Avengers: Infinity War writers, Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus, have revealed the reason why the Red Skull returned for the movie.
Avengers: Infinity War was replete with shocks and surprises and one of them was certainly the return of the long-missing Red Skull – last seen at the end of Captain America: The First Avenger.
But why did the character actually return, beyond being a treat for fans? Well, on the commentary for Avengers: Infinity War (via ComicBook.com), co-writer Stephen McFeely said Red Skull was “a fetish Chris [Markus] and I have”.
Christopher Markus added: “Cinematically, he’s the first one to be obsessed with these Infinity Stones in the MCU and he clearly did not die at the end of First Avenger. The idea of where he might have gone is so tantalizing and much like being able to fill roles that would be there anywhere with William Hurt or Benecio del Toro, he fit this moment perfectly.”
Markus and McFeely were also the writers on The First Avenger, which McFeely says put them in an excellent position to bring Red Skull back: “The MCU is a unique experiment and the fact that we’ve been there for all the phases is a privilege but we know where all the bodies are buried. Sometimes, you can dig a body up and put him in a scene.”
Are you glad Red Skull turned up briefly in Infinity War? There’s no question it was a surprising moment for fans, regardless of its necessity.
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An unprecedented cinematic journey ten years in the making and spanning the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Infinity War” brings to the screen the ultimate, deadliest showdown of all time. The Avengers and their Super Hero allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.
Avengers: Infinity War stars Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), Tom Holland (Spider-Man), Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier), Anthony Mackie (Falcon), Paul Bettany (Vision), Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch), Don Cheadle (War Machine), Josh Brolin (Thanos), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Benedict Wong (Wong), Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Zoe Saldana (Gamora), Dave Bautista (Drax), Bradley Cooper (Rocket), Sean Gunn (Rocket), Vin Diesel (Groot), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Pom Klementieff (Mantis), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Benicio Del Toro (The Collector), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Letitia Wright (Shuri), Winston Duke (M’Baku), Terry Notary (Cull Obsidian), Tom Vaughan-Lawlor (Ebony Maw), Carrie Coon (Proxima Midnight), Michael James Shaw (Corvus Glaive) and Peter Dinklage (Eitri).