Iron Man Suffers a Continuity Error in 'Avengers: Infinity War'

Many regard Avengers: Infinity War to be one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's best outings, but it turns out that the film isn't without its faults.

Reddit user Wizif recently discovered a very specific continuity error in Infinity War, which occurs in the scene where Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) are talking about their future together. In a clip of the scene, which you can check out below, Tony goes from having his jacket draped over his shoulders to having it wrapped around his waist in no time flat.

Continuity Error in Infinity War from r/marvelstudios

Granted, it's a relatively small continuity error, but it's one that is already frustrating the fans who have noticed it. But considering the behind-the-scenes process for the film - and for that scene in particular - this sort of jump in editing actually does make sense.

"We shot an entirely different, I'm being serious, [scene]," co-writer Christopher Markus said in a previous interview. "We shot an unbelievably long version of Tony and Pepper in the park that featured cameos and it was sort of Robert [Downey Jr.] and his friends' day at the park. Went a little crazy and then when we turned the camera off..."

"It got kind of out of control," Markus continued. "It was off-plot entirely so we went back and we wrote one that was in a different place, that was much more tonally on plot, took place in a different place. It was Tony and Pepper. We shot it and it was kind of lovely but it got you off on the wrong foot with Tony. It was like he knew the movie was about to happen. So, we went back down to an edited down version of that park scene. I have vivid memories of shooting and writing that scene you'll never see, or maybe, you never know..."

And even then, it's safe to assume that Tony has a lot bigger fish to fry within Infinity War -- both with regard to his personal life, and the whole threat of Thanos (Josh Brolin).

"The character started as a very narcissistic, self-centered character." co-director Anthony Russo said in an interview before the film was released. "His arc in the first movie was to just begin to take a step beyond that, and we've continued him along that line in his journey that he's had to the point where at the opening of Infinity War, his personal life is very thick. The stakes of his relationship with Pepper (Potts) are very high now. Also the fact that he's had this mentor relationship with Peter Parker, it's as if his personal life is becoming fuller and more important to him than it ever had before. And that's an interesting counterpoint to his life as Iron Man, and also his life as Iron Man is a potential threat to that personal life as well. What's happening with Tony Stark in this film is that he's beginning to feel the tension between those two things, and that's a difficult conflict for him."

What do you think of this Infinity War continuity error? Does it distract from your enjoyment of the film? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Avengers: Infinity War is now available on digital platforms, DVD, and Blu-ray. Ant-Man and the Wasp is in theaters now. Other upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies include Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019; the fourth Avengers movie on May 3, 2019; and Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 5, 2019.