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Why INFINITY WAR Has Us Pumped for a Spidey/Strange Pairing

Small-scale storytelling, an organic connection to the greater themes of the MCU, a villain with clear-cut motivations, and pitch-perfect casting were just some of the elements that made Spider-Man: Homecoming one of the best Marvel movies to date.

Tom Holland‘s Peter Parker is a consistent delight: endearingly self-deprecating and boundlessly enthusiastic with killer comedic timing. He’s played well off everyone he’s been paired with in the MCU so far, and it makes sense that directors Joe and Anthony Russo might think a bit outside the box to add some levity to Avengers: Infinity War via a Peter-and-[insert hero here] team-up.

Enter Doctor Strange.

Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange is a bit of an oddity within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is saying a lot, given that one of said universe’s memorable pairings is a talking raccoon and a humanoid tree. He’s a bit caustic and stiff for a leading man, though by the close of his eponymous movie, Strange was at least trying to shed the caustic part. When he showed up in Thor: Ragnarok, how exacting Cumberbatch is in his language and how straitlaced he appeared in contrast with the God of Thunder was genuinely hilarious.

So why not capitalize on the contrast between a fun-loving hero and one who takes himself a bit too seriously?

This, in short, is why that exchange at the tail end of today’s Infinity War trailer—in which Peter introduces himself by name; Doctor Strange refers to himself as, well, Doctor Strange, Peter assumes that means they’re “using [their] made-up names” and reintroduces himself as Spider-Man; and Strange looks incredulous—is so satisfying, and why it gives us hope that, even with all the battle sequences and emotional exchanges, we’re going to get some laughs out of Infinity War.

Will Steve Rogers die? Maybe. Will Hawkeye be exiled to his (Earth 1610-ish) farm? Almost certainly. Will there be monologuing, and will it be effective? Hey, it worked in Guardians of the Galaxy and Black Panther and Homecoming, so why not? Regardless of the answers to those questions, now we know we’re going to get to laugh at least a few times, and sometimes, it’ll be over an Iron Spider and a sorcerer who have very little common ground to stomp on. And that can’t be anything but awesome.

Which Infinity War team-up are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments below!

Images: Marvel

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