Avengers: Infinity War brought about the destruction of the beloved superhero team.
With Thanos looming large and half the Avengers turned to dust, anticipation for the as-yet-untitled sequel has reached fever pitch. Will Iron Man, Captain America and the remaining crew be able to put a stop to the Mad Titan? Can they bring back Spider-Man, Black Panther and Doctor Strange?
Disney and Marvel have kept incredibly silent about the upcoming sequel, but small details have emerged thanks to tie-in toys, chatty actors and the occasional leak. Here’s everything we know about the fourth Avengers movie.
Release date
Avengers 4 reaches cinemas on 26 April 2019, just over a year after Infinity War was released and under two months after the Brie Larson-starring Captain Marvel debuts on the 8 March.
Title
There’s been a whole lot of speculation over what the movie will be titled, Marvel refusing to officially announce a name, previously citing spoilers for Infinity War as the reason. Despite that film having been out for months, the studio has still refused to announce a title – although that has not stopped the directors denying certain guesses.
First up, the Russo Brothers – who directed Infinity War and return for the sequel – have confirmed that the fourth movie will not be given the subtitle Infinity Gauntlet. They have also revealed that the title was not said during Infinity War, ruling out the title End Game.
Other names floated include Secret Invasion, Disassembled, Forever and Reassembled. You can read more in depth about each of those possibilities here. Mark Ruffalo has also teased releasing the title, appearing to mouth the words Avengers: Annihilation while appearing on Jimmy Fallon’s show.
Trailer
No official trailer for the movie has been released, although speculators believe we could see the first footage of Avengers 4 as soon as November. Others have the trailer pegged for a December release. Whatever the case, expect the title to either come before, or in conjunction with, the trailer.
Plot
Thanks to License Global magazine – the same publication that offered the world first synopsis for Infinity War – we have a short, very non-spoilery summary of what to expect.
“A culmination of 22 interconnected films, the fourth instalment of the Avengers saga will draw audiences to witness the turning point of this epic journey. Our beloved heroes will truly understand how fragile this reality is and the sacrifices that must be made to uphold it.”
The only real pointer there is the fact “sacrifices will be made” which hints that a couple of big character deaths could be around the corner. Which brings us nicely to our next point...
Who will die?
Chris Evans has confirmed that he’s hanging up the shield after the next Avengers, strongly implying that Captain America may die. And while the actor has said that his character’s death is not a sure-fire hit, fans are expecting the honourable Captain to perish at some stage.
Another possibility is Iron Man. Robert Downey Jr has been demanding increasing sums for each Avengers outing, with some estimates putting his salary for Infinity War and Number Four at around $200 million. Can the studio afford to keep paying the actor such massive amounts? Considering Infinity War grossed upwards of £2 billion, they certainly can – but do they want to? Nonetheless, fans are still expecting Iron Man to kick the iron bucket at some stage in the near future.
Of course, with Thanos still around, there’s a chance any of the beloved characters who survived the snap – Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man, Rocket, and Hawkeye – could perish. The only survivor with a future solo movie currently in development is Black Widow, but her movie will likely be a prequel to her Avengers days.
Will the dusted Avengers come back?
Somewhat bizarrely, those who actually died during Infinity War are more likely to survive Thanos’s anger. Why? Because those superheroes who were dusted are the ones with sequels already lined up. Black Panther, Spider-Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy all have sequels lined up (Black Panther 2, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, respectively). Doctor Strange also looks set to have a sequel. Other future projects include The Eternals, with The Rider’s Chloe Zhao attached to direct.
Have there been any leaks?
There have not been many leaks, although photos from the set of Avengers 4 have been posted online. The Independent has previously dived into what these photos could mean for the Avengers here – including how time-travelling and the quantum realm will likely play a major part. Read our spoiler-filled in-depth look at the speculation surround the plot here.
