With the release of Avengers: Endgame practically right around the corner, there’s a lot to remember. We’re not 100 percent sure what’s going to happen, but we have theories, and even they’re a lot to process. But the most important thing we definitely need to know before Endgame is where everyone ended up when we left them in Avengers: Infinity War as well as the events that are leading up to this monumental event.
I know this is going to hurt, but be strong, guys. Let’s take this painful trip down memory lane together and go over where the long road to Avengers: Endgame.
Last Time, On Avengers
The MCU began all the way back in 2008, so you may have forgotten what’s happened up until now. All you really need to know is that Thanos successfully wiped out half the universe after collecting all six Infinity Stones. He said he did it for the good of all life, as a way to ensure prosperity across the universe.
After Tony Stark’s introduction, Marvel spends Phase 1 introducing the founding members of the MCU, including Bruce Banner/Hulk, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Thor, and Steve Rogers/Captain America. In 2012, the Avengers team up to take on Loki and a Chitauri invasion of New York. They eat shawarma and call it a day.
In Phase 2, the Infinity Stones start to become a more important part of the narrative. The Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man make their debut, giving Marvel the chance to explore the complexity of the Quantum Realm.
Then, in a mid-credits scene from Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thanos wields an Infinity Gauntlet and vows to personally collect the Infinity Stones, rather than hiring others to do the work for him.
Phase 3 is easily Marvel’s most important phase, because it features the most drama, action, and destruction. In Captain America: Civil War, the Avengers become divided over the Sokovia accords, a document that would have given a panel power to control the team. It’s this movie we’re introduced to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.
Marvel then introduces Doctor Strange and Black Panther, before we finally get to Avengers: Infinity War, where Thanos successfully collects the Infinity Stones and wipes out half the universe. Some of the MCU’s biggest characters died, including Spider-Man, Peter Quill, and Black Panther, to name a few.
The Players
Not everyone perished from Thanos’s snap. In fact, quite a few Avengers survived. Here’s a list of who will still be alive when Avengers: Endgame hits theaters.
- Black Widow
- Captain America
- Ant-Man
- Hawkeye
- Hulk
- M’Baku
- Rocket Raccoon
- Nebula
- War Machine
- Pepper Potts
- Wong
- Happy Hogan
- Iron Man
- Okoye
- Thor
- Valkyrie
- Captain Marvel
Theories & Plot
At this point, very little is know about Avengers: Endgame. About all we do know is that the Avengers have some sort of plan. But what is it?
Over the past several months, there have been numerous theories about how Avengers: Endgame will unfold, from speculation about a cosmic threat to traveling through the Quantum Realm. The thing is, we have no clue what’s going to happen.
Based on what we learned in the trailer, we know that whatever Scott Lang has to say to the Avengers, it’s very important. Remember, right before Lang went into the Quantum Realm at the end of Ant-Man and the Wasp, Janet Van Dyne warned him to stay away from time vortexes.
We’re not sure how Lang was able to escape the Quantum Realm, but Van Dyne’s line about time vortexes is likely very important.
Many rumors about Avengers: Endgame claim the remaining Avengers will go back in time and attempt to collect the Infinity Stones before Thanos does. Whether they’re successful remains to be seen, but you can bet characters like Spider-Man and Black Panther won’t stay dead.
Not to mention Captain Marvel has yet to join the fray. The hero will make her long awaited debut in Captain Marvel in March, before becoming a more important part of the wider MCU. Why else would Nick Fury have paged her at the end of Avengers: Infinity War?
Avengers: Endgame is set to hit theaters on April 26, 2019. The official runtime is three hours and two minutes, making it the longest Marvel movie yet.
