Avengers: Infinity War Killed The Right Avengers

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for Avengers: Infinity War

After months of endless debates about who's going to live and die in Avengers: Infinity War, fans now know who's gone and who's left, and at the and of the day, Infinity War killed off all the right Avengers. While there are several individual deaths peppered throughout the movie, the biggest surprise seeing half the characters simultaneously wiped out following Thanos'"snap," most of whom were second-generation MCU heroes.

Due to its catastrophic nature, multiple deaths were expected from Infinity War, although most theories zeroed in on the foundational heroes such as Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America as the ones most likely biting the bullet. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo totally flipped the table by letting all of original Avengers live, alongside a handful of supporting heroes that would lend a helping hand in finding a way to rectify the situation in next year's Avengers 4. So why? Here are the reasons.

This Page: The Original Avengers Reunite

The Original Avengers Reunite

Iron Man, Hulk, Cap, Thor, and Black Widow corner Loki with Hawkeye pointing his arrow in The Avengers

Joss Whedon's The Avengers from 2012 was the first big culmination of the MCU, assembling the founding Avengers group. Since the huge battle of New York, which is Thanos' first attempt to take over Earth, Tony Stark/Iron Man, Thor, Steve Rogers/Captain America, Bruce Banner/Hulk, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow and Clint Barton/Hawkeye have gone on several other missions. Two years later, the team added new members in Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Sam Wilson/Falcon, James Rhodes/War Machine, and The Vision to their growing roster of heroes. But as much as it's exciting to see the franchise continuously expanding, it's been four years since the principal heroes all came together to fight a common threat, and it's high time that the old school crew reconvenes.

For the most part, Infinity War kept the original Avengers separated. Iron Man was in space with Spider-Man and Doctor Strange; Cap and Black Widow reunited with Bruce Banner and went to Wakanda; Thor was with Rocket and Groot creating his new weapon, the Stormbreaker; while Clint was under house arrest due to the events of Captain America: Civil War. Despite a lot of memorable scenes in the film, arguably one of its biggest moments were seeing old friends reuniting: Stark catching Banner up about what happened in the last few years since he went off to space, as well as Thor suddenly showing up in the middle of the climactic battle and having short banter with Rogers - still there was no huge reunion for the six.

This only invigorated fans' wanting to see all of them together - a clever set-up for their imminent re-assembly in Avengers 4. Infinity War's ending paved the way for that by clearing the deck of heroes, leaving only a handful of supporting players and the original Avengers. This allows the story to focus on the core group without being burdened by the need to feature their newest counterparts.

Infinity War Kills Characters We Know Are Coming Back

Speaking of new counterparts, the decision to wipe out all second-age MCU heroes (Star-Lord, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, Drax, Mantis, Falcon, Bucky, Groot, Scarlet Witch and Black Panther) has both confused and frustrated a lot of people. At first, it didn't seem logical considering that majority of the killed characters are either confirmed for future films past Avengers 4 or were being built-up to become the premier players in the next stage of the franchise. Others, meanwhile argue that because it's a given that they will eventually return, it undermines the impact of their deaths.

However, unlike Thanos claiming the obliteration of half of the universe is randomized, there's actually logic behind Marvel Studios decision to kill the heroes they chose. Thinning the massive cast for Avengers 4 now allows for more plot in the forthcoming film. Infinity War's storyline was pretty straightforward due to the movie needing to cater to a lot of key players resulting in less time tackle a complicated plotline. This means that the still-untitled flick can execute a more complex storyline that needs more time to develop without risking the possibility of it being super rushed.

Why The Core Team Is Needed For Avengers 4

Steve Rogers and Tony Stark come face to face in Captain America Civil War

One major gripe that many old school Star Wars fans have with the current trilogy is it doesn't reunite the three legacy characters: Luke, Leia, and Han. While both Han and Luke had epic deaths, it would've been great to see all of them together one last time before they met their respective ends. While the MCU is so much younger than the space opera, their 10th year anniversary evokes nostalgia for fans, especially considering their investment on these characters. Bringing together the original Avengers (and their actor counterparts) for one last hurrah before some of them leave the MCU for good might be fan-service, but it's an effective way of making Avengers 4 more emotional.

Currently, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans will all be done with their contracts after next year's Avengers 4, and so are Scarlett Johannson and Jeremy Renner, while Mark Ruffalo's may also be coming to an end. Of course, there's always chance that some of them could re-negotiate a brand new agreement, but it's unlikely that all of them will be back for more films, and even less likely they'll be on screen together at the same time again.

Given this, Marvel and the Russo Brothers bank on Avengers 4 to craft a proper send-off to some (or all) of these veterans, one way or another. Captain America, in particular, is expected to play a major part in the next ensemble chapter especially since he's mostly cast to the side in Infinity War. It's also safe to say that with no Steve Rogers and Tony Stark reconciliation in Avengers 3 - it will be something that is needed to be resolved next year, serving as a strong thematic backing to the re-assembly of the Avengers.

Avengers 4 Will Pass The Torch

Infinity War's ending is very much a set-up for MCU's changing of the guards come Avengers 4. While writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely insist that all deaths in the films are permanent, it's difficult to believe that up and coming faces of the franchise like Tom Holland's Spider-Man and Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther won't even get to flesh out their characters. It doesn't make sense in the grand scheme of things as it would cancel out the world building that the MCU has done in Phase 2 and 3. Chances are that there will be some sort of situation flip where the original Avengers find a way to rectify the predicament and revive their contemporaries, but it's not going to be without some sacrifices from the principal heroes to preserve the integrity of the two-parter.

In hindsight, it's a more poetic way of passing on the mantle rather than just seeing the older cast die the conventional heroic way - leaving the new ones to move on with their lives. If Tony Stark decides to give up his life to resurrect Peter Parker because the younger hero can do so much more, or Steve Rogers sacrifices himself to give Bucky, now known as the White Wolf, another chance at life to make amends for all the sins he's done while under the thumb of HYDRA, their deaths would be forever part of the surviving heroes respective arcs, providing them the motivation and inspiration to do the best they could considering what other people had to give up to allow them to continue living. In the bigger MCU picture, this is also a great way to give the imminent major deaths have an impact beyond Avengers 4 as these heroes will somehow continue to live via their counterparts.

However the Russos and writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely decided to wrap-up the MCU's 22-film arc, it'll be interesting to see how it launches the up and coming new Avengers. While Avengers: Infinity War and Avenger 4 are being marketed as the "end" for the franchise, the film series will continue past Phase 3 with several projects already on the docket. What's curious to know is how the events of these two epic blockbusters will forever change the MCU's long-established status quo.