Avengers 4 Shouldn’t Kill the Original Avengers

Marvel Studios shouldn't kill the original Avengers during Avengers 4, even if that's what everyone expects. The prevailing thought process when it comes to Avengers 4 is that it will be the final chapter for several of the biggest heroes to take center stage of the Marvel Cinematic Universe But, just because Marvel has the ability to kill them, doesn't mean they actually should.

Ever since the Avengers first formed in 2012's The Avengers, they've been the undisputed core group of characters in the MCU. Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Chris Hemsworth have each led their own trilogies and starred in the team up films. Scarlett Johansson repeatedly showed up in major supporting roles, while Jeremy Renner and Mark Ruffalo have joined in on other adventures as well. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Hulk will all be prominently featured in Avengers 4, as the OG Avengers are just a few of the heroes to survive Thanos' snap - an outcome that clearly isn't a coincidence.

With the odds stacked against them due to a variety of circumstances, many have come to accept that at least one - probably more - of the original Avengers are doomed to die in their next outing. However, death is not Marvel's only option here, and they shouldn't kill these heroes just for the sake of it. There are other ways to move them aside and progress the universe forward, but before we dive into those possibilities, we must first address why killing these characters are likely on the chopping block.

This Page: Why Marvel Would Kill Them
Page 2: What Can Happen If They Don't

Why Marvel Would Kill The Avengers

One of the biggest reasons why there's an expectation that the Avengers will die are the movie contracts for the stars. RDJ, Evans, Hemsworth, and co. have all re-worked their deals at certain points to get to Avengers 4. After ten years of movies though, there's no indication that they're looking to stay on board. Downey will have made ten appearances (including The Incredible Hulk's tag) in MCU films after Avengers 4. Evans will have nine appearances under his belt too if you count cameos in Thor: The Dark World and Spider-Man: Homecoming. Hemsworth and Johansson each will be at seven, while Renner and Ruffalo will be at five. Marvel has basically controlled their schedules thanks to these contracts, and most look ready to move on.

Evans has been the most vocal about moving on to pursue other interests, most notably directing. Meanwhile, Downey is rebooting Doctor Dolittle and Hemsworth is starring in the Men in Black spinoff, so they're locking down new potential franchises. Even Renner could have a franchise on his hands with the Spawn reboot, but some of his best work of late has come in comedies and dramas like Tag and Wind River. Ruffalo doesn't have another franchise lined up, but his schedule has plenty of Oscar-hopeful projects on it. Johansson is the only one definitively sticking around in some capacity for her solo movie, but the reported prequel setting still makes it possible to kill Black Widow, as do the mounting schedules of her fellow OG Avengers.

Even if we look beyond the contractual reasons why the Avengers could die, it also forces the MCU to move forward with new leads. The original Avengers have (for the most part) all had excellent arcs so far, so why keep them around? Characters like Black Panther, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Man have all been introduced to take on bigger roles in the future, while Brie Larson's Captain Marvel has been described as the new lead of the MCU moving forward. These characters, along with the Guardians of the Galaxy and additional new heroes, can take on leadership roles with the original Avengers team gone. Keeping them alive could be viewed as a crutch for Marvel to fall back on, but they can still move the universe forward with them alive.

Page 2: How To Move On From The Avengers, Without Killing Them

How To Move On From The Avengers, Without Killing Them

The idea that killing the Avengers is Marvel's only choice is simply not true. Although this is the route everyone expects them to go, many felt the same about needing death and sacrifice in Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. Death is certainly the simplest way to move on from these characters, but it isn't a necessity. There's no in-world reason at this point that dictates they must die either. Unless reversing Thanos' snap requires sacrifice and death, the Avengers can absolutely save the day and still make it out alive. Writer Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely even previously said that expiring contracts doesn't guarantee death.

There are countless examples of heroes walking off into the sunset as the conclusion to their stories, so there's no reason why the Avengers can't have the same ending. Retirement is a believable path for many of these characters to take, allowing them all to exit the hero game as they've done repeatedly in the comics. Letting this group have a happy ending may also be more likely after Infinity War's shocking finale shocked. They don't have to die to be heroes, so a massive Avengers retirement party could be a great Phase 3 capper - and may even be the massive scene several cast members have teased.

If these stars don't want to completely leave and instead move to lesser roles, then they could also take new positions in the MCU. Tony's mind is always thinking bigger and with the intergalactic threats he's faced, forming and backseat running SWORD is a move he could make. Steve Rogers could make a similar transition to the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. potentially, while Thor could finally be king of a new Asgard. These moves would allow characters like Ironheart, Falcon, Patriot, Valkyrie, and others to be introduced or upgraded to take on these mantles. Whatever the original team's futures would be if they're kept around, it also gives the MCU one more card to play.

The MCU Is Guaranteed One Final Major Event

Marvel Studios is always thinking years, if not decades, in advance. For example, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has been described as setting up the next 10-20 years of cosmic MCU stories. Going beyond the cosmic side of the universe, Kevin Feige confirmed plans for an additional 20 movies after Avengers 4. These plans aren't set in stone, but Marvel is always thinking about the future while focusing on the present. In doing so, they've undoubtedly begun dreaming of what events could come in the future that possibly match the hype around Infinity War and Avengers 4.

Lucky for them, Disney is deep in the process of acquiring Fox, and with that, Marvel Studios will gain access to the X-Men and Fantastic Four. This deal will give Marvel years of content and characters to build around, further allowing for new faces to become the stars of the universe. Plus, with villains like Galactus or Doctor Doom on the horizon, the possibilities are endless. Even Avengers vs X-Men could be a movie one day. However, killing off Iron Man, Cap, Thor, and the rest of the team means fans will never get to see these characters interact with the X-Men or Fantastic Four on the big screen, barring some recasting. But, if Marvel doesn't kill the original team, then they'll have one more major event at their disposal.

In keeping the OG Avengers alive, Marvel gives themselves the chance to one day bridge decades of storytelling together. Older versions of the original Avengers can rejoin the fight for one final film, giving the MCU major returning characters - basically their own The Force Awakens. For what its worth, Evans' wavering MCU future flipped back to the positive during Infinity War's press tour, as he said "We'll see" about a return in the future, so he could be convinced to make a return years from now. Whether this event comes as the true conclusion to the MCU or just the ending of another chapter, there's no denying the insane levels of hype such a move would generate. Even beyond the fan reactions, seeing them return years later could be part of the evolution of the characters that Feige's talked about wanting to see. Not killing the Avengers could raise questions from time to time on why they aren't involved in the movies, but an eventual return would be a huge.

Moving on from the original Avengers won't be easy, but there's potentially massive longterm benefits to keeping them around. When it comes to possible character development, future stories, or the lucrative box office totals that could come, Marvel's future may just be better and brighter with the original Avengers still alive. We'll have to wait until next year to see what Avengers 4 does with the original six.