What Will Become of Marvel’s Heroes in “Avengers: Endgame”?

Co-Editor Charlie Spungin takes a look at some of the theories and rumors surrounding the most anticipated film of the year.

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Who will survive Marvel’s latest blockbuster, “Avengers: Endgame,” set for release on April 26?

“Oh God,” were the last words spoken by Steve Rodgers, better known as Captain America, in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War. Those words perfectly describe what happened in that movie, as super villain Thanos retrieved all of the Infinity Stones, snapped his fingers, and half of the universe’s population disintegrated into dust.

After the decimation, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (or MCU) were left in shock at this catastrophic ending to the first of the final two Avenger films.

However, a clue as to what audiences could look forward to in the upcoming Infinity War sequel was provided in the post-credits scene of Infinity War. Nick Fury is seen sending a pager message to Carol Danvers, also known as Captain Marvel, prior to him and Agent Maria Hill disappearing in a cloud of dust.

Danvers was introduced to audiences in her own solo movie, Captain Marvel, which was released on March 8, 2019. In the post-credits scene of that movie, we see Captain America, Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), James “Rhodey” Rhodes (War Machine), and Bruce Banner (The Hulk) find the message that Fury sent to Captain Marvel at the end of Infinity War. As they are looking at the pager, which is still transmitting the message, it suddenly shuts down. As Black Widow says that they need to find a way to send it again to “whoever is on the other side,” Captain Marvel suddenly appears and asks, “Where’s Fury?” before the screen then goes black.

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Thanos beams down from his ship in one of the TV spots released by Marvel for Endgame.

With that, the sequel to Infinity War, titled Avengers: Endgame, is now set for release on April 26, 2019. Most people assume that the scene presented in the post-credits scene of Captain Marvel will be featured in Avengers: Endgame. People are talking about this because Marvel has done this before. For example, the post-credits scene of Doctor Strange was featured in Thor: Ragnarok.

Some fans think this scene may start Avengers: Endgame, though it seems unlikely since it would not reveal how the Avengers got to the facility, how they got ahold of Nick Fury’s pager, etc.

Regardless of where this scene ends up in the new film, it will seemingly show up at some point. The bigger question is, how will the Avengers undue Thanos’s annihilation of half of the world’s population? The most accepted theory among Marvel fans is that the Avengers will use time travel or some sort of alternate universe to alter the timeline.

Why do most fans believe this? This is because Spiderman: Far From Home is set to release on July 5, and Doctor Strange and Black Panther are also in line to have sequels, although release dates for those films have not been set. All three of those heroes were victims of Thanos’ “snap,” so they need to come back somehow.

Here are some other possibilities that may come into play in Endgame. In the second trailer for the film and in several action figure previews, the Avengers are seen in matching white, black, and red suits. Many people believe that these are quantum realm suits, which many think will be made by Scott Lang (Ant-Man), Tony Stark (Iron Man), and Shuri (Black Panther’s sister, if she has survived). We learned from last year’s Ant-Man and The Wasp that in order for individuals to enter the quantum realm – a dangerous, subatomic dimension – they need a special suit, and these may be they.

In the post-credits scene of Ant-Man and The Wasp, Janet Van Dyne warns Scott Lang about a time vortex and that if he goes into one of those, they won’t be able to get him out. As a result, many fans believe that the time vortexes many used for time travel.

Also, in set photos, Avengers like Captain America and Tony Stark are seen with watches on their wrists. Some people speculate that these are used in association with possible time travel, perhaps so the Avengers can synchronize their watches together. This may be a stretch, but they could hold the quantum realm suits inside of them, just like Tony Stark’s nanotechnology seen in Infinity War.

In the official plot synopsis, Marvel states that Avengers: Endgame will rewrite the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it.”

Many believe this means that Marvel is hinting at time travel and the rewriting of the MCU timeline.

“I do believe that time travel will be in [Endgame] because of the time vortexes from Ant-Man and The Wasp,” said eighth grade student Alex Bories.

“I think [the Avengers will] go back in time from possibly stealing the Time Stone back,” said eighth grade student Aditya Jasti.

Photo courtesy of businessinsider.com
The last time fans saw Captain America and Iron Man on screen together was “Captain America: Civil War.” Many people can’t wait to see them reunite in Marvel’s latest installment and hopefully mend their broken friendship.

Something that the fans have noticed is that the six original Avengers (Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, The Hulk, and Thor) survived the “snap.” Could it be that these six will be the key to defeating Thanos in Avengers: Endgame?  It also seems that some of the Avengers may die in Endgame, as Marvel president Kevin Feige said that the film will wrap up what the first 10 years of Marvel Studios films have started. In addition, actors Chris Evans (Captain America) and Robert Downey, Jr. (Iron Man) are the two most likely to die and make the sacrifice for the Avengers since both of their Marvel contracts will expire after this film.

“Iron Man might die,” said Bories. “[I think that] because we didn’t see him in the Spiderman: Far From Home trailer.”

Iron Man is expected to have a huge role in this movie, as is Captain America. During Infinity War, Doctor Strange uses the time stone to play out in his mind 14,000,605 alternate futures as a result of Thanos securing all six Infinity Stones. He tells Stark that the Avengers are victorious in only one of them.  While the Avengers nearly remove the gauntlet from Thanos’s hand in the ensuing battle, Thanos ultimately prevails and threatens to kill Stark unless Dr. Strange gives him the Time Stone. Strange does, and Thanos leaves Stark alive. Some fans think Dr. Strange knew Stark needed to be alive, as that was the only way the Avengers could defeat Thanos.

“I’ve seen many theories online,” said sixth grader Seamus Rooney. “I think Tony Stark is going to be one of the main focuses. [Marvel] has been planning [Avengers: Endgame] since the beginning, and it started with Iron Man,” he said.

Others believe that the character of Clint Barton (aka Hawkeye) may die. In the second official Avengers: Endgame trailer, Hawkeye is seen training a young girl. We have no confirmation of who this is, but some think it is Kate Bishop. In the comics, Kate Bishop takes on the Hawkeye persona, and this may be who will take over Hawkeye post-Endgame. According to a rumor by cbr.com, Marvel may be working on a Young Avengers film, and in the comics, Kate Bishop is a member of the Young Avengers. Another possibility is that it is Hawkeye’s daughter who we last saw in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Hawkeye was absent in Infinity War, but in the first Endgame trailer, we see him in the Ronin persona. In the comics, Hawkeye became Ronin (a Japanese term for a masterless samurai) after dying and being resurrected. He took on the Ronin persona since Kate Bishop had already taken on the Hawkeye role.

Some fans believe the film version of Hawkeye in the MCU took on this mantle because all of his family, which we saw in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, was lost in Thanos’ decimation.

In terms of other characters, Hawkeye’s good friend, Black Widow, will most likely survive, as she is expected to have a solo origin movie that should come out in 2020. It would be odd (although not unlikely) to have an origin story of a deceased character.

The actor who plays Thor, Chris Hemsworth, has expressed interest in returning to the MCU and may even have a fourth Thor movie. Also, where did the Asgardians go prior to Thanos attacking their refugee ship in Infinity War? If that and other questions surrounding Thor and his people aren’t answered in Endgame, Thor’s overall character arc would not be complete and would need to be finished.

Of the six, Bruce Banner (aka The Hulk) is the character whose future is least predictable. Many believe we will see Professor Hulk in this movie. In the comics, Professor Hulk possesses the Hulk’s strength with Bruce Banner’s brains.

Avengers: Endgame is for sure the most hyped up Marvel movie in their 11 years, and it may be the most hyped up movie of all-time. Many TBS students are extremely excited for this film that will debut later this month.

“I am excited for Endgame because of the countless possibilities that could happen,” said Bories. “I think they might introduce the X-Men and Fantastic Four in this movie.”

“I am extremely excited for Endgame, [and] I am most excited to see a Hulk versus Thanos rematch,” said seventh grader JP Jacobs.

After Endgame, the MCU will be extremely different, and Marvel’s Phase 4 will officially begin which includes the following films: Spiderman: Far From Home, an untitled Black Widow film, The Eternals, Black Panther 2, Doctor Strange 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Shang-Chi. The question is, even with all of these new films in the works, where does the MCU go from here? On April 26, we may get some answers as Endgame will begin to shed some light on that very big question.