Needless to say, there are going to be spoilers in this article, so only proceed if you want to know some secrets.
The scene is so unusual, so foreign to what we expect to see, it takes a few minutes to process. A Quinjet, the Avengers' mode of transportation, has parked in Wakanda. King T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), surrounded by the Dora Milaje and a revived Bucky (Sebastian Stan), are preparing to greet Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and a handful of Avengers. But one team member is hurt. Bad. And the team is visibly shaken.
How on Earth did we get to this point?
CinemaBlend traveled to the Atlanta set of Joe and Anthony Russo's Avengers: Infinity War last year, and in addition to interviewing the cast and touring several sets, we watched the siblings direct the scene above. At the time of the filming, Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther hadn't yet been screened, so we had no clue how Bruce Banner made it back home from the alien planet of Sakaar. Nor did we understand that the mysterious African nation of Wakanda would be unveiled to the world population. Seeing the Avengers in Wakanda at the time of this set visit was highly unusual. But we were distracted by the fact that Vision (Paul Bettany) appeared to be badly injured, tended to by Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) as the lovers deplaned off the Quinjet.
We will have more on Vision and Wanda's relationship in the coming weeks, as Bettany and Olsen open up to us about the state of their affair. But in this scene, we see the android limping as he clutches his side. Scarlet Witch all but has to carry him. A battle has occurred, and Vision took the brunt of a serious attack. Could it be because of the Infinity Stone we know resides in his forehead?
That question wasn't answered fully until the first Avengers: Infinity War trailer was released. In it, we see members of Thanos' Black Order attacking Vision, trying to pry the Mind Stone away. They've failed. Vision retains the Stone in the scene we watched them film. But Captain America appeals to Black Panther. They need help repairing Vision. And they need an army to brace for what's coming.
It has since been revealed by Joe and Anthony Russo in recent interviews that Wakanda will be the setting of the third-act battle in Avengers: Infinity War. And from what we have been able to deduce, watching them film this scene, Thanos (Josh Brolin) will be invading T'Challa's neighborhood to retrieve the valuable Stone -- perhaps the last one he needs to bring the powerful Infinity Gauntlet to life? It has been suggested, though far from confirmed, that Avengers: Infinity War could end on a downbeat cliffhanger, with the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe failing to stop Thanos, and the Mad Titan obtaining all of the Stones. How crazy of a bold maneuver would that be?
We will know for sure soon enough. Avengers: Infinity War will be in theaters on April 27. We will have PLENTY more from the set in the days and weeks to come. In the meantime, bookmark our Upcoming Marvel Movies guide to stay up to date on all of the latest MCU happenings.
