Sorry fans, but new Avengers: Infinity Blu-ray details leaked on Twitter yesterday do not include the rumored extra 30 minutes of Thanos backstory that generated excitement ahead of the reported August 14 home release date.
Going by the breakdown of the Avengers: Infinity War Blu-ray details published on a German site and shared on Twitter by user Anton Volkov, the home release will include more than 45 minutes of special features or extras, and only six and a half minutes of deleted scenes that have nothing to do with the rumored extra 30 minutes of Thanos footage.
Multiple media outlets had reported on Monday that recent comments by Marvel Comics writer and artist Jim Starlin — who created Thanos and Gamora, and wrote Infinity Gauntlet — suggested that Avengers: Infinity War may get an extended edition on home video (DVD and Blu-ray) that will include about 30 minutes of footage focusing on Thanos’ backstory. Starlin reportedly made the revelation while participating in a panel at Las Vegas Comic Con moderated by Collider’s Jon Schnepp.
According to Schnepp, Starlin revealed that a backstory for Thanos was originally planned for Infinity War, but about 30 minutes of the footage did not make the theatrical cut. Starlin reportedly went on to reveal there was a plan to reinstate the Thanos footage, so that fans can see more of Thanos’ backstory in an extended cut of the movie.
However, following the alleged revelation by Starlin, the list of Avengers: Infinity War Blu-ray special features revealed on Twitter by Anton Volkov, who translated the information from a German site where the details were allegedly leaked, did not include Thanos’ backstory.
Instead, it included three deleted scenes. The first deleted scene titled “Happy Has A Perspective,” reportedly refers to a deleted Jon Favreau Happy Hogan scene. The second deleted scene is titled “Hunt for the Mind Stone,” while the third scene, titled “The Guardians Find Their Groove,” is apparently a comic scene involving the Guardians.
#Avengers #InfinityWar Blu-ray deets: 45 minutes of extras with 6 and a half minutes worth of deleted scenes. Had a go at translating the German titles: https://t.co/Ko0N69kQYW pic.twitter.com/7zfaZiwdqL
— Anton Volkov (@antovolk) July 3, 2018
With the rumored August 14 home release date fast approaching, the comments earlier ascribed to Starlin caused excitement among fans who believed he must have obtained his information from reliable sources. But some fans had expressed doubt and pointed out that there was no official confirmation of the claim from Marvel. Others noted that Marvel has never released an extended cut for a movie before and thus there was no reason to believe they would do so this time around.
However, fans remained optimistic, with many pointing out that Infinity War directors Joe and Anthony Russo had previously confirmed the existence of Thanos backstory sequences that did not make the theatrical cut. Some fans also argued that Marvel could release an extended edition of Infinity War featuring Thanos’ backstory as part of the 10th anniversary celebration of the MCU. Others pointed to the precedent set by the success of the Ultimate Edition of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016, as reason to believe that Marvel Studios could release a Thanos backstory extended cut on home video.
After Thanos’ brief appearances in earlier MCU movies in which he was revealed pulling the strings behind the scenes in his overarching quest to obtain all six Infinity Stones, he finally decided to take matters into his own hands in Avengers: Infinity War. Thanos, widely regarded as one of the most formidable of Marvel’s super-villains, stepped from the shadows, as hinted in the end credits scene of Age of Ultron, and launched his mission to acquire unlimited cosmic power by collecting all six Infinity Stones.
The popularity of Josh Brolin’s Mad Titan character, despite his villain status, explains the widespread excitement that greeted the rumor that Marvel planned to release an extended edition of Infinity War that includes 30 minutes of deleted sequences focusing on Thanos’ backstory. Many Marvel fans have expressed disappointment over the latest information that suggests Avengers: Infinity War Blu-ray won’t include 30 extra minutes of their favorite supervillain’s backstory.