Warning: SPOILERS ahead for Avengers: Infinity War!

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Even though Thanos is by far the most powerful being Earth's Mightiest Heroes have taken on over the 18 films leading up to Avengers: Infinity War, not all of the characters who have played integral roles in adventures past make an appearance in the new film. By the time the credits roll, audiences will be ready to see some more familiar faces (and a few new ones) join the fray.

Despite the Avengers' best efforts, Thanos' iconic finger snap ” as in the comics ” wipes out half of all life throughout every corner of the universe. In a matter of moments, audiences witness the disintegration of beloved heroes like Star-Lord, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Groot and even Spider-Man. And then there are the major deaths that occur earlier in the film, most notably Loki, Gamora and Vision.

Aside from the six original Avengers, the only characters that audiences know for certain are left to challenge Thanos in Avengers 4 are Nebula, War Machine, Rocket (the last surviving member of the Guardians of the Galaxy) and Wakandan warriors Okoye and M'Baku. With many of the most powerful among them ” such as Doctor Strange, Vision and Scarlet Witch ” gone, the Avengers will have to take drastic action if they're hoping to wrest the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos.

  • This Page: Avengers Who Will Join the Cause in Avengers 4

Avengers Joining the Cause in Avengers 4

Of course, the surviving members of the Avengers in Infinity War aren't going to be enough to defeat the Mad Titan. Because so many heroes fell in the film's closing moments, it stands to reason that every hero who has ever appeared in the MCU is fair game to join Earth's Mightiest Heroes this time around. After all, there's the matter of that "every character" scene that probably takes place in the climax of Avengers 4. For example, we know for sure that Tony Stark will have Happy Hogan by his side once again.

Most notably absent from Infinity War, of course, is Hawkeye, who is name-checked alongside Ant-Man as having taken a deal with the U.S. government following the Sokovia Accords. When we see Clint Barton again, he will be taking the guise of Ronin (no, not Ronan the Accuser) - a darker and more violent alter-ego that likely stems from the death of the Barton family after Thanos' finger snap. That would certainly be enough for Hawkeye to veer onto a more militant path and give him a personal vendetta against Thanos.

Of course, we can also expect Ant-Man and the Wasp to show up in Avengers 4. Until we see what they're up to in the aptly titled Ant-Man and the Wasp, it's anyone's guess how they survived the cataclysmic events of Infinity War. Perhaps they protected by being in the quantum realm, as has been rumored. We know that their adventure deals with the consequences of Scott Lang's actions in Captain America: Civil War. Maybe Scott and Hope are simply spared by the Infinity Gauntlet but those they care about aren't so lucky. Much like Clint.

Then, of course, we have Captain Marvel, whose appearance in Avengers 4 is teased during Infinity War's post-credits scene. This brief glimpse of Carol Danvers' logo also hints at the relationship she has with Nick Fury, a bond the upcoming Captain Marvel film is expected to delve into as it explores her origins and the Kree/Skrull war. We don't yet know where Captain Marvel is when Nick Fury sends out that distress signal, but we're definitely curious about how the MCU will address her absence all this time.

Who Else Is Out There?

Although Hawkeye, Ant-Man, Wasp and Captain Marvel are the most obvious new additions popping up in Avengers 4, the film represents the MCU's last chance to bring other popular characters into the battle against Thanos. Fans are already wondering where Valkyrie was during Infinity War, for instance. The character was last seen assisting Thor on Asgard in Thor: Ragnarok, though she is nowhere to be seen in the mid-credits scene that heralds Thanos' arrival. So there's a chance she (and Korg, we hope!) escaped his grasp.

There are also a ton of MCU supporting players whose fate at the end of Infinity War is unknown. Folks like Pepper Potts, Erik Selvig, Everett Ross, Wong, Nakia, W'Kabi, Shuri, Sharon Carter, Kraglin or Stakar Ogord may or may not have survived Thanos' wrath. Although characters like Letitia Wright's Shuri and Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper are expected to appear, the fact that Avengers 4 may center on time travel complicates our ability to guess when and how they'll appear.

Any of the above long-standing members of the MCU would certainly be more than willing to contribute to the Avengers' quest for, well, avenging the death of half the universe. We could even see Thor reaching out to allies like Jane Foster or Lady Sif ” neither of whom has been seen since Thor: The Dark World ” for help. The beauty in Avengers 4 as a finale of everything that's come before is that literally anything can happen.

As a last-ditch effort, the Avengers might even dare to reach out to some former adversaries. Truly, Thanos' successful bid for godlike power isn't something they wanted either. The skill sets, power levels or resources of people like Justin Hammer, The Grandmaster, The Collector, Helmut Zemo, Karl Mordo and Abomination could prove useful, and if Red Skull's surprise appearance in Infinity War taught us anything, it's that Marvel isn't afraid to dip into the archives.

Considering that our heroes reach out to some of the oldest, most powerful cosmic beings in the universe to defeat Thanos in the comics, there's even precedence for Wong to pay a visit to Dormammu or for Thor to unleash Surtur. If ever there was an opportunity for The Watchers to play a key role in the MCU, it's now. Come on, Marvel. Don't let us down.

The Ultimate Assembly of Avengers

The Avengers together and looking up among the wreck in 2012's The Avengers.

One of the most interesting aspects of the line-up that survives Infinity War is that the entire six-person team from The Avengers is among those engaged in the last stand in Wakanda when the finger snap goes down (though Hawkeye's fate isn't technically confirmed). As the 22nd film in the franchise and the final installment of Phase Three, Avengers 4 looks to make a bold statement about taking everything full circle.

By the looks of it, Avengers 4 will not only feature the original Avengers line-up leading the way to victory against Thanos but will involve revisiting key events and time periods from throughout the MCU's history. Although it's unclear at this point how the story of Avengers 4 fits together, a recruitment of sorts is almost guaranteed to take place early on, as Earth's Mightiest Heroes devise a way to undo Thanos' terrible deed.

Next: What We Know About The Plot Of Avengers 4

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