‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Cast Take Us Inside the Making of Marvel’s Biggest Movie yet

Alci Rengifo

It has finally arrived. “Avengers: Infinity War” brings together the key characters of the Marvel cinematic universe into one, titanic canvas. This grand installment, from Disney and Marvel, which also celebrates a decade of Marvel Studios movies, pits the Avengers team against the galactic warlord Thanos (Josh Brolin). This monstrous villain seeks to capture all six Infinity Stones to reshape the cosmos in bloody conquest. For “Infinity War” all the majors are here for a final showdown that will leave some fans gasping.

Key members of the cast, Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Tom Holland (Spider-Man), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Letitia Wright (Shuri), Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), Brolin and Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), recently shared with Entertainment Voice details on the making of this highly anticipated superhero opus.

With his typical charm and rowdy attitude, Robert Downey Jr. felt excited about “Infinity War” but was evasive when it came to the question of whether he will be in the next chapter, slated to be released next year. “Well we already shot it,” said Downey Jr., “but I don’t know. I have to see this movie first. If I die in it I’ll be very confused.”

“It’s something super new to me, to play this character,” said Wright, who reprises her role of Shuri, the tech-savvy sister of King T’Challa or Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). “I wish I had had a Shuri on TV or the movies I could have seen while growing up and I would have stayed in my math classes a little bit longer,” she added with a smile. “But I’m happy that this character has allowed young kids to feel that learning is cool, and that they contribute to the world with science and math. And also young women as well, they don’t have to feel it’s just for the guys.”

For Zoe Saldana her reprisal of the role of Gamora, the green-skinned member of the riotous Guardians of the Galaxy, brought new challenges in “Infinity War.” Gamora is after all the stepdaughter of Thanos. “These movies, besides carrying so much action and special effects, wouldn’t be what they are if it wasn’t for those emotional beats these inter-relationships carry. Here we have a relationship between parent and child. We had so much fun with the arch. We finally get to address what it’s like for Gamora to have a dad that’s so…complicated. It was fantastic.” Saldana is also aware of the transcendence of her character as being played by a black Latina amid a diversifying film culture. “I’m super happy to be in the entertainment industry and be considered a public figure, and to be given the opportunities by leaders like our studio heads when they broaden the narrative for our stories. As actors, regardless of our race and gender, we want to be given an equal opportunity to become chameleons.” Saldana is confident her three sons will grow up in a more diverse landscape where gender and racial lines will blur.

Chadwick Boseman, coming off the monster success of “Black Panther,” was quick to emphasize that this is a whole different sort of cinematic giant. “’Infinity War’ is ‘Infinity War,’ it’s not ‘Black Panther 2.0,’” said Boseman. “It was great to have some of these characters travel to Wakanda. But it is its own movie. It was great to go from what we did with ‘Black Panther’ and bring that into ‘Avengers.’ It was a relief actually.”

Josh Brolin chimed in with a clear point about his villainous character. “I hope I didn’t look as if I was impressed by anybody in the trailers, because if so then I didn’t do my job,” said Brolin with a grin. He poked fun at the motion capture process of becoming the giant, purple megalomaniac. “I was naked on set, practically, every day to bring Thanos to life.”

Tom Holland had a similar experience in returning as Spider-Man, this time with a new costume, the “Iron Spider.” So intricate is the new suit that Holland has never actually worn it. Instead, like Brolin, he found himself stripped down for motion capture work. “I didn’t actually get to wear the ‘Iron Spider’ suit because it’s too amazing to exist in real,” said Holland. “I stood amongst these gods wearing pajamas. It wasn’t quite as heroic as I’d liked. But it is amazing and I’m excited to see it.”

Playing Hulk comes with a special irony for Mark Ruffalo, who in addition to playing the green smasher, is known for his own green, environmental causes. “I try not to be the guy that always goes on about a certain issue, but I can’t help myself,” said Ruffalo. “I think more than anything I’ve tried to use my time outside of the movies to make my friends know that it’s safe to speak about the things they care about. It’s actually enriching as an artist, no matter what it is, whether environmental issues or social justice issues, equality or education, etc. I feel like I can be the most impactful with this gift I’ve been given of working with these tremendously talented people.”

For Chris Hemsworth “Infinity War” was a particularly fun experience because his character, the mighty Thor, finds himself meeting with the rambunctious Guardians of the Galaxy. “The first day we shot it was Thor meeting the Guardians. It felt like the first day of school for me because they all already knew each other. I was the new kid. There were butterflies flying around my body. That was a great scene with a whole new dynamic. I was like a fan in finally getting to work with these people I’d seen onscreen. It was pretty damn exciting.”

“Avengers: Infinity War” opens April 27 in theaters nationwide.