AVENGERS 4: 15 Dead Characters We Need To See Return In The Movie's "Flashbacks" - SPOILERS
Yesterday, we learned that a dead character will return in Avengers 4 via what they describe as a "flashback" and we're now counting down more heroes and villains we hope to see return in the sequel...
Avengers 4 is shrouded in secrecy but something that's become clear in recent months is the fact that we're going to be visiting key moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's past. Set photos have confirmed that we'll revisit the events of The Avengers, while Frank Grillo has confirmed that Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Civil War villain Crossbones will also return in "flashbacks."
Regardless of whether we're getting flashbacks, returning to the past via B.A.R.F. or even taking a trip through time via the Quantum Realm, it's clear now that some long-dead heroes and villains are going to be making an appearance in the Avengers: Infinity War sequel.
I'm not talking about those we're expecting to see back either (in other words, characters like Star-Lord and Bucky who died during the "Snappening"). Here, we're delving into the history of the MCU to single out fifteen characters we need to see in whatever these scenes from the past end up being. To take a look, all you guys have to do is click on the "View List" button down below.
Ultron
Fans have theorised for a while now that Ultron may not be as dead as he seemed following the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron and there are a lot of ways the villainous android could return.
For starters, The Vision's demise may open the door to Ultron somehow resurfacing, while his involvement in the Annihilation comic book event could very well shed some light on how he'll be used in this sequel. In terms of flashbacks and time-travel, though, revisiting the events of the aforementioned movie and his ties to the Mind Stone definitely has some potential.
After all, it's not outside the realm of possibility that he may have communicated with Thanos somehow as he must have been intelligent enough to realise that the Mind Stone was more than just a battery to power his new body after it initially gave him life.
The Ancient One
The Ancient One died in Doctor Strange but with Earth now without a Sorcerer Supreme, what's to say she couldn't find some way to return to the land of the living? After all, if she too looked at possible futures and saw her student's demise, she may have put some safeguards in place to ensure that there would always be a Master of the Mystic Arts.
Alternatively, a trip back in time could see The Ancient One become a powerful new ally to Earth's Mightiest Heroes long before she met Stephen Strange and this movie may even be able to address why she started syphoning off magic from Dormammu's domain in the first place.
Spider-Man
The loss of Peter Parker hit Iron Man hard during the events of Avengers: Infinity War, so a flashback fleshing out their relationship even more than it has been would be no bad thing. In terms of time-travel, Tony Stark could even come face to face with a much younger Peter, perhaps on the day he received that fateful bite from the radioactive spider, a moment we're all desperate to see.
The Vision
In terms of flashbacks, there aren't really that many stories to tell with The Vision. However, I do believe that he'll be resurrected in Avengers 4, especially after Shuri made a good start on his surgery.
With the Mind Stone torn from his head, a different power source could be found to resurrect the hero and I wouldn't be remotely surprised to see him return as a greyed out shell of a man (well, android) who no longer has any emotions, a plot point lifted straight from West Coast Avengers.
There's also a chance he'll just be resurrected once Thanos is defeated. It's hard to say for sure!
Captain Marvel/Cull Obsidian
While I'm sure Captain Marvel will go some way in teasing Carol Danvers' role in Avengers 4, I wouldn't be at all surprised if we don't get to see anything of her in the present day in that movie. However, an Avengers: Infinity War Easter Egg pointed to her having a history with Thanos' Black Order when fans spotted what may have been part of her costume around the waist of Cull Obsidian.
If we're going to learn that she's crossed paths with the Mad Titan, then a flashback in this movie to her battle with one of his henchmen would be no bad thing, especially as Earth's Mightiest Heroes travelling back in time and meeting her during the '90s honestly doesn't make a whole lot of sense when you stop and think about it.
Loki
We know that Loki is getting his own series on Disney's streaming service but that could take place at pretty much any point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's history so it happening should be considered a spoiler. However, set photos have already confirmed that the God of Mischief will be shown in scenes set during the events of The Avengers.
He appears as he did back in 2012 so the villain definitely hasn't travelled through time even if Earth's Mightiest Heroes have. However, I would love to get some insight into how Loki's relationship developed with Thanos following the events of Thor when he aligned himself with the Mad Titan.
Howard Stark
Assuming B.A.R.F. tech is being used in Avengers 4, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see Howard Stark return, especially as we saw him in it the first time Tony Stark showed his invention off.
Reliable sources have claimed that John Slattery has been spotted on set and my guess is that rather than flashbacks or B.A.R.F., we'll actually see Iron Man and Captain America meeting up with the former's father, thereby giving him the opportunity to learn that Steve Rogers was saved from the ice and that his son - who he viewed as a disappointment - has ended up being a superhero.
Peggy Carter
There's a popular theory doing the rounds that if Captain America does die in Avengers 4, he'll somehow be reunited with Peggy Carter so that they can share the dance they first talked about in Captain America: The First Avenger. Even if he doesn't die, time-travel could end up throwing the hero back to World War II where he might meet with her to ask for her help...and that long overdue dance.
Hela
Rumour has it that we'll pay a visit to Hel in Avengers 4 as Thor recruits an army of the dead to help Earth's Mightiest Heroes take down Thanos once and for all. The theory is that Hela will be in charge of Hel once again and her brother will be forced to strike a deal with her in order to save the universe, possibly returning the villain to life in the process.
That would obviously give the Goddess of Death a chance to align herself with the Mad Titan in a nice parallel to his partnership with the actual embodiment of Death. In terms of flashbacks, I'm not sure how she could fit into proceedings unless Thor goes back in time and somehow saves Asgard before it was destroyed by Surtur.
Heimdall
Poor Heimdall finally got a decent role in Thor: Ragnarok...and was then killed off almost immediately in Avengers: Infinity War! While it's now clear he's got nothing to do with the Soul Stone, I definitely think we'll see something of Asgard's former guardian in Avengers 4, especially as we'll be returning to the events of The Avengers.
After all, Thor used the Tesseract to return home with Loki and Heimdall must have played some sort of role in that so don't be surprised if he shows up to further explain the importance of the Soul Stone. Alternatively, we may finally see that vision the God of Thunder had in Avengers: Age of Ultron come to life when Thor crosses paths with his old friend in the depths of Hel.
Quicksilver
Aaron Taylor-Johnson has denied that he's been asked to appear in Avengers 4 but,c'mon, what was he going to say?
While the Scarlet Witch may be dead, Pietro's link to the Mind Stone - like his sister, that gave him his powers - is an important one and a plot point which is bound to be touched on here. Whether it's a flashback revealing more about what Baron Von Strucker did to The Twins or Hawkeye simply travels back in time to right a past mistake, I'm convinced that the speedster will return to action.
Earth's Mightiest Heroes are going to need all the help they can get and going back in time to recruit Quicksilver also makes sense, especially as Marvel Studios knows the upcoming Disney/Fox deal gives them free reign to do whatever they please with this character.
Agent Coulson
The death of Agent Coulson is what brought The Avengers together in the first place and while Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has delved into his resurrection, that show is nearly at an end and there's nothing to say that Earth's Mightiest Heroes won't return to that fateful moment to try and rescue their old friend, essentially retconning ABC's TV show and bringing him back into the MCU proper.
Captain Marvel will put the spotlight on a younger version of the character but seeing him back alongside his idol Captain America and old friend Tony Stark would be extremely rewarding for fans.
The Warriors Three
The Warriors Three were killed off in short order in Thor: Ragnarok and while I think this is highly unlikely to happen, how cool would it be to see them reunite with the God of Thunder to help him out one last time? Zachary Levi being cast in Shazam! probably means this won't become a reality but even a flashback to the events of Thor and Loki's disappearance could lead to an appearance!
Ho Yinsen
If we really are getting flashbacks or even time-travel which essentially takes us through a series of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's best moments, then we really should get to revisit Tony Stark's time in that cave alongside the man who helped him build the Iron Man suit, Ho Yinsen.
After all, that's where this shared world's story began and it would be great seeing Tony having to relive the moment he was at his lowest, especially if it gives him the inspiration to step up and help his fellow heroes put an end to the Mad Titan after his defeat in Avengers: Infinity War.
Doctor Strange
A victim of Thanos' snap, there aren't many ways Doctor Strange could factor into a flashback, but it's entirely feasible that as he saw every possible future about what would come next, he knew that all those people would have to die for The Avengers to eventually save the world and bring them back to life.
Perhaps we'll return to his deal with Dormammu or even the time he spent training under The Ancient One but I do think we could see some sort of alternate version of Strange in this movie, possibly because a past version is plucked out of time if Earth's Mightiest Heroes really do need to collect the Infinity Stones from the past in order to defeat Thanos in the present...
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