Despite all the teases and inside looks at Avengers: Infinity War, the plot of the film is still fairly unknown. The main drive, of course, is a major clash between Thanos and the Avengers, but the more impactful moments haven't been shown. Fans have been eagerly waiting to find out how the Avengers' fight with Thanos will end, and it's been racking everyone's brains. The good news is that fans digging for answers have plenty of source material to look into.
With Avengers: Infinity War based, presumably, on the Infinity events from the comics (mostly, it would appear, from 1991's Infinity Gauntlet and 2013's Infinity), there are clues as to what'll happen on-screen. Not everything will happen exactly the same but some events will closely mirror the comics. For example, Thanos' adoption of Gamora. The trailers have teased a young Gamora walking hand-in-hand with Thanos. Of course, this isn't the only comic-point to be adapted for the big screen. Many other major collisions that happened in this event will be depicted in some manner. Whether it's identical or not is still up for debate, but these are 10 scenes that have a high chance of making it into the film, and 10 that absolutely won't.
20 WILL: NEBULA TURNED INTO A ZOMBIE
Considering Nebula has switched sides and become a new member of the Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as vowing to kill Thanos, it's a pretty safe bet that she'll be in his crosshairs first. A betrayal of that magnitude would draw Thanos' complete attention and might end with him reshaping Nebula like he did in the comics.
During the Infinity Gauntlet event, Thanos used the gauntlet to turn Nebula into a charred specter of her former self. At the same time, her mind was twisted beyond repair. Warlock even quoted that what remained of Nebula would be better off dead, seeing as how her fate was one of the most tragic to befall any of the beings who stood against Thanos. All we can do now is wait and see if this is the fate Thanos' has planned for Nebula, or if an even more cruel fate will befall her.
19 WILL: SPIDER-MAN DIES
For casual fans, the comic most closely related to this year's Infinity War movie is the Infinity Gauntlet series. In that event, Thanos' newly-created lackey, Terraxia, beats Spider-Man to death. She takes a rock to the webheads' head and Peter Parker is no more. Parker is eventually resurrected with the rest of the fallen Avengers but that doesn't change the fact that he did, in fact, die. The trailers have shown Thanos slamming Spider-Man into the ground with massive force, strength increased by the Power Stone. What this means for Peter Parker is that his first confrontation with Thanos could end tragically.
Knowing that the trailers have teased Parker's end, it's also a very feasible prospect to consider. He's very inexperienced and appears to be prematurely engaging the Mad Titan. With the combined force of the Avengers, Parker stands a chance, but in a one on one assault, the odds are in Thanos' favor that by the end of the film, SPidey will have thwipped his final web (for now).
18 WILL: HALF OF ALL LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE IS ERASED
One of the most looming threats in Avengers: Infinity War is the possibility of Thanos destroying half of the universe. There's no telling which half or who would fall under that culling stroke but it could see some of Earth's Mightiest erased from existence. That scenario would explain why Hawkeye and Ant-Man have been absent from all the promotional material as well. The good news is that both Hawkeye and Ant-Man are returning for Avengers 4.
As for the comic, Thanos killed half the universe's inhabitants to please Mistress Death but it came at the prodding of Mephisto. The prince of the Dark Dimension assisted Thanos' in his goal of universal domination, influencing Thanos at critical moments. Mephisto hasn't shown up in the MCU yet, but his name was subtly dropped by Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Gabriel Luna. Therefore, Mephisto could appear beside Thanos.
17 WILL: THANOS KILLS WAR MACHINE
Everyone anticipates casualties in Avengers: Infinity War, the question is who will it be? There's no telling who exactly stands on the chopping block, but War Machine has a very good chance. He's going to feel renewed in a suit of armor that can compensate for his loss of movement, and may be trying to overcompensate. Were that to happen, James Rhodes could be ripped to pieces by Thanos.
One instance of James Rhodes dying at Thanos' hands happened in Civil War II. During that event, Thanos punched Rhodes so hard that he literally punctured a hole through him. The tear even broke through the back of his War Machine armor. It was obviously fatal, and left a deep hole in Tony Stark's heart as well, this time figuratively speaking.
16 WILL: GAMORA ERASED FROM EXISTENCE
Now that Thanos' proclamation to kill half of the universe has been established, the question of which heroes will disappear during Avengers: Infinity War is up in the air. The general consensus among fans is that Hawkeye and Ant-Man will be two wiped from existence, but there could be more. If the comics hold any influence on who'll be erased, Gamora is definitely on the chopping block as well.
In the comics, Gamora was sent to Soul World as a result of being mortally wounded by Thanos. Upon her emergence, Gamora's consciousness was transferred to that of a woman who recently died. Unfortunately for Gamora, she was erased shortly after due to Thanos' use of the Infinity Gauntlet.
15 WILL: NEBULA STEALS THE INFINITY GAUNTLET
The questionable nature of Nebula has everyone guessing what her next move will be. Her actions thus far have proven unpredictable so there's no telling what she'll do. Will she continue to play part in the Guardians' mission? Will she betray them again? Will she concoct a plan of her own? All of these are valid questions to pose, but the most pertinent should be whether she will indeed lift the gauntlet and gain her ultimate revenge!
Once Thanos completed his schemed in the Infinity Gauntlet series, he had everyone at his mercy, becoming one with the universe. What Thanos failed to do was protect himself while he shifted into astral form. At this point in the comics, Nebula sees the opportunity to snake the gauntlet off of Thanos' hand. Nebula then restores her disfigured body, banishes Thanos into space, and uses the gauntlet to meet her own ends, which are just as bad (if not worse).
14 WILL: INFINITY WATCH IS ASSEMBLED
While several major events have yet to take place, the end of Avengers: Infinity War will most likely include a scene that depicts the Infinity Stones being given to six different heroes. No one person can handle the gauntlet's might without being corrupted, so the stones will have to be separated. A similar event happened in the comics, wherein a group known as the Infinity Watch was formed.
In the comics, the Infinity Watch came into existence when the Living Tribunal decreed the stones be separated from the gauntlet. To do that, Adam Warlock gave one to Pip the Troll, Gamora, Drax, Moondragon, and Thanos, while he held on to one himself. With the exception of Thanos, the rest of the Infinity Watch stayed together as a team for some time after.
13 WILL: MISTRESS DEATH MEETS WITH THANOS
At the moment, there's no confirmation of Death's role in Avengers: Infinity War but a lot of speculation has pointed to her involvement. As mentioned above, Thanos is looking to bring balance to the universe by killing half of the its inhabitants. He hasn't given a reason but considering Thanos' goal in the comics was to gain Mistress Death's attention, that could be his motivation in Infinity War.
In the comics, Thanos' completion of the Infinity Gauntlet wasn't enough for him to attract Death. He was losing hope until Mephisto implanted the idea of killing half of the universe so Death would have no choice but to acknowledge him. Of course, this act does nothing to garner Mistress Death's affections, but that doesn't deter Thanos from trying, either.
12 WILL: THANOS BLOWS HIMSELF UP
Some fans might say Thanos killing himself is preposterous, but there's a precedent for it in the comics. It hasn't happened numerous times but Thanos did use a kamikaze style attack during the Infinity Gauntlet event. In that story, he detonated a thermonuclear bomb attached to his belt. He used it to evade capture, along with attempting to kill the remaining heroes. but it didn't work. Thankfully, Thor stopped Thanos from detonating it near them.
The reason why Thanos could meet a similar fate is that a nuclear bomb disintegrating him is an efficient way to ensure he doesn't survive. And reasonably speaking, no one Avenger or Guardian is strong enough to take down the Mad Titan on their own. A nuclear bomb, on the other hand, would leave no route of escape — assuming Thanos doesn't have the gauntlet with him.
11 WILL: THANOS FREEZES THE UNIVERSE
The expectations of fans going into Avengers: Infinity War is to see them overpower Thanos, even if he has the Infinity Gauntlet. The only problem with that is Thanos has the one MacGuffin that can neutralize them all in a split-second. He could do all sorts of things to them but the most predictable is freezing time; Thanos has used that ability on the Avengers before.
In another scene from the Infinity Gauntlet event, Thanos uses the gauntlet to freeze time. The Avengers, Adam Warlock, and their cosmic partners are all prepared to face off with the Mad Titan but he stops them before they even have a chance to swing. Lucky for them, Mephisto convinces Thanos to spar with the heroes, gaining favor with Mistress Death in the process.
10 WON'T: THANOS DISSECTS HIS MOTHER
On the big-screen, a vivisection would not go over well, especially in a Disney branded movie. The film is in no way a PG flick but watching Thanos dissect someone isn't something we'll see. Plus, Kevin Feige has ruled out an origin story for Thanos. There is, however, a chance of a Titan montage, one where we see the fate of Thanos' family play out.
As far as comparisons to the comics go, an expletive look like what we got in Thanos Rising doesn't seem likely. In that comic, a young Thanos goes on a killing spree. His escapades eventually lead to him dissecting multiple people, including his mother. Believing that her womb held the answers to his insanity, Thanos tore open her womb in search of answers. In a final act of defiance, his mother apologizes for not killing him at birth, regretting that she spared his life.
9 WON'T: THANOS KILLS CYCLOPS
It's pretty obvious why Thanos won't kill Cyclops like he did in the comics, but for those who don't know, thanks to movie rights only recently being owned by separate companies, the X-Men are still non-existent in the MCU. Because of that, deaths like the one that befell Cyclops won't take place, barring a miracle. However, another character could take his place, facing a similar challenge.
With Thanos in possession of an item that can do just about anything, it's not too far-fetched to think that he could suffocate someone to death. Fortunately, a scene that depicts one of Earth's Mightiest choking to death would be too raw for general audiences. Therefore, its' a safe bet we won't see anyone encapsulated in a solid block.
8 WON'T: ADAM WARLOCK APPEARS
A major departure from the comics is how Adam Warlock isn't a part of Avengers: Infinity War. In the comics, he plays a crucial part in the event but he's nowhere to be found in the film, and he's not making a surprise appearance. James Gunn confirmed that Warlock would not appear until the third Guardians movie. There's no telling if that's just another ruse concocted by Gunn and his pals at Marvel, but for now, it looks like Adam Warlock isn't in the picture.
It is possible that someone else could step in to fill Warlock's shoes but that's yet to be seen. If anything, Captain America or another Avenger will wield the Soul Stone in Warlock's place. As far as their contribution to stopping Thanos goes, that's still up in the air. So many different heroes are attacking at once, any one of them could be the heavy-hitter who knocks Thanos on his keester like Warlock did.
7 WON'T: DRAX ENDS THANOS
The reason Drax (Dave Bautista) won't end Thanos' life like he did during Annihilation is because of its savagery. For those who don't know, in the Annihilation event (not pictured because it's just too plain gruesome), Drax literally punches a hole through Thanos. At the same time, Drax rips the heart from Thanos' chest. This depiction of Thanos' death would be satisfying to more mature fans, but general audiences might be turned off by the spectacle.
Even if they're not, Disney / Marvel wouldn't allow for such an act anyway. Unless, the scene was shown from the neck-up, where the injury is implied, then it wouldn't work. Of course, that scenario would also leave fans feeling robbed. Without seeing the final blow to Thanos, there's going to be an uproar. In light of that, Drax punching a hole through Thanos seems very unlikely.
6 WON'T: ANNIHILUS FIRST APPEARANCE
While there's a very small chance Annihilus will appear, it wouldn't be all that surprising to hear Thanos had multiple partners working behind the scenes, Annihilus being one of them. Thanos will eventually bite the dust and when he does, someone will need to take over for him. Why not Annihilus? Since they became allies in the comics, a similar dynamic in the movies is plausible. Though, a more feasible scenario could depict Annihilus taking up Thanos's cause in the end.
As mentioned above, a predecessor or an equally malevolent villain is going to take Thanos' place at some point. Having Annihilus be the disciple no one knew about would make for a perfect set-up, and it would give reason to why a new threat has his sights set on the Avengers. The bad news is that any introduction of Annihilus would most likely be set up in a future film because, let's face it, there's no room for Annihilus in Avengers: Infinity War.
5 WON'T: THE QUICK GAUNTLET FIX
By the time the Avengers bring Thanos to justice, there's going to be irreparable damage done to the universe. Whether it's lives lost or physical damage to the planet, some things will be permanent. One might assume that the Infinity Gauntlet will be used to reverse any ill-effects caused by Thanos like the comics, but utilizing the artifact in that manner would be a cop-out. There has to be some consequence to the fight at hand, turning back the clock would do the exact opposite (even if we have seen it done before, in Doctor Strange).
In the comics, using the Infinity Gauntlet was necessary because half of the universe was missing. Thanos extinguished half of all life so that needed correcting. With the gauntlet being the only item capable of reversing such a tragedy, Thanos used it to undo his prior actions. Although, he had to manipulate Nebula into actually doing it for him, seeing as how she had the gauntlet at the time.
4 WON'T: MEPHISTO MENTORS THANOS
Unless there's another disciple in the wings, someone is going to have to step up and teach Thanos how to use the gauntlet. Thanos has some knowledge of how to use it but to access its full capabilities, he'll need guidance -- perhaps Mephisto? He hasn't made an appearance yet but a surprise cameo wouldn't be unexpected. Mephisto was the one who approached Thanos in the comics.
However, with an already stacked cast, we simply don't think there is enough room for the lord of the Marvel nether-realm to show up. Instead, as many fans have suggested, his duplicitous role may be filled by another villain we have already seen: Loki. This makes more sense in the grand scheme of things, not just because you would expect Loki to do something to save his skin, but also, to give him the character arc that has been evolving since his start to his most recent turn in Ragnarok. As such, we feel his double-double-cross would have a lot more effect here than introducing Mephisto.
3 WON'T: SILVER SURFER JOINS THE AVENGERS
While some fans are holding out hope for characters like Silver Surfer to show up, it's not going to happen. Because of Fox and Disney's recent deal to share Marvel properties, fans seem convinced that Fox's sect of characters will join the MCU. The thing is, it's extremely early to suggest anything of the like. Therefore, Silver Surfer joining up with the Avengers in Infinity War is premature to consider. Of course, we shouldn't rule out the possibility of Surfer appearing further down the line.
Aside from the likelihood of Silver Surfer showing up, his role in the Infinity Gauntlet saga was quite interesting. In the comics, Silver Surfer is one of the first cosmic entities to sense the troublesome nature of Thanos creating the Infinity Gauntlet. He confronts Thanos but is trapped in the Soul Stone. Shortly after, he and Adam Warlock join the Avengers, warning them of Thanos' imminent attack.
2 WON'T: ADVENTURE IN SOUL WORLD
At the moment, the location of the Soul Stone is still unknown. Its location will be revealed in Infinity War, meaning the first appearance of Soul World could take place there. The bad news is that any time dedicated to Soul World will be minimal at best if it's shown at all. There's so much content to cram into Infinity War that a whole subplot revolving around Soul World wouldn't be practical. A glimpse at the world is reasonable but a portion of the film devoted to Earth's Mightiest Heroes trying to get out isn't.
As for Soul World's comic equivalent, it was the location that housed countless souls. At one point in the comics, Soul World was home to Gamora, Pip the Troll, and Drax. Adam Warlock took them to the pocket dimension to save their souls, which worked. Eventually, Warlock released them so they could help in the fight against Thanos, during the Infinity Gauntlet event.
1 WON'T: COSMIC ENTITIES INTERVENE
Reasonably speaking, the Avengers are outclassed by Thanos. He has an army, the Black Order, and the Infinity Gauntlet almost ready to go. So, it's fair to say the Avengers have little chance of winning. There is, however, a chance that someone unexpected comes to their rescue, perhaps one of the cosmic entities that govern over the galaxy. Eternity and the Living Tribunal both have duties to the Infinity Stones, so they're the most plausible. Although, allowing cosmic entities to end the conflict for them would render the Avengers useless.
As for their comic counterparts, the cosmic entities of the Marvel universe all united to stop Thanos. They couldn't allow Thanos to exact his will upon the universe, leading to their intervention. Galactus and Eon were the first to get involved. Master Order, Lord Chaos, Eternity, the Living Tribunal, Kronos, and various other cosmic beings followed. Too bad their combined might still wasn't enough to halt the Mad Titan's efforts.
Avengers: Infinity War opens in theaters on April 27, 2018.