How avengers infinity war and star wars the last jedi shatter fan expectations

What a great question! Both Avengers: Infinity War and Star Wars: The Last Jedi are examples of films that deliberately subverted fan expectations, leading to a mix of reactions from audiences. Here are some ways in which they did so:

Avengers: Infinity War

  1. The Snap: The film's climax, where Thanos collects all six Infinity Stones and wipes out half of all life in the universe, was a massive departure from the traditional superhero narrative. Fans were not prepared for such a drastic and devastating conclusion.
  2. Character deaths: The film's body count was unprecedented in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The deaths of beloved characters like Loki, Heimdall, Gamora, and Spider-Man shocked fans and left a lasting impact on the franchise.
  3. No clear resolution: Unlike other superhero movies, Infinity War did not provide a clear resolution or a sense of closure. The film ended with a cliffhanger, setting up the events of Avengers: Endgame.
  4. The villain's motivations: Thanos' motivations, while rooted in a twisted sense of logic, were unexpected. His desire to balance the universe by wiping out half of all life was a departure from the typical "evil for evil's sake" villain archetype.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

  1. The Resistance's retreat: The film's opening scene, where the Resistance flees from the First Order, was a departure from the traditional Star Wars narrative, where the heroes are often on the offensive.
  2. Luke Skywalker's character development: Luke's character arc, which saw him struggling with his own darkness and ultimately sacrificing himself to redeem Ben Solo (Kylo Ren), was a departure from the traditional heroic portrayal of the character.
  3. The lack of a clear plan: Unlike other Star Wars films, The Last Jedi did not provide a clear plan for the Resistance to defeat the First Order. The characters were often improvising and reacting to situations, which added to the sense of uncertainty.
  4. The handling of Poe Dameron: Poe's character was significantly reduced in the film, and his actions were often criticized by fans. This was a departure from his prominent role in The Force Awakens.

Common themes

Both films subverted fan expectations by:

  1. Challenging traditional narrative structures: Infinity War and The Last Jedi both deviated from the traditional three-act structure and character arcs, opting for more complex and non-linear storytelling.
  2. Introducing moral ambiguity: Both films explored gray areas between good and evil, making it difficult for fans to categorize characters as purely heroic or villainous.
  3. Raising the stakes: Both films increased the stakes for the characters and the audience, making the consequences of failure more dire and the victories more meaningful.
  4. Encouraging emotional investment: By making the characters more complex and vulnerable, both films encouraged audiences to invest emotionally in their stories, making the subversions more impactful.

These deliberate subversions of fan expectations have contributed to the ongoing discussions and debates surrounding both films, cementing their places in pop culture history.