WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War, in theaters now.


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Judging by audience reactions worldwide, Avengers: Infinity War has proved to be the high-octane ride that the Russo brothers and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige promised. It paints Thanos as a threat that ends up being too formidable for the united front of the Avengers, Wakanda, the Sorcerer Supreme and the Guardians of the Galaxy, and truly does change the complexion of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In a rousing finale, the Mad Titan uses all six Infinity Stones to snap half of the universe's inhabitants out of existence, leaving us with an epic cliffhanger. Just before the credits roll, we see heroes like Steve Rogers, Thor and Bruce Banner among the heartbroken on Earth, and Iron Man and Nebula wallowing in their failures on Titan while Thanos retreats to what seems to be the Soul World to bask in his success.


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Naturally, that leaves us wondering what's in the cards for Avengers 4? The studio is on the record as stating it didn't want to reveal its official title for fears of spoiling the Infinity War ending. But despite Feige warning that it may not live up to expectations, speculation is at an all-time high, and we actually do have a few ideas as to what it could be.

Avengers: Disassembled

Captain America holds his shield beside Mjolnir in Marvel Comics

2004's Avengers Disassembled, as the title implies, shook up the traditional roster of the Avengers. Incoming writer Brian Michael Bendis wanted to shape a new era, and focused on an unhinged Scarlet Witch launching a series of attacks on Earth's Mightiest Heroes. His and artist David Finch's story ended with characters like Hawkeye and Thor dying, and the likes of Iron Man and Captain America pondering the team's future in the wake of disaster.


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Now, while Infinity War isn't remotely close to this narrative, that doesn't prevent the MCU from co-opting the term 'disassembled' in the aftermath of Thanos' victory. After all, the Age of Ultron comic book storyline dealt with time travel, Hank Pym's failures and Wolverine hunting Ultron, whereas the movie detailed Tony Stark trying to stop the rogue artificial intelligence he created with Banner, basically illustrating the freedom Marvel Studios has when adapting the source material -- or co-opting its titles.

With Thanos killing off so many heroes in the MCU -- from Black Panther to Bucky Barnes to Scarlet Witch to Vision to Doctor Strange -- Earth's defenders really have been shattered, physically and mentally, thus providing the studio ample reason to repurpose 'disassembled.' What gives this title credence is that had it been revealed prior, we'd have known for a fact that Thanos leaves our heroes broken and defeated at the end of Infinity War, and while it's little surprise to those of us who live and breathe comics, the average moviegoer likely wasn't expecting such a massive loss of life.

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Avengers: Heroes Reborn

1996's Heroes Reborn saw several Marvel heroes, ranging from the Avengers to the Fantastic Four, return from the dead. They were thought to have been killed in the "Onslaught Saga," but as it turns out, Franklin Richards had secretly hidden them all in a pocket dimension, before bringing them back to the mainstream Marvel U.

Again, the MCU is obviously telling a vastly different story, but we can all agree that the concept of its heroes being reborn is one that will inevitably happen. The likes of Black Panther and Spider-Man already have sequels lined up, so we know they'll be returning, plus actors like Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch) and Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes) are contracted for movies in Phase Four, so it's not a matter of if, but how they'll be resurrected.


RELATED: How Thanos’ Origin Changed From the Comics to Avengers: Infinity War


 

One theory has the "dead" heroes being stored in the Soul World within the Soul Stone. If this proves the be true, Heroes Reborn would be a perfect title, focusing on the mission to return the MCU's fallen to the land of the living (even if it ends up being due to the Time Stone). This title also holds credence because if it had been revealed beforehand, it definitely would have indicated that Thanos killed off a lot of people.

Avengers: The Thanos Imperative

Thanos Imperative

This 2010 cosmic event focused on the Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova trying to close the space rift known as the Fault, in order to stop the another universe (dubbed the Cancerverse) from seeping over into reality. However, the heroes also had to protect (believe it or not) Thanos from the Cancerverse's ruler, an evil version of Mar-Vell, who needed to kill the Mad Titan to allow his dark dimension to thrive.

Once more, it's a totally different narrative from the MCU's, but shares the common denominator of Thanos' philosophy of balancing life in the galaxy. In the comics, he viewed the spreading of the Cancerverse as cosmic balance, which is why he willingly offered himself to Mar-Vell as a sacrifice. On the big-screen, though, the only way he felt he could have achieved this balance was by using the Gauntlet to implement galactic genocide.


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With that in mind, Avengers: The Thanos Imperative would work two ways as a title. Firstly, it could be about Thanos' new imperative of preserving the integrity of this universe he's just reshaped and 'perfected,' while for the heroes, their imperative would be to find the Mad Titan and undo the state of disarray he left behind. This title also holds weight because if revealed earlier, it too would have spoiled Thanos' ultimate victory.

Avengers: No Surrender

Comic cover for Avengers No Surrender

This recently-wrapped comic event was just as high-stakes as Infinity War. With Earth basically snatched out of reality and key heroes such as Cap, Black Panther and Spidey, to name a few, taken off the chessboard, the Grandmaster and his brother, Challenger, pitted the remaining (and yes, weakened) Avengers team in a series of battles against the Lethal Legion and a resurrected Black Order.

While it too is a far cry from the MCU's Infinity War narrative, the sequel adopting this name could hint at the heroes who survived Thanos' culling dusting themselves off and coming back for another round. After all, the No Surrender title would directly tie into the mentality needed moving forward against the Mad Titan.


RELATED: Thanos Is the MCU Villain We Were Promised For So Long


 

Revealing this title early on would also have alluded to the MCU's heroes losing their fight, but as it stands, it's the perfect title to rebound with because it feels like a rallying cry and call-to-arms. More so, it's definitely the philosophy that's driven these heroes over the last decade on the big screen, and one they'll need to harness yet again to save the day from Thanos' godlike grip.


Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Infinity War stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Olsen, Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Tom Hiddleston and Josh Brolin.