Avengers: Infinity War promises to be the biggest cinematic event of 2018. It is set to unite characters from every corner of the Marvel Marvel Cinematic Universe from the Guardians of the Galaxy to Captain America (Chris Evans) into one epic film. And fans are eager for news, scouring set pictures and casting announcements for clues of what's to come.

A lucky group of fans at both D23 and San Diego Comic Con were able to get a glimpse of the first footage from Avengers: Infinity War which was leaked online shortly after and left the internet buzzing. Of particular interest was Captain America sporting a beard, which was later seen in a concept art poster also from Comic Con, and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) meeting the Guardians of the Galaxy. However, despite the leaks, Marvel did not release anything official online.

Related: Thanos Has Full Infinity Gauntlet in Avengers 3 Promo Art

The big question remains: when will a trailer for Infinity War be released to the public? Looking back on the previous Avengers films could give us a clue. Both Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron had trailers that were released in October, the 11th and the 22nd respectively. The Age of Ultron trailer drop was supposed to coincide with an episode of Agents of SHIELD, but was leaked online a week early. With that information in mind, could we see a trailer as early as next month? Agents of SHIELD won't return until later in the fall, but presumably Marvel could air an Infinity War trailer with an episode of Inhumans- something which could help boost the ratings, if needed, for the already struggling series.

Agents of SHIELD season 5 is set to air after the 8 episode run of Inhumans which premieres on September 29th. If all 8 episodes air back to back this means the first season of Inhumans will finish on November 17th. SHIELD probably won't start airing their new episodes on November 24th due to the Thanksgiving holiday. This means Marvel could instead release the Infinity War trailer that day during Jimmy Kimmel Live!- which is the same date and place they released the trailer for Captain America: Civil War. The films are already similar because they are the third in their franchise with casts from multiple films attached and a huge amount of hype surrounding them. Plus Kimmel has become Marvel's go-to place for trailer announcements recently with the first trailers for both Doctor Strange and Spider-Man: Homecoming premiering on the late-night show.

A third option Marvel has is to wait to release the Infinity War trailer alongside Thor: Ragnarok in the beginning of November. The third Thor film doesn't need to build any more excitement- it's already one of the most anticipated films of the year- but if fans need even more incentive to see it a trailer announcement could do it. However, it would make more sense to attach the trailer to Disney and Pixar's Coco later in November to draw more fans to an original film rather than one that is already almost sure to be a box office success.

No matter when or where the trailer for Avengers: Infinity War is released it is sure to take the internet by storm. Marvel's marketing is consistently strong and they know how to get people talking. Part of the fun of being a Marvel fan is the anticipation that builds between each film and the willingness to wait for each new piece of news.

Update: According to one Marvel Studios executive, the Avengers: Infinity War trailer is nearly finished!

MORE: Avengers: Infinity War Feels Like The Biggest Movie Ever Made

Avengers: Infinity War will be released in theaters on May 4th, 2018.

Key Release Dates