'Avengers: Infinity War': Say goodbye to these characters as they are not going to make it out alive
The countdown to arguably the biggest superhero event of all cinematic universes is almost over and come 27 April, we will see over twenty superheroes fighting together to stop Thanos from destroying the universe. Every movie since the very first 'Iron Man' of 2008 starring the incomparable Robert Downey Jr, has been leading up to this war and now that it is here, we are not so sure we are ready for it.
A war of this scale will be a visual treat to watch in the theatres, but unfortunately, the war of this magnitude has also seeded the fear of death within us, fans. Specifically, we are worried that some of our favorite superheroes may not survive the war.
Marvel has been sparing its characters death and their finality for many years now, having only really killed Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Quicksilver – before we even got a chance to actually love the character.
However, this time around, considering that 'Infinity War' is a HUGE event, and also a finale of sorts for the second phase of the MCU, there is a high probability that many of the superheroes will be bumped off. And this time there aren't going to be any tricks to bring them back the next time around (ahem, agent Phil Coulson). Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has said that whoever dies in 'Infinity War' will stay dead.
Here we take a look at all the superheroes whose lives we think are numbered come 'Infinity War,' starting with Captain America, the first Avenger.
Captain America
“I’d be lying if I said it wouldn’t be hard for me,” Chris Evans, who plays the quintessential American hero, said of passing the Captain's shield to a new actor.
“But the passing of time and the passing of torches is part of the experience. Nothing lasts forever. There’s a beauty in that departure, even if it can be sad at times. It’s also joyful.”
We have known about this death for a while now, and the trailers for 'Infinity War' have foreshadowed it; but we are yet to come to terms with it. We see the Cap engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the Mad Titan on a couple of occasions in the trailers of the film. Need we say, no one that has fought with the intergalactic being decorated with so many Infinity Stones on his hand, and lived to tell the tale?
While Chris' last film with Marvel Studios is supposed to be 'Avengers 4,' it does not mean he cannot return as a memory that pushes everyone in the right direction.
Moreover, his death would make a LOT of sense. In fact, it would allow for Steve's BFF Bucky Barnes to take over the shield, which is something that actually does happen in the comic book universe.
Even Sebastian Stan has teased this inevitable future of his character Bucky, who was initially known as the Winter Soldier. “You know, I was sitting there in a room with [Marvel] and basically they were saying to me that this is what’s gonna happen: He’s gonna be the Winter Soldier, and then eventually he’s gonna become Captain America,” he had told the packed audience at Nerdist’s 'Captain America: Civil War' movie marathon in 2016.
Pepper Potts
From an emotional standpoint for Iron Man, it would make the perfect sense for Miss Potts to be killed off in Infinity War. Technically, she is not a member of the actual group of superheroes, but if she were to bite the dust, guess who's flying back up to avenge her? That's right. Iron Man!
Moreover, with Phase III of the MCU inching towards its completion, the end of Robert Downey Jr's tenure as the quick-witted and cocky Tony Stark seems inevitable. After 10 years, Tony feels more like a mentor to a new group of Avengers than the suave hero who made his first metal suit in 2008. His retirement was also foreshadowed in 'Spider-Man: Homecoming', when Tony's confidante said, "I've been carrying this since 2008!" while bringing out an engagement ring. If there is one thing that would push Tony to actually leave his life as a superhero, it is the death of his beloved Miss Potts.
Moreover, in the very first trailer for the movie we see a heartbreaking shot of RDJ, where he is sitting amid debris, holding a dirty (or bloody) hand to his lips. Three guesses for whose hand that is!
Thor
The God of Lightning, too, seems to be marching towards his end in 'Infinity War,' possibly and/or partly because he was the first Avenger to meet the intergalactic super-villain Thanos. The Russo brothers, who directed the film have said that the whole experience will feel more like “Thor vs Thanos” than anything else, and in this David and Goliath battle, Thor's demise seem almost inevitable.
Despite having defeated his sister, the Goddess of Death, in 'Thor: Ragnarok,' the Odinson may be no match to Thanos. Specific scenes from the trailer for 'Infinity War' also show Thor's skull getting crushed by the villainous Thanos. I mean, if you want to have the entire universe shaking with fear, you don't have to do a lot more than kill a god.
Moreover, the comic book universe also suggests it is high time for Thor to pass his hammer onto someone new – a woman to be precise. Jane Foster, the character that was played by Natalie Portman in the 'Thor' film series, is being deemed worthy to wield Thor's hammer Mjolnir, and calls herself Thor, the Goddess of Thunder.
Jason Aaron, who created the character once said, "This is not She-Thor. This is not Lady Thor. This is not Thorita. This is Thor. This is the Thor of the Marvel Universe. But it’s unlike any Thor we’ve ever seen before."
With the advent of Brie Larson's Captain Marvel on the MCU, we can't wait for yet another female superhero to make her way to the core Avengers team.
Nebula
She may not be ranked as high as some of our favorite Avengers, but she is a very integral member of the 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' and whose loss is going to truly disrupt the dynamics of the intergalactic crime-fighting group. Nebula is one of Thanos' daughters and he is not going to let the fact that she has sided with his enemies go without punishment.
When it comes to Nebula, Thanos might even enjoy killing her, as a punishment for lack of loyalty to him, but ultimately it would be used also as a tactic to teach Gamora a thing or two about loyalty as well.
At least until the beginning of the movie, Nebula's intentions are unknown to her father, and she could use that to wiggle her way into his good books. However, there is no way she can fool him for too long and you know what happens when Thanos is angry - deaths!
Loki
Yet another "superhero" whose loyalties are always in question, Loki, might be on the hit list for 'Infinity War.' The trickster is probably the only anti-hero to have stuck around in the MCU for as long as he has, and this needs to be rectified before entering phase 3, mostly because despite being a beloved character he is inessential to the franchise.
Loki, who is capable of behaving himself for only so long, was an ally – well, sort of – to his brother Thor in 'Ragnarok' and he is going to flip sides again. In one of the trailers for 'Infinity War' it looks like he is handing his Tesseract – which holds the space stone – over to someone. Thanos, may be?
After he gets what he wants from the God of Mischief there is nothing that is stopping the Mad Titan from going ahead and killing him, especially since Loki failed to follow Thanos' order in the first 'Avengers' movie. For those who need a refresher, Thanos had sent Loki to collect the Tesseract in 2012’s 'The Avengers,' but he had failed miserably.
In retaliation, Thanos might use 'Infinity War' as the perfect opportunity to erase the Asgardians as a whole from the face of the Universe.