Overthinking It: Starlord Punching Thanos

I’ve never really liked the scene in Avengers: Infinity War where Peter Quill (aka: Starlord) punches Thanos and wakes him from Mantis’ trance just as the glove was being removed. From a movie perspective, I totally get it. It makes for a more entertaining movie, but I didn’t think the scene really worked. Up until an Instagram post recently.

The post talked about how that scene is really messed up if you think about it. Which I did.

In fact, I started….

The post touched on the psychological torture that Thanos put Peter and Gamora through. Thanos had the Gauntlet and Power Stones prepared and knew that Peter couldn’t hurt Gamora, but neither of them knew, right up until Peter pulled the trigger. Then of course, we all realized that Gamora was in no real danger.

Now imagine how traumatized Peter would be at that moment. He had finally admitted that he loved Gamora, and then would have killed her had Thanos not prevented it. Peter is the definition of “man-child”, and I think we can very safely assume he has never admitted he loves Gamora, even to himself; and its virtually guaranteed he’s never told her before that moment.

The WILD emotions he must have been going through. The realization that he loved Gamora, the self loathing after he actually pulled the trigger, the shock and then relief that it didn’t work, the horror after she was taken.

That will mess a dude up!

Now, flash forward to the battle on Titan, and the successful capture of Thanos where Peter finally thinks he will be reunited with perhaps the only person he has loved other than his mother, only to find out that she is dead, killed by the being that raised her and who had earlier saved her from being killed……by Peter himself!

Of course he is gonna get unhinged and do something stupid; and given the emotional immaturity that Peter has displayed over the previous movies he’s not going to have enough, if any self control to wait. He is gonna get physical, and he’s gonna do it immediately upon realizing that Gamora is dead.

The reasoning behind his actions is not terribly obvious to the viewer in the moment, and on the first viewing, but when thought about, it starts to make more sense.

The result, punches to the face, a last second save by the bad guy, some snapped fingers, and a whole second movie!!