5 Most Likely (And Spoilery) Titles For Marvel's AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Sequel
Marvel Studios won't tell us the title for Avengers 4 because it's a spoiler for Avengers: Infinity War but we've now broken down the five most likely possibilities for what it could be called...
The title of Avengers 4 (which is set to be released a year after Avengers: Infinity War) has been a secret for a while now and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has revealed that there are two good reasons it hasn't been announced. For starters, it would be a spoiler for the first of these two movies and secondly, it isn't something Marvel wants out there yet as it will distract fans from Infinity War.
We know most of the cast will be returning for the follow-up and that Thanos will play a role but it's clear the movie's title is very important and will shed some light on what to expect from the plot.
What you'll find here is our look at the five titles we believe are most likely to be given to the Avengers: Infinity War sequel. As well as that, we examine what they could mean for the story and the ramifications those will have on the Marvel Cinematic Universe from here. Possible spoilers follow.
5. Avengers: World War Hulk
Kevin Feige and Mark Ruffalo have both said that Thor: Ragnarok kicks off a three movie arc for The Hulk which will conclude in Avengers 4. We already know that the Jade Giant we'll meet up with in the God of Thunder's solo outing is considerably more intelligent than when we saw him in Avengers: Age of Ultron but what if things take an unexpected turn once Thanos is defeated?
Regardless of whether The Hulk gets his hands on the Infinity Gauntlet or if Earth's Mightiest Heroes do something to cross him (like attempting to leave the always angry hero in outer space), the Mad Titan being defeated in Avengers: Infinity War and the stage being set for World War Hulk in the sequel would be an unexpected and exciting twist. Changes could be made to the original storyline - perhaps a temporarily weakened Thanos will use The Hulk as a weapon - but seeing Captain America and company forced to battle an ultra-powerful version of their old friend would definitely be fun and explains why the title has been kept a secret so far.
4. Avengers: Secret Invasion
Captain Marvel is set to be released after Avengers: Infinity War and will take place in the 1990s. The movie will also be set in the midst of the Kree/Skrull War and with Carol Danvers expected to appear in Avengers 4, there's a very good chance that this conflict will be one Earth's Mightiest Heroes soon find themselves stuck in the middle of. A story like this could still involve Thanos in some capacity as well as the Infinity Gauntlet but bringing this war to Earth and throwing the concept of the shape-shifting Skrulls into the mix would be awesome as there are lots of fun elements from Brian Michael Bendis' messy tale that would work really well in a live-action setting.
This would also go a long way in setting up what's to come in Phase 4 and while a direct adaptation is probably off the table (a mixture of that, the Kree/Skrull War, and Infinity Gauntlet makes most sense), there's nothing to say this sequel couldn't do the tale some justice. After all, containing the Skrulls to just Captain Marvel would be a real waste.
3. Avengers: Disassembled
Kevin Feige has made it clear on multiple occasions that Phase 4 - if it even is a "phase" - will be totally different to what's come before it and you have to believe there's a very good chance what comes next won't include The Avengers. While a new team will more than likely be assembled somewhere down the line, it's entirely feasible we're getting a run of movies where no Avengers exist and that would shake things up for these characters dramatically. It also potentially takes the likes of Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man off the table for a while.
That would be no bad thing, of course, and if it opens the door to the likes of Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange getting the spotlight, that's even better. I'm not sure what form this movie could take but it being the story of The Avengers making their last stand from a threat within their ranks (perhaps Thanos will use a Stone to control the Scarlet Witch and unleash her powers as a way of getting revenge) would be a must-see and it nicely sets the stage for the New Avengers to assemble at the end of Phase 4 to usher in a new era of adventures.
2. Avengers: Infinity Gauntlet
This title may not be the most exciting but it does seem like a pretty obvious choice. If Avengers: Infinity War is going to be about Earth's Mightiest Heroes battling Thanos as he and his children look to assemble the Stones he needs for the Gauntlet, then the follow-up dealing with him finally getting his hands on that is a logical next step. The only problem with this is how Marvel can tell a story about Thanos being all-powerful, especially as The Avengers will be so massively outmatched.
Taking the fight into outer space would work, though, and making this a truly cosmic adventure set almost entirely away from Earth as the heroes are forced to take the fight to Thanos would be something totally new for this franchise and makes the stakes even higher. After all, saving the entire universe is a significantly greater task than just the planet we all live on! Zoe Saldana actually let this title slip a while back and quickly denied it and while I'm not sure what about this counts as a spoiler, we should probably ready ourselves for it being the movie's name.
1. Avengers: Secret Wars
I mentioned earlier that it will be tough for Marvel Studios to tell the story of Thanos emerging victorious at the end of Avengers: Infinity War but assuming we get a logical reason for why he can't just wipe out Earth's Mightiest Heroes with a swipe of his hands, what if he sends them to Battleworld instead? As ideas go, this is admittedly pretty far out there but it could work if it's adapted the right way.
Sure, we've seen heroes vs. heroes in Captain America: Civil War but take them and throw some villains into the mix - Thanos could bring back the likes of the Red Skull and Abomination - and this would be a fun adventure unlike any other seen before. It would take a lot of work and we probably would have heard more about casting if this is actually in the works but even if it's like the latest Secret Wars and the world is altered House of M style, the potential for a really good story is there that makes good use of elements from the comics. It would also be a title that generates a great deal of excitement (not that Marvel will probably need it after Infinity War is released).
What do you guys think about these possible titles for Avengers 4? Do you think one of them could be used or do you have your own theories? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.