Joe and Anthony Russo, directors of Avengers: Infinity War, have revealed the fate of some of Marvel's most popular secondary characters. While the final scenes of Infinity War focused in on the heroes we know and love, in reality the consequences of Thanos's finger-snap played out across the universe. Half the life in the cosmos was wiped out in an instant, an unprecedented act of genocide.

On Earth, that means countless characters viewers have come to know and love have potentially faded from existence. That fact was teased by Infinity War's post-credits scene, which showed even Nick Fury and Maria Hill weren't spared. Fortunately for Earth, Fury had time to send a quick Mayday to Captain Marvel, who's sure to play a major role in Avengers 4.

But who else survived the finger-snap? Huffington Post had an opportunity to speak to the Russo brothers, and they named a few key secondary characters. The Russos actually responded, giving an idea of who was left to deal with this horrific twist of fate.

Liv Tyler as Betty Ross from The Incredible Hulk

First up, Liv Tyler's Betty Ross is dead, a victim of the finger-snap. "Gone," Joe Russo told the Post. Tyler was introduced playing opposite Edward Norton's Bruce Banner in 2008's The Incredible Hulk. Betty Ross was introduced as the love of Banner's life, but hasn't actually been seen in the MCU since. There were rumors last year that Tyler may reprise her role in either Infinity War or Avengers 4; UK newspapers reported she was in the country while Marvel was filming, although it actually turned out she was working on another production. Given that there's not really a place for Betty Ross in the modern-day MCU, it's no surprise the Russos have written her out as dead. Perhaps the more interesting question is whether her father, General "Thunderbolt" Ross, survived; as Secretary of State in charge of implementing the Sokovia Accords, there's bad blood between Ross and Captain America.

Sadly, it seems Jaimie Alexander's popular Lady Sif is also dead. Alexander's schedule was unable to accommodate filming of Thor: Ragnarok, which probably prevented her character being killed by Hela. Most fans have assumed Sif simply wasn't on Asgard at the time of Hela's arrival, and instead was on a mission of some kind. Sadly, it seems Sif's absence from Ragnarok was only a matter of delaying the inevitable.

One secondary character who survived, though, is Marisa Tomei's popular Aunt May. The youngest version of Aunt May ever to be seen on the big screen, Tomei was introduced in Captain America: Civil War, and played a major role in last year's Spider-Man: Homecoming. That film ended with May discovering that Peter was Spider-Man, although the consequences of that decision have yet to be seen. No doubt the disappearance / death of her beloved nephew will have shaken May to the core. The Russos avoided spilling the beans on a number of other characters, including Korg, Miek, Shuri and Ned Leeds. In each case, it's probably because the character plays some sort of minor role in Avengers 4, so these four have most likely survived as well.

More: Infinity War Directors Answer The Fans' 18 Biggest Questions

Source: Huffington Post

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