Avengers Infinity War is almost upon us and everyone seems to be talking about it. A film ten years in the making, people seem legitimately worried about the livelihood of some of these heroes and directors Joe and Anthony Russo aren’t helping, promising that no one is safe for this film. The MCU has been criticized for being “too safe” and “easy” in the past, but it looks like all that is about to go out the window now that Thanos is on the scene. Heck, they won’t even reveal the title of the fourth Avenger film for fear of upsetting people, as they stated fans should be worried. With all that mind in, let’s take a speculative look at who’s most likely to permanently bite the dust in the upcoming blockbuster epic.
So how did I come up with these names? Part of it is pure speculation, part of it is a reflection on the character arcs and knowing the contractual agreements that the actors were given when they signed on. The MCU has become a very crowded place ten years after the first Iron Man film came out and a small purge courtesy of Thanos could help create some breathing room in the fourth Avengers film and create some space for new characters to step in in phase 4.
HAWKEYE (60%)
As the man himself stated in Age of Ultron, he’s fighting all of this with a bow and arrow and none of it makes any sense. Well the stakes are brought up even more in Infinity War and that bow and arrow may not be enough this time around. Jeremy Renner’s sharpshooter with no powers has been strangely absent in all of the promotional material to date. While this could be a sign that whatever he’s up to is very secretive, it’s also a sign that he’s just not in the movie often. Some say that he’s off on a secret mission and will be absent for most of the run time, but it’s also quite possible that Hawkeye simple bites the dust in the film. While the Avengers have been great at Avenging, Hawkeye is the only one who’s settled down and made a family. He’s also tried leaving a few times, as evidence by Civil War. Clearly, he’s just not as into it these day and his loss would be the most relatable of them all were he to go.
With four words, “I am Iron Man”, Tony Stark set in motion an unstoppable idea. One post-credit scene later, Samuel L. Jackon’s Nick Fury teased the Avengers and the MCU was born. He’s the original hero, the ego maniac who became a hero who in turn clashed with his fellow Avengers over political ideologies. Along with Steve Rogers, Tony is the face of the Avengers and the tip of the spear. After Steve left the team at the end of Civil War, Stark became the leader of the fractured team, making him the heart and soul of what’s left of the team. The headquarters and much of the funding came out of Stark’s massive pockets and recruited directly or indirectly Black Widow, War Machine, Spider Man and Vision-the latter of whom Tony championed to bring to life after his botched Ultron experiment. Tony can be seen as a father figure and mentor to many of the Avengers and by having the longest running Avenger bite the dust would not only be emotionally traumatic, but would solidify that the movie isn’t going to pull any punches.
The events of Civil War disassembled the Avengers, with Cap and Iron Man on opposite sides of a personal and political battlefield. Abandoning the moniker Captain America, Steve Rogers is seemingly at the end of the line. It seems like a safe bet Cap or Iron Man won’t see Avengers 4 and of the two, Steve would have a more significant emotional impact than Stark due to his empowering positive attitude, his role as an inspiring leader and by being the one make the tough calls. Steve giving his life to save the team? It’s very possible. Let’s not forget that Cap actually dies in the Civil War comic book, so perhaps the filmmakers would take a page out of that comic and have Steve pay the ultimate price fighting Thanos. Having that light be extinguished would likely have the most significant emotional impact on both the team and the audience.
At first, I would’ve put Thor quite low on this list. Then I hear he has some of the most screen time. I begin reflecting. What does Thor have to offer to the MCU now? He has no home, family and likely no people ( let’s be real here). Thor will likely make a last stand but fall, which would elevate the threat of Thanos in the eyes of the audience. To take out one of the strongest Avengers would be a massive blow to the team and defense of the universe. But when looked at this family history, specifically that of Odin’s (which was plagued by bloodshed and self serving crusades), dying to defend the universe as King of Asgard seems like a worthy sendoff for the character.
Like Gamora, Nebula is the adopted daughter of Thanos. After the events of Guardians Vol.2, Nebulla has entered into a fragile alliance with Star Lord and company. But this means she’s betrayed Thanos and he won’t forgive this. While Gamora seems pretty safe for now (she is the co-star in one of Marvel’s most popular new franchises), Nebula seems like a safe death bet considering she was once a villain and now a traitor in the eyes of her father.
Loki is considered to be the best villain in the entire MCU roster. Played by Tom Hiddleston, he made his debut in the 2011 film Thor as the jealous yet clever adoptive brother to Thor. Loki’s character arc has started to become redundant however. Heck, they even make fun of Loki’s constant betrayals in 2017’s Thor Ragnarok. The nail in the coffin though is realizing that Loki is responsible for not only failing to give the Tesseract to Thanos, but simultaneously losing the Mind Stone, which was part of the staff he wielded in the first Avengers film. All this adds up to Loki essentially being dead weight to the franchise and guilty in the eyes of his former master.
It’s almost a sure thing that Vision is going to go out in Infinity War. He’s got the Mind Stone embedded onto his forehead and it’s something Thanos desperately wants. In order to get it, he’s going to have to rip it out of Vision. If that happens, there’s a good chance Vision goes too. But it makes sense that Vision has to be taken out of the narrative as he’s one of the strongest members of the team. Without him, the Avengers get a serious handicap and will be at a disadvantage. With Vision blasting beams left right and center and messing with matter itself, the tension that will be built up over two films may dissolve a bit knowing Vision’s around. However, Vision is one of the newest members on the team and one we’re the least attached to emotionally. His loss would be important, but of less significance to the audience. If he goes, another is surely going too.
We know there are future Marvel films coming after the fourth Avengers film but aside from two films that I won’t mention here, the others have remained nameless. Which means that officially, there’s no Doctor Strange 2 on the horizon. It’s very unlikely that Marvel would kill off Strange after only one film, but what a surprise that would be if it happened.
Who do you think will bite the dust in Avengers Infinity War? Let us know in the comments below and check out our work on the MCU timeline leading to Infinity War and why we think Iron Man is 100% going out and who is set to replace him.
ScreenHub Entertainment 