Who's Alive At The End Of Avengers: Infinity War?

Warning! MAJOR SPOILERS for Avengers: Infinity War ahead!

The death toll of Avengers: Infinity War is catastrophic, for both the Avengers and the universe - so much so the biggest question coming out of the film isn't "who died?" rather "who's still alive?".

Ahead of Infinity War's release, there was heavy speculation that characters who've been in the MCU the longest would perish; a fitting and heroic sendoff that would clear the way for a new generation of Avengers to take center stage. But once Thanos collects each of the Infinity Stones and snaps his fingers, causing half the universe's population to crumble and fade away, those left standing are some of the least expected to survive Infinity War.

Read on for which MCU characters survived Thanos' universe-wide genocide as well as those we aren't sure (but are certainly hoping) made it out alive.

Who Survived Avengers: Infinity War

Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark in Avengers Infinity War

Going into Avengers: Infinity War, there were two characters who topped practically everyone's 'most likely to die' list - Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans). Both are original Avengers, both have had long and substantive arcs within the MCU, and the death of either one would give Infinity War the devastating impact fans expect from an event movie. But in a shocking twist - both Tony and Steve survive. They are also both left to grieve for the teammates they've lost, guaranteeing that both will be suffering from a major case of survivor's guilt come the as-of-yet untitled Avengers 4.

Alongside Tony, the only other survivor from their failed ambush of Thanos on Titan is Nebula (Karen Gillen) and isn't that going to make for an awkward trip home. Back on Earth in Wakanda, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Rocket (Bradley Cooper, Sean Gunn) survive, so there's hope their budding friendship will continue. Otherwise, those left standing with Cap once the dust settles is a skeleton crew at best: Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson), James "Rhodey" Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle), Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and M'Baku (Winston Duke).

No corner of the MCU comes through Infinity War unscathed. Thanos wins - and lives - while the Avengers lose in just about every way imaginable.

Who (Maybe) Lived After Thanos' Finger Snap

Infinity War makes an effort to show us which characters survive Thanos' genocide and which do not, but there are still prominent MCU characters whose fates remain unknown. Just within the film itself, there are characters who we don't know if they live or die; namely Shuri (Letitia Wright), Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), and Wong (Benedict Wong).

Looking beyond Infinity War, there are other characters whose fates are questionable. Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), for instance, was notably absent from the film, and while there's an explanation given it's never revealed whether or not he and his family survive the purging of half the universe. The same can be said of Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Hope Pym/The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). It's true their film, Ant-Man And The Wasp, releases next but it's set before the events of Infinity War, so it's no guarantee that any of them are still alive.

Lastly, the Avengers: Infinity War post-credit scene alludes to another of the MCU's upcoming films - Captain Marvel - in which Brie Larson's Carol Danvers will officially debut. That film is also set prior to Infinity War, so it also doesn't guarantee Carol survives Thanos' finger snap. But then, it'd be awfully cruel for it to be revealed there's no one there to answer Nick Fury's distress call. The MCU has certainly raised the stakes with Avengers: Infinity War, but it hasn't become that bleak.