I don't care what anyone says: Black Panther didn't break all of those records because of diehards alone. If your screening(s) went down like any of mine did, you had van loads of aunties, church groups, and more strolling into the theater to witness "the strength of the Black Panther." They didn't know a thing about Marvel Comics, the Cinematic Universe, or what an Infinity Stone is, and it was okay. That just goes to show the power of Marvel storytelling (and that dynamic cast) forming like Voltron to bring forth one of 2018's illest films. But that was only a setup for Avengers: Infinity War, which is not only the next huge tent pole film in the MCU, but will feature the long-awaited battle between Thanos and the entire Avengers conglomerate.
While OG comic fans like me have been patiently waiting 10 years for this film to drop, there's going to be a number of Marvel novices flocking to the theaters because they saw Wakanda in the trailers and can't miss seeing #blackexcellence on screen once again. With that being the case, we need a crash course for those audience members ASAP. You already know what time it is, right? Here's a quick explainer on what any MCU novice will need to take note of while watching Avengers: Infinity War. This should cut down on any and all questions during the movie. Thank me later.
Black Panther is NOT the star this time
The “White Wolf” is not a new character
Cap and Bucky are old AF
Thanos is the ultimate bad guy and he wants the Infinity Stones
Groot is not a conversationalist
If you haven’t seen the Guardians of the Galaxy films, you’ve missed out on one of the illest characters to hit the screen in a bit. His name is Groot, and he’s a tree-like alien creature who only says one thing: “I am Groot.” In the first Guardians film, he was a grown Groot, but he sacrificed himself for his squad, and in Guardians, Vol. 2 we were introduced to Baby Groot. Infinity War will bring us a more teenage-version of Groot, who will more than likely say some of the most foul shit, but to the untrained ear it’ll just sound like he's saying “I am Groot.” Technically, he is but it's all in his inflection. You’ll get it when you see it, but don’t be surprised.