One of the main reasons why the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been able to attract the attention of avid fans is the release of the Avengers film in 2012, which introduced a multitude of key characters from various superhero films produced by Marvel up to that point. The sequel, titled Avengers: Age of Ultron, was released in 2015 under the creative direction of the Russo brothers, achieving significant success and further solidifying the franchise’s brand identity among fans.
The success of the previous two installments led to the official announcement of Avengers: Infinity War, which would be released in two parts in 2018. Although fans had to wait a few more years, excitement for this sequel continued to build, especially since it would feature all of Marvel’s superheroes facing off against the most formidable villain to date—Thanos.
Recently, according to information from Deadline, Disney has decided to rename one of the two parts of Avengers: Infinity War for better alignment with the studio’s overall strategy. It is reported that Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 will simply be renamed Avengers: Infinity War, while Part 2 is still undergoing discussions to select a different title.
At first glance, the new title may not seem significantly different from the original (simply dropping the “Part 1” designation); however, it carries a profound meaning for dedicated Marvel fans.
To understand this, let us look back at the time when Marvel began announcing its film projects. At that time, in the cinematic landscape, the phenomenon of “cash-grabbing” was becoming increasingly prominent among fans, as studios were splitting blockbuster films into 2 or 3 parts, leading to potential revenues that could multiply 2-3 times while production costs only rose slightly.
Prominent examples of this trend include the Harry Potter series and The Hobbit films, which were split into two parts despite having specific story arcs, resulting in significant box office success.
However, today’s audiences and cinema enthusiasts worldwide have become increasingly aware of this trend, raising questions like “Why do I have to buy a ticket twice just to see one film?” As a result, Marvel’s practice of “cash-grabbing” by splitting films into two parts and charging for both is no longer seen as acceptable, prompting them to change the name of Infinity War.
The renaming (dropping “Part 1”) also implies that we will have a single film titled Avengers: Infinity War, meaning viewers won’t have to wait a year to see the continuation (as this kind of viewing experience can be quite frustrating!). Moreover, Marvel is set to alter the content of the second part to make it a distinct movie, so Marvel fans will perceive the two films as separate entities rather than a continuation of the same Infinity War film.
