One epic fight in Avengers: Infinity War will feature as many as 40 characters - and here's who we think they are. The claim comes from Falcon actor Anthony Mackie, who recently stated there's a big sequence in the middle of the MCU culmination where "all of us are on set and it's like forty superheroes". Even with high expectations for the film, that's a lot of icons sharing the screen.Character numbers for Avengers 3 have been a major topic of conversation recently, with Chris Hemsworth also saying the cast list includes a whopping 76 characters. While that number seems extreme, it's worth noting he's talking about actors involved with the project, not specific comic heroes. Indeed, counting unnamed characters and unlisted actors, IMDb's cast list for Infinity War already hits 70, and it's easy to imagine there are many more yet to be added to the site. This makes Mackie's claim the more impressive despite its smaller number; he implies 40 named characters all together at once. But, even then, it's not impossible to figure out who they could be.Related: Every Marvel Character You'll See In Avengers: Infinity WarIt's worth noting that Mackie is likely stretching the word "superhero" a little for his statement, and that 40 is a roundabout guess. Taking it semi-accurately, though, here's who we expect to be in the line up for the banner sequence - either the showdown against the Outriders in Wakanda or a final stand in space.36 Characters You Can Expect in Avengers: Infinity War's Big Scene (This Page)

19 Avengers

Steve Rogers and Tony Stark in Avengers Infinity War

First up, there's the Avengers themselves to take into account. Once they reunite (half the group is still on the run after the events of Captain America: Civil War), there's a core team of Iron Man, Captain America, War Machine, Winter Soldier, Falcon, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, as well as new recruits Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, and space returnees Thor and Hulk. Those last few bring their own associated heroes too in the form of Wong and Valkyrie.

There's a question mark over some other of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Obviously, Vision is a favorite candidate to die, although there have been recurring suggestions he'll find a way to survive the attack on his forehead-housed Infinity Stone, which means he and Scarlet Witch can still appear. Ant-Man is also set to appear in the film, and while it's still possible that Wasp will be saved for Ant-Man and the Wasp, such an epic showdown is too big an opportunity to pass up. Finally, it's not out of the question that S.H.I.E.L.D. will factor in; Nick Fury and Maria Hill aren't confirmed for the film, but per the Vanity Fair photoshoot we know they are going to present in either Avengers 3 or 4 and so can't be discounted.

5 Wakandans

Black Panther Cast in Infinity War

There is, of course, one new member of the team that we've forgotten, and that's because he comes with a pretty sizeable entourage of his own: Black Panther. A major set piece during Infinity War takes place in Wakanda, seeing Panther's people uniting with the Avengers to take on hordes of Outriders (and presumably protect the final Infinity Stone). It's unclear if this is the battle Mackie is referencing to - if it's the film's midpoint, then the final showdown would surely come later - but if it is, a sizable group of Black Panther's supporting cast can be expected (and even if not, they're likely to accompany their king).

Related: Black Panther is 2018's Most Anticipated Comic Book Movie Character

This means that, along with T'Challa himself, we can add tech master/sister Shuri, Dora Milaje leader Okoye, Man-Ape M'Baku and possibly former Queen Ramonda. These are the five primary Wakandans confirmed for the film, and the numbers could go up depending who survives the solo film next month.

7 Guardians of the Galaxy

Avengers 3 isn't just going to see the Avengers and their friends fighting together; Earth's Mightiest Heroes are going to be standing alongside their cosmic counterparts, the Guardians of the Galaxy. We know from Mackie that at the very least Drax is present for the fight (battling next to Spider-Man), and it's no stretch to say he'll be flanked by Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket, Groot and Mantis.

There's also another Guardians-related character set to play a big part in Infinity War: Nebula. The daughter of Thanos was partially redeemed in Guardians Vol. 2 and set out to go find her father, a quest that - if her comic version is anything to go by - will make her an essential part of any final conflict.

5 Villains

This final set is a little more contentious as these can hardly be described as "superheroes", but if we're taking Mackie's assessment as being about the full set of actors, then it's surely got to include the villains. Obviously, there's Josh Brolin as the Mad Titan Thanos, but also his four henchmen, the Children of Thanos: Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, Ebony Maw, and Black Dwarf.

Related: Thanos Is Still The Main Villain In Avengers 4

All this brings us - without any real stretches, no less - up to 36 characters. Now, that could easily be the sum, with the 40 a rounding up, but who else could finish off the set? And, perhaps more tellingly, who isn't included?

Brie Larson Captain Marvel Fan Art

Who Could Be A Surprise Infinity War Character?B

We could have made the prior 36 predictions at any point after the release of Thor: Ragnarok when the final character pieces were put in place (a Black Panther shocker pending). But, presuming one or two patented Marvel surprises, who else could appear? The most obvious secret inclusion would be Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel. Brie Larson's superhero will make her debut in 2019, just before Avengers 4, but due to her origin taking place in the 1990s, it'd be very easy to have her established here (similar to Black Panther in Civil War), and the most fitting place would be in a final battle. Along with Danvers, there's scope for the likes of other soon-to-appear characters like Jude Law's Marvell or Guardians' Adam Warlock, although they're both less likely considering their obscurity within other characters' films.

Aside from known heroes, there is one more appearance that would be all kinds of brilliant: Stan Lee. Naturally, the comic maestro will have a cameo in Infinity War (he's already shot it, along with four other appearances) but to specifically do it in the middle of a massive hero showcase would feel like the ultimate tribute.

Who Won't Appear In The Sequence?

All this said, perhaps the biggest discussion point is who won't be in the sequence. As already established, 70 actors are confirmed for Infinity War, many of them pre-existing characters we haven't discussed. However, there's some who will take a backseat.

Related: The Characters Missing From Avengers: Infinity War's Trailer

Most of the ones we're talking about are traditional support: Happy Hogan, Pepper Potts, Hank Pym, Peter Parker's schoolmates and Laura Barton. Also presumably absent will be Peter Dinklage's character, considering all signs point to him being part of Thor's journey rather than a new hero in his own right. We're also not expecting those who serve as simple steps in Thanos' Infinity Stone collection: The Collector, who was the last known possessor of the Reality Stone, and Loki, revealed in the trailer to have swiped the Tesseract at the end of Ragnarok. Whether the absence of Tom Hiddleston's trickster means he's going to meet his untimely end or not, his surrendering of the Space Stone makes placing him in any major battle hard.

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This is all, of course, speculation. Many headline heroes could have fallen (or be otherwise incapacitated) by the time the full team assembles, and even more could have been suddenly introduced. But, as it stands, the stated 36 characters - along with a probable debut from Captain Marvel - will make for the biggest scene in the history of the MCU (and, quite likely, the superhero genre in general). Infinity War can't come soon enough.

Next: Theory: This May Be The End of Loki

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