“My legs are still shaking”: the first reactions to “breathtaking” Avengers: Infinity War are in

The first reactions to Avengers: Infinity War are in. And it looks like we can all breathe a sigh of relief.

As one of the most anticipated superhero films for yonks, it’s safe to say that expectations for the Marvel movie are sky-high.

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Following the movie’s premiere, some of the attendees have been tweeting their (spoiler-free!) thoughts about the epic, with actor and director Kevin Smith amongst the first to reveal he was “overwhelmed” and that his legs were “still shaking”:

I am overwhelmed. The movie is epic beyond compare. LOVED it. My legs are still shaking. It’s a gigantic @Marvel masterpiece. So much to say but I’ll stay Silent Bob til Monday so as not to slip in spoilers. Suffice to say it’s gonna be a looooong year until @Avengers 4… pic.twitter.com/aHnsgj5MK0

— KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) April 24, 2018

Other fans and reviewers praised the film’s ending, its humour and its darkness – while one said that they had never been to a screening where the audience had such a reaction at the film’s conclusion:

Laughter. Fights. Tough decisions. Triumph and emptiness. @Avengers has it all. I feel the weight of what I just saw and the journey of the last ten years bearing down. Mama needs a drink. Wow. #infinitywar #ThanosDemandsYourSilence

— Grae Drake (@graedrake) April 24, 2018

#InfinityWar is mostly great, somehow managing to mix all the elements of the MCU into one big mix-tape of fun, thrills, emotion… and despair. The ending is brilliant.

— Scott Collura (@ScottCollura) April 24, 2018

Another thing: I've been reviewing films for decades now, and I have never heard an audience react to the end of a film like the #InfinityWar audience reacted tonight. It was an astonishing experience. (And it's another reason I want to see the film again in a packed house.)

— Tasha Robinson (@TashaRobinson) April 24, 2018

"Avengers: Infinity War" is the culmination of the last 10 years in the MCU, coming to a point of flawless action, dramatic effect, and a breathtaking appeal for its fans. It is an impeccable achievement in both direction and visuals. (1 of 2) #Avengers #InfinityWar pic.twitter.com/DVcxtI3Scs

— Clayton Davis (@AwardsCircuit) April 24, 2018

#InfinityWar is everything you want, nothing you expect. It’s funny, surprising, dark, filled with delightful interplay between characters never seen on screen before. I know many filmmakers say they are trying to make a sequel in the vein of Empire Strikes Back, this succeeds.

— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) April 24, 2018

#InfinityWar is a whole lot to process. I liked it a lot, and there’s so much that works, but it definitely is “Part 1.” The ending is amazing and worth the journey, but there is a LOT crammed into its run time. Overall really liked it but need a rewatch already. pic.twitter.com/3P3rd3ojHJ

— Terri Schwartz (@Terri_Schwartz) April 24, 2018

Directors Anthony and Joe Russo had previously followed up their earlier plea to fans not to spoil the movie with another personal message ahead of the premiere. They told fans that if they wanted to avoid spoilers, their best bet was to avoid all of social media and all of the internet. Which, let’s face it, is basically impossible.

Their message to fans was complete with the hashtag #ThanosDemandsYourSilence.

Concerns over spoilers and plot leaks for Infinity War have been taken to the extremes, with the cast reportedly given fake scripts so that no single person knows the full story. There have been no traditional pre-release screenings, and stars including Benedict Cumberbatch have avoided giving any hint as to the fate of their characters.

Avengers: Infinity War is released in UK cinemas on the 26th April