Avengers: Infinity War Directors Put Blame For Soul-Crushing Ending On Thor

In the end, the dire consequences of Avengers: Infinity War came down to the choice made by a single character--and it wasn't Thanos (Josh Brolin). Instead, it was one of the titular Avengers that set in motion the film's emotional climax and now the movie's directors are shedding some light on that decision. If you somehow haven't seen Avengers: Infinity War, this is your obligatory spoiler warning. Stop now or suffer the consequences.

During the battle of Wakanda, there was one man that could have stopped Thanos from snapping his fingers and wiping out half of existence: Thor (Chris Hemsworth). With a throw of his Stormbreaker axe, the son of Odin could have lopped off the purple monster's dead, ending the threat once and for all. Instead, he threw the axe right into the chest of Thanos, at which point the villain chides him for not taking the kill shot.

As co-director Joe Russo tells ComicBook.com, that was a deliberate choice and one that viewers can hold against Thor--especially those who blame Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) for what happened after he punched Thanos while the Infinity Gauntlet was being removed. "I would argue that the fan base could be equally upset with Thor, who chose to throw that axe into Thanos' chest and not his head," he says. "Because he wanted to tell Thanos that he got his revenge."

It's a cocky move by Thor and one driven by rage after the deaths of both Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Heimdall (Idris Elba). However, it's that movie, Russo says, that allows Thanos to carry out his plan. "Had he gone for a kill shot, that snap would not have happened," he explains. "These are choices that characters who are feeling immense pain make and hopefully, the audience can learn to empathize with those characters because they can grow through stories."

Given the Infinity Stones--including the time stone--are still in play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there's always the chance that time could be reversed in Avengers 4, allowing Thor to revisit his actions and choose a different path. He cannot be blamed for the mad titan's plot to gather the stones and decimate the galaxy's population, but he does shoulder his own responsibility in how these events unfolded.

Avengers 4 is in theaters on May 3, 2019. Before then, Ant-Man and the Wasp will premiere on July 6, 2018, with Captain Marvel following on March 8, 2019.