No matter how great the divide between Marvel’s TV and movie universe, fans have always quietly banked on Avengers: Infinity War uniting all its live-action heroes in one universe-shattering showdown. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo don’t want to get your hopes up, however, noting “our focus is on telling the stories of the characters that currently exist on the movie side.”

Considering a gulf wide enough to allow Alfre Woodard separate roles in both Captain America: Civil War and Marvel’s Netflix Luke Cage, we may not want to take for granted that all will coalesce in time for the Russo brothers to direct Infinity War, let alone Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely to write it. Speaking with BadTaste.it, the Russos were careful not to quash the possibility, but weren’t inspiring much hope:

The Marvel Universe is sprawling - the Marvel Cinematic Universe is enormous. Just think of all the characters that haven’t been introduced yet that are going to be introduced by the time that we’re working on Infinity War. We have a tough task just telling the stories of the characters who exist [on the big screen] in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, let alone adding the entire Marvel Television universe.

Anything is possible in Marvel. It’s certainly something we’re considering. But our focus is on telling the stories of the characters that currently exist on the movie side.

It wouldn’t take much to acknowledge some heroic efforts on the home front, if indeed any aspect of Infinity War’s central conflict takes place on Earth, but it doesn’t bode well that the Russos seem resigned to telling their own character’s story. Markus and McFeely too have expressed a lacking awareness of TV developments, noting that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s take on Inhumans had no bearing on the events of Civil War.

We’ll find out more as Infinity War gears up to shoot sometime in late 2016 (around the time The Defenders may be busy shooting as well) but has our last hope of movie-TV crossover fallen victim to Thanos?

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