A few things... First, I'm pleased by my suppositions that turned out to be correct. But I am even more pleased by most of my suppositions that turned out to be off. I was right about Thanos being out in space before coming to Earth, but I was wrong about him hitting Wakanda first, then New York. And I completely missed that the bits where he's fighting Tony aren't on Earth at all. Very pleased that I wasn't able to figure out the whole thing from the trailers -- thanks in part to the Russos' deliberate misdirection. My only gripe is a minor niggle about the Soul and Mind stones. It bugs me that it isn't the Soul stone in the big back-of-hand bezel, tying the other five together. Yes,
CPTRogers, I was wrong about that, but only because the film-makers were, too.
I'm no stranger to the taste of crow, even when I don't think I should be wrong. *lol*
I am seriously hoping, due to the easter egg in Ragnarok, Stormbreaker in IW, and the understanding things will be shifting more to the cosmic in Phase 4, that we will see Beta Ray Bill at some point in the early 2020s.
I also feel it'll be something more complex than a one-for-one swap of the currently alive for the currently dead. I can't help but feel the various actors' contracts ending with Avengers 4 is as much a part of the obfuscation of the future of the MCU as everything else. Chris Evans has said he has no plans to do Cap forever, but has no problem with it for the near term, if asked. Chris Hemsworth has already accidentally let slip that he'll be playing Thor past A4. RDJ has said he loves being Tony, and will keep coming back as long as he's able and the stories are good.
Lastly, a passing observation: IW made more its opening weekend than JL did in its entire run. Universe-building and characterization, DC. Learn you some.
Before DC fans and apologists jump on me for that,
tell me things weren't too rushed over there...
--Jonah