Avengers: Endgame Trailer #3 Breakdown & Story Reveals

Marvel's final trailer for Avengers: Endgame reveals more secrets about the upcoming movie - discover everything in our trailer breakdown! Avengers: Endgame promises to be the ultimate rematch, with Earth's surviving heroes desperately attempting to avert or undo Thanos' snap from the end of Avengers: Infinity War. Marvel's keeping the plot a closely guarded secret, with Kevin Feige even teasing that the trailers may only include footage from the first 15-20 minutes of the film.

With tickets on sale now, Marvel has released one final Avengers: Endgame trailer. Where the others focused on setting the scene, this one attempts to give viewers a sense of what kind of story they should expect. The trailer breaks down into roughly three sections: the Avengers formulate a plan, they regroup, and they head to confront Thanos. Unfortun,ately they're both short-handed and potentially significantly overmatched; in spite of the addition of Captain Marvel, the truth is that they have nothing to equal the power of the Infinity Gauntlet.

Of course, the reality is that the story is probably going to be a lot more complex. Marvel has a habit of digitally editing scenes to avoid any big reveals, and there's already evidence they've been doing that with trailers for Avengers: Endgame. That means it's a good idea to look closely at this final trailer in order to work out what it really means.

34. The Avengers Compound (Made Foreboding)

The Avengers: Endgame trailer opens with a dark and foreboding shot of the Avengers Compound, with the sun setting over it. It's symbolic, suggesting that the snap - which is called the Decimation in-universe - is the twilight of civilization. In planning to somehow avert or undo the snap, the Avengers are essentially trying to turn back time and prevent nightfall.

Previous Avengers: Endgame trailers have confirmed that the Avengers have a plan, and this one finally reveals what it is. Their goal is a simple one: to track down Thanos. At this stage it's unclear whether or not they're seeking revenge or actually believe they can put the universe to rights. Still, Bruce Banner isn't convinced. Thanos beat the Hulk to within an inch of his life, and he wasn't even using an Infinity Stone to do it. Now he has possession of all six gems, the Avengers' numbers are diminished, and Bruce presumably still isn't on good terms with his Hulk persona. It's notable that none of the trailers have yet shown a glimpse of the Hulk.

32. Thor Is Back With The Avengers

The other Avengers: Endgame trailers have suggested that the film begins with the Avengers scattered, and it's possible Thor has gone on a quest to try to find any surviving Asgardians. If that's the case, he's clearly returned by this point in the film. The God of Thunder looks understandably tense, probably blaming himself for not killing Thanos when he had the chance.

31. War Machine Cracks Wise

James Rhodes considering the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War

Everybody copes with grief in different ways, and for War Machine that means cracking wise. But it's dark humor, and his face shows how much it hurts to admit the truth; that Thanos has slaughtered so many people he knew and cared about. It's worth noting that the cost of the snap could be higher for Rhodey than for many of the other Avengers; they live for superheroism, whereas he's always been a lot more grounded in the US military, and presumably lost countless friends and colleagues when Thanos killed half the life in the universe.

30. Black Widow in Japan

The Avengers: Endgame trailer includes a brief shot of Black Widow in a Japanese garden. The rain may be a pathetic fallacy, a narrative tool used to represent a character's emotions through the weather in a scene. She's headed to Japan in order to track down her old friend Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye, who is expected to have lost his family in the Decimation. Given how close Natasha is to Clint, that experience will be particularly painful.

29. Captain America... Having Just Shaved?

Captain America Shaved in Avengers Endgame

In Avengers: Infinity War, Steve Rogers had abandoned the Captain America identity. He'd been on the run from the authorities for the last two years, operating as an illegal vigilante, and in order to help conceal his identity, he'd grown a beard. But in the aftermath of Thanos' snap, the world has a lot more to worry about than a handful of rogue superheroes; Steve no longer needs to conceal his identity, and so in all Avengers: Endgame footage so far he's clean shaven. Surprisingly, this looks to be a moment the movie will show: the trailer shows Steve stood in one of the bathrooms of the Avengers Compound, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

Page 2 of 6: Iron Man's Return, New Armor & More Of Our Avengers: Endgame Trailer Breakdown

28. The Tokyo Approach

The latest Avengers: Endgame trailer repeats a shot from previous trailers, showing Black Widow flying to Japan for Hawkeye in a Quinjet. While the Japanese city is still brightly lit, even here a few buildings have gone dark, no longer lived and worked in after the Decimation.

27. Rocket and Nebula Grieve The Guardians of the Galaxy

One touching shot in the Avengers: Endgame trailer sees Rocket and Nebula united in their grief. These two have never been close before - and were at each others' throats in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - but they've both lost everything they care about. For Rocket, the pain will be particularly severe; his entire character arc in the Guardians of the Galaxy films revolved around his learning to accept the fact that he's become part of a family. Now, with a snap of his fingers, Thanos has killed them all. For Nebula, the only person she's ever showed any sign of really caring about is Gamora - who was killed as a sacrifice for the Soul Stone.

26. Pepper Potts Reunites With Tony Stark

Tony and Pepper Reunite in Avengers Endgame

This final Avengers: Endgame trailer shows Tony and Pepper sharing an emotional reunion upon his return to Earth. Tony and Nebula were the only survivors of Thanos' snap on Titan and, as revealed in the first trailer, they wound up stranded in space in the Guardians' ship while trying to escape. Naturally, that led to intense speculation as to how Tony would escape. Some had theorized that Captain Marvel would pick him up, but that was debunked by the Captain Marvel post-credits scene. Another popular theory had been that Pepper would rescue him in her own armor, but clearly that's not the case, as they're being reunited on Earth. Instead, this shot proves that Tony and Nebula manage to save themselves.

25. The Night Tony Stark Returns Confirmed

Black Widow Steve Rogers Bruce Banner and Rhodey outside Avengers HQ in Endgame

Notice that Pepper and Tony are being reunited at night-time, in the area around the Avengers Compound. The Avengers: Endgame Super Bowl trailer showed a handful of heroes stood outside the compound, looking up at the night sky. It's now reasonable to assume they're looking at the Benatar.

24. Iron Man's Mark 85 Armor

Tony Stark is shown flying the Mark 85 suit over Manhattan. This is the first time Iron Man's Avengers: Endgame armor has been shown in the trailers, although official tie-in merchandise had previously given fans a close look at it. The red-and-gold color scheme is sure to delight comic book readers, as it's very much reminiscent of Iron Man's classic comic book armor in the comics.

23. Iron Man in Manhattan

Iron Man Mark 85 Suit in Avengers Endgame

There's strong evidence that Avengers: Endgame is a time travel film, and as a result, this shot shouldn't be taken at face value. It's entirely possible Stark isn't flying over the New York of the present day at all; Marvel is known to have recreated the Battle of New York, so he could conceivably be in the past.

Page 3 of 6: The Avengers Assemble With Some New Faces & More Of Our Endgame Trailer Breakdown

22. Ronin In The Avengers Compound

Hawkeye has assumed a new identity in Avengers: Endgame - Ronin. In the Ultimate Comics, Clint Barton became the vigilante after the deaths of his family, and the first trailer hinted that's the case here as well; presumably, Clint's wife and children were victims of the snap. Thankfully, Black Widow is able to talk him into returning to the Avengers, and participating in the mission to stop Thanos, although he still has the scars - and a Ronin tattoo.

21. A Different Angle Of Thor, Captain Marvel & Stormbreaker

Captain Marvel's post-credits scene revealed that Carol Danvers headed straight to Earth after receiving Nick Fury's summons. It seems she settles down in the Avengers Compound, making it her home, as here she's quite relaxed. The second trailer for Avengers: Endgame featured another version of this scene from a different angle. It's possible this reflects the Russos simply trying out different angles on the same shot; alternatively, given Avengers: Endgame is likely a time travel film, this could be evidence for some sort of time loop (the former is more probable though).

20. Captain Marvel Meets Thor

Thor can't resist showing off to impress a lady; the God of Thunder summons Stormbreaker to his hand, just as he used to Mjolnir. Avengers: Infinity War did hint that Thor had the same kind of control over Stormbreaker that he previously enjoyed with Mjolnir; now we have him very comfortable with the weapon. Captain Marvel, for her part, doesn't even flinch in response to Stormbreaker, and simply gives a small smile. The first encounter between these two powerhouses has gone well.

19. Endgame's Avengers Team Together

Avengers team gathered together in Endgame

The Avengers: Endgame trailer shows the heroes getting ready to take the fight to Thanos. Notice that they're not wearing the team uniforms yet (although Rocket is wearing an outfit lifted straight from the comics, designed by Tim Green as part of a major Guardians of the Galaxy relaunch back in 2008). From left to right, there's Hawkeye, War Machine, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Nebula, Rocket, Ant-Man, and Black Widow. It's essentially the OG Avengers with a couple of additions from the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Two members of the team are missing: Captain Marvel and Thor. They're probably the ones the rest of the team are facing.

18. Tony & Steve Working Together

The troubled friendship between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark has been central to the first three phases of the MCU. When they last crossed paths, in Captain America: Civil War, they were practically trying to kill each other; as a result, fans are particularly invested in any reunion scene. The two were originally supposed to be reunited in Avengers: Infinity War, but Marvel found that the sheer emotion of the scene killed the momentum they were trying to build up, and the plot was changed.

The Avengers: Endgame trailer shows them back working together and presumably putting the past behind them, although what we're seeing here is not their reunion...

Page 4 of 6: Time Travel, The Avengers Go To Space & More Of Our Endgame Trailer Breakdown

17. Tony Stark's Blond Hair Backs Up Time Travel Theory

The first evidence something unexpected is going on in this Avengers: Endgame trailer scene is Tony's hair. In contrast to his typical MCU appearance, he's blond and has a more distinctly gelled hairstyle, one that has only been shown previously in Avengers: Endgame footage of him and the team dressed in their new outfits. These "Advanced Tech" uniforms are very similar to Quantum Realm survival suits, widely believed to be used to help Earth's Mightiest Heroes travel through time in a bid to stop Thanos.

The only other time we've seen this hairstyle is in set photos showing multiple heroes - including Iron Man, Ant-Man and Hulk - revisiting the Battle of New York. This is likely where (and when) this scene takes place. Although with that evidence, there's something more...

17. Captain America's Costume Is Probably CGI

It is possible this shot of Captain America and Iron Man has been digitally altered: if you look closely at Chris Evans' neck, the connection to the costume is unnatural. Further, he's wearing his Avengers: Infinity War outfit, which he's not been shown wearing in previous trailers.

Crucially, taking in the evidence that this sequence takes place during the Avengers' return to the Battle of New York, we'd expect Steve to be wearing something different: in those set photos, Chris Evans was wearing Captain America's uniform from The Avengers. It's possible Marvel may have digitally altered this scene in order to conceal further evidence of time travel. If that's the case, we may be seeing an older Tony Stark greeting Steve Rogers, attempting to guide him as part of a plan to stop Thanos.

15. The Avengers' Earpieces

Regardless of when this Steve Rogers is from, he has an important piece of MCU kit: an earpiece. In The Avengers, the team communicated city blocks apart despite having no sign of tech to do it. This slight detail would suggest Avengers: Endgame directors the Russo brothers are endeavoring to fix some common fan criticisms.

14. The Avengers Take The Benatar To Thanos

Tony Stark hasn't just arrived on Earth to be reunited with his friends; he's brought the Avengers a spaceship, the Benatar, which means they can go on the offensive. Endgame footage shown at a Disney shareholder meeting featured a scene in which the Avengers discussed how to find Thanos, with Nebula revealing where the Mad Titan had always hoped to retire after achieving his insane goal. Armed with that knowledge, the Avengers head off to a fateful confrontation with Thanos.

13. The Avengers In the Cockpit

It makes sense that Captain Marvel is piloting the Benatar; for all Rocket likes to believe he's a great pilot, Carol Danvers is surely a better one. Meanwhile, notice in the background that the Avengers are all still wearing their own individual costumes, rather than the white team uniforms that have been shown in previous trailers and tie-in merchandise.

12. Captain Marvel's Endgame Suit

Captain Marvel New Costume in Avengers Endgame

The Avengers: Endgame trailer briefly gives a proper look at Captain Marvel's new suit. It's similar to the one she wore in Captain Marvel, but with a deeper color, larger shoulder-pads, longer Kree star and a belt certainly doesn't hang the same. This was really the first costume Marvel designed for the character, given Brie Larson shot her Avengers: Endgame scenes before filming her solo movie.

Page 5 of 6: Individual Avengers Stories & More Of Our Endgame Trailer Breakdown

11. Peter Parker Is Tony's Motivation

Spider-Man may officially be dead, but Marvel's still found a way to slip him into their marketing for Avengers: Endgame. The death of Peter Parker was one of the most haunting moments in Avengers: Infinity War, all the more impressive because it was an improvised performance from Tom Holland. Stark had become something of a father-figure to the MCU's version of Spider-Man, and in this shot he looks at a photo of the kid and grieves.

10. "You Could Not Live With Your Own Failure"

Suffice to say Thanos is not impressed to find the Avengers looking for him. In his view, they're haunted by the fact they came so close to defeating him, and yet they failed. Where the rest of the universe can be expected to move on, they are unable to do so, and thus they pursue him. As he menacingly delivers, "you could not live with your own failure. What did that bring you? Back to me." The line of dialogue has sinister implications, of course; in looking for Thanos, they're racing towards death, a powerful and implacable foe who the Avengers probably couldn't beat if they were operating at full strength.

9. Sanctuary II

The Avengers' quest for Thanos seems to lead them to Sanctuary II, his mobile headquarters as previously seen in Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War. It's best described by concept artist Roberto Castro in The Art of Avengers: Infinity War:

"Sanctuary II is Thanos' spaceship. So Charlie [Wood] and the Russos wanted to show Thanos' personality and power in the design. They wanted something between a sanctuary and a warship, so the challenge was to find that balance between both worlds - something aggressive but sophisticated. It's a huge flying fortress and a refined high-end flagship. Also, they did not want traditional technology for it. We stayed away from the traditional metal plating and tried to create a new surface for it. It looks like something made in ancient times, like a flying piece of jewelry."

8. Nebula and War Machine

In the comics, part of the fun with any team-up is seeing how unusual partnerships work out. In the case of Avengers: Endgame, many of these involve Nebula. As well as helping Tony Stark return to Earth, this shot clearly shows her and War Machine sharing a moment on the Benatar. Notice that Rhodey is still wearing the War Machine Mark 4 armor he wore in Avengers: Infinity War. Tie-in merchandise has already confirmed that he'll be getting another version later on in the film.

7. Thor & Rocket In A Mysterious Location

The Avengers: Endgame trailer includes two shots of Thor and Rocket in mysterious locations. These may both be part of the Durham Cathedral shoot from 2017, which involved a number of Asgardian characters such as Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie. Notice that Thor is in the team uniform, suggesting this is after the confrontation with Thanos and later in the film.

Interestingly, while they were filming at Durham Cathedral the Russos shared a set photo featuring Mjolnir. Thor's enchanted hammer was destroyed in Thor: Ragnarok; that set photo is thus one more piece of evidence supporting the idea that Avengers: Endgame involves time travel, with Thor traveling back to before the destruction of Asgard.

6. Captain America Is A ProperAvenger Again

This latest Avengers: Endgame trailer shows Steve Rogers wearing his new Captain America uniform, with scaled armor just like in the comics. Most excitingly, there are distinctive "A" logos on the shoulder-pads, confirming that Captain America is taking up the proper title of Avenger again.

When exactly this fight that's left him beaten takes place is unclear, but given everything we've seen it likely has something to do with Thanos...

Page 6 of 6: Thanos Arrives In The Final Part Of Our Avengers: Endgame Trailer Breakdown

5. Thanos Arrives In Avengers: Endgame's Marketing

The Avengers: Endgame trailers ends on a dramatic note, promising the ultimate rematch between Thanos and the Avengers. This time around, the Mad Titan cuts a far more impressive figure, wearing his armor to battle. This is actually quite significant; in Avengers: Infinity War, he didn't bother with it, reflecting his dominance as he gathered the Infinity Stones. He wouldn't be wearing this armor if he didn't believe himself to be a lot more vulnerable.

4. Thanos Can Still Use The Infinity Gauntlet

That vulnerability may be the fact that the snap involved a phenomenal release of energy, badly scarring Thanos and even damaging the Infinity Gauntlet. As Joe Russo noted on the Avengers: Infinity War audio commentary, "See there, with his Gauntlet and the arm, the power that it takes to use all six Stones is significant, and clearly damaged the Gauntlet and damaged Thanos permanently." And yet, for all he may be weakened, Thanos is still able to use the Infinity Gauntlet. He arrives in a flare of blue Tesseract energy, confirming he's teleported using the Space Stone.

3. Iron Man - Against A Backdrop Of Destruction

The Avengers: Endgame trailer shows a brief shot of Tony Stark stood before a scene of utter destruction. This is a very curious scene, particularly given the architecture looks to be human; tie-in merchandise has teased that Thanos and his Outriders will launch an attack upon the Avengers Compound.

That suggests the battle between the Avengers and Thanos will ultimately come to Earth, with Tony Stark donning the Mark 85 - surely his most powerful armor yet - in order to take on the Mad Titan.

2. The Avengers Trinity Face Thanos

Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man approach Thanos in The Avengers: Endgame

It all comes down to this: Marvel's own Trinity - Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor - face off against Thanos. These three heroes have stood at the center of the Infinity Saga, stars of their own trilogies. More ominously, all three actors' contracts are believed to be coming to a close, which means viewers are concerned any one could pay the ultimate price to stop Thanos. The Avengers: Endgame trailer will leave the fans a lot more tense because of this shot.

1. Thanos' Sword

The Avengers: Endgame trailer features a first glimpse of Thanos' new weapon, a double-bladed sword that's previously only been seen in tie-in merchandise. Again, the fact that Thanos feels he needs another weapon may well signify that he's a bit more vulnerable as a result of the snap.