How Cap and Iron Man May Save the MCU in Avengers: Endgame

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THEORY: This is How Cap and Iron Man May Save the MCU in Avengers: Endgame

By Renaldo Matadeen

Published Mar 23, 2019

With Avengers: Endgame looming ever closer, we have a theory on how Captain American and Iron Man may undo Thanos' misdeeds.

With the buzz over Avengers: Endgame growing by the day, fans are laser-focused on how Earth's Mightiest Heroes will overcome Thanos in the inevitable rematch. We've read and crafted theories about time-travel and Infinity Stones from the past and alternate dimensions within the Quantum Realm. Of course, with stars like Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans' contracts coming to an end, speculation is rampant that the original heroes may be required to sacrifice themselves.

But judging by the latest trailer (and that Peggy Carter voiceover), the key to surviving Thanos may lie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe starting over rather than steeping the galaxy even deeper in death. Rather than looking at a multitude of victims once more a la Avengers: Infinity War, Captain America and Iron Man may hold the key to restoring world order -- and all it will take is a pair of Infinity Stones.

Reality Isn't Really Set In Stone

The trailer's flashbacks scenes are all depicted in black and white, accented with specific splashes of red. Sure, it looks cool and makes for a great visual aesthetic, not to mention it's the Marvel logo's iconic hue on display. But it's also the color of reality... Stone.

We know Tony returns to Earth and suits up to visit either space or the Quantum Realm with his teammates, so one has to think he and the team could eventually recover a Reality Stone, whether it is Thanos' version or one from another timeline. However the Avengers acquire it, Tony is the ideal person to use the stone to reshape reality and fix Thanos' genocidal snap. The stone's abilities seem based on cold, hard science, and if anyone can reboot things as close as possible to they were before Thanos' snap, it'd be Tony Stark.

Trading Souls, Not Lives

The Soul Stone requires a sacrifice to gift its power to the wielder, which is why Thanos killed Gamora. However, what if this sacrifice doesn't necessarily have to be a life, but a soul? No MCU character embodies heart and soul more than Cap, so what if Steve uses the Soul Stone to sacrifice the soul... of Captain America?

The man, Steve Rogers, could live on, but the idea of Cap and his virtuous philosophy could be erased when reality is reset. This works hand-in-hand with Tony remodeling reality and would offer the pair to take on one final grand adventure to fix what is broken. This also allows the two big Avengers to finally, fully come back together, find common ground and bring back the dusted with sacrifices of their own.

Endgame should conclude with both heroes achieving their common goal: an MCU looked over by those who live to serve and protect it. More so, they could achieve Tony's altruistic mantra of "peace in our time" from Avengers: Age of Ultron and bring their friendship full-circle. In the process, Marvel Studios gets a chance to show that the pair of heroes are indeed the pillars on whom the new era is built on, even if they're no longer part of the future.

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.