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Thanos & Drax Had One-On-One Fight in Avengers: Infinity War Concept Art

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New Avengers: Infinity War concept art reveals a proposed one-on-one face-off between Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) and Thanos (Josh Brolin). Though Drax did square off against Thanos in a group battle on Titan alongside other Avengers like Iron Man and Doctor Strange, earlier drafts of the story gave Drax the opportunity to finally hold Thanos accountable for the death of his family on his own.

On their visit to Knowhere in Avengers: Infinity War, Drax, Star-Lord, Gamora, and Mantis attempt to stop the Mad Titan themselves by retrieving the Reality Stone from The Collector. Unfortunately, Thanos uses that very stone to fool the Guardians of the Galaxy and thwarts their mission. It sets up an opportunity for Drax to confront Thanos as a result of him murdering his wife and daughter, but Drax is ultimately cast aside with little effort. However, a one-on-one fight between the two was being considered for the movie at one point, though it ultimately fell through.


So far, fans know that Drax will appear in next year's Avengers 4, though given his fate following Thanos' finger snap in Avengers: Infinity War, it's unclear how he'll factor into the film's narrative. That same lack of clarity for Drax's future extends to the firing of James Gunn this past year from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, with the fate of the entire Guardians of the Galaxy crew up in the air. For now, audiences have no choice but to wait for Avengers 4 to explain how exactly some formerly deceased characters will make a return (or, at the very least, they may only have to wait until the trailer drops, which is rumored to happen in the next couple of weeks).

As for the concept art, Fuentebella said that they were created early on in the development process of Avengers: Infinity War, so screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, as well as directors Joe and Anthony Russo, likely contemplated over countless versions of the film - from the story itself to various character arcs. And, while the reception of the film was generally positive, it would've been satisfying to see Drax have the opportunity to finally confront Thanos one-on-one, considering it's been the crux of his personal arc since his introduction in 2014.

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Rian Johnson Thanks Star Wars Fans (& Critics) on Last Jedi's Anniversary

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Celebrating the anniversary of The Last Jedi's release, Rian Johnson extended a message of gratitude to Star Wars fans. Johnson served as both writer and director on the latest installment of the long-running saga. Despite receiving positive reviews from critics and many fans, the film garnered a significant amount of backlash from others. Frustrations from certain fans occasionally spilled over into outright vitriol aimed at both Johnson and the film's stars. Kelly Marie Tran, who played new addition Rose Tico, experienced the brunt of said aggression, ultimately leaving social media as a result.

Away from the outwardly abusive subset of fans, criticism largely revolved around Episode VIII's depiction of Luke Skywalker. Despite Johnson stating that the characterization remained consistent with the original trilogy and concept art revealing that this version of Luke remained true to plans put in place even before The Force Awakens, some fans remain displeased. Even now, a year later, the debate rages on, with The Last Jedi considered equally the best and worst of the franchise. Johnson, who is also responsible for Looper and directed some of the best episodes of Breaking Bad, has since moved back to his own original projects. His next film, Knives Out, is currently in production.
Posting on Twitter, however, Johnson took time out to express his gratitude to fans of Star Wars for the experiences and interactions of the past year. The director focused equally on both sides of the reactionary spectrum, thanking the "supportive" and the "argumentative" alike. Johnson goes on to deem getting to hear from and meet fans has been the "experience of a lifetime". Check out the full, impassioned tweet below.

Johnson only refers to the last year, but his time within the galaxy originally created by George Lucas extends far beyond that. News that he would work on the film first broke in 2014. With work towards the installment already in motion, Johnson would spend the next three years of his life building towards the release. Though he's now focused on another project, his work in the Star Wars universe is set to continue with a separate trilogy of films.

All in all, that is a lot of time and energy to pour into something. Whatever people may think of The Last Jedi and what he added to the official canon, there is no denying that the writer/director gave his all to the project. The fact that he has since used what free time he has to express gratitude to the fans, both polite and hostile alike, only further demonstrates his character. Although a few will use even this as a chance to hit out at Johnson, many have returned the gesture with their own messages of thanks and appreciation.

Despite the divisive reaction to the film, The Last Jedi went on to earn over $1 billion at the box office. Though the series, overall, has floundered somewhat with the underwhelming performance of Solo: A Star Wars Story, anticipation remains high and speculation remains rife for Episode IX. Whether people are looking forward to the continuation of what Johnson delivered or hoping for a complete retcon, it's sure to bring audiences flocking. As well as that, the buzz surrounding the first planned TV show of the collective universe, The Mandalorian, indicates that the franchise could easily bounce back from any perceived damage caused by The Last Jedi.

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Robert Downey Jr Responds To NASA's Avengers: Endgame Tweet

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After NASA replied to the multiple demands from Marvel fans to do something to bring Tony Stark back from space, Robert Downey Jr. has replied back. The highly anticipated trailer (and title release) for Avengers: Endgame finally dropped last week, leaving fans with a lot of questions waiting to be answered and a lot of material for fan theories.

One of the biggest and most emotional moments from the trailer is right at the beginning with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) stranded in space, leaving a message for Pepper Potts and explaining he has ran out of water, food, and soon oxygen as well. Fans took their worry over Tony’s fate to social media, asking NASA for help. To the surprise of most, the agency responded, and now Tony Stark himself has some words for them.
Via his official Twitter account, Robert Downey Jr. replied to NASA’s recommendation on what to do to bring Tony Stark back safely. But the exchange didn’t end there, as NASA replied back to Downey, saying that “failure is not an option”. Check out their exchange below.

As mentioned above, the first trailer for Endgame made way for a new wave of fan theories, most of them focusing on how Tony Stark will make it out alive. Some of them say Captain Marvel will be the one who rescues Tony, others say it will be Pepper Potts herself in her Rescue armor. Others say Tony will go through an experience similar to that in the first Iron Man film - where he was kidnapped, badly injured, and yet created the first Iron Man armor - only that this time he is stranded in space.

There’s also the possibility that Tony won’t make it out alive. Whether he dies in space or under different circumstances, Tony’s demise is one of fans’ biggest concerns as Robert Downey Jr.’s contract ends with Endgame (along with Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth’s contracts). NASA might not be the key to Tony’s rescue and/or survival – after all, Thanos’ snap wiped out half the population of the universe – but it’s nice to have their support.

Having NASA reply to something related to a film – and without it being about the physics involved in the film – is not something fans would expect, but it’s fun to see the agency have some fun and a different type of interaction with people on social media. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had a huge impact in pop culture, so it’s nice to see NASA putting all seriousness aside for a bit and let go for a couple of, well, tweets.