If people weren't already hyped up for Avengers: Infinity War, they sure were after 2017's D23 Expo! The footage shown at the Marvel panel allegedly gave fans a taste of what to expect from the upcoming Avengers movie. The footage allegedly showed things like the Guardians of the Galaxy meeting Thor, a new Spider-Man costume, and Thanos calling down a hailstorm of debris from space to attack the heroes. If that's any indicator, the third entry in the Avengers saga is going to be epic beyond all belief!
That said, we still don't know that much about the movie itself. Sure, some sneaky journalists have captured videos of the filming and a few pieces of concept art have been released and we know the actors who are returning, but the plot of the movie is still a mystery. Obviously we know that it's going to involve Thanos attaining the Infinity Stones, but details beyond that are scarce.
This means that fans have gone crazy with rampant speculation and have come up with some crazy fan theories about the new movie. We're going to share with you some of the most interesting and unique ones out there!
Here are the 15 Craziest Fan Theories About Avengers: Infinity War!
15. Spider-Man gets his Black Suit
We already know that Spider-Man is going to be sporting some new duds in Infinity War. Supposedly, Peter is going to don the "Iron Spider" costume that we saw at the end of Homecoming, or at least something similar to that design. It makes sense: Peter only kept his traditional costume because he wanted to remain as a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and didn't want to officially join the Avengers. That looks to change with Infinity War. However, will Spidey see yet another costume change during the course of the film?
We know that the movie is most likely going to take the Avengers off of Earth at some point. We also know that Sony has announced a Venom movie sans Spider-Man, leaving fans scratching their head as to how you can do one without the other. Well... what if they didn't have to? Suppose Peter discovers and bonds with the Symbiote during Infinity War and then ditches it at the end of the movie or at the beginning of 2018's Venom?
Tom Holland has also been spotted wearing mocap suits throughout filming.
14. Hela will play the role of "Death"
One of the biggest concerns of avid comic book readers is how the MCU is going to adapt some of the more "bizarre" aspects of the Infinity Gauntlet story and Marvel Cosmic Universes for the screen. In the comics, Thanos is obsessed with Death. No, not the concept of death - Thanos is literally in love with a character called Lady Death, who is essentially the Grim Reaper of the Marvel Universe.
We have not seen this character introduced to the MCU, but at the end of The Avengers the Mad Titan is ominously told that to "challenge [The Avengers] is to court death"; a statement that makes Thanos smirk.
What if Lady Death wasn't going to be Thanos' main squeeze in the MCU? The villain Hela appears to have a similar function of the comic book version of Death. She appears on Asgard and causes their own apocalypse, for crying out loud!
Fans noticed that Hela also has a much more grim appearance than she does in the comics (where she wears green and doesn't have the goth-style eye makeup). Cate Blanchett hasn't been confirmed to return, but is Hela going to be "Death" in the MCU?
13. Every villain killed by an Infinity stone will come back
One of the biggest criticisms for the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the lack of developed villains. Loki and Nebula (and technically Thanos) are the only major bad guys who have appeared in more than one MCU movie; the rest get killed off or imprisoned after a single film and are never heard from again. Red Skull was evaporated by the Tesseract, Ronin was evaporated by the Soul Stone, Malekith was evaporated by the Aether, and Ultron was evaporated by Vision's Mind Stone. See a pattern here?
Though it is debatable that Kaecilius was killed by a stone - and whether or not the sixth stone will be the end of a baddie - every Infinity Stone so far has been responsible for the death of a villain. But are they really dead, or just transported somewhere else in space and time?
When Thanos comes, he's going to need a team to deal with the pesky heroes while he's off doing bigger and better things. How awesome would it be to see all of these previously-deceased characters to come back and work together as the Masters of Evil?
12. The first letter of every Infinity Stone will spell out "Thanos"
Ever since Marvel teased us with a look at Thanos way back in 2012's The Avengers, speculation has run rampant on where each of the Infinity Stones would be, who possessed them, and how they would work in the MCU.
So far five of the six stones have been revealed to us, with the sixth being teased as "coming soon." Each of them has been hiding within an artifact; the Time Stone is the Eye of Agamotto, the Mind Stone was in Loki's scepter, and so on.
A popular fan theory claims that, when the names of these artifacts are all compiled together, they will spell out T.H.A.N.O.S. So far we have seen the Tesseract, the Aether, Strange's Necklace, the Orb from Guardians, and Loki's Scepter. That just leaves the "H" for the Soul Stone.
There are two theories as to what the final stone is: the first claims that we will see it in Black Panther as the Heart of Wakanda (the source of the character's powers). The second claims that it is what gives Heimdall his abilities. Now that we think about it, Heimdall is seen in the Ragnarok trailer, seemingly powerless without his armor.
11. There are two Infinity Gauntlets
Eagle-eyed moviegoers noticed that in the first Thor film, within Odin's treasure room sat the Infinity Gauntlet adorned with all six of the stones. When Thanos appeared at the end of The Avengers, people began to theorize that the Mad Titan would eventually break into Asgard to steal the legendary weapon.
However, the MCU started to introduce us to individual Infinity Stones that had yet to be discovered, severely weakening that theory. It was then shattered completely when we saw Thanos grab the gauntlet in the Age of Ultron post-credits scene. The gauntlet in Thor must have just been an Easter Egg.
Or was it? One of the more obscure theories about Infinity War is that there exist two separate Infinity Gauntlets; Odin has one, Thanos has the other. This would change the entire tone of the movie, as it would go from a "stop Thanos" plot to a "we have to get the stones first!" plot if both sides had their own gauntlet.
The hang-up with this one is that the glove in Odin's room was already filled, which means that either there are fake Infinity Stones, or that there is a major plot hole in the MCU.
10. All of the previously dead characters will be brought back
Another big gripe with the MCU that people have is that there really haven't been many significant deaths. Agent Coulson was brought back from the dead, and we've been given so many "fake out" hero deaths that it's becoming ridiculous. No, the MCU's money horse wasn't going to be killed off at the end of The Avengers. No, Nick Fury wasn't dead in The Winter Soldier. The only significant deaths within the MCU have been secondary characters like Quicksilver, the Ancient One, and Frigga.
Fans theorize that every single one of these characters will make an appearance in Infinity War in some capacity. The Reality Stone may be able to bring them back from the dead and re-incorporate them into the MCU.
Or, maybe they could all appear as hallucinations, pawns that Thanos uses to taunt the heroes psychologically? It'd destroy Scarlett Witch to see her brother come back and tell her that it was her fault she was dead. Likewise, it would really mess with Cap to see Peggy Carter scold him for abandoning her for so many years.
Whether they come back alive or in a dream sequence, there could be some old faces popping up in the next Avengers.
9. The Avengers will be the antagonists in their own movie
Kevin Feige has stated that Thanos was going to act as the "main character" of Infinity War. It makes sense; there are going to be thirty or more characters in this single movie! They couldn't possibly fit enough screen time in for each of them to get a proper development they deserve, so we're probably going to see most of them get 15-25 minutes of screen time each. Though it's assumed that fans have been following the MCU heroes since 2008, a film is no good without some sort of story arc for its protagonist.
What if the superheroes of the MCU weren't the protagonists of the movie? What if Thanos, being the main character, is also the one that the audience is supposed to root for? One theory claims that fans will get the entirety of the Mad Titan's backstory during the movie, making us feel more sympathetic towards him than we do most villains.
If that happens, expect the Avengers to actually play the role of antagonists trying to stop Thanos from achieving his lofty goals and taking his rightful place as ruler of all existence.
8. The gauntlet is needed to control the Infinity Stones
"Well, duh," you might be saying to yourself right now. Of course the Infinity Gauntlet is going to be needed to hold the Infinity Stones! That's like, its one purpose. The gauntlet has always been the go-to vessel for controlling the six stones, but we have seen in the MCU that they have been safely embedded in other items, such as Loki's Scepter and the Tesseract Cube.
What if, at the end of Age of Ultron, Thanos' threat of "Fine. I'll do it myself" isn't in reference to gathering the Infinity Stones, but rather controlling them? Think about it: Nebula and Ronin have been the only characters who have been directly instructed to bring the stone to Thanos. Heck, he even gives Loki a stone to use in the first movie!
What if the Mad Titan was simply trying to harness the powers of the Infinity Stones through a number of different cronies? After seeing how unstable they are on their own, he decides to "do it himself" by donning the Infinity Gauntlet (the only vessel that can control their power) and putting them all under the protection of his own will.
7. It's going to "reset" the MCU with new actors for the old characters
Let's face it, after ten years and dozens of movies, the actors in the MCU are ready to move on. Although Robert Downey Jr. has added an additional two movies to his contract, Iron Man 4 seems unlikely. Likewise, Chris Evans has said that the fourth Avengers movie will be his last. Even those actors who would love to play their characters forever, like Samuel L. Jackson, aren't getting any younger. Sooner or later, Marvel is going to be faced with a tough decision: recast, promote a different character, or reboot.
We can't really see Marvel unceremoniously recasting any of their beloved characters, and the theory of a reboot has already been debunked. Yeah, Bucky or Steve Wilson could step up and become Cap, but do you really see Rhodey carrying an Iron Man movie or Jane Foster/Beta Ray Bill as Thor?
Infinity War gives them the perfect opportunity to recast without erasing. Undoubtedly, the Reality Stone will come into play at some point in the tale. Perhaps at the story's end it will be used to reset the entire MCU with new actors playing the same characters?
6. The element Tony created in Iron Man 2 is a "7th Infinity Stone"
Remember how Tony Stark is able to use his scientific prowess to create a brand new element in Iron Man 2? Well, Marvel seemingly wants you to forget, considering the plot point has never been touch on again.
In Tony Stark's second adventure, Iron Man is aided by S.H.I.E.L.D. in creating a replacement power core for his arc reactor (which had been poisoning him all this time). Using the blue prints left by his father, Tony is able to replicate the model and "discover" a new element.
This new element that Stark created has enough energy to power his entire Iron Man suit and showed powers similar to that of the Tesseract (Space Stone). Let us reiterate that: while in his suit Tony Stark is flying around with the equivalent of an Infinity Stone strapped to his chest!
When all hope seems to be lost for the Avengers, when Thanos looks to be invincible, Tony will overload his arc reactor and take the Mad Titan out in an act of heroic sacrifice? Or perhaps Thanos catches wind of the reactor's power and rips it out of Stark's chest?
5. Everyone dies
If you've ever read the original Infinity Gauntlet comic book, you know that it's one of the most brutal stories Marvel has ever put out. Seriously, it makes you watch all of your favorite childhood heroes die in horrific ways; Cyclops is suffocated to death, Iron Man is decapitated, Thor is turned to glass, and the Vision gets his insides ripped out of his body. It's traumatizing! But Marvel has already said that this is going to be a two-part story, so they can't kill off everyone. Right?
If the MCU wants to truly shock its viewers, it could do by so by killing everyone's favorite heroes. Even if fans familiar with the comic books expect it, there is no way the casual moviegoer won't be hit out of left field with these horrific images. Age of Ultron teased this with Tony Stark's vision of everyone (including some characters yet to be introduced) fallen on the asteroid and Thanos' armies headed towards Earth.
Once he has the Infinity Stones, the Mad Titan will be unstoppable. What better way to display his power than by killing off every single character that even poses a threat to him?
4. Cap will be sent back to his own time
Part of the tragedy of Captain America is that he is a man out of time. He's been lucky enough to have Bucky Barnes survive into the present with him and he's made friends with many of his fellow Avengers, but you can tell that Steve still yearns for his home back in 1940s Brooklyn. What's even sadder is that he had to watch the love of his life, Peggy Carter, suffer from dementia and die while in her old age. Not to mention, everyone Steve has ever known (minus Bucky) is long dead; that has to take its toll on a guy.
With Chris Evans stepping away after Avengers 4, the MCU is going to have to find a way to write him out of the story. Many fans believe that this will come in the form of an adaptation of the Death of Captain America story from the comics.
A less popular theory claims that at the end of his final movie, Doctor Strange will use his mastery of the Time Stone to send Steve back to the '40s, where he can finally get that dance from Peggy. Come on, Cap deserves a happy ending!
3. Spider-Man will have to lead the Avengers after Cap and Iron Man fall
As indicated by Spider-Man: Homecoming, Peter Parker is still somewhat new to the whole superhero biz. Although he was impressive enough to be offered a spot on the Avengers by Iron Man, Spidey likes to keep to the small-time criminals and remain a "Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man."
Of course the mere fact that he's going to be in Infinity War completely wipes away any notion of Peter staying close to the ground. Spider-Man was starstruck and struggled with his fellow heroes in Civil War. How is he going to stand a chance against Thanos?
It's becoming more and more clear that some major characters are going to kick the bucket in this movie. Chances are, Cap and Iron Man won't make it out alive; even though they are both confirmed for the fourth film, they could easily be killed off or imprisoned or sent to an alternate reality, leaving the Avengers without a leader.
Defeated, humiliated, and leaderless, all hope would seem lost for the superteam. That is, until Spider-Man steps up and offers to lead the team. It would be a great "rallying cry" for the Avengers as well as an excellent way to develop Parker's character even further.
2. Cap will lift Mjolnir
Maybe this one isn't so crazy, as it's kinda already been foreshadowed in Age of Ultron. The Avengers are just hanging out after a big party talking and drinking, when they all get the idea to try to lift Thor's hammer. Iron Man, Black Widow, War Machine, Hawkeye, and the Hulk all try to move Mjolnir without a single budge. When Cap tries, it budges ever so slightly but refuses to be lifted. To this date Thor and the newly-created Vision are the only characters in the MCU to wield the mighty hammer.
How epic would it be if, when Thanos' victory looked imminent and a majority of the Avengers were dead or defeated, Captain America was able to pick up the fallen Mjolnir and use it as a rallying cry for his surviving teammates? With the hammer and his shield in tow, Cap could do some damage to the Mad Titan and his Black Order before either being killed himself or leading the Avengers to victory over the evil villain.
1. The fallout will merge the MCU and Fox's X-Men/Fantastic Four
This one has as much of a chance of happening as the Hulk going to anger management. But hey, this is a "craziest fan theories" list! Thanks to a deal with Sony, Marvel's flagship Webslinger is now in the MCU where he belongs. However, the publisher still lacks the movie rights for the Fantastic Four and their team of superpowered mutants.
FOX has been pushing out X-Men and F4 movies for the last seventeen years. Some have been incredible, and others have been about as bad as you can get. That said, the studio still owns these rights as long as they keep making movies.
What if these franchises do exist within the same universe, just in different realities? Can you imagine how much moviegoers would lose it if Hugh Jackman's Wolverine showed up in Avengers 4? Or if the Fantastic Four made their MCU debut in the middle of the fight?
With a little Reality Stone trickery and some wheeling and dealing on the behalf of Marvel and FOX, we could see a post-Infinity War MCU that includes characters like Galactus, Magneto, Deadpool, and Doctor Doom alongside the rest of our beloved heroes.
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Do you think any of these crazy fan theories are going to come true when Thanos arrives in Avengers: Infinity War? Do you have a crazy theory of your own? Let us know in the comments!
