Which Characters Will Die in Avengers 4?

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Avengers: Infinity War

The death count hit an all-time high for the MCU in Avengers: Infinity War, so audiences are no doubt desperate to discover who will be killed off permanently in next year's Avengers 4. With time travel playing an integral role in the upcoming Avengers assemblage, the deaths from Infinity War can be undone. This much is certain. However, that won't likely save the remaining survivors in the battle's finale”nor will it prevent any resurrected characters from making a swift return to the grave before the credits roll.

As tragic as the end of Infinity War might have been, everything is fixable. Not unlike other movies where the villain ends up succeeding in the end, Infinity War strips hope to the bone; but the heroes are essentially gifted with a do-over. They get the chance to pursue the comeback of all comebacks (resurrecting the lives of half the entire universe). That said, though, as is the case with all wars, permanent casualties are inevitable. In the same vein of Thanos needing to sacrifice something for the sake of "the bigger picture," some Avengers may need to lay down their lives for the greater good.

So, seeing as it'll be difficult saying goodbye to the MCU's beloved characters (some who've been around for the past decade), it might help to be emotionally prepared. Nothing is certain (not only because the Avengers 4 script is so tightly bound in secrecy, but because there are no sure bets with time travel), and the surviving roster of Avengers may well meet their makers in the final fight against Thanos.

This Page: Which Original Avengers Will Die?

Captain America and Iron Man

Though there is technically no way to know for sure what the ultimate fate will be for characters in the MCU, Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man) and Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America) have all but confirmed their respective ends with the franchise. Not only have neither of the two actors renewed their contracts for future films, they've publicly stated their wishes to call it quits. Downey Jr. stated that he might have room left for one more Iron Man movie, while Evans told The New York Times that it's time he jumps ship. So, unless their statements are little more than attempts to throw people off, Avengers 4 could well be the end. And if that does turn out to be the case, how exactly might it happen? And is there a chance that their exits won't result in death?

Tony Stark may have never been officially marked for death, but his end is almost certainly nigh. His entire character arc since the first Iron Man revolved around paying for the sins of his father (on account of war profiteering). Tony's innovations saved a lot of people, but also killed plenty others as well (see: Wanda and Pietro Maximoff), and he's been constantly attempting to make up for his mistakes. By the time he reaches Infinity War, he seems indifferent to his own survival”which is saying a lot for someone as inherently self-serving as Tony Stark. At the end of Infinity War, he experiences a near-death moment after Thanos stabs him, and even in the poster for Infinity War, Tony is positioned in the "Jesus pose," which is to say the visual cues suggest that he might end up sacrificing himself in the end. Obviously, that didn't turn out to be the case, but the battle isn't over just yet...

As for Steve Rogers, his character arc was set in motion from the very beginning as well. Even before he's beefed up with the Super Soldier serum, Steve displays a repetitive trend of selflessness (remember when he jumped on the dummy grenade in The First Avenger?), and his journey has only gotten significantly more complicated. He's never fit in”not in the past and not in the future”and that's given him the unique ability to remove himself from the equation, putting others before himself without a moment's hesitation. Now, given the stakes of Infinity War, it's fitting that his arc would pay off with the ultimate sacrifice (even though he tells Vision that the idea of sacrifices won't even be entertained, which would lend itself to some lovely dramatic irony).

All that aside, however, the end of Tony and Steve doesn't necessarily have to result in death. In fact, given that time travel is a key component in Avengers 4 (which, by extension, opens the door for potential alternate timelines and dimensions), their ends could end up playing out like an episode of Doctor Who. The character Amy Pond and her husband are drained of their potential energy by the villainous Weeping Angels by way of being sent back in time in a wonky sort of paradox. So, if the MCU decides to send off the team's original leaders, without killing them, this new foray into time travel could turn out to be literal life saver in the end. If the franchise does end up going down this road, it could even leave the door open for a potential return for these characters somewhere down the road. It's long shot, for sure, but it definitely keeps the ball in Marvel Studios' court.

The Original Avengers

Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Hawkeye, Thor, and Black Widow in The Avengers

After Thanos snaps his fingers, wiping out half the universe, only a minor portion of the Avengers are left alive”specifically, all of the original characters from Phase One, as well as a few extras, like Rocket (and Ant-Man, if these behind the scenes photos from Avengers 4 are any indication). And though this was something worth celebrating at the end of Infinity War, it doesn't come close to keeping them safe in the final showdown.

With Tony and Steve out of the way, that leaves Thor, Bruce, Natasha, and Clint. On one hand, Natasha seems like the safest bet, considering a Black Widow movie is in the works. Only, in the MCU, safe bets don't exist. Since the standalone movie will most likely turn out to be set before Natasha's induction into the Avengers, Natasha's fate at the end off Avengers 4 is up in the air. In fact, the Black Widow movie could easily turn out to be a salute of sorts - honoring her memory, as opposed to continuing her story.

As for Bruce, it's tough to say. He and his green alter ego have been mostly backseat drivers for the whole of the MCU up to this point, so their collective fate is difficult to grasp for the long run. Mark Ruffalo is contractually obligated to star in one more movie following Avengers 4, but that could mean one of two things: he renews his contract for more movies or he does, in fact, die in Avengers 4, only to show up in a flashback for a future movie. However, even though it's unlikely Hulk will ever get his own standalone movie, his arc has finally started to pick up steam following Thor: Ragnarok; so unless he and the green guy round out a perfect sendoff in Avengers 4 before falling victim to Thanos, chances are he'll stick around a little longer.

The same can't be said for his Ragnarok sidekick Thor, unfortunately. Having rounded out a clean, if not imperfect, trilogy, it feels like the right time to pass the torch onto new Asgardian leadership”perhaps to Tessa Thompson's Valkryie (who is still alive). Thor has lost everything in his pursuit of intergalactic peace, even explaining to Rocket in Infinity War that he has nothing more to lose. So, given that he has personal beef with Thanos, it's borderline inevitable that he'll try his hand at a Round 2 fight. And what better way for a soldier like Thor to perish than in the heat of battle? On the other hand, though, not wanting to divert attention from Tony and Steve's individual deaths could easily be what saves Thor's demise for sometime later in the franchise”assuming he renews his contract that ends with Avengers 4.

Last in line is Clint Barton (also known as Hawkeye, and returning as Ronin in Avengers 4). Though missing in action during Infinity War on account of being under house arrest post-Captain America: Civil War, Clint returns to the action in Avengers 4, likely on account of his family perishing due to Thanos' finger snap. When he returns, he'll be meaner and madder than ever, making him an integral re-addition to the team. And given the fact that Jeremy Renner has a standalone Hawkeye movie in his contract, expect to see him make it out alive in this outing.

Gamora and Vision in Avengers Infinity War

The Comebacks

As sad as it was to see certain characters literally turn to dust at the end of Infinity War, there's no reason to worry. They'll be back. Especially given the fact that characters like Black Panther and Spider-Man already have multi-picture deals in their contracts, audiences should expect every character who lost their lives on account of Thanos' final blow to make a full recovery. As for other characters who perished in the heat of battle (like Gamora and Vision), don't write them off just yet.

Gamora isn't dead, she's trapped in the Soul World; and though Vision had his skull pulverized at the end of Infinity War in a literally soul-crushing moment, Shuri and Banner go out of their way to explain that Vision could still technically exist without the Soul Stone. So, even though it's not a guaranteed bet, Vision still has a shot at old-fashioned resurrection.

These are two deaths that may have cut the deepest with audiences (again not counting Peter Parker's goodbye), so it'll be interesting to see how their comebacks play out. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo explained that Avengers 4 "doesn't do what you think," so as implausible as the return of certain characters may seem, there are certain elements and angles that audiences might have simply not even considered just yet.

As for one of the earliest deaths in the movie”Loki”don't count on a happy return. He will show up in Avengers 4 (either by way of traveling back in time, existing in an alternate timeline, or possibly even via Tony Stark's Binary Augmented Retro Framing [or BARF] technology), but the finality of his death is necessary. It represents a closed chapter in the franchise, and seeing as Avengers 4 serves as a "finale" for the franchise, according to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, there's some devastating poetry to his demise. The big bad of the the third Avengers movie killing off the big bad of the first Avengers movie speaks to the narrative winding-down of the MCU's introductory era. The book is closing on Phase Three, so given that Loki played such a vital role in the MCU's formative years, sticking around would be the equivalent of prolonged life support.

Can Marvel Studios still technically wiggle their way around his death and bring him back? Given that Loki has mastered the art of illusion casting, yes. Feige plays his cards close to his chest, so, yes, it's possible. It just isn't likely.

Other Permanent Deaths in Avengers 4

When it comes to who the MCU will permanently kill off in Avengers 4 (outside of the original crew), it's tough to predict. With so much set up for upcoming Phases in the franchise, it would almost be a waste to write off characters who were more or less just recently introduced. That said, though, what's a war without unwarranted losses?

Right off the bat, it's fair to assume Thanos has a fairly slim chance of surviving the events of Avengers 4. While he may have been Infinity War's central character, the same probably can't be said for Avengers 4. Having already satisfied his objective, the ball will officially be in the Avengers' court, meaning the most sound outcome would be a traditional "heroes defeat villain" resolution.

Heimdall is also a done deal. Ever since his introduction in Thor, he's represented a kind of safety net. He was always the living, breathing deus ex machina, getting characters out of messes by literally removing them from the situation. Now, his loss represents something much bigger than the loss of a beloved character; that the heroes are officially cutoff from quick fixes and easy getaways.

As for all other Gauntlet-related deaths in Infinity War, they're safe bets entering into Avengers 4”though that doesn't guarantee a 100 percent chance at survival. As far as potential deaths go, it's best to consider who might be the most expendable. Elizabeth Olsen seems a bit conflicted as to whether or not she'd be willing to pursue a standalone movie for Scarlet Witch (she outright stated she's not interested, while also offering up ideas as to what storyline she'd like to follow if a standalone movie ever happened), while Dave Bautista hasn't publicly revealed the details of his contract (with Drax having such a personal vendetta against Thanos, his impulsivity, as highlighted in Infinity War, could potentially lead to fatal consequences). And as for other supporting players who could potentially vacate the MCU so as to make room for future characters (think Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan), there's currently no evidence suggesting whether they'd survive or not.

In the end, death isn't a particularly bad card to play with the Avengers. Ever since Civil War, the characters have been divided, and from there, their respective storylines have only managed to split them up even more. So, even though the mourning may sting, some significant hero deaths could potentially be the driving force to unite the surviving Avengers, thus giving them the advantage in the fight against Thanos.