Avengers: Infinity War is the 10-year anniversary of the MCU, uniting all Marvel's heroes against a terrifying threat. Thanos is coming to Earth, and he has only one objective: to unite the six Infinity Stones into the unlimited power of the Infinity Gauntlet. Should Thanos achieve his goal, he'll be able to use the Infinity Gauntlet to wipe out half the life in the universe. The stakes have never been higher, and it's not clear that the Avengers can actually triumph. Even if they do, there will be a terrible price to pay.

The trailers and TV spots have already confirmed that Thanos will acquire at least four of the Infinity Stones. In an interview with Screen Rant, screenwriter Stephen McFeely promised that each time Thanos acquires an Infinity Stone, there'll be a terrible price to pay. "It can't just be a check mark," he insisted. "We're going to wrench some emotion out of each and every one of those moments..." If that comment is anything to go by, at least four characters are going to suffer terribly - and possibly even die. Critics have often complained that character deaths don't tend to be permanent in Marvel movies, but Kevin Feige has warned that may change in Infinity War. "People need to be careful what they wish for," he cautioned.

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But as much as audiences are primed to expect major character deaths, the reality is that almost all the actors are confirmed to appear in Avengers 4. It's true that Avengers 4 appears to be a time-travel film, which may neatly explain how a hero who's been killed could actually return for the sequel. Still, it does mean that characters who die in Infinity War won't be written out for long. We're only a small step away from one of Marvel's traditional fake-out deaths.

  • This Page: Which Heroes Are Rumored to Die?

Which Heroes Are Rumored to Die?

Iron Man and Captain America in The Avengers

Of course, any character who's associated with an Infinity Stone is in grave danger. On Earth, that means both Vision and Doctor Strange are Thanos's primary targets. It's no coincidence that trailers and TV spots have shown both Avengers in agony. Vision has been shown pinned to the ground, with Corvus Glaive attempting to pry the Mind Stone from his forehead. Doctor Strange, for his part, seems to fall into the clutches of Ebony Maw. He's been shown in a torture scene that's lifted straight from the comics. In truth, though, both characters seem relatively safe. The attack upon Vision seems to be part of the movie's first act, and in scenes from the third act he's still bonded with the Mind Stone. Meanwhile, although Benedict Cumberbatch has refused to guarantee Strange's survival, the reality is that Phase 4 is still expected to feature a Doctor Strange sequel.

Moving on from those who bear the Infinity Stones, fans are particularly concerned about the original Avengers. Chris Evans has confirmed that Avengers 4 will be his final Marvel movie, meaning Steve Rogers is bowing out of the MCU for good. Significantly, any set photos from Avengers 4 have shown Evans in his classic costume from The Avengers. It's entirely possible Steve Rogers will die in Infinity War, and that a past version of Rogers appears in the fourth Avengers movie. Of all the original Avengers, Cap seems to be the most at-risk.

The other most likely casualty is Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, another actor who's believed to be coming to the end of his time with Marvel. Stark's entire character arc has been building up to Thanos's invasion. Ever since The Avengers, Stark has believed the entire world is at risk of alien invasion. Everything he's done - from Ultron to the Sokovia Accords - has been a desperate attempt to create a defense. The Avengers: Infinity War Prelude revealed that, in the aftermath of Civil War, Stark has focused in on this idea with a laser-like intensity. He believes everything else has been nothing more than a distraction, and his life only has one goal; to save the Earth from the impending threat. His arc has been building towards Infinity War, and it's difficult to see where it goes from here. And yet, in Iron Man's case, set photos appear to have shown an older Stark with a mysterious device on his arm. He appears to be one of the Avengers who travels in time.

RELATED: Avengers Theory: Infinity War secretly features multiple timelines

Who Will Probably Die In Infinity War?

That doesn't mean Infinity War will be casualty-free, of course. As McFeely's quote indicates, every time Thanos captures an Infinity Stone, there'll be a cost. Thanos is known to acquire the Space Stone, the Power Stone, the Reality Stone, and the Soul Stone. Each time, there will be a cost.

The post-credits scene of Thor: Ragnarok saw the last Asgardian refugees confronted by Thanos's vessel, the Sanctuary II. It's hardly a secret what he wants; Thanos knows that Loki has the Space Stone, and he wants to acquire it. Trailers and TV spots have made clear that Thanos and his Black Order will cut a bloody swathe through the survivors of Asgard, until Loki is forced to present the Tesseract to him. It's unlikely Loki will survive this encounter, and Heimdall's fate seems to be sealed as well. Infinity War merchandise has teased that Heimdall's sword will be passed on to Thor himself. Asgardians tend to be fairly proprietary about their weapons, so it looks as though Heimdall will die.

The Power Stone and the Reality Stone aren't on Earth. The Reality Stone is currently kept in the care of the Collector, while the Nova Corps have the Power Stone under heavy guard. The Collector is a secondary character, and he's unlikely to survive becoming the subject of Thanos's attention. Meanwhile, acquiring the Power Stone will probably involve Thanos wreaking havoc on Xandar, demonstrating his terrible power by ravaging an entire world.

The mystery, though, is the Soul Stone. The final Infinity Stone's location is a closely guarded secret, but it's now known Thanos will successfully obtain it. One Soul Stone theory is that, in order to do so, Thanos must sacrifice someone he loves. The Infinity War trailers have emphasized the relationship between Thanos and his adopted daughter Gamora, right down to a flashback scene in which Thanos holds the young Gamora's hand. That may actually be setting Gamora up to be the sacrifice. If she is, though, it wouldn't actually be difficult to bring Gamora back in Avengers 4. In the comics, sacrifices to the Soul Stone are consumed by it, and find themselves trapped within the "Soul World," a realm contained within the Soul Stone. It's actually possible to escape the Soul World, which would allow Gamora to be resurrected in Avengers 4.

RELATED: Where the Infinity Stones are at the start of Avengers 3

Who Do We Already Know Is Back In Avengers 4?

Infinity War may well feature some high-profile deaths, but the reality is that a lot of characters are confirmed to return in Avengers 4. Here are the heroes we know of to date:

  • Both Wasp and Captain Marvel will debut in their own films after Infinity War, and then appear in Avengers 4
  • All the original Avengers have been seen on set, although it's possible some of them appear through time-travel
  • Winter Soldier, Falcon, War Machine, Ant-Man, Black Panther and Spider-Man have all been confirmed, many through set photos
  • Of the Guardians of the Galaxy, only Drax, Star-Lord, and Groot have actually been confirmed

Even if some of these characters do return through time-travel, that still means their deaths will be temporary, and their MCU stories won't truly be over until Avengers 4. The fourth Avengers movie is really the film where audiences can expect to say their goodbyes to some of their favorite heroes; Infinity War is simply a crucial step on the journey to that fateful moment.

There's a strange sense in which the hype for Infinity War risks damaging the film. Everybody has their own idea about what will happen in the movie; so many viewers are going in expecting certain character arcs to come to a close, anticipating much-loved superheroes being killed by Thanos and his Black Order. The reality, though, is that the story seems to be a little bit different. Even if some of these heroes do pay the ultimate price for taking on Thanos, that doesn't mean Infinity War will be their final appearance. With time-travel in play, even dead heroes could still return for a final act of heroism.

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