With just over three weeks left until Avengers: Infinity War is released worldwide, it's safe to say that the excitement is through the roof! Obviously, we'll have to and see how the events of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes' battle for the universe against the Mad Titan unfold, but it will be interesting to see the film's references and inspirations throughout.
In anticipation of the upcoming Marvel Studios magnum opus, it's a great time to look back to where it all started in 2012, with Joss Whedon's The Aveners, and its many awesome references and inspirations. To see the full list, simply read below, then let your thoughts be known in the comments section.
Part 1: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
The Tesseract/Scepter and the Ring share notable similarities in being the central macguffins in both films. Both the Ring and the Scepter tempt their possessors and hold power over their minds (with the latter later being revealed to be the Mind Stone in Vision's head).
There is nothing that better presents this parellel than the "Time bomb" scene on the Helicarrier in The Avengers, and the Council of Elrond scene in The Fellowship of the Ring, below:
From both scenes, Steve and Tony's back-and-forth resemble that of Aragorn and Boromir's, plus the bickering between the Avengers and the Fellowship respectively, all while the Scepter/Ring intensifies in power.
Loki & Saruman -
Loki and Saruman share similarities in being scepter-wielding villains who went from good to bearing allegiance to unseen, evil puppeteers (Thanos and Sauron respectively). They both are also given their own army of warriors to carry out their villainous duties (Chitauri and Orcs).
Plus, Thor vs Loki parallels Gandalf vs Saruman -- both battles between previous allies, as seen below:
Of course this parallel is a little less applicable now that Loki is pretty much a good guy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Or is he?
The Avengers Theme & The Bridge of Khazad Dum -
With similarities in cadence, instrumentation, and overall tone, these two pieces are sure to get fans of each franchise hyped when they play.
Tony & Boromir Put Their Lives On The Wire -
Tony and Boromir, both arrogant and selfish, proved themselves as heroes in their efforts to save the day by sacrificing themselves in the process (with only one of them making it out alive). They also earned the respect of their team rivals (Steve/Aragorn).
Hawkeye & Legolas -
And finally, everyone's favorite Avenger, Clint Barton AKA Hawkeye and The Fellowship's fan favorite archer Legolas. Both masterful bow-and-arrow specialists who kick ass, and don't take names (because they don't talk very much).