AVENGERS 4 - What Comes Next For Every Major Character Following The Events Of INFINITY WAR
Avengers: Infinity War has been out for a while now so fans are starting to turn their attention to Avengers 4 instead. The question is, what comes next for each major character following this epic tale?
Avengers: Infinity War may have been billed as a standalone tale but Marvel Studios may as well have replaced "Thanos Will Return" with "To Be Continued!" The epic ensemble was very much a part one story and while fans clearly can't get enough of this first instalment - it's passed $1 billion in record time - it's fair to say that the vast majority want to know what's going on with next year's Avengers 4.
After watching Infinity War and based on what we know about Avengers 4, we're now taking a look at where things stand for every character heading into the next instalment and predicting what comes next for them. What does Thanos do next? How will Iron Man escape Thanos? Will Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 actually take place before Infinity War now that he's, you know, a big pile of dust?
We attempt to answer all those questions and more here as we take an in-depth look at Avengers 4 and provide you with all the latest intel. So, to check out the full list, click the "View List" button.
Iron Man
Iron Man is currently trapped on Titan and with Nebula's ship seemingly destroyed after she crashed it into Thanos, Tony Stark may have to pilot the Milano in order to return to Earth (assuming that wasn't blown up after the Mad Titan brought down that moon). Set photos have confirmed he finds his way home and it's safe to assume that he'll reunite with Captain America and Thor to set things right.
What we do know is that he uses the B.A.R.F. tech from Captain America: Civil War to seemingly revisit the events of The Avengers alongside Scott Lang but it's also possible he finds a way to master time travel. That probably won't be with technology, though, and will likely be connected to the Time Stone.
Thor
While the God of Thunder proved in Thor: Ragnarok that he doesn't need a hammer to wield his powers, he still decided to track one down in Avengers: Infinity War in order to put an end to Thanos.
Unfortunately, he failed and the fact he wasn't able to stop the Mad Titan from killing all those people is bound to haunt him moving forward. While set photos have shown a younger version of the hero alongside Loki shortly before they returned to Asgard in The Avengers, we've not seen much of this current iteration of Thor in the present day so much of his role remains a mystery to us right now.
However, what we do know is that Stormbreaker can take Thor and his allies anywhere in the universe, so there's a very good chance he'll be transporting Earth's Mightiest Heroes around the galaxy.
Captain America
Steve Rogers didn't have the biggest of roles in Avengers: Infinity War but it was clear from Chris Evans' performance that he's haunted by what happened with Tony Stark and the past two years on the run have had a significant impact on the team's former leader. The question now is, will he be willing to suit up and wield the shield again in order to bring back his friends and end Thanos' machinations?
It would certainly make Avengers 4 a whole lot more satisfying to see Steve back in his classic costume and while set photos have shown the actor in his duds from The Avengers, that scene clearly taking place in the past makes it seem somewhat unlikely that we'll see the present day version of the hero don that costume. Then again, it's possible that's the only one he has left so perhaps he does!
The Hulk
With the Hulkbuster armour destroyed, Bruce Banner will have to make things right with his alter-ego if The Hulk stands any chance of joining this battle against Thanos. Avengers: Infinity War made it clear that he doesn't want to join the fight and that has to be because he's scared after receiving a nasty beating from the Mad Titan. After all, The Hulk always thought he was the strongest one there is!
Mark Ruffalo has been spotted on set in mo-cap gear both in those apparent flashbacks mentioned above and carrying a bindle, a sign perhaps that the movie ends with The Hulk heading off to do his own thing and leaves his future somewhat ambiguous. Either way, expect The Hulk to return here.
Rocket
Believe it or not, Rocket is the last Guardian left standing! Everyone else has died thanks to Thanos clicking his fingers and now it's going to be down to the cybernetically enhanced racoon to avenge his teammates; how better to do that than joining The Avengers? He's going to make a unique addition to the team and seeing as Gamora clued him in about Thanos, chances are he'll be able to help them a great deal when it comes to tracking down what's left of Earth's Mightiest Heroes back on Titan.
Nebula
Nebula's journey into being a hero is pretty much complete now and seeing as she's stuck on Titan with Iron Man - who will need all the help he can get now his armour is seemingly destroyed - it shouldn't take long until she crosses paths with the rest of The Avengers. Throw in the fact that she knows more about Thanos than anyone else and it's fair to say that will make her essential to Avengers 4.
Whether or not the Russo Brothers will follow the comic books is another matter, especially as Infinity Gauntlet saw Nebula use the Infinity Stones to not only restore her old appearance before the Mad Titan took her apart but bring back the dead too. My gut tells me things won't be as simple as that.
Ant-Man And The Wasp
There was no sign of Ant-Man and The Wasp in Avengers: Infinity War and the recently released trailer for their upcoming movie made it clear that it takes place before the events of the superhero ensemble. Chances are, though, that we'll see people start to vanish before the credits roll and the two heroes will then track down Earth's Mightiest Heroes to help lend a hand in the battle to come.
Evangeline Lilly has said that her role in Avengers 4 is relatively small (no pun intended) but set photos have shown Ant-Man alongside Iron Man, Captain America, and The Hulk in what we're assuming are flashbacks, so the signs are pointing to him definitely having something important to do in the movie.
War Machine
War Machine played a key role in the Battle of Wakanda, using his powerful suit to wipe out as many of the Outriders as he possibly could. While I expect him to remain part of the team moving into Avengers 4, I wouldn't be too shocked if he's left on Earth to keep an eye on things while some bigger name heroes travel into space to find Thanos. Then again, it would be nice to see him reunite with Iron Man!
M'Baku And Okoye
Once again, Wakanda finds itself without a king after T'Challa was turned into dust. We don't know Shuri's status but M'Baku is still very much alive and Okoye saw her king vanish in front of her with her own eyes. The question now is, depending on how much time passes between now and Avengers 4, will Shuri suit up as the new Black Panther or will M'Baku hold the fort until T'Challa's return?
Black Widow
Black Widow was another character who didn't have a huge amount to do in Avengers: Infinity War and with the Russo Brothers making it clear that her romance with Bruce Banner is definitely at an end, it will be very interesting seeing if she's given more to do here and whether or not the sequel goes some way in setting up that Black Widow solo outing (rumour has it that will be a prequel, though).
Regardless, there has to be a very good reason Marvel has kept the original Avengers in the land of the living, so don't be too surprised to see her end up having something very cool to do in this movie.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is obviously among the many dead heroes who turned to dust after Thanos snapped his fingers but he's also the only character with a movie confirmed to be released next year (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is rumoured for 2020 and definitely in the works but could just as easily focus on a different group of characters). So, where exactly does that leave the wall-crawler in Avengers 4?
He has to come back but just how much time will the Avengers: Infinity War follow-up devote to his return and the impact it's had on him? Well, those who died may not have any memories of what happened and if time travel is used to set things right, perhaps they never even turned to dust in the first place! It's hard to say for sure but Peter Parker showing up in this sequel is, well, guaranteed.
Thanos
The Mad Titan clicked his fingers, and despite being stabbed through the chest by Thor, he made his escape and watch that sunset with a satisfied look on his face knowing he had achieved his mission and "saved" the universe. The Infinity Gauntlet may have looked like it was damaged beyond repair and the Stones may have been dull in colour but they still held enough power to help teleport him away.
The Avengers will need to track him down and get their hands on the Infinity Gauntlet if they hope to set things right and that could mean the Mad Titan will have to go on the run, especially if he's been left weakened by Thor's attack. With that in mind, expect to see him back in the armour in Avengers 4.
Gamora
Gamora's soul is trapped within the Soul Stone after Thanos threw his daughter to her death and that leaves the door open to her being able to return after he's defeated. While that feels like something of a cop-out, it would be a terrible shame for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to lose the character and there is precedent in the comic books for people to return from the dead via the Soul Stone.
For now, though, she's definitely dead. It's also worth noting that Zoe Saldana has confirmed she's returning later this year for Avengers 4 reshoots so make no mistake about it, Gamora will return.
Hawkeye
There was no sign of Hawkeye in Avengers: Infinity War but we did learn that he made a deal with the government because being on the run was too hard on his family. However, seeing as Jeremy Renner has been spotted on set wearing Ronin's gear, common sense says that they may have been wiped out by Thanos too, hence why he's now embarked on something of a darker path as a superhero.
This may back up the theory that there will be a gap of at least a year between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4 but seeing as Nick Fury mentioned going to meet Clint in that after-credits scene, it's also possible that he's still been working undercover despite having to sign the Sokovia Accords.
Captain Marvel
In Avengers: Infinity War's after-credits scene, Nick Fury could be seen sending a distress signal to Carol Danvers moments before he turned into dust. Now, it's up to Captain Marvel to delve into both the character's origin story and to explain where she's been all these years. Chances are, we'll also see her receive that message and choose to return to Earth in order to help bring the countless dead back.
Once she meets The Avengers, though, how much do you want to bet she chooses to stick around?
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