Article contributed by Isabella Haberstock
Avengers: Endgame is only two months away, and the recent release of the trailer has caused a lot of speculation on what exactly is going to happen. The Russo brothers, who are directing the film, have already confirmed that this movie will be the last time we see all of our favourite heroes together and that many of them will not survive. We have known these heroes and watched their adventures on the big screen for the past ten years, but every good story has to end. So, without further ado, here is what we know so far about Avengers: Endgame.
The Trailer
The official first trailer for Endgame came out in the beginning of December. While this trailer isn’t very promising for anyone looking for a happy ending to this movie, and where fans were hoping to gain some clarity on what will happen in Endgame, they were left with even more questions.
The trailer opens with Tony stranded in space with no food or water and low oxygen levels. This pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the trailer (but hopefully not the whole movie). The rest of the trailer only shows glimpses of the remaining heroes, and there are a few seconds where Thanos’s armour and gauntlet are seen. Aside from confirming who is still alive and will appear in the movie, these scenes don’t really offer much as to what the movie will be about. It’s safe to assume that the remaining heroes will try to reverse Thanos’s fatal snap in some way and (hopefully) bring back everyone who died, but Marvel made sure that this trailer gave away as little as possible. While this trailer did not provide a lot of information, it has built up a lot of anticipation for this movie, and many fan-made theories have been circulating the Internet.
The Theories
The first theory is very popular among Marvel fans, and it involves the creation of a time loop. In Doctor Strange, the villain was defeated by using the Time Stone to create a constant cycle of events which resets every time Doctor Strange is killed. In Infinity War, Thanos used the Time Stone to turn back time and secure the Mind Stone, and fans have theorised that he may have unintentionally created a time loop. The outcome of this is that in the event that Thanos is killed, the universe would revert back to when Thanos first used the Time Stone. This means that all of the characters would be in the same state that they were before the infamous snap, and they would have another chance to defeat Thanos.
This theory also ties into why Doctor Strange willingly handed over the Time Stone when he had previously sworn to protect it at all costs. In Infinity War, Doctor Strange uses the Time Stone to see all future possibilities of their battle with Thanos. He said that there was only one course of events where Thanos would be defeated, so it’s safe to assume that all his actions from that point on were done to purposefully bring about that timeline. Strange has extensive knowledge about time loops, having created one himself, so he may have seen a future where Thanos used the Time Stone and accidentally made a time loop. This theory is very strong because there are no huge plot holes or contradictory evidence. It would also be interesting to see how Thanos reacts to reliving the same events, especially considering the fact that he was already doubting his decisions at the end of Infinity War.
The next theory involves travelling through time using the Time Stone. This theory mainly comes from pictures from the set of Endgame that look like scenes from the first Avengers movie. This strongly implies that some of the Avengers will travel back in time to stop Thanos’s first attempt at invading Earth. Time travel could also be utilised to destroy all the Infinity Stones before Thanos can find them. While this theory is interesting, there is no explanation for how the Avengers get the Time Stone. It is still on the Infinity Gauntlet, which Thanos is wearing in the Endgame trailer, so it’s more likely that these set pictures were from a flashback instead.
The next popular fan theory is that Gamora is connected with Thanos. In Infinity War, Gamora was traded for the Soul Stone and not decimated like the other heroes. After he trades her for the stone, there are several scenes where a young Gamora makes Thanos feel guilty for what he’s done. The Soul Stone has its own realm within it, so it’s very possible that Gamora’s soul is now attached to the Stone, and she can manipulate Thanos when he’s wearing the gauntlet. The theory does not detail exactly how Gamora will save the day because her soul doesn’t have a physical form, but it is still very possible that her connection with Thanos will come into play in Endgame.
The final theory has only become popular in the past couple weeks with the release of the Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer. This movie is coming out in July, which is three months after Endgame will premier, and Marvel has confirmed that the events in Far From Home take place after that of Endgame. The trailer does not explain how Peter was brought back from the dead, but one of the biggest clues on how this is possible is that no one mentions the decimation at all. This could just be how the trailer was edited and the fact that Marvel is adamant that Endgame is not spoiled. The main theory about this trailer is that in Endgame, the events of Infinity War is reversed using the Time Stone and the decimation never occurs. All we know for sure is that Peter Parker was resurrected somehow, which means that other heroes may be brought back as well.
In reality, no one really knows how Endgame will play out, and all of these theories are purely speculation. Marvel shocked us with the ending of Infinity War, and there is no doubt that they will do it again. No matter what happens in Endgame, the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be a very exciting one with many new characters and adventures, so even though this might mean saying goodbye to some of our favourite heroes, we have a lot to look forward to.
