Joe and Anthony Russo recently opened up about Thanos’ (Josh Brolin) powerful takedown of Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) during the opening scene of Avengers: Infinity War.
The opening moments of Avengers: Infinity War set up Thanos as a very powerful foe for a few reasons. One of the most effective moments that showcases Thanos’ might is when he battles Hulk. Bruce Banner’s superhero alter-ego gets the jump on Thanos and pummels him with some very powerful blows. However, moments later Thanos lands an effective punch right to Hulk’s throat, before swiftly taking him down with a series of attacks. The assault concludes with Hulk on the floor similarly to Loki’s iconic pummeling in 2012’s The Avengers.
This causes Hulk to remain in hiding for the duration of Avengers: Infinity War. Some fans took this moment as a showcase for the Infinity Gauntlet’s ability to enhance the strength of Thanos, but it turns out that isn’t the case. During a Collider Screening Series event in which fans were treated to a Q&A with the Russo Brothers following a screening of Avengers: Infinity War, Joe Russo shed some light on the scene.
“I would say that he’s just that powerful. You didn’t see him actively use the power stone in that fight. I think ultimately, the way we looked at that fight and the way we talked about it with our stunt team when we were executing it was Hulk is obviously very powerful, but he’s a little mindless in his fighting style.
It’s aggressive, it’s pummeling. Thanos is the Ghengis Kahn of the universe, he’s a very skilled fighter, equally as strong. So when you put those two up against each other, the more skilled fight is going to win ultimately. Which is why Hulk has a moment where he overpowers Thanos, but ultimately Thanos is smart.”
Although it’s understandable that some fans misunderstood the meaning behind this moment, there is always one key way to tell when Thanos is using the Gauntlet. Whenever an Infinity Stone is in use on the Infinity Gauntlet, the respective stone will noticeably light up. This doesn’t happen in that opening scene which means that, as Joe Russo elaborated on above, Thanos is just that powerful even without the Infinity Stones.
We’ll be sure to keep you updated on all news regarding Avengers: Infinity War as soon as more information becomes available. Outside of Thanos’ iconic snap, what was your favorite use of the Gauntlet or any Infinity Stone during the film? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Source: Collider