History AvengersInfinityWar / TropesSToZ

* ASinisterClue: The Infinity Gauntlet is left-handed. [[spoiler:When the Avengers make a new Gauntlet in ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', it's right-handed.]]

* SpiritualSuccessor:
** The film has been called the MCU equivalent to the ''Film/RogueOne'' with the high death count of named heroes at the hands of the villain.
** It's also been compared to ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', given how it concludes on an unambiguously DownerEnding with [[TheBadGuyWins the bad guy winning.]]
** The fingersnap scene has been called by many people to be the Marvel Cinematic Universe's equivalent to the [[NastyParty Red Wedding]] in ''Series/GameOfThrones'', as several beloved heroic characters die in rapid succession with [[TheBadGuyWins the villain coming out triumphant]]. Coincidentally, Creator/PeterDinklage who plays Tyrion in the show is also present in the movie as Eitri.

* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Secretary Ross ignores the fact Earth is being assaulted by aliens in favor of the fugitive Avengers being spotted and, using his authority under the Sokovia Accords, orders Rhodey to arrest them. Rhodey, understanding that the aliens are an actual threat to humanity and Ross is being petty and short-sighted, realizes that the Accords as they are aren't a good thing and refuses to do it. Despite knowing perfectly well that he'll be on the wrong end of a court-martial for what he did, Rhodey reconciles with his comrades so they can fight together.

* ShutUpHannibal: Stark interrupts Ebony Maw's UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans spiel in New York:
-->'''Ebony Maw:''' You are about to die at the hands of the Children of Thanos. Be thankful that your meaningless lives are now contributing to the balance--\\
'''Tony Stark:''' I'm sorry, Earth is closed today. You better pack it up and get outta here.

** After [[Franchise/IronMan Tony Stark]] and [[ComicBook/SpiderMan Peter Parker]] rescue [[ComicBook/DoctorStrange Dr. Steven Strange]] from Thanos' forces, the following exchange occurs:

** Then Tony, Peter, and Dr. Strange run into the Franchise/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy and this exchange occurs:

** After [[Franchise/IronMan Tony Stark]] and [[Franchise/SpiderMan Peter Parker]] rescue [[ComicBook/DoctorStrange Dr. Steven Strange]] from Thanos' forces, the following exchange occurs:

** The Creator/StanLee CreatorCameo is done very early in the movie (he's Peter Parker's bus driver), so as to not distract from the movie's high stakes and heightened tension later on.

* SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome: The first twenty minutes almost completely overwrite the ending of ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', as it begins with the Asgardian ship under attack and a large number of people either dead or being massacred. Heimdall dies moments after transporting Bruce back to Earth, while Loki bites it a couple minutes later in a failed ruse (especially notable considering he was the most prominent villain who ''always'' escaped death beforehand); neither Valkyrie, Korg or Miek appear and their statuses are currently unknown (though[[invoked]] WordOfGod from Joe Russo later confirmed Valkyrie at least survived). A short while later, the Guardians discover that the Collector is dead on Knowhere.

* StockholmSyndrome: Gamora is distraught when she thinks she's killed Thanos, to the latter's surprise as she's made no secret of her hatred for him. Despite his troops murdering half her planet and likely her mother as well, Thanos has reared her as a ParentalSubstitute and is shown to have genuine love for her.

** Then Tony, Peter, and Dr. Strange run into the Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy and this exchange occurs:

** The first scene has Thanos already holding an Infinity Stone -- the Power Stone, which was under the protection of the [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy Nova Corps on Xandar]], meaning he had already taken it by force. Thor later confirms it, letting us know all of Xandar was decimated in order to demonstrate that yes, Thanos is strong.
* WorldOfSnark: If you thought every MCU movie before featured droll wit, you ain't seen nothing yet because they all come together into one big ball of it in this film, considering it combines Creator/TaikaWaititi's humour from ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', Creator/JamesGunn's humour [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy from both]] [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2 films of the Guardians]], and the tendency of the MCU as a whole to give even the darkest, most stoic characters at least a single moment of snark. Then again, given the [[DarkerAndEdgier nature of the film]], the moments ''are'' few and far between.

** The ultimate of Tanleer Tivan AKA the Collector is also this. Given the Collector's cameo was a Reality Stone-generated illusion and that Knowhere had been razed, it's implied Thanos ''did'' kill Tivan. But it's also never explicitly confirmed.