At the end of Infinity War, we lost some of our favorite and most beloved superheroes. We watched as Captain America lost his best friend, Wakanda said goodbye to their mighty king, and Rocket’s adorable son said his last words. As darkness consumed the light and evil defeat good, we all also lost hope and all sense of direction. However, it’s time that we focus on the here and now, and imagine how the remaining heroes can bring back the dusted Avengers and ultimately save the universe.
On Earth, we have the original Avengers – Cap, Black Widow, Hulk, Thor, and War Machine, as well as Rocket, Okoye, M’Baku, and potentially Shuri. Then, in space, we have Iron Man and Nebula to hold down the fort and Ant-Man floating around the Quantum Realm. Lastly, somewhere in the universe, we have confirmation from the directors and other info that we will see Hawkeye, Gamora, Captain Marvel, Valkyrie, Korg, Miek, Pepper Potts, Wong, and Ned Leeds again sometime soon.
So, get ready to snap back to reality and figure out how each of these mighty heroes will save the day because here are the 21 Fan Theories About Each Character Remaining After Infinity War.
THOR: Infinity War is actually a continuation of Thor’s Ragnarok
In Thor: Ragnarok, Asgard is destroyed, completing the prophecy of Ragnarok. However, in the movie, Odin tells Thor that Asgard is not a place, it’s a people. So, if Asgard still lives among the Asgardians, doesn’t that mean Ragnarok was never fulfilled? According to this theory, Ragnarok isn’t over and the events of Infinity War actually represent a continuation of the prophecy. Therefore, Thanos’ path of annihilation and chaos will not end until Thor is defeated.
Since Ragnarok is also a cycle of destruction and rebirth, it will also become the reason why the MCU can bring back all the fallen Avengers.
HULK: He will become World Breaker Hulk and defeat Thanos
Throughout the MCU, there’s a running joke that Hulk is the strongest Avenger and not Thor. However, the Hulk we saw in Infinity War definitely wasn’t the all-powerful hero that we’re used to seeing. Bruce Banner couldn’t turn green in the film and many fans theorized that it was because Hulk was scared of Thanos. But the Russo Brothers shot down this theory which led fans to come up with a new suggestion.
This new theory suggests that Hulk is hiding because he’s harnessing more power and when we see him in Avengers 4, he’ll return as World Breaker Hulk and take on Thanos.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: He will trade himself for those that were dusted
In Infinity War, there’s an underlying moral dilemma about trading lives. On one side, Thanos believes that the world should have the “most good for the most amount of people” and that in order to do so, he had to trade lives for resources. On the other hand, Captain America makes a point to state that trading lives is morally wrong and that you can’t sacrifice others for a greater good. Therefore, he refuses to let Vision sacrifice himself to prevent Thanos from gaining the Infinity Stones.
However, fans believe that Cap is eventually going to change his stance and sacrifice himself to return the dusted Avengers and save humanity.
IRON MAN: He will become a temporary Sorcerer Supreme
According to Doctor Strange, there’s only one outcome out of 14,000,605 possibilities where good defeats evil. Therefore, he traded the Time Stone for Stark’s life and entered “the end game”. This led fans to believe Stark is key to winning the battle against Thanos and a behind-the-scenes video may have confirmed the theory.
In the video, Robert Downey Jr. is wearing Strange’s Cloak of Levitation and has suggested that Stark will become a temporary Sorcerer Supreme as he has before in the comics. So, will Stark imitate Strange’s powers in Avengers 4 using his powers of tech? And if so, why was Wong overlooked for the role of Sorcerer Supreme?
BLACK WIDOW: She will create an all-female team but will fall in battle
Fans all over the world have been waiting a long time to see an all-female Avengers team kick butt in the MCU and according to this theory, the directors might finally grant our wishes in Avengers 4. The theory suggests that Black Widow will team up with Okoye, Shuri, Nebula, Valkyrie, and Captain Marvel to go head-to-head against Thanos.
However, some fans believe that a female team is just too good to be true and Black Widow will fall in battle in order to fulfill Hulk’s character arc. This will ultimately break Bruce Banner out of his rut and bring out the Hulk so that he can defeat the Mad Titan.
HAWKEYE: He will become Ronin
After Ant-Man and the Wasp, the only Avenger unaccounted for is Hawkeye. This core member of the team has been missing since Civil War and has caused quite a stir in the world of MCU theories. The most popular theory about Hawkeye is that he will be introduced in Avengers 4 as Ronin and head to Japan to fight Skrulls.
Recent set photos from the untitled Avengers 4 movie showed a tease of Hawkeye’s new look and it shows that the archer will don a black suit with gold lining, much like his Ronin style in the comics.
WAR MACHINE: He will be revealed as a Wakandan spy and will help rebuild Wakanda
War Machine is sometimes forgotten in the MCU, but this might be on purpose. According to Reddit user TannerNewcomb, James “Rhodey” Rhodes is actually a Wakandan spy sent to the US to infiltrate the military and prevent Tony Stark from catching up with Wakandan technology. This explains why Rhodey doesn’t seem shocked when T’Challa revealed himself in Civil War and why he isn’t impressed by Wakanda.
Guess it could also explain why the actor that played War Machine changes in the MCU. Don Cheadle was simply replacing Terrence Howard to establish himself as a spy, and he’s such a good agent that no one even noticed.
ROCKET RACCOON: He will play a big part in defeating Thanos
Although Rocket is made fun of for just being a trash panda, fans think that the small Guardian could play a huge role in defeating Thanos. Rocket coincidentally (or not) is the only surviving hero that has ever “held” and possessed the powers of an Infinity Stone, which could provide him with a potential advantage in Avengers 4.
He’s also devastated because he just lost his “son” and therefore, would be more than willing to seek out the Mad Titan. Some theories even suggest that Rocket was even created by Thanos and that finding out this information about his past will be the last straw for the space raccoon.
NEBULA: She will take the Infinity Gauntlet but will become Supergiant
True Marvel fans may have noticed that there was one member missing from Thanos’ Black Order – Supergiant. Therefore, her stark omission from the movie has generated a new fan theory. This theory states that Supergiant wasn’t introduced in Infinity War because she has been in the MCU for a long time – as Nebula.
Nebula is a child of Thanos and she even looks similar to Supergiant. Some fans think that Nebula will side with Thanos in Avengers 4 and become Supergiant, or take the Infinity Gauntlet and become much more powerful than the Mad Titan.
GAMORA: She will be the key to Thanos reversing his snap
Although we saw Gamora tumble off a cliff in Infinity War, the Russo Brothers have confirmed that she is indeed still alive and trapped in the Soul Stone. Based on this confirmation, people believe that she will be the key to bringing everyone back.
By sacrificing Gamora, Thanos revealed the only person that he has ever loved and his greatest weakness. Since the Avengers couldn’t defeat the Mad Titan through physical strength, maybe his demise will be the fault of emotions. Gamora could give that emotional blow to manipulate her father and convince him to reverse his actions so that he can save his daughter.
SHURI: She will become the new Black Panther and recreate Vision
Although Shuri’s fate is currently unknown, there have been many fan theories circulating around the Internet that the reason we don’t see her at the end of Infinity War is because she is actually making a copy of the Mind Stone.
According to this theory, Shuri will use the digital copy of the Mind Stone in Avengers 4 to recreate Vision so that he can help the Avengers take down Thanos. Another theory suggests that with T’Challa gone, Shuri will also take her place as the next Black Panther. This has happened several times in the comics and would set Shuri up to join the stunning heroines of the MCU.
OKOYE: She will head to space to defeat Thanos with Rocket
During an interview, Danai Gurira said that her character has a hard time getting used to Rocket Raccoon’s attitude. However, we haven’t seen Okoye interact with Rocket in the MCU. So could this mean that the two will team up in a future film?
Okoye has an unwavering devotion to protect the Black Panther and Wakanda. Therefore, she would go to the ends of the Earth - and the universe to fulfill her duties. This may put her on a mission to take out Thanos and potentially head to space with a rage-filled Rocket to bring back T’Challa.
M’BAKU: He will become the new king of Wakanda
M’Baku has quickly become a fan favorite, so could we see more of him in the upcoming movie? After Infinity War, Wakanda is left in devastation. Their brave warriors faded away on the battlefield and the country is devastated by the dusting of their mighty king. They will need someone to pick up the pieces and that someone could be M’Baku.
We’ve seen M’Baku challenge the throne in Black Panther and work to become a humble and caring leader. Becoming king of Wakanda would complete his character arc and show that you can get what you want when you’re on the path of good. Plus, Shuri might be busy with rebuilding Wakanda’s tech sector.
PEPPER POTTS: She is pregnant and will suit up to protect her family
In the official Infinity War magazine, Gwyneth Paltrow is quoted saying, “Pepper and Tony have a real long journey together. She obviously starts as his dutiful assistant, and then the relationship evolves, and now this decade later they’re married and they have a child”.
But wait – Potts and Stark don’t have a child at the end of Infinity War. So, could the two have a baby in the next film? Fans believe that having a child would also give Pepper Potts more of a reason to suit up and fight with the Avengers to protect her family.
WONG: He is a Skrull
Benedict Wong posted a photo of himself filming Avengers 4 proving that he survived the dusting. However, the creepy image is quite disturbing. In the photo, Wong is wearing prosthetics on the back of his head and it looks as though his head is coming apart.
This has caused fans to think that Wong is a Skrull and that these creatures invaded Earth when Thanos snapped his fingers. The Skrulls impersonated people that didn’t survive the snap to make their loved ones believe they’re still alive. There are many Skrull theories floating around the interwebs and according to fans, everyone from Hulk and Thor to Captain America and General Ross could also be a Skrull.
VALKYRIE: She will become the female Thor
The Russo Brothers have confirmed that the valiant Valkyrie is still alive. However, we know absolutely nothing about her whereabouts or how she will fit into Avengers 4.
Some people believe that Thor will actually fall in battle to complete Ragnarok and that Valkyrie will rise up to become female Thor.
Interestingly, another theory suggests that this was Loki’s plan all along. During Ragnarok, Loki touched Valkyrie and was able to look into her memories. However, what if this was actually Loki implanting the memories into Valkyrie’s mind to reactivate her so that she can save Asgard and help Thor in the future.
KORG & MIEK: They will become the newest Guardians of the Galaxy
During an interview, Joe Russo revealed that Korg and Miek’s survival was too “spoilery” to say, so many fans believe that they’re still alive in the universe somewhere.
The theory suggests that Korg and Miek are floating through space after the destruction of the Asgardian ship and will eventually be found by Iron Man and Nebula during their attempt to return to Earth. As the last remaining galaxy wanderers, some believe that the rock and scissors duo will ditch their pamphlets to join the Guardians of the Galaxy with Rocket, Nebula and potentially Cosmo.
NED: He will travel back in time
Ned Leeds is another character whose fate the Russo Brothers deemed too “spoilery” to say. However, someone may have spotted a young Ned and Peter Parker in the past that may point to an Avengers 4 plot. One fan posted a screenshot on Reddit from The Avengers (2012) taken from a scene where different news networks captured New Yorkers’ reactions and celebrations after the end of the Chitauri invasion.
In one of the tabs on the screen, there’s a shot of two kids that look like they could be younger versions of Ned and Peter. Fans have taken this to potentially prove that Ned will travel in time with the Avengers to prevent Thanos’ snap.
CAPTAIN MARVEL: She won’t make it to Avengers 4
Ever since the end of Infinity War, we’ve all been waiting for Captain Marvel to swoop in and save the day. However, one fan theory suggests that we may get our hopes and dreams crushed.
In this theory, one Reddit user suggests that Captain Marvel will actually fall victim to “the snap” in Captain Marvel. The scene would be a lot like Ant-Man & The Wasp, and Captain Marvel will receive Nick Fury’s pager message in the post-credit scene of her solo movie and then become dusted as the screen turns to black. This would snap us all back to reality and scramble to find a new hero for Avengers 4.
ANT-MAN: He is the end game
Doctor Strange saw every possible outcome of Infinity War, yet still went with a plan that was destined to fail. However, what was even weirder was that Scott Lang entered the Quantum Realm at the exact moment Thanos snapped his fingers. So, what if this was connected?
One theory suggests that Scott’s presence in the Quantum Realm was an essential part of the reality that Doctor Strange said the Avengers could win. Therefore, Strange had to plan the timing of Thanos’ actions and force him to make the snap when Scott entered the realm. This could also potentially mean that Scott is the key to Thanos’ defeat.
