One of the first dates I wrote in my agenda at the beginning of the school year was the date of the “Avengers: Infinity War” premiere. I grew up on the comics and cheesy 90s cartoons of Marvel. The first modern Marvel movie I saw in theaters was the first “The Avengers,” and I was hooked. It seemed so strange that this film was finally here, after so much waiting, so many theories and so much anticipation.

“Infinity War” is what it promised to be: a film almost bursting with stars and heroes, a culmination of ten years of storytelling and character development, a film that would delight fans with hero interactions and humor, but nevertheless most likely break our hearts. Marvel delivered almost too well.

The quips and one-liners returned in full force. I couldn’t help but smile as I saw the different teams and franchises collide, watching Ironman (Robert Downey Jr.) meet Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and, of course, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) meet Groot (Vin Diesel).  Marvel could have coasted on this alone, the coming together, humor and great fight scenes. However, all the assembling brought another feeling: a dreadful apprehension.

Josh Brolin shines as Thanos. He makes the years of after-credits scenes and Easter eggs worth the wait. Seeing him in full, not eclipsed in shadow, is startling. He truly has complicated motivation. He’s not an “evil for the sake of evil” villian, a model to which Marvel often resorts. His slow, steady seizure of the infinity stones across gorgeously rendered planets and his gradual increase in power builds anxiety until the very end.

The dark tones of the franchise which started in “Captain America: Civil War” intensified, almost to a fault. The cliffhanger is close to cruel. Additionally, the struggle to keep the narrative together and united was always lurking beneath the surface, but the Russo brothers persevered.

Despite needing the box of tissues I smuggled in in my purse, it truly was a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience. “Infinity War” is truly a precedent-setting film. It was true to the characters we love and heartbreaking for that very reason. It deserves an A.