Marvel fans have been patiently waiting in excitement for the release of “Infinity War,” which was released last night.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is more popular than ever. People relish in seeing intricate action scenes and witty dialogue intertwined, where their  favorite superheroes and villains are fighting each other while cracking jokes.

The 18 films they have produced so far have raked in $12 billion for Marvel and Disney. Marvel has become a major phenomenon. 

But what’s next for them? How about making possibly the most expensive movie ever made and assembling one of the greatest casts ever seen on film.

 That’s what “Avengers: Infinity War” is.

According to The Independent, the combined budget for “Infinity War” and the currently untitled sequel is $1 billion. This would make it the most expensive movie ever made, beating out “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.” 

The cost makes sense when you consider that Downey Jr. allegedly requested a $200 million salary. Keep in mind that the president of the United States only makes $400,000 annually.

But is it worth it? Well let’s take a look at what we know about “Infinity War” so far.

“Avengers: Infinity War” is based on the Marvel comic book story lines of 1991’s “The Infinity Gauntlet” and 2013’s “Infinity.” 

The plot follows the intergalactic warlord Thanos played by Josh Brolin (who will also star as Cable in  the second “Deadpool” movie, coming out this May). 

Thanos comes to Earth to collect the Infinity Stones, six incredibly powerful objects which allow whoever possesses them to have complete omnipotence and omniscience.

In order to stop him, the Avengers will have to reunite after the events of “Captain America: Civil War” split them apart and team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy to save half the universe. 

The film is directed by the Russo brothers, who previously directed “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Ant-Man” and “Captain America: Civil War.”

“Avengers: Infinity War” also includes many of the same actors from the previous films. The film stars Downey Jr. as Ironman, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as Hulk, Chris Evans as Captain America, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Strange. 

To put it simply, “Infinity War” has a great cast of popular stars.

All of this has made people very excited for “Infinity War.” According to a December 2017 Fandango Poll, “Infinity War” is the most anticipated movie of 2018. 

Marvel and Disney have been making a huge effort in order to ensure that the movie will be worth it’s massive budget and the hype. This includes everything from airing an advertisement  during the Super Bowl to showing footage of the movie at the San Diego Comic Convention. 

Now we will see if “Avengers: Infinity War” really is the ultimate super hero movie.