With Avengers: Infinity War serving as the hard-earned culmination of a full decade’s worth of build-up, the widely-praised superhero epic easily stands as one of the most highly-anticipated blockbusters ever released in theaters. With the sheer amount of characters, plot threads and settings on display in the movie, it’s no surprise that the movie has been subject to endless speculation with hundreds upon hundreds of theories making their way onto the internet in the months and years leading up to the movie.

There’s just something so addictive about attempting to assemble the thousands of puzzle pieces Marvel has provided us with over the years to try and create a somewhat coherent picture, since every fan ends up with a slightly different view of what the movie will end up looking like. Exchanging these theories with like-minded individuals is part of what makes these movies so exciting, and the lead up to Avengers: Infinity War has been nothing if not exciting. Now that the movie has finally arrived, we thought it’d be fun to take a look back at some of the most interesting theories surrounding the movie's characters, some of which were absolutely correct -- some of which not so much.

WARNING: Spoilers for Infinity War ahead!

16 VISION: GETS DESTROYED (TRUE)

Let’s kick this list off with perhaps the most obvious theory of all regarding the events of Avengers: Infinity War. From Vision’s very first appearance back in Avengers: Age of Ultron -- in which the Mind Stone granted him sentience -- it seemed inevitable that the colorful android was doomed to die. With Thanos, and by extension the Infinity Gauntlet story, being teased all the way back in The Avengers, it was always clear that Thanos would eventually be forced to rip the Mind Stone from Vision’s head, which most fans assumed would kill him instantly.

Not reliant on the Mind Stone for sentience in the comics, there was actually no concrete evidence that taking the Stone away from Vision would result in instant death, especially since there were a variety of different factors involved in Vision’s creation in the first place. As it turns out though, fan speculation that removing the Stone from Vision’s head would kill him turned out to be correct, although it didn’t happen quite as early in the movie as many expected. The brilliant minds of the Marvel Universe caught onto Thanos’ plan soon enough that they were almost able to safely remove the Stone from Vision with the help of Shuri -- but standing in Thanos’ way is never going to work in your favor.

15 HEIMDALL: HAS THE SOUL STONE (FALSE)

One of the biggest questions heading into Avengers: Infinity War was where exactly the elusive Soul Stone was being kept all this time, considering its status as the only Infinity Stone left unaccounted for in the MCU. Due to the prolonged absence of the Stone leading up to Infinity War however, many fans began to surmise that the Soul Stone’s history was tied to some big reveal and in that sense they were right. What fans weren’t quite correct about however was the location of the Soul Stone itself, with Heimdall being one of the frontrunners in the widely-speculated mystery.

The evidence for Heimdall wielding the Stone actually makes for one of the more compelling Infinity War theories, with his orangey-brown eyes matching the color of the Stone -- not to mention his self-proclaimed ability to “see all souls” -- serving as pretty strong indicators of his potential as an Infinity Stone wielder. To top it all off, the objects that initially contained the remaining Infinity Stones -- those being the Tesseract, the Aether, the Necklace, the Orb and the Sceptre -- almost spell THANOS, with the only missing letter being “H”. As interesting as the theory is however, it eventually turned out to be false, with Heimdall meeting his unfortunate end at the hands of Thanos in the opening minutes of Avengers: Infinity War.

14 THOR: FORGES A NEW WEAPON (TRUE)

One of Thor: Ragnarok’s biggest and most unexpected surprises was the apparent permanence of Mjolnir’s destruction, with most fans fully expecting Thor to be reunited with his trusty hammer by the time the movie’s credits rolled. As it turned out though, Mjolnir was well and truly gone heading into Avengers: Infinity War, leaving the God of Thunder vulnerable in his upcoming battle against the all-powerful Thanos. Since the events of Ragnarok however, fans have theorized that Thor and the Guardians would make a brief detour during Avengers: Infinity War, allowing Thor to forge himself a weapon capable of taking on the Mad Titan.

While this speculation was initially only relatively likely, the theory was all but confirmed with the poorly-timed release of an action figure depicting a hammer-wielding Thor. Although many fans guessed that Thor’s new weapon may be an upgraded version of Mjolnir or even Jarnbjorn, the mighty battle-axe wielded by the Unworthy Thor in the comics, the God of Thunder’s brand-new hammer was actually something else entirely. Revealed to be Stormbreaker, the weapon famously entrusted to Beta Ray Bill by Odin, the weapon even has its own little MCU twist, with its hilt being made up of wood from Groot himself, marking Stormbreaker’s creation as one of Avengers: Infinity War’s most triumphant moments.

13 HAWKEYE: SHOWS UP JUST TO PERISH (FALSE)

Often considered the black sheep of the MCU family, Hawkeye has been the subject of constant ridicule ever since his paltry role in the first Avengers movie. It makes sense of course, since his particular set of skills are noticeably less cinematic than his fellow Avengers’ tend to be. Avengers: Age of Ultron did attempt to remedy this, providing Hawkeye with a meatier role in the story while deepening the character’s personal history, in addition to having him serve as a mentor to Scarlet Witch. While the movie actually worked in this regard, Hawkeye once again faded into the background of the MCU following the Age of Ultron’s release, making him feel like perhaps the least important core member of the original Avengers team.

It’s because of this, combined with his absence in all the movie’s marketing material, that many fans felt that Hawkeye would meet his end early into Avengers: Infinity War. Serving as an effective way to establish Thanos as a legitimate threat to the MCU as well as galvanizing the currently dismantled Avengers team, the death would have marked a memorable end of an era. Ultimately though, Hawkeye didn’t even show up in Infinity War at all, to the surprise of many moviegoers. Currently under house arrest in the wake of Captain America: Civil War, Clint Barton has since been confirmed to appear in Avengers 4, meaning he’s not out of the woods just yet.

12 THE HULK: BANNER CAN'T TRANSFORM (TRUE)

Following Hulk’s fantastically fun role in the incredibly well-received Thor: Ragnarok, moviegoers were eager to see where the character would go next, as well as what exactly his role in the battle against Thanos would involve. After all, not only is Hulk the only MCU hero even close to Thanos’ level of raw strength, but he was also on the Asgardian ship with Thor, Loki and the other Asgardians when the Mad Titan showed up. Given that the Hulk appeared several times throughout the movie’s promotional material, it seemed like a safe bet that the rage-fuelled monster would play a key role in the looming war.

Much to fans’ surprise however, the Hulk doesn’t show up following the movie’s opening scene, which sees Thanos beat the snot out of the not-so-jolly green giant. Despite appearing alongside Captain America and Black Widow in the movie’s deceptively-edited trailers, the Hulk refused to emerge from Bruce Banner, who instead donned the Hulkbuster armor in the movie’s climactic battle -- a story beat a few eagle-eyed viewers picked up on before the film’s release. In addition to the release of an action figure set featuring both the Hulk and the Hulkbuster, fans also noticed that Tony himself is never seen on Wakanda or speaking from inside the hulking set of armor, leaving them more than a little suspicious. After all, Avengers: Infinity War wouldn’t be the first MCU movie to doctor its trailer to surprise fans.

11 PEPPER POTTS: SUITS UP (FALSE)

Debuting alongside Tony Stark himself in 2008’s Iron Man, there was a time in the MCU’s history in which Pepper Potts was one of the fledgling Universe’s most central characters. In recent years however, her character’s place in the MCU seems to have gotten a little shaky, with Pepper’s presence being reduced to brief cameo appearances and off-hand mentions. Apparently having gotten her happy ending with Tony in Iron Man 3, Pepper then leaves him in Captain America: Civil War, only to be back with Tony in Spider-Man: Homecoming, making it feel like Marvel has been unsure of where to go with the character as of late.

Having been confirmed to appear in Avengers: Infinity War however, it seemed like Pepper might finally play a central role in the movie once again, with the jam-packed blockbuster having little time for empty cameos or unnecessary asides. With this in mind, many fans began to speculate that Pepper may don the Rescue armor and fight by Tony’s side as her comic book counterpart once did. What’s more, it was also suspected that Pepper may die by Thanos’ hand judging by Tony’s distraught, defeated expression in the movie’s trailer. While this didn’t turn out to be true, Pepper’s inclusion had a strong, relevant thematic impact on Tony for the rest of the movie, calling into question whether or not the pair will get their happy ending by the time Avengers 4 wraps up.

10 LOKI: DOESN'T SURVIVE FOR LONG (TRUE)

Long considered one of the MCU’s most well-defined and richly developed villains, Loki has started to develop something of a conscience as of late, playing a somewhat heroic role in the past several movies he’s appeared in -- although he’s still hard-pressed to suppress his villainous urges on occasion. Still though, Loki’s character arc throughout the history of the MCU stands out as one of its best to date. The arc sadly came to a close in Avengers: Infinity War’s opening scene however, in which Loki attempts to gain Thanos’ trust with the hopes of killing him, receiving a lethal chokehold from Thanos for his efforts.

The death was an understated and brutal end for a character who’s been on such an interesting journey, yet the scene was all the more impactful for it. Unfortunately, the scene wasn’t exactly a surprise for avid theorists, who quickly pieced together that Loki’s theft of the Tesseract and the arrival of Thanos at the end of Thor: Ragnarok, not to mention the character’s notable absence in Infinity War’s various trailers,  likely spelled the end for the God of Mischief. Sure, we’ve seen Loki “die” several times before, but this time it seems like it might finally be the real deal.

9 BLACK PANTHER: POWERS FROM THE SOUL STONE (FALSE)

From Heimdall to Tony Stark to even Adam Warlock, there was no shortage of interesting speculation regarding the location of the Soul Stone in Avengers: Infinity War, given that it’s the only Infinity Stone yet to appear on-screen. One of the theories that seemed to hold the most weight with fans however, was that the Soul Stone has been in Wakanda this whole time. As Black Panther explains in its opening act, the source of the fictional country’s vast supply of Vibranium is a meteorite that struck thousands of years previously, with everything growing around the meteorite subsequently attaining powerful, mysterious properties.

Take the Heart-Shaped Herb for instance, which is the source of Black Panther’s super-strength and speed. As well as fitting in with the THANOS theory -- that the initials of every Infinity Stone location spells out Thanos -- many fans also theorized that the Soul Stone may have been trapped inside the meteor, resulting in the mystical properties of the Heart-Shaped Herb. The most compelling piece of evidence for the theory however was that the Herb also allows its consumer to commune with the spirits of deceased ancestors for a brief time -- definitely an ability that seems in fitting with the powers of an object named the Soul Stone. While it was an interesting theory however, the Children of Thanos ultimately laid siege to Wakanda for Vision’s Mind Stone rather than the Soul Stone, ultimately making this theory nothing more than an interesting read.

8 GAMORA: MEETS HER END AT THE HANDS OF THANOS (TRUE)

Seemingly one of the more “out there” theories in the lead up to Avengers: Infinity War, the idea that Gamora would be killed by Thanos himself was viewed with skepticism from fans considering the confirmation of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. While many theories are born from analysing several movies worth of potential evidence and intricate details however, this theory was proposed by a forum user claiming to know several of the key plot points from Infinity War. The theory picked up steam and soon spread to Reddit, although many were still dubious about the credibility of the original post, with Nebula still looking like the favorite of Thanos’ daughters to bite the dust in the movie.

As it turns out, while the post wasn’t entirely accurate, the theory that Gamora would be sacrificed by a reluctant Thanos in order to acquire the Soul Stone was in fact true. One of the movie’s best and most heart-breaking scenes, Thanos shedding a tear as he throws his adopted daughter to her death cements the Mad Titan as a truly complex villain with a surprising amount of pathos despite his terrifying and psychopathic presence throughout the movie. Whether or not Gamora will stay dead following the events of Avengers 4 is still up for debate however, with fans already theorizing that her essence may be trapped inside the Soul Stone.

7 ADAM WARLOCK: HE ARRIVES (FALSE)

With all of the MCU’s disparate plot threads finally weaving themselves together in Avengers: Infinity War, one of the key pieces of the puzzle missing from the movie when compared with its comic book counterpart is the presence of Adam Warlock. A character with close ties to both Thanos and the "Infinity Gauntlet" storyline, Adam Warlock is one of Marvel’s most powerful cosmic heroes. Artificially created to be the perfect specimen, Adam Warlock has pretty much every superpower in existence, including super-strength, speed, durability, flight, energy projection and immortality, and that’s all before he gets hold of the Soul Stone.

Considering his history with Thanos and the Soul Stone in particular, eager fans were confident that Adam would make a surprise appearance in Infinity War, perhaps going on to play a larger role in the upcoming Avengers 4. The theory was even supported by Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 itself, which featured a post-credits scene hinting at the creation of Adam Warlock by Ayesha and the Sovereign. In light of this cameo appearance, it’s even stranger that Adam didn’t play a part in Infinity War considering that the “Infinity Gauntlet” arc remains one of the characters most well-known stories to date.

6 SCARLET WITCH: IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE VISION (TRUE)

One of the most iconic relationships in Marvel Comics, the history between Scarlet Witch and Vision is a complicated one. Full of both intensity and tragedy, the pair have one of the strongest romantic bonds in comic book history, despite the Universe’s best attempts to tear them apart at every turn. When both characters were confirmed to appear back in Avengers: Age of Ultron, many comic book readers assumed the two characters would share several key scenes together hinting at their future relationship. While the two didn’t really interact much in Age of Ultron however, the couple displayed some brief tenderness and flirtation towards each other in Captain America: Civil War -- although still nothing concrete.

With the death of Vision in Avengers: Infinity War being all but confirmed thanks that pesky Mind Stone lodged in the android’s forehead, fans theorized the movie would explore the relationship between Wanda and Vision much more intimately than the previous movies had, making the eventual death of Vision all the more hard to swallow. Sure, it’s hardly the most outlandish Avengers: Infinity War theory there is -- in fact to many it was likely downright obvious -- but including a romantic subplot in a script bursting at the seams with dozens of other important characters and pre-existing plot threads was a definite risk. Luckily, it was a risk that ultimately paid off.

5 CORVUS GLAIVE: PLAYED BY PETER DINKLAGE (FALSE)

One of the best kept secrets of Avengers: Infinity War, the identity of the mystery character confirmed to be played by Peter Dinklage in the movie sparked several fan theories regarding the unknown role. The most popular theory was that Dinklage would be voicing Corvus Glaive, a member of the Children of Thanos, with many incorrectly attributing a line from Glaive in the trailer to Peter Dinklage. The theory was so widespread that even a week out from the release of Infinity War, outlets were not only treating Dinklage’s potential role as rumor, but as cold hard fact.

Other fans remained steadfast in their belief that Dinklage would be taking on the role of Pip the Troll however, who is closely tied with the superhero Adam Warlock in the comics. Adding to this speculation was Peter Dinklage’s on-set haircut, which was similar to that of Pip the Troll despite the haircut being relatively normal to begin with. In the end, Peter Dinklage’s role in the movie ended up being that of Eitri, a Dwarven King and weapon forger who originally created Mjolnir. Playing a small but vital part in the events of Infinity War, Eitri assists Thor, Rocket and Groot in their quest to forge a new hammer for the God of Thunder that would allow him to take on the almighty Thanos.

4 RED SKULL: RETURNS (TRUE)

Serving as the exact opposite of Captain America both in terms of ideology and methodology, Red Skull is widely known as the Star-Spangled Avenger’s defining villain. Haunting him in both the WWII era and modern day, the Red Skull is a constant thorn in Cap’s side, leading many fans to unable to accept that the character would simply be killed off after just one movie. This planted the seed for one of the oldest MCU theories there is, that the Red Skull would eventually return, with several comic book readers predicting that Avengers: Infinity War in particular would be the movie to finally reintroduce the iconic villain and they were right.

With many moviegoers noting that we never actually saw the villain perish, it made sense that Red Skull’s meddling with the Tesseract -- which was eventually revealed to house the Space Stone -- merely displaced him as opposed to outright killing him. While this was regarded by some to be a somewhat hollow theory, fans were pleasantly surprised when Red Skull finally reappeared in Infinity War, having been transported to the site of the Soul Stone to dish out advice to would-be wielders of the Stone, alongside an apparent host of newfound mystical abilities allowing him to float above the ground.

3 CAPTAIN MARVEL: MAKES HER DEBUT (FALSE)

Initially set to make her first appearance at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron as part of the New Avengers, Captain Marvel was eventually pulled from the project at the last minute after studio head Kevin Feige decided it would be strange to include the character without any context, instead opting to debut the hero in 2019’s standalone Captain Marvel movie. Despite this, many still awaited Carol Danvers’ introduction in subsequent Marvel movies including Captain America: Civil War, hoping this would set up her eventual role in Avengers: Infinity War, though this didn’t end up being the case. As a result, the character -- who’s been confirmed to appear for years at this point -- has remained on the fringes of the MCU for a number of years now.

Nonetheless, fans remained hopeful that Danvers would finally show up in Avengers: Infinity War, making her MCU entrance in a small cameo or post-credits scene, though they were once again wrong, for the most part at least. While Captain Marvel didn’t appear physically in the movie, Infinity War’s post-credits scene sees Maria Hill and Nick Fury fade into Ash along with half of the Universe, but not before Nick Fury sends out a call to Carol Danvers, indicated by a symbol resembling Captain Marvel’s costume appearing on Fury’s communication device.

2 THANOS: SNAPS HIS FINGERS AND WINS (TRUE)

Although the shocking and brutal ending of Avengers: Infinity War took the vast majority of audience members by surprise, there was a certain contingent of the Marvel fandom who had long theorized the movie’s mind-blowing closing scenes. With Marvel’s insistence that the movie would be a complete story rather than a “Part One” throwing many off the scent, several other fans still weren’t deterred from their theory that Thanos would acquire all the Infinity Stones, before snuffing out half the life in the Universe with a mere snap of his fingers. That might sound awfully specific, but the act has roots in the comics, in which the Mad Titan achieved victory by the exact same means.

Combined with the movie’s trailers, in which Gamora explains that Thanos’ acquisition of the Infinity Stones would allow him to decimate the Universe with a snap of his fingers, the ending of Infinity War all of a sudden seems like it was an inevitability in hindsight. Either way, no amount of speculation can soften the blow of seeing Peter Parker plead for his life as he slowly fades away in Tony Stark’s arms -- or the blow of having to wait another year for the next instalment!

1 CAPTAIN AMERICA: LIFTS MJOLNIR (FALSE)

With rumors and speculation that Avengers: Infinity War would serve as a swan song of sorts for Chris Evans’ Captain America, particularly after several comments made by the actor himself, fans singled out Steve Rogers as one of the characters least likely to make it out of the highly-anticipated movie alive. With Captain America being the beacon of hope he is however, it seemed only fitting that the character’s death would be in pursuit of one final act of good: sacrificing himself for the sake of the Universe. If Captain America is going to go out however, you’d better believe he’s going to go out with a bang.

With this in mind, many fans expected the movie to replicate one of the most iconic images of Captain America in the character’s history by having him wield a re-forged Mjolnir in a heroic last stand against the Mad Titan. The event was teased back in Avengers: Age of Ultron after all, in which Thor challenged his fellow Avengers to lift the hammer during a party at Avengers Tower, with Cap managing to ever-so-slightly budge it as a concerned Thor looked on. While Cap didn’t lift Mjolnir in Infinity War however, the door is definitely open for him to do so in Avengers 4.