As we buckle in for the forthcoming premiere of Avengers: Endgame, there are a lot of moving
parts to keep track of: after all, we're talking about 21 movies over about a decade.
It's the perfect time to look back over the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and
go over everything fans should have in mind before scanning that ticket, ordering some
popcorn, and settling in for Marvel's cinematic event of the year.
A quick word of warning: spoilers for Captain Marvel ahead!
One consistent thread throughout many of the MCU's films before Infinity War has been the
impending approach of Thanos.
We saw elements of the Mad Titan all the way back in the first Avengers movie, when we
caught a shot of his grinning face in the mid-credits scene.
He played a role in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise as well and reappeared at the end
of Avengers: Age of Ultron when he donned an Infinity Gauntlet and uttered the famous
line:
"Fine.
I'll do it myself."
Infinity War brought Thanos crashing into the primary narrative, as the big purple one
traipsed around the galaxy, gathering up the Infinity Stones.
He already had the Power Stone when the film began, and his encounter with Thor and the
surviving Asgardians in Infinity War's opening moments left him with the Tesseract, which
hid the Space Stone.
He proceeded from there to get the Reality Stone on Knowhere, the Soul Stone on Vormir
after sacrificing Gamora, and the Time Stone after Doctor Strange surrendered it to him
on Titan.
Last but not least, he headed to Wakanda, where he plucked the Mind Stone out of Vision's
forehead, completed his gauntlet, and snapped his fingers, wiping out half of the life in
the universe in what has been dubbed "the Decimation."
Over time, the Avengers lineup has come to include characters like War Machine, Scarlet
Witch, Vision, Falcon, and Spider-Man, but it all started with the Big Six.
As The Avengers played out, a nucleus of heroes slowly came together, including Hulk, Iron
Man, Hawkeye, Thor, Black Widow, and Captain America.
2016's Civil War saw the group split, with Cap, Hawkeye, and Black Widow heading off
into exile in the aftermath.
While almost everyone was involved in Infinity War, the heroes weren't fully unified throughout
the film.
But as savvy fans quickly realized, as the dust from the Decimation settled, not one
of the original Avengers had been dusted.
Half of the universe's population may be gone, but it sure is convenient that all six of
the original Avengers survived the dusting… isn't it?
It seems natural that Endgame would pick up the storyline where Infinity War left off,
just after Thanos' Decimation swept half of the life in the universe into the dustbin.
That actually might not be the case, however.
For quite a while now the timing of Endgame within the MCU's greater timeline has been
mysteriously impossible to pin down.
Some rumors suggest it'll start with as much as a five-year jump into the future.
So which is it?
Well, as each new trailer has hit, it seems the answer might be "both."
The key to it all: the hair.
In the first Endgame teaser, Natasha Romanoff is seen with the blonde, short hair that she
sported throughout Infinity War.
In a more recent Endgame trailer, though, she's shown repeatedly with red hair past
her shoulders, with wisps of blonde on the end, indicating that she's been growing it
out for some time.
However it all pieces together, it's pretty certain that we're in for some kind of time
jump, or jumps, either before or throughout the film.
If you haven't seen Ant-Man and the Wasp yet, you really ought to before you see Endgame,
if not just for the fun of it all, then for the Quantum Realm.
While we caught a glimpse of in the first Ant-Man, the sequel dove headlong into exploring
that other-worldly dimension as the team tried their hardest to get Janet van Dyne out after
decades trapped there.
Hank and Hope created a Quantum device that, by the end of the movie, facilitated Quantum
Realm travel quite easily.
This led to the now super-important lines from original Wasp Janet Van Dyne:
"And don't get sucked into a time vortex.
We won't be able to save you."
That, of course, is a huge hint that there will be some time traveling shenanigans in
Endgame.
We don't know how Scott Lang makes his way out of the Quantum Realm, but it certainly
appears that the super-powerful microverse is going to feature fairly heavily in Endgame.
In fact, Hank Pym actor Michael Douglas even went so far as to say it's "the key" to Phase
4.
Endgame promises to be a heck of a long movie and the kind of watching experience that's
better off not interrupted by sudden attempts to remember why a character is or isn't in
a certain location.
So let's recap where some of our beloved heroes, at least those who weren't snapped, were when
Infinity War wrapped up.
Tony Stark and Nebula are the only survivors of the snap still stranded on Titan.
However, the first Endgame trailer reminded us that the pair have access to the Guardians
of the Galaxy's ship, the Benatar.
While their trip home may be fraught with peril, another trailer seems to indicate that
a reunion is in order for Stark, Nebula, and the gang on Earth.
Meanwhile, Cap, Black Widow, Banner, Thor, Okoye, Rocket, and Rhodey were
all present at the fight in Wakanda as the dust of their allies settled around them.
Once again, the trailers seem to hint that at least some of them will have headed back
to the Avengers HQ in the interim.
Scott Lang was literally trapped in the Quantum Realm by the snap, with the trailers showing
that he will, somehow, make his way out alive.
Finally, Carol Danvers was away when the snap occurred.
But her own film's mid-credits scene shows that she'll respond to Nick Fury's pager by
showing up on Earth again.
One sleeper character in all of this is Tony's fiancee and Stark Industries CEO Pepper Potts.
While she did play a brief role in Infinity War, Potts' presence was chiefly marked by
her repeated insistence that Stark should hang up his suit for good, followed by a brief,
alarming phone call as Tony sped away into space on the flying donut.
But while Pep may have dropped off the radar at that point, it hardly means she's sitting
out of Endgame.
Potts has played a quietly pivotal role in Tony Stark's life, providing stability, direction,
and wisdom, and giving him a reason to fight.
There's a good chance she'll actually play a bigger role than anyone might anticipate.
Gwyneth Paltrow has announced that Endgame will be her last MCU performance, at least
for the time being, which makes this film an ideal spot to drop Potts into the thick
of things, maybe even in the form of her own comic book superhero persona, Rescue.
The sight of Potts saving Stark for a second time after she armored up in Iron Man 3 would
be about as sweet as it gets.
Of course, if we're going to cover Stark and Potts, it's important to go into Endgame with
one other character on our minds: Steve Rogers.
Captain America has been an integral presence throughout the MCU since he first donned that
shield and ran out into the battlefields of World War II.
Along with Stark, the second Endgame trailer focuses heavily on Cap, showing multiple scenes
of his past films while featuring his plan to do whatever it takes.
"Whatever it takes."
The fact that he kicks off the team's mantra isn't surprising, coming from the man that
has served as the Avengers' moral compass for years.
Rogers' story arc has been dramatic, to say the least.
He started out desperate to prove himself, ended up saving the world from the threat
of Red Skull, and then survived an icy nap for decades.
Since then, he's unofficially co-led the Avengers with Stark, with his storyline feeling like
it's been building towards something big for quite a while.
Cap actor Chris Evans even caused a stir in late 2018 when he tweeted what appeared to
be an emotional farewell to the MCU.
While the tweet was excused away, it's been hard to shake the uncomfortable feeling that
Cap could be in for a tragic story arc in Endgame.
It's something worth preparing for, at least.
It's impossible to talk about Infinity War without addressing the conspicuous absence
of the Hulk.
As the film opened, Hulk was coming off a galaxy-wide romp that saw him as a gladiator
hero on Sakaar, followed by a battle on Asgard that saw him recklessly tackle a giant wolf
and smack an apocalyptic fire demon in the face.
The guy was on a roll, but it only took Thanos a few seconds and a handful of well-placed
punches to get the Green Machine to go down like a sack of potatoes.
Heimdall literally gave his life to save the Emerald Giant, yet the rest of the film hardly
showcased a Hulk that was thankful in the least.
In the battle with Ebony Maw in New York followed by the big fight in Wakanda, Hulk refused
to come out to help, leaving the mild-mannered Banner to do his best with a Hulkbuster suit.
While Hulk may have appeared scared, co-director Joe Russo explained that he's simply, quote,
"tired of playing hero to Bruce Banner."
Actor Mark Ruffalo has also gone on record claiming that the two characters are "headed
for a showdown," adding in another interview that the Hulk has been going through a three-movie
story of his own that will end with Endgame.
However it plays out, we should expect to see some green fireworks at some point.
Thor has been an MCU staple for a long time, and the character has definitely been put
through the wringer.
While he started out as a jolly exile, smashing coffee cups and asking to ride around on pets,
Thor has slowly been shaped into a real leader through tragedy and grief.
He's lost his entire family, as well as his home and most of his people.
And to top it all off, he also lost his mighty hammer when his sister crushed it to bits.
"You have no idea what's possible."
To sum it up, Thor has gone through a lot.
He put that grief and anger to good use, spending the greater part of Infinity War off making
his new weapon, Stormbreaker, and when he arrived in Wakanda he was swift to put it
to use: in fact, he ended up being the only Avenger who dealt what looked to be a truly
deadly blow to the Mad Titan.
Of course, he should have gone for the head.
That attack worked mainly because Thor had the element of surprise, when he and Thanos
meet again, things could go very differently… and possibly because, thanks to time travel,
he might be doing things he already did in Infinity War differently… maybe this time
he will have gone for the head, finally putting Thanos's advice to good use.
Another character glaringly absent from Infinity War was Clint Barton.
Everyone's favorite sharpshooter sat out the fight with Thanos after the events of Captain
America: Civil War left him under house arrest.
But while Hawkeye may not have quite the same power level in a fight as Hulk or Thor, his
presence was seriously missed by fans of the MCU.
Sure, he may not have been able to turn the tide of the battle in Wakanda, but unlike
Thor, he definitely would've gone for the head once Thanos showed up.
The trailers for Endgame strongly suggest that Barton will make his return with the
new persona of Ronin, a name he briefly adopted in the comics.
The new Barton looks meaner than ever, with an ferocious-looking mohawk and an apparent
thirst for vengeance, fueled by the potential loss of all or at least part of his family
in Thanos' Decimation.
Another character to remember heading into Endgame is Carol Danvers.
The spacefaring superhero electrified audiences when she made her debut in March 2019.
Up until then, Captain Marvel had only been hinted at during the end credits scene from
Infinity War, with her red, blue, and gold insignia showing up in Nick Fury's special
pager.
The tease sparked much fan speculation over how her eventual arrival might turn the tables
on Thanos in the aftermath of the snap.
As Captain Marvel's solo movie demonstrates, this war-fighter is incredibly powerful, capable
of taking on an entire fleet of spaceships and warheads single-handedly.
The end credits scene of her film reveals that Captain Marvel will indeed find her way
back to Earth to answer Fury's call, so now the major question going into Endgame is how
she'll help bring down Thanos and reverse the effects of the Decimation.
She probably won't be able to pull it off alone, but as the strongest hero in the MCU,
she'll probably be a pretty big help.
The end of Infinity War showed us a brief epilogue of Thanos beginning what appeared
to be a new life as a semi-retired farmer.
The Mad Titan is seen in a small hut, watching the sun rise on what he perhaps imagines to
be a grateful universe.
Of course, we all know Endgame will show that the universe really isn't that grateful for
his actions after all.
But just because they want vengeance doesn't mean our intrepid heroes will be able to just
pop over and pay the Mad Titan a visit… right?
Where is Thanos at the end of Infinity War, anyway?
It seems that the Titan has chosen a location that the Russo brothers have dubbed "Titan
II."
The trailers have shown more of his retirement, with scenes of Thanos walking his fields and
a shot of his armor hung up like a scarecrow.
In addition, a purported leak for the movie has hinted that Nebula might have knowledge
of a place that her father was preparing to retire to after his work was done.
Wherever the so-called Titan II is, we can assume that Thanos won't be spending time
there in peaceful solitude for very long.
One special element of Infinity War was the crossover of the Guardians of the Galaxy with
the rest of the MCU.
The scene where Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange bump into Star-Lord and the
gang on Titan was well worth the wait, feeling more so than usual like seeing a crossover
comic book story come to life.
"I'm gonna ask you this one time.
Where is Gamora?"
"I'll do you one better.
Who's Gamora?"
"I'll do you one better: Why is Gamora?"
The Guardians ended up playing fairly pivotal roles throughout the film, too.
Rocket helped Thor build his new weapon, while Groot literally lent a hand in order to give
the ax a handle.
Gamora tried her best to stop her adopted father, but ultimately ended up leading him
to the Soul Stone, and losing her life.
On Titan, Mantis played a critical role in the battle by putting Thanos to sleep at a
crucial moment.
Who would have thought she'd be that useful in a fight?
But if you're going to highlight the heroics, then you've also got to balance it out with
one of the most boneheaded moves of the whole film: Star-Lord's doomed assault on Thanos
just when his teammates were about to get the gauntlet off his hand.
From there, things went south pretty quickly, with the Decimation leaving everyone on the
team except Rocket and Nebula a pile of ashes.
While Rocket's role in Endgame will likely involve helping the Earthbound heroes reach
Thanos, Nebula's role might be even more interesting, as she was a key player in defeating Thanos
in the comics.
It's hard to talk about Infinity War without bringing up Doctor Strange.
Since his entrance into the MCU in 2016, Strange has played a major role in the series' greater
storyline.
In Thor: Ragnarok, he helped Thor and Loki find Odin; in Infinity War, he pushed the
plot forward in a few major ways.
For one thing, the Master of the Mystic Arts was also the keeper of the Time Stone.
This made him a prime target on Thanos' hit list, with Ebony Maw coming to New York specifically
to retrieve it.
It was Strange who used his powers to peer ahead at 14,000,605 future scenarios, only
one of which ended in Thanos' defeat.
He played a courageous role in the physical fight against Thanos, too, but his real strategy
started coming together when he unexpectedly surrendered the stone in exchange for Tony
Stark's life.
While Strange may have faded away in the snap like so many others, he was pretty clearly
setting things up for the "endgame" he predicted, leaving the surviving heroes in the one timeline
where there's any hope for victory.
It's also been noted that Tilda Swinton will be returning for Endgame as the Ancient One,
Strange's deceased mentor.
How she'll fit into the picture remains a mystery, but the fact that she's showing up
from beyond the grave probably speaks to the good Doctor's importance to the storyline.
There's no doubt that Endgame will be an epic capstone to the first three phases of the
MCU, and Marvel seems to be just getting ramped up at this point.
After Endgame closes out the story arc for the Infinity Stones saga, a whole new chapter
begins, and it's loaded with potential.
Captain Marvel's arrival bodes well for the Avengers, as Brie Larson is reportedly signed
on for seven features and seems poised to be the face of the MCU for quite a while.
In addition, the Disney/Fox merger promises to add characters like the Fantastic Four,
the Silver Surfer, X-Men, and Deadpool to the MCU while also opening the doors for villains
like Magneto and Doctor Doom.
Sequels for the Black Panther and Doctor Strange franchises are in the works as well, while
Disney's rehiring of James Gunn has put the Guardians of the Galaxy series back in fans'
good graces.
So while Endgame is likely to be the last go-around for a few beloved characters and
storylines, there's plenty more being built for the next chapters in a universe that's
getting bigger all the time.
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Looper videos about your favorite stuff are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.