Avengers: Infinity War might be one of the most serious Marvel Cinematic Universe movies yet, but that doesn’t mean it can’t deflate egos along the way.
Particularly in the first Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter Quill often seems to think he’s cooler than he actually is. He tries very hard to go by the nickname of Star-Lord (which his mother actually gave him), and still fails miserably. Granted, by Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, he’s earned more respect. But, at his heart, Peter is still kind of a dweeb, and that opens him up to a lot of humor. Enter the latest Avengers: Infinity War promo (yes, another new one even though the movie comes out on April 27), with a tip of the hat to CBR.
Granted, it comes in response to a semi-serious moment from Thor, but anything that lets Chris Hemsworth use his talent for comedy is welcome.
However, this does raise a concern. Are we seeing so many of these funny moments in the promos to lull us into a sense of security about the movie? Or is it merely a portent of a movie that’s almost inappropriately funny?
Look, we always expect some doses of humor. However, this movie has been hyped not as a funny Marvel film, but as the culmination of a literal decade of worldbuilding and weaving in all sorts of disparate characters from the aforementioned Star-Lord all the way to icons like Captain America and Iron Man.
CBR notes that this could indicate what Peter’s arc will look like — trying to keep up with heroes. Is it possible that he’s even a low-key Captain America fanboy, as I’ve suggested before? It would be another opportunity for humor, but also for some more character development.
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Hopefully, Star-Lord gets a few actually serious moments, too. He’s had some excellent character work in the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Reducing him to comic relief or the butt of others’ jokes would feel like a step back.