Entertainment

‘Infinity War’ Directors Reveal the Answer to a Teeny Tiny Plot Hole

A battle scene from the movie 'Infinity War' with Thor and Groot.
Marvel

Thor’s electrifying arrival to Infinity War’s climactic battle in Wakanda might’ve just been the most thrilling moment in a movie full of thrilling moments, but it left some fans puzzled. How did Thor, Groot, and Rocket know where to go? Over the weekend, Infinity War’s directors revealed the answer, tying up a small plot hole that, to be honest, didn’t really need to be tied up.

On Saturday, Anthony and Joe Russo hosted a massive, digital group-viewing of Infinity War and answered questions on Twitter along the way.

“How did Thor, Rocket, and Groot know about the battle going on in Wakanda?” one Twitter user asked.

“Thor knows Thanos is going after the Stones, and he knows that there are Stones on Earth, so that’s what leads him to Wakanda,” the Russos replied, via the official @Avengers Twitter account.

It makes sense. Thor had a rough go of it in Infinity War. First Thanos destroys the Asgardian refugee ship and kills his best friend and brother, then he meets the Guardians of the Galaxy, and goes through hell to forge a new weapon, Stormbreaker, that stands a chance at killing Thanos. Thor knew that the Mind Stone was on Earth (inside Vision’s head), and he figured that Thanos would head there eventually, and therefore beamed down to intercept him.

How did Thanos know to go to Wakanda, specifically? Maybe Rocket used some advanced technology to trace the Mind Stone’s energy signal, or maybe Thor had some godly vision. The point is, it doesn’t really matter. Part of the reason why Thor’s arrival was such an awesome moment was because it was a surprise. Audiences had been watching the battle on Wakanda for just long enough to forget that Thor’s out there, and when he touches down it’s unexpected. That feeling would’ve been undercut had their been a scene were Thor told Rocket where to go and explained how he knew to go there, telegraphing his arrival.

Still, Marvel fans like having thorough explanations, and the Russo Brothers dutifully delivered (mostly).

More intriguing were tweets that explained that Thanos might be able to repair the damage the snap did to his arm and gauntlet using the Time Stone, but “there is a cost to using the power of the Stones.”

Also curious? The reveal that Red Skull is free, now that Thanos collected the Soul Stone. It’s possible he’ll pop up in the future.