"After I kill you, I'm going to burn this annoying little planet to cinders."
That's the devastating promise made by Thanos in this incredible new TV spot for
Avengers: Endgame. While it's only a brief sneak peek, we do get to see the Mad Titan standing tall with an army at his back and it now appears certain that however things play out in this movie, he's going to be coming after Earth's Mightiest Heroes hard!
There's also our first official look at Valkyrie; we've known ever since Marvel Studios released those character posters that Tessa Thompson will return but she's decked out in very different looking gear here (but sadly not one of those Quantum Realm suits).
Now, with just days to go until Avengers: Endgame arrives in theaters, fans will have to decide whether to keep watching these TV spots or to avoid them the best they can; after all, Marvel Studios definitely appears to be revealing more and more as the days go by but there's thankfully nothing too spoilery in any of them for the most part.
Hit the "View List" button for a recap of every
character confirmed to appear in Avengers: Endgame!
Thanos
The Mad Titan may have emerged victorious at the end of Avengers: Infinity War but his "happy ending" won't last for long. While we don't know how or why he'll wind up crossing paths with Earth's Mightiest Heroes again, promo art has shown the villain decked out in a suit of armour and wielding a massive sword along with the damaged Infinity Gauntlet.
That points to him not being at 100% health when he returns and that's probably due to the toll the snap took on his body (the scarring was visible as he watched the sun rise over a supposedly grateful universe.
Iron Man
He may be lost in space but, yes, Iron Man will obviously make his return for what could be his final MCU adventure. Marvel never really addressed how badly wounded he was after being stabbed through the midsection by Thanos and it's easy enough to imagine him now being on borrowed time, especially as he won't have received any sort of proper medical care.
No matter what the future holds in store for Tony Stark, though, he'll be decked out in a brand new armour and you have to believe he will have done all he can to ensure it's powerful enough to once again take the fight to the Mad Titan.
Captain America
After having something of a backseat role in Avengers: Infinity War, Steve Rogers is thankfully going to get the attention he deserves this time around and he's been the focal point of the trailers.
Clearly unwilling to accept what Thanos has done to the universe (and his friends), Captain America has hatched a plan to make things right and the prevailing theory is that whatever it is will result in him making the ultimate sacrifice. We can only hope that's not the case but if it is his time, here's hoping he gets to say "Avengers Assemble!" first.
Thor
It doesn't appear as if the God of Thunder is going to be in a particularly good frame of mind when we next meet up with him; that's understandable, however, especially as Thor can probably take a fair share of the blame for Thanos being able to snap his fingers and wipe out half the universe (he should have aimed for the head...).
Based on what we've seen, Thor may have retreated to a remote cabin where he will isolate himself until Rocket shows up and convince him to rejoin the fight. There are also rumblings that he may be on a mission to find what's left of Asgard.
Black Widow
We don't know a lot about what to expect from Black Widow but her appearance has led fans to wonder about a fairly significant time jump in the movie. After all, the trailers have shown her with blonde hair, while various promo images have revealed that she later lets her natural colour return, with only the very end of her ponytail still blonde.
That has to mean at least several months will pass at some point in Avengers: Endgame and that's actually a smart move, especially as it would be somewhat underwhelming for Earth's Mightiest Heroes to reverse Thanos' actions just days after the events of Infinity War.
Hawkeye
While every member of The Avengers has gone through some pretty big changes since the last time we saw them, it's fair to say that Hawkeye might have undergone the most drastic transformation.
For reasons which aren't currently clear, he's moved to Japan and adopted the Ronin persona. Looking to the comic books for clues, it seems like a safe bet that he does this because his family died as a result of the snap and while that may seem like more than 50%, it's not like Thanos dictated that it would be half of every group; it's half of everyone in the universe.
The Hulk
Bruce Banner was unable to transform into The Hulk at the end of Infinity War but we know that's going to change in Endgame. However, that won't be the only alteration for the Jade Giant.
As we've seen in both promo art and a live-action images, The Hulk's appearance has changed pretty drastically; he's wearing a costume and looks a lot more like Banner, a sign that he'll adopt his "Professor Hulk" persona as a version of the Green Goliath who is both massively powerful and extremely intelligent.
War Machine
Rhodey has always been something of a supporting player in the MCU but expect that to change in this movie as he's finally given the chance to shine in a significant way. Well, that's the hope anyway.
If one leaked LEGO set is to be believed, he'll get to don the War Machine Buster armour, something which should see him unleash his suit's powers in a way that's every bit as impressive as Iron Man.
Ant-Man
Scott Lang may have been lost in the Quantum Realm the last time we saw him but he'll somehow find a way to escape that predicament in Avengers: Endgame and that's going to see him land on the doorstep of the New Avengers Facility.
Ant-Man could end up playing a crucial role in proceedings given his (limited) knowledge of that mysterious dimension and while it would have been good to see The Wasp take centre stage instead of him, his history with Earth's Mightiest Heroes means it probably does make more sense for him to join them in this final battle against Thanos.
Captain Marvel
Carol Danvers' arrival in the present day will hopefully be explained in her solo movie this weekend but it goes without saying that seeing her assemble alongside the rest of Earth's Mightiest Heroes will be a great deal of fun.
Kevin Feige has confirmed that Captain Marvel is the MCU's most powerful superhero so it's pretty obvious that she'll be a gamechanger here and possibly the only one capable of taking down Thanos once and for all.
Rocket
The only surviving member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Rocket is going to be devastated to learn that the likes of Star-Lord and Drax are dead after watching Groot turn to dust in front of him.
The coolest thing about Rocket so far is that he's decked out in a costume which is identical to his comic book counterpart and it seems as if he'll continue working closely with Thor based on what we've seen in the trailers. How he interacts with the rest of the heroes promises to be one of the most memorable parts of Avengers: Endgame, though.
Nebula
Nebula is trapped on the Benatar alongside Tony Stark and that has to be the unexpected friendship Karen Gillan was talking about not too long ago. That will be great fun and they both have a lot in common (in a weird way) so it's easy to imagine Nebula becoming a trusted ally to The Avengers.
Whether or not she'll be able to control herself when she finally comes face to face with Thanos again is hard to say and we know from the comics what happens when she gets her hands on the Infinity Gauntlet.
Pepper Potts
Gwyneth Paltrow has confirmed on a number of occasions that she will return as Pepper Potts in this movie and those social media posts have also revealed that she suits up as Rescue.
It's going to be very interesting seeing how that armoured superhero factors into things and whether she gets a key role or glorified cameo; whatever the case may be, The Avengers will need all the help they can get when taking on Thanos, so Rescue joining the crew will obviously be pretty cool (personally, I think she'll remain on Earth as Tony may not want to put her in that much danger).
Valkyrie
Action figures have confirmed that Valkyrie will appear in some capacity and it makes sense, especially as the Russo Brothers have previously strongly indicated that she survived the snap and escaped with those Asgardians when Thanos attacked.
Once again, it's thought that her role will be minimal but we've heard enough to know that she was on set, so don't be surprised if Valkyrie is the one who talks the God of Thunder into putting his issues aside and kicking the Mad Titan's butt.
Gamora
Despite the fact that her death appeared to pretty definitive, Zoe Saldana has shared a lot of behind the scenes photos, confirming in the process that Gamora must return in some capacity. While her being resurrected does seem somewhat likely, it's also feasible that the Guardian of the Galaxy will continue haunting Thanos after what he did on Vormir.
We'll have to wait and see but Gamora is obviously going to return in some form, even if it's not permanent (remember that she wasn't among the dusted so being brought back from the dead won't be quite that easy).
Crossbones
Crossbones died during Captain America: Civil War but Frank Grillo has confirmed that he will return which has obviously generated a lot of speculation in the months that have followed.
Does the villain's return confirm that time-travel will play a role in proceedings or will Thanos look into the deepest fears of Earth's Mightiest Heroes and bring back their greatest baddies?
The Ancient One
One of the movie's producers confirmed that The Ancient One will be part of Avengers: Endgame and, like Crossbones, that leaves us with more questions than it does answers.
She also died during her last appearance but given her mystic abilities, it's entirely feasible that her connection to the Infinity Stones and Dormammu's Dark Dimension will open the door to Doctor Strange's mentor returning to play a role in this climactic battle.
Harley Keener
This is a weird one but, yes, Iron Man 3 character Harley Keener is indeed confirmed to return in this movie. He looks a lot different to the last time we saw him and while speculation is running rampant that he'll suit up as Iron Lad, that would be very strange, especially as he's not a character from the comic books.
However, his connection to Tony Stark certainly makes that a possibility and it could just be that Iron Man decides to enlist his brainpower as Earth's Mightiest Heroes look for all the help they can get when it comes to putting an end to Thanos.
The Wasp(s)
A number of cast members have talked about Evangeline Lilly and Michelle Pfeiffer being on set, so it's safe enough to add them to the "confirmed" list for Avengers: Endgame. It's about time the new Wasp is given the chance to shine in an Avengers movie and this will hopefully lead to Hope Van Dyne becoming a permanent member of the group.
Of all those listed here, though, Janet Van Dyne (and Hank Pym for that matter) is more of a rumoured inclusion in the ensemble so we'll have to wait and see whether or not she actually appears.
Which of these characters are you most excited to see return in Avengers: Endgame? Who else would you like to see in the movie? As always, share your thoughts in the comments section.