The Tear-Jerking Avengers: Infinity War Line You Didn't Know Was Improvised
"Avengers: Infinity War" is a movie that needs no introduction. The first of a two-part conclusion, the film was a culmination of everything we had seen up to that point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It did not possess the emotional weight that "Avengers: Endgame" did, but still, the ending moments of the film didn't pull any punches. Just when you think Thor (Chris Hemsworth) had put an end (or an ax) into Thanos' (Josh Brolin) dreams of galactic genocide, he is proven unsuccessful and the purple-skinned warlord snaps, scattering half of the universe's population to dust.
From Doctor Strange to Wanda Maximoff and Bucky Barnes, many of our heroes, barring the original Avengers, fade away. It's rather upsetting to watch — even though you know that you'll meet them again. But the most heart-breaking temporary death is that of Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland). He senses danger before being Infinity-Stoned out of existence, becoming the only Marvel hero to know his disappearance is imminent once Thanos carries out his plan.
Thank Tom Holland For That
If you've closely followed the relationship between Spider-Man and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) throughout "Captain America: Civil War" and "Spider-Man: Homecoming," chances are the scene between the characters at the end of "Avengers: Infinity War" reduced you to a puddle of tears.
Peter is the only superhero who discovers beforehand that he's about to be erased from existence (maybe thanks to his Spider-Sense?). Realizing what's about to happen, he panics. Others might be oblivious to their impending demise, but Peter knows and desperately clings on to Tony Stark, repeating a single sentence, "I don't want to go."
It turns out that moment was completely unscripted, and Tom Holland improvised the scene. The actor explained how he came up with the idea in a GQ video back in 2019. Responding to claims made by an Internet rumor, Holland revealed that the scene was improvised differently, but it led to the idea for Spider-Man to say, "I don't want to go." He came up with it on his own!
"It is improvised, because basically we did a long improvise, and it wasn't great, but it sparked a great idea. And then we reworked the scene, and then this was born."
The on-screen superhero further discussed a method he uses that helps bring out all the emotions. "A technique I'll do if I'm trying to cry is I'll say a phrase over and over again," Holland said.
"So for example, if I was like in a scene and I was talking to someone and the undertone of the scene was that I loved them, I would say in my head 'I love you so much. I love you so much. I love you so much. I love you so much' and then it like, it just kind of brings up emotion and in that scene, it was 'I don't want to go,' and I just thought I would say it out loud and it works. It's really good in the film."
Tom Holland's incredible improvisation was impactful and continues to be a tear-jerking moment even years later. It's also another example of how amazing things can sometimes happen when members of the Marvel Cinematic Universe ad-lib for their characters instead of always sticking to the script.