Review: Official Set 76191 - The Infinity Gauntlet

Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same. And now it’s here, or should I say, LEGO® set 76191 is here!

In the summer of 2021 LEGO® released a wave of sets dubbed for the Infinity Saga™, one of which is the Infinity Gauntlet from Avengers: Infinity War. This weapon was wielded by Thanos as he went on his galactic conquest of acquiring the 6 Infinity Stones that would allow him to erase 50% of all life with just a snap of his fingers.

The exact release date for this set varies throughout the world. Here in the United States this set does not come out until August 1, while much of the world was able to buy this set in stores on June 1. It’s a bit unclear as to why the release dates are spread out like this, but thanks to some friends across the pond I was able to get my hands on this set “early”. The Infinity Gauntlet is recommended for ages 18+ and contains 590 pieces.

Packaging

The packaging for this set matches the standard style for 18+ sets where the front is all black other than an image of the completed set build. There’s a gold glow in the background around the border of the set image, along with a logo for the Infinity Saga™ and the set name.

The sides of the box simply repeat the set name over a black background, and the top offers a slightly different look with a 1:1 scale representation of one of the gold parts included in this set.

The back of the box shows an alternative view of the Gauntlet as if it were performing a snap, and it gives us a good view of what the palm and finger designs are like for this set. Below that are a few art images of Thanos and the dimensions of the completed build. I wish that the art images were actual scenes from Infinity War that showed off the Gauntlet in action, but I’m guessing it would have caused problems obtaining rights from Marvel Studios and Disney.

Inside there are 3 numbered bags, each of which is quite large and contains somewhere around 200 pieces each. The instructions are also printed out for builders and on the inside cover there’s a short paragraph from the designer of the set that discusses the build a little bit.

Review

The build time clocked in at 1 hour almost to the second. Being a 590-piece set, that is just about perfect for the building pace I typically find myself at for larger builds. The build felt right for an 18+ set where there were some steps that were more difficult and required some thinking but didn’t make it so easy to the point where it was boring. As an experienced builder I like builds that throw in some challenges, so that really resonated with me.

My first thoughts after completing the build were, “this is STURDY”. One of my fears going in was that the build was going to end up being a little bit fragile either during construction or once completed due to the different sculpting geometries that need to be included. But I can gladly say that there’s no need to worry at all. This set is rock solid in its structure throughout the entire build, and I have absolutely no worries about portions falling off or getting messed up when carrying.

Obviously what stands out the most and is one of the biggest attractions of this set is the amount of gold that is used throughout the build. The designers didn’t have much of an option I suppose since the prop is in fact gold, but nonetheless this makes for the current holder of the most gold pieces in a LEGO® set (Hopefully to only ever be beat by a UCS Gauntlet!). The parts that come in gold are also not just the simple greeble parts that we typically see either. A lot of them are larger, complicated parts that definitely cost some extra capital to make, but also are going to make MOC builders dreams come true.

The detail work is exceptional in the way that the parts form not just the overall geometry of the Infinity Gauntlet, but also the small details and patterning across the entire thing as well. Something that makes the details really pop is the dark tan parts that make up various areas of this set. At first I was disappointed that dark tan parts were being used on the outsides of the model, but it really grew on me while I was building. The dark tan provides enough contrast to the point where the gold pieces stand out (as they should) and keep the overall tone of the model from being bland, which may have been the case if all parts on the outside were gold. It in a way replicates lighting effects where the gold has all the highlights and the dark tan acts as shadows. I still think that areas such as the palm could have used less dark tan, but that’s on the side you don’t see when displayed so it’s not too big of a deal.

Something that I found essential to include in a set like this is the ability to pose the fingers around. Each of the fingers includes multiple hinge or pivot points along the knuckles and allows you to make nearly any hand shape you want. Of course, the big opportunity from this feature is to have the gauntlet posed giving the middle finger as if it were snapping.

My favorite part of the build process is certainly the Infinity Stones. They’re small assemblies but orchestrated in the order that Thanos retrieves them in Avengers: Infinity War. As an MCU fan I was so giddy upon seeing this be the last part of the build since it corresponds directly to the film and gives you a sense of arming the fully furnished gauntlet.

The only negatives I have to say about this set are that the thumb has a lot of gaps, and I’m not so sure about the overall scale. Starting with the thumb there are much larger gaps here than on other areas of the build, which for the most part has very minimal gaps and makes for a solid appearance. I think if the exposed dark bluish gray parts below the thumb were instead either dark tan or gold then it would feel much more natural and may eliminate this criticism. As for the scale of the model, I really want to like it, but I can’t help but feel a little unsatisfied. The Infinity Gauntlet is of course a very large prop, and this set is scaled almost exactly 1:1 with my own hand. I can’t help but feel like completing this set only makes me want a much larger version of the Gauntlet even more. Sure at this scale it makes for a more manageable display piece on your desk or shelf, but at a larger scale this would be the hallmark of your collection.

Final Thoughts

Overall, there’s a lot to love about this set. Whether it be the gold pieces, the detail work, or the fact that this is one of the most iconic film weapons of all-time, you’re going to find more than one reason to get this set yourself. The included articulation of the fingers makes for perfect use of posing the set and personalizing it a little bit.

Coming in at a price point of $70, this is also a really good deal when it comes to LEGO®. Considering that they have to split some profits over to Marvel and/or the Mouse House along with the mass amount of gold pieces, $70 is really fair if you ask me. I can imagine that come time for holiday shopping this set will fly off the shelf as it’s a great gift idea for both LEGO® and Marvel fanatics.

Even with so many great things worked into this set, I can’t help but feel just a little bit unsatisfied with the scale. I hope this isn’t the only Infinity Gauntlet set we’ll ever receive, but if it is I would still be proud to have it on my shelf.

SCORE: 8.4/10

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