the start, it’s supposed to be devastating — and while this Marvel movie is darker in tone than most of the rest of them, hardly anything of what happened felt real to me. And that’s a shame, because a lot of these characters deserved better. I can say that, right? In a movie where we knew some of the characters wouldn’t make it to the end? The deaths of a few of those characters really really pissed me off. (Gamora deserved better.) Some of the fight scenes were total blurs.

I stopped collecting Marvel and DC comics a long time ago, because the way both companies retcon characters and reboot universes just felt like they were jerking me around for my money. But that doesn’t mean Infinity War is my deal-breaker as far as the films go. I’m looking forward to Ant-Man and the Wasp, and waiting to see how everything resolves in the next Avengers film — with or without Cap (but it would be great if Chris Evans renewed his contract for one more film, just sayin’).

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Shara: It’s been a week since I watched Avengers: Infinity War, and I’ve spent the week trying to think about how to approach it. Obviously, the ending was a shock, the Empire Strikes Back of the MCU, but yet I was mentally prepared for it. Partially because early reports said the movie was overwhelming, and partially because I’m married to a man who’s read the comics, so I already had an idea of what was about to hit the fan.

And maybe that’s why, despite the ending definitely being a shock to the system, I’m not completely torn up about it. This is a comic book universe: hell, Agent Coulson was brought back for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., despite getting killed by Loki’s staff in the first Avengers film. Death is never permanent, though if I had to wager, I’d say those who died before the snap heard around the world are more likely to stay dead than those taken out after. Except for Gamora. I’d really like to think there’s a way she comes back. She didn’t deserve to go out like she did.

So what did I think? Certainly, it was captivating from the start, though the start makes me dislike the comedic ending of Thor: Ragnarok even more. If you go straight from that movie to this one, it’s a jarring change of tone, and at first, I was miffed that Heimdall got such a quick and seemingly flippant death. As for Loki, though I appreciate him going out a hero, his death felt anticlimactic as well. Maybe it felt that way because everything happened so quickly?

What I loved about the movie was the unexpected team-ups. Thor with Rocket and Groot (Thor speaks Groot!). Heck, the brief team-up of Bucky and Rocket in the final battle was a brief team-up I didn’t know I needed! Watching Black Widow and Okoye fight together was amazing, and now, even more, I want a movie featuring all the kick-ass ladies of the MCU. Tom Holland’s Peter Parker continues to steal my heart in every way imaginable, and I’m not just referring to his final words. Also, I didn’t hate Scarlet Witch’s and Vision’s romance! Shocking, I know. Can’t say it’s a 100% healthy romance, given how it started in Civil War, but the actors sold it for me here.

I didn’t get enough Shuri (and I really hope she survived: in the comics, I hear she’s taken the mantle of Black Panther before and OMG I WANT TO SEE THAT). I didn’t like how at first Thanos’ snap seemed to keep our white leading men intact, so I was actually thrilled when we saw the collateral damage on Titan, with only Tony and Nebula surviving.

And Cap…. oh, how heartbreakingly wonderful it was to have Bucky be the first one to go, and right in front of Cap! They’ve gone through so much together, and for Cap to lose his best friend after he’s FINALLY gotten him back…. oh, the feels. He also lost Falcon, which leaves Cap in a very vulnerable place.

What else is there to say? Obviously, it’s not over, and not everyone who disappeared is going to stay dead. In fact, I dare say that when Infinity War Part 2 (or whatever it’s going to be called) premieres next summer, some of our original heroes will be the ones to bite the dust in order to bring everyone else back. And honestly? I’m okay saying goodbye to Tony Stark. I might be even okay saying goodbye to Captain America, if they play it right.

Infinity War is definitely a movie I can watch again, and while not every story beat made sense, what did work (amazingly) was putting so many superheroes together into one movie. So kudos to Marvel for that. And for breaking our hearts. Now, all they have to do is stick the landing in part two. I can’t wait to see how it shakes out.

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J.L.: It finally happened! The event of 2018 I had been waiting for.

I’ve been in love with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) since Iron Man came out in 2008. I was never a reader of the comics, but I have adored the movies for how they stand themselves and adapt so many decades of content into a thrilling adventure. I’ll touch on this again later, but Infinity War was not a movie for those new to the MCU. This was for those of us who have scheduled our lives around opening weekends for a decade, watched the DVDs numerous times, participated in endless discussions online, and loved every moment of it. For those who might complain that they saw Infinity War and didn’t get it, didn’t recognize people, why does that guy have mechanical pants, who are Clint and Scott, I don’t know what’s going on…Sorry, not sorry.

So, the movie itself. That’s a lot of superheroes. And we’re not wasting time with backstory and introductions. Which makes it hard to have defined character arcs when there are so many characters in a movie.

Instead, you have to reorient yourself. Much of the movie’s time is spent with the heroes we know and love, but it’s not really their movie. If you look beyond what’s on screen, and take the structure as a whole, the protagonist of the movie…is Thanos. All the best villains are the heroes of their own story, and in this case, Thanos is definitely a hero. He gets what he sets out to do. Which is kill half the universe.

Let’s count his accomplishments, then.

From the beginning: It feels like Heimdall gets short shrift, but at least his death serves a purpose. And come on, Idris Elba too big for this franchise to play a bit character anymore.

On the other hand, no way is Loki dead. I honestly kept waiting for him to pop out at the last moment to stop Thanos, but I guess the Russo brothers are saving that trick for Avengers 4.

Gamora. Oh, Gamora. If Thanos is the hero, you got absolutely and completely fridged. Thank god Russo brothers have already confirmed that you’re stuck in the Soul Stone rather than completely dead. Still hard (and annoying!) to watch, especially considering how often Peter Quill fails you in this movie. I love you two as a couple, but you deserve better, hon. I hear Thor is single these days.

And then, the Snapture.

I cry at everything. Seriously. My husband mocks me. When Thor mucks up taking out Thanos (sorry, Gamora, no guy is perfect), I was ready for the worst. I teared up when Bucky reached out to Steve, of course, but when the hits kept coming — OMG, Rhodes looking for his buddy Sammy as he fades away just out of sight — I think I went into shock for self-preservation. Couldn’t even yell out in anguish with other people in the theater.

Obviously, we know that a lot of this is reversible (except for Heimdall). Strange would NEVER have given up the Time Stone in exchange for Tony’s life if there wasn’t a bigger game at play.

There’s so much more to unpack, but I’m already way over my word limit. (Shhh, don’t tell the other Speculative Chic writers, because I’m always getting on their case.) I’ll leave my reaction with two concluding thoughts:

Bravo to Marvel for being willing to end on such a brutal note. The devoted fans will never forget it. Again, not only was this not a film for new fans, but even casual ones didn’t necessarily feel the impact. As I sat in my theater seat while the credits rolled, clutching the armrests, my husband delighted in pointing to the names that passed and whispering to me, “They’re dead!” Jerk.

And finally, before the movie, there was lots of hype about certain characters meeting and interacting. Since opening weekend, there’s also been lots of dissection about why certain characters were dusted but others were not. For myself, I was pretty sure that Steve Rogers would get a heroic death and we’d get Captain Falcon in Avengers 4. But instead, the thing that I’m most excited about in a year’s time is the meeting we didn’t actually get in Infinity War.

Tony and Steve.

Save the day for me, guys.

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Seriously, we know more movies are coming…