We need to talk about the ending of 'Avengers: Infinity War'
Warning: This story contains major spoilers for the ending of Avengers: Infinity War.
Welp, he did it.
In the closing moments of Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos, wielding his now-complete Infinity Gauntlet, manages to wipe out a huge chunk of Marvel heroes – specifically, Bucky, Black Panther, Groot, Scarlet Witch, Falcon, Mantis, Drax, Star-Lord, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Maria Hill, and Nick Fury.
It's not just that they're dead. They're turned to dust. They're disappeared.
Mind you, this is in addition to the deaths of Heimdall, Loki, Gamora, and Vision, which come earlier in the movie. When Marvel promised death and destruction in Infinity War, they were not fucking around.
It's a jaw-dropping way to end a movie, and left audiences in my theater gasping and crying. But now that we've caught our breaths and dried our tears, we're left with some questions.
Are these characters staying dead?
Well, we can't say anything for sure... but no, definitely not. Or not most of them, anyway.
While Thanos may have chosen these deaths at random, the Marvel filmmakers definitely didn't. You'll notice that the characters who were turned to dust at the end are either relatively minor characters (much as we like Scarlet Witch, it's really not that hard to imagine the Avengers without her) or major lead characters we know are due back for sequels (there is no way Black Panther stops at just one solo feature).
The major characters we might expect to die and stay dead – the ones who've been around long enough that their actor contracts are starting to expire – are all left standing at the end. I'm talking specifically here about Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor.
Less certain is what'll happen with characters like Loki, Heimdall, Gamora, and Vision. There's no real reason to assume Loki or Heimdall will be back; their stories seem to have run their course and Tom Hiddleston and Idris Elba seem ready to move on.
Gamora and Vision seem like they could go either way. But I'd bet on her recovering in time for Vol. 3 in 2020.
But how would they go about coming back from the dead?
Good question!
One possibility involves the Time Stone, which functions as a sort of time travel device. In fact, this is exactly how Thanos gets enough power to carry out his "kill half the universe" plot in the first place. Scarlet Witch actually succeeds in destroying the Mind Stone before Thanos can get to it, but he uses the Time Stone to go back in time and stop her.
Another potential avenue to resurrection could be the Soul Stone. Infinity War doesn't really make clear what the Soul Stone does, but in the comics, the Soul Stone has the ability to control, manipulate, and collect souls, and trap them in a sort of pocket universe.
In other words, it sounds like a tool that could come in really handy if you needed to bring back a bunch of dearly departed souls.
We're also guessing that the cleanup for this mess will have something to do with Captain Marvel, whose introduction is teased in the end credits of Infinity War. Without knowing much about her, though, it's hard to speculate too much about how she could factor into the aftermath.
And let's not forget that Doctor Strange seems to have a plan. He's seen only one narrow path to victory for the Avengers, and just before he vanishes he tells Iron Man, "There was no other way."
Okay, then when are they coming back?
Our best guess is sometime in Avengers 4, due out just over a year from now on May 3, 2019. At the very least, Spider-Man and some of the Guardians will have to return around then – Spidey's got a Homecoming sequel lined up for 2019, and the Guardians are expected back for Vol. 3 in 2020.
Are more people going to die in Avengers 4?
Probably. Infinity War keeps Iron Man and Captain America alive, and we have every reason to assume they'll be out of the franchise sooner rather than later. (Among other things, Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans seem like they want off the Marvel train.)
That means the MCU will have to get rid of them sometime, and what better way to send them off than in a self-sacrificial blaze of glory?
Then again, this franchise does have a way of surprising us; see our rather incorrect predictions for who would die in Infinity War. So, you know. Take all our speculation with a grain of salt.
In the meantime, how should I feel about this ending?
Obviously, it's up to you. Personally, I've got mixed feelings.
On the one hand, temporary deaths are a habit Marvel has returned to again and again and again, to the point that when Yondu didn't immediately spring back up in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we considered it headline news.
The ending of Infinity War feels like Marvel relying on that old trick once again, and it arguably cheapens the emotional impact of that last moment. What's the point in mourning Doctor Strange when you know he'll be back again in a year or two?
But it's worth pointing out that even if we know these deaths aren't likely to stick, the characters we love do not. Tony Stark will be haunted by that image of Peter Parker saying "I don't feel well" until he dies or until Peter returns, whichever happens first. Ditto Steve Rogers and the sinking realization that despite all his best efforts, he could not save his best friend Bucky.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe will continue on and eventually return to a more stable and pleasant status quo, because that's what gazillion-dollar franchises do. But for now, nothing is the same, and no one in it feels like they'll ever be fine again. That's something for us, and our favorite Marvel characters, to carry with us for the next year-plus.
That ending may not be quite as dark and dramatic as it first appeared – the real shocks will probably come next year, when Marvel starts changing things for good. That doesn't mean it wasn't a punch in the gut.
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