In 2008, Marvel Studios released their first superhero film ever: Iron Man. Now, a decade later, Marvel has created a superhero empire—the Marvel Universe—consisting of over 18 films and more than 20 superheroes. Each hero—A-list and B-list alike—has their own unique stories and histories, all of which fill in the plot leading up to “Avengers: Infinity War,” Marvel’s most recent film. Almost every Marvel superhero is featured in this epic battle, in which the fate of the universe is at stake like never before. Despite the overload of superheroes in one movie, directors Anthony and Joe Russo not only continue their hallmark action sequences—as seen in “Captain America: Winter Soldier” and “Captain America: Civil War”—but they connect the dots of the intricate Marvel Universe by pairing the heroes together to create humorous clashes of intergalactic personalities.

Although a majority of the characters in “Avengers: Infinity War” come from previous Marvel movies, the evil and villainous component of the movie comes in the form of Thanos, a well-designed and determined antagonist. Ultimately, Thanos seeks to return the universe to a state of stability, which he believes will only be accomplished by extinguishing half of the population of life. In order to achieve his goal, Thanos must obtain the six infinity stones—one of which he already holds—making for a complex, engaging and well-thought out journey. These gems each control a different aspect of the universe, and when used together they are virtually unstoppable.

Interestingly, before this film, many superheroes of the Marvel Universe had never interacted with one another. Essentially, the protagonists tasked with saving Earth and the rest of the universe are divided into three groups: the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Masters of the Mystic Arts.

Throughout “Avengers: Infinity War” the Marvel superheroes join together and form unexpected alliances against their common enemy. One mentionable new relationship is that of Doctor Strange and Iron Man. The two super heroes possess outgoing, clever and sarcastic personalities—a similarity that leads them to clash in a comedic fashion, as they compete for the leader position in their mission to stop Thanos.

Additionally, the witty and irreverent perspectives of the Guardians of the Galaxy mold together with the similar outlook of Thor to create a nonchalant aspect of humor, where Starlord fights to defend his ego against Thor’s clearly superior abilities.

It is up to all of the Marvel superheroes to stop Thanos, by any means necessary, as he endeavors to acquire the infinity stones and murder millions of lives all around the universe. The fourth Avengers film—unnamed at the moment—is currently set to be released by Marvel in May 2019, and will function as a continuation of “Avengers: Infinity War.” Until then, we are left only with speculation on how the fates of these heroes and their universe will unravel.