A new clip for Avengers: Endgame showed the surviving heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe rallying together to undo the effects of Thanos' victory at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, which saw the Mad Titan wiping out half of all life in the universe. After Captain America gives an inspirational speech to remind the team of the stakes of their mission, the heroes put their fists together in a circle in a show of unity moving forward.
However, with the surviving heroes joining hands at the center, it is revealed that not every single hero seen in previous trailers and promos are included in the group huddle before the big mission's launch. There are nine hands visible in the image, including that of Rocket Raccoon, who is standing below the main circle. This suggests one or two heroes are not with the team during the big inspirational moment. While Captain America's dialogue during the speech suggests the survivors are dividing into smaller factions as part of the larger strategy against Thanos, many are wondering just who exactly is present during the huddle.
Unless the filmmakers have decided to purposely mislead audiences again, Rocket is definitely present, leaving eight heroes. The footage leading up to the moment includes Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Ant-Man, but that still leaves three heroes unidentified. Given Nebula and War Machine wearing matching outfits in an earlier trailer for the film and walking with the rest of the team in the Avengers' headquarters, they are likely two of the three remaining fists.
That leaves Bruce Banner, Captain Marvel and Thor up in the air. As there's merchandise showing Hulk and Thor in similar suits, it's hard to tell the identity of the final person. However, as the Russo brothers revealed, toys aren't always true to the film, and it's entirely possible one of them will join up with the team later. As Captain America alludes to a different mission taking place simultaneously, it seems most likely Carol Danvers and Thor -- who are both able to withstand the harsh elements of outer space without the need for protective suits -- are teaming up, meaning the final fist is that of Banner.
Something else apparent in the group shot is that the floor below the circle appears to resemble that of a spacecraft and not the concrete of the hangar where Captain America is seen giving his speech. While it could be a modified Quinjet, the location for the huddle is more likely the Guardians of the Galaxy's trusty spacecraft, the Benatar, presumably navigated back to Earth from Titan by Tony Stark and Nebula after Infinity War's ending.
With the stakes higher than ever, the surviving MCU heroes will have no margin for error for their rematch with Thanos. The team appears to have formulated a strategy that sees them return to space for what may be their final mission and, judging by the promo, they will have to split up to accomplish multiple objectives simultaneously if they hope to succeed.
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Avengers: Endgame stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Jon Favreau and Bradley Cooper, with Gwyneth Paltrow and Josh Brolin. The film arrives April 26.