Avengers: Endgame is one of the most anticipated films in recent history. It is the culmination of the storyline the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been building since Captain America: The First Avenger introduced the Tesseract. We got hints and teases, until Avengers: Infinity War sent things into overdrive with the Mad Titan finally enacting his plan to bring balance to the galaxy. The movie ended with the heartbreaking loss of our favorite heroes including Heimdall, Loki, Gamora, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Winter Soldier, Black Panther, Groot, Falcon, Mantis, Drax, Star-Lord, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Maria Hill, Nick Fury and later The Wasp, Janet Van Dyne and Hank Pym.
From the moment they left the theater in an emotional daze, audiences have been wondering what’s next. Only Joe and Anthony Russo and Kevin Feige know for sure. Considering the well documented secrecy of Marvel, paparazzi wasted no time surrounding the set of Infinity War as principal photography for both films took place back to back. These photos have helped confirm or strongly suggest that some rumors may be actually be happening. Despite their military level training in avoiding spoilers in interviews, there are also the occasional slip ups from actors. No, we’re not just talking about Mark Ruffalo and Tom Holland. Combine leaked set photos, interview mistakes with social media hints and we get a pretty good picture of what to believe and what to throw away. We’ve put together some of the best rumors around Avengers: Endgame and have come up with 10 rumored plans we hope are true and 10 we hope aren’t.
20 HOPE IT’S TRUE: WILL ALSO BE MOVED UP A WEEK
When the release of Avengers: Infinity War was moved up a week, fans rejoiced. We all assumed it was done to limit spoilers, as the film was coming out a week early in some international markets. Of course, no one needed to worry, since audiences kept the film's secrets anyway.
Now it seems history may repeat itself. Avengers: Endgame was originally scheduled to hit theaters May 3, 2019, but IMAX quarterly reports have the movie scheduled for an earlier global release in April. IMAX was quick to note that these were just their dates and the films is still set for a full release in May. Since, the sooner the better, don't be surprised if we get a similar surprise for our heroes’ latest adventure. Looks like we got our wish granted here.
19 HOPE IT ISN’T: POSSIBLE 3-HOUR RUN TIME
With so much story to tell and so many loose ends to wrap up, we expect Avengers: Endgame to be longer than the average MCU movie. However, if a recent interview from Joe Russo is to be believed, we're in for a long night at the theater.
“I’ll say it could easily be a three hour film, but I think that, you know, we’re very hard on the material. We like it to play at a certain pace,” he told Collider. “I do think it will be longer than Avengers 3, but it’s clearly impossible to say.” While we want to see everything work out, we also know very few movies live up to a three-hour run time.
18 HOPE IT’S TRUE: HAWKEYE IS RONIN
In a film jam-packed with heroes, Hawkeye was very conspicuous by his absence. For a big chunk of Infinity War we all wondered where Clint was. Natasha mentioned that, in the wake of Captain America: Civil War, he had accepted house arrest. However, we find it hard to believe that Clint would just stay home while the world was under attack.
Marvel’s Story tweeted set photos of Jeremy Renner with a trench coat covering his costume, but in gold and black boots that have many thinking he will return in the sequel as Ronin. This is a darker version of his character, seen in the comics after he returns from his "demise". From the looks of the trailer, this looks like a lock.
17 HOPE IT ISN’T: LEAKS HAVE ALL BEEN FAKED
For a studio so widely known for its secrecy, there have been a surprising number of leaks surrounding Avengers: Endgame. From paparazzi set photos to casting calls to star interview slip ups to social media. If fans really wanted to dig enough, they could find something.
Considering how often they've used misdirects, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Russo brothers have been fooling us all along and none of these internet theories and rumors are true. As far-fetched as that sounds, remember there were deliberate misdirects in the Infinity War trailer. If this is real, then nothing we've done for the last seven months has meant anything and we're all headed for an existential crisis.
16 HOPE IT’S TRUE: BATTLE OF NEW YORK
As theories swirl that time travel plays a major role in the movie's plot, leaked set photos have revealed many of the original Avengers in costumes and make up just like the ones they wore in 2012’s The Avengers.
On top of this, Atlanta Magazine has photos of sets that looked similar to the famed Battle of New York. This has led many to speculate that the team will travel back to this fight. As the heroes reach the end of their current journey, it could be a nice moment for them to visit the battle where it all began and they truly became a team.
15 HOPE IT ISN’T: TITLE IS AVENGERS: INFINITY GAUNTLET
Guessing the title of Avengers: Endgame has become a fun game among fans. Internet threads have included suggestions like Annihilation and End Game as possible contenders. However, Gamora actress Zoe Saldana may have accidentally let the cat out of the bag in a red carpet interview.
She mentioned that they were done with the first one, but then had to go back for “Gauntlet.” This had people speculating the title was "Infinity Gauntlet”. Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn immediately corrected everyone, saying Saldana misspoke. With the title revealed, could the Russos pull a fast one on us and switch up the title before release? Anything is possible.
14 HOPE IT’S TRUE: ETERNALS POST-CREDITS SCENE
Marvel Studios didn't invent post-credits scenes, but they certainly perfected them. They are a staple of the franchise and expected with every movie. Since Avengers: Endgame has been touted as the end of the original plan, we expect its post-credits scene to lead into the next chapter.
Daniel RPK of SuperBroMovies reported on a casting call for characters named Karen and Piper, that they believe are Eternals set to appear after Thanos is defeated. While we love these scenes, we haven't had one that truly surprised us since Nick Fury showed up following Iron Man. An appearance from the Eternals would be jaw-dropping and completely unexpected.
13 HOPE IT ISN’T: PEPPER AND TONY HAVE A KID
Since Iron Man we've followed Pepper and Tony's relationship. In Infinity War, it seemed like they had finally found a nice happy balance. In an interview with the official Avengers: Infinity War magazine, Gwyneth Paltrow said that the couple has started a family.
"Pepper and Tony have had a real long journey together," said Paltrow. "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. Their relationship has evolved in all of the ways that great romances evolve." It's not that we don't want the duo to be happy, it's just that Tony has enough story to deal with, without the added distraction of a child with his rarely seen wife.
12 HOPE IT’S TRUE: MORE WAKANDA
For Avengers: Infinity War, producers decided to capitalize on the success they knew was coming from Black Panther by setting the third act of the movie in Wakanda. Seeing as the country was so important to the first part, it makes sense that reshoots for the sequel would be set there.
Atlanta Magazine reported on locations and casting for Avengers: Endgame reshoots pointing to more time in Wakanda. Considering how much of Infinity War takes place in the setting, it’s not a huge surprise to see reshoots happen. Naturally, no one knows if these setups were extensive or just short sequences, but either way, we’re not complaining about more time in Black Panther’s world.
11 HOPE IT ISN’T: PEPPER POTTS WEARS IRON MAN SUIT
Gwyneth Paltrow posted a photo of herself on Instagram, on set getting a foot massage, where she’s clearly wearing a motion capture suit. The photo has been made private, but then an onset selfie showed her in front of a green screen, apparently in battle.
Coupled with her describing wearing a suit covered in ping pong balls to Stephen Colbert, all roads lead to Pepper probably donning some sort of armor in Avengers: Endgame. Though this may provide a fun moment, Pepper hasn’t been a crucial part of Tony’s story since Iron Man 3, so we’ve lost interest in her character. We’d be lying if we said we don’t want to see other heroes get a chance to shine in a crowded spotlight.
10 HOPE IT’S TRUE: TIME JUMP
This is among the most popular theories and rumors about Avengers: Endgame. Like everything concerning the movie, it hasn’t been confirmed, but many elements seem to make it a serious possibility. Set photos have Robert Downey Jr. appearing older with gray hair, and Gwyneth Paltrow discussing that Pepper and Tony have a kid.
These choices coupled with the casting of an older actress to play Scott’s daughter Cassie Lang, all seem to add up to a time jump. Thanos caused such massive devastation, we don’t need to see the immediate aftermath. However, five years down the line would be a much more interesting starting point to see how the world and our heroes have been coping.
9 HOPE IT ISN’T: THE ANCIENT ONE RETURNS
One of the most unexpected character returns in Avengers: Endgame is Doctor Strange’s The Ancient One. During a panel at the 2018 Austin Film Festival, while discussing the logistics of schedules, Ant-Man and Infinity War executive producer Michael Grillo revealed that the all-knowing sorcerer was set to make a comeback. "When we got Tilda Swinton, she was just a one-day availability," he said.
Of all the characters we want to see a return appearance from, The Ancient One isn’t necessarily at the top of the list. This is not a knock against Swinton, it just means that she’s not someone we needed to spend more time with and we don’t need to know what she’s been up to on whatever mystical plane she’s on.
8 HOPE IT’S TRUE: SHOWDOWN BETWEEN THANOS AND NEBULA
It’s clear that Nebula has nothing but hate for her adopted father Thanos. Why shouldn’t she? He had her experimented on while turning her into a living weapon, constantly pitted her against her sister Gamora, then sacrificed Gamora in his quest to bring balance to the universe. In short, he’s the worst.
Now it looks like she might finally get the revenge she’s been craving in Avengers: Endgame. As reshoots began, actress Karen Gillan posted to Instagram about what was awaiting her character. "You know what this means... Nebula has some unfinished business with Daddio. Reshoots!" We’re all for Nebula finally getting the closure she deserves and moving on with her life, but something tells us it won’t be that simple.
7 HOPE IT ISN’T: A BIGGER THREAT THAN THANOS
Toys and merchandise have long been a source of story leaks for big films. For Avengers: Endgame, a package featuring Thor and Rocket Raccoon has caught some attention for the character description. It reads, “The Asgardian Thor wields the mighty Stormbreaker in his battle against new foes. Rocket teams up with a new crew to guard the galaxy from an even greater threat.”
Those last words are what has everyone questioning what they thought they knew. We all assume that Avengers: Endgame will involve the heroes trying to fix what Thanos has broken and defeat the Mad Titan. While we applaud the franchise setting up its next moves, we really want the film to just focus on wrapping up what we’ve already been dealing with.
6 HOPE IT’S TRUE: TONY MEETS SHURI
Kevin Feige has confirmed several times that Shuri is the smartest person in the MCU. She proved this when she layed a science smackdown on Bruce Banner in Infinity War. This has led everyone to wonder what will happen when she and Tony inevitably meet.
It seems we won’t have to wait long, as Robert Downey Jr., in what looks like his Avengers: Endgame make up, did an interview video in Shuri’s lab. We think Tony will love meeting someone so smart, but his ego won’t let him take second place. Of course, we also know Shuri will not let an infamous colonizer come in her lab and take over. It’s the showdown we deserve and it’s definitely bigger than the one brewing with Thanos.
5 HOPE IT ISN’T: LOTS OF TIME TRAVEL
From leaked set photos to reported aged characters to dialogue from previous movies, it seems Avengers: Endgame is destined to feature time travel. It’s just a question of how much it uses the well worn plot device. A little time travel is fun and helps undo world changing losses, but a lot of time travel can become confusing and irritating.
The filmmakers behind the MCU have earned a certain level of trust from moviegoers, but that doesn’t mean we’re ok with them throwing just anything at us. While we want to revisit some of our favorite moments, we don’t want this to turn into an episode of The Flash.
4 HOPE IT’S TRUE: SHURI IS THE NEW BLACK PANTHER
With Wakanda losing its king and probably countless others after Thanos’ snap, the country will need a new leader and protector. Many fans are hoping Shuri will step up to become the new Black Panther. For her part, actress Letitia Wright joins the rest of us in wanting to see her character take charge.
She told ScreenRant, "If the opportunity came about, then why not? It would be comic book accurate. Yeah, that would be amazing. It means more training, more learning and it would really be an amazing adventure." Concept art showing a Shuri Black Panther makes this a real possibility that we would love to see. T’Challa will be back, but that doesn’t mean Shuri can’t run things for a while.
3 HOPE IT ISN’T: NEBULA IS THE REAL BIG BAD
Since we met her in Guardians of the Galaxy, Nebula has been on a revenge mission to make Thanos pay for all the pain he’s caused her and Gamora. In the comics, Nebula wields the Infinity Gauntlet and becomes a threat that it takes the heroes and Thanos to defeat.
Karen Gillan told ScreenRant in 2017 about the story, "I loved it because it was like the most Nebula-heavy comic." She thinks it would be "amazing" to see something similar in the movies. Though she admits, "I don't know yet — very big secret. But I'm hoping." We’ve really enjoyed Gillan’s layered portrayal of Nebula and hope her story doesn’t end with her becoming like the person she hates most.
2 HOPE IT’S TRUE: THE SCENE WITH EVERY CHARACTER
Most of the time, MCU stars are able to keep the secrets, however, once in a while something will sneak through. This happened with both Scarlett Johansson and Sebastian Stan, who in separate interviews mentioned a scene with every character in it.
During promotion for Infinity War, Stan said, "I can't really talk about that scene, but I knew it took them three months in planning this scene to have everyone there. You look around and you just saw everyone from Samuel L. Jackson to Michael Douglas to Michelle Pfeiffer. Everybody was there." Johansson made similar statements to Stephen Colbert, exciting fans even further. We can’t imagine where or why this scene takes place, we just know that we can’t wait to see it.
1 HOPE IT ISN’T: CAP’S LAST MOVIE
It's been no secret to anyone paying attention that Chris Evans is coming to the end of his time as Steve Rogers. The actor reportedly extended his contract to be in Avengers: Endgame, so he can tie everything up. Upon wrapping his reshoots, Evans tweeted out a heartfelt goodbye and thanks to the character, cast and crew that had the whole internet in tears.
This seemed to confirm that we are indeed going to see the last of Steve in the movie. While this all appears pretty certain, we continue to hold out hope that, at the very least, his exit isn't permanent. We're not emotionally prepared to watch Cap sacrifice himself and leave his friends heart-broken.