I Have A Theory About The Next "Avengers" Movie That I Don't Want To Be True

I apologize in advance for this.

This post is full of spoilers. Come back after you've seen Avengers: Infinity War and we'll talk some more.

Marvel

The end of Avengers: Infinity War messed us all up, sure. But we seem to be in agreement that most of our many faves who died will somehow be resurrected in 2019's untitled fourth Avengers movie.

Marvel

Of course, there's the Time Stone. It might be enough to reverse the mass murder Thanos committed just by getting the Time Stone back and hopping back in time a bit. But that also might not be possible.

Marvel

The Time Stone's guardian and expert Dr. Strange turned to dust, so it might be kinda hard to use now (no matter how much Wong helps). We also don't know all the rules of the Time Stone (how far back in time you can really go, how much that might fuck with our version of reality, etc.) — especially now that it's been combined with the other Infinity Stones.

It can't all rest on the Time Stone, that's too simple. So, I have a theory. And you're not going to like it. The Infinity Stones are mysterious, and we don't know all the rules that come with a single person possessing them.

Marvel

Maybe just getting the Time Stone back won't be enough. Maybe because Thanos used all the Infinity Stones to kill half the universe, all the Infinity Stones will have to be possessed to reverse the action. Plus, the only way they'll ever defeat Thanos is by gaining back all the Stones — he soundly defeated the Hulk with just one.

Marvel

Plus, Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet looked pretty wrecked at the end of Infinity War after he used it to, ya know, kill half the universe. He might need to go to Nidavellir and make Sad Peter Dinklage give him the original mold.

The remaining Avengers could also do the same, and try to make a competing Infinity Gauntlet of their own to hold the stones once they get them back from Thanos. Or maybe Thor's new axe, Stormbreaker, has the power to hold and wield the Stones. SO MANY POSSIBILITIES.

And we know that there's one Stone that's particularly hard to gain possession of: the Soul Stone.

Marvel

As Red Skull explained on Vormir in Infinity War, the Soul Stone holds "a special place" amongst the Infinity Stones and has "a certain wisdom." To ensure that whoever possesses the Soul Stone understands its power, the Stone demands a sacrifice. In order to take the Stone, you must lose that which you love. Thanos proved that he did love Gamora (in his own sick and twisted way) by throwing her off a cliff and winning the Soul Stone.

If the surviving Avengers need to repossess all of the Infinity Stones (including the Soul Stone) to undo Thanos' actions, one of them will have to kill someone they love.

Marvel

Basically what I'm saying is that there are some unbearably heartbreaking scenarios we could see play out between the surviving heroes. Natasha could be forced to kill Bruce Banner.

Marvel

Tony could murder Pepper (if she survived Thanos' attack).

Marvel

Any single surviving Wakandan could die and that would not be OK.

Marvel

Or, maybe worst of all, either Tony or Steve Rogers could be forced to kill the other. They both survived Infinity War, they're gonna reunite to stop Thanos, and there's no way we get a happy ending.

Marvel

We've pretty firmly established that if Avengers 4 brings back all the major players killed in Thanos' attack (which is likely), some people will have to stay dead (Loki, Heimdall, maybe Gamora), and one of the central Avengers will probably have to die, too.

Marvel

It makes narrative sense for there to be a big death heading into Marvel's Phase 4 — which begins after the fourth Avengers movie next year (Marvel hasn't even announced what films they'll release after that, and they won't until after that movie premieres). If there isn't a concrete, major death (aka Cap or Tony) and everyone just gets magically resurrected, the stakes won't feel high enough in future Avengers movies.

Cap and Tony are the most likely contenders. Tony's been having that horrific death vision since Age of Ultron, and Thanos even told him in this movie that he knew him, and that Tony isn't "the only one burdened with knowledge."

Marvel

They're the two heroes that have been around the longest. They have plenty of solo movies. And it makes narrative sense. How heartbreaking and awful (but also brilliant) would it be to have them finally and truly reconcile after the events of Civil War and Infinity War, only to make the ultimate sacrifice for each other?

Marvel

Everyone's waiting for Cap to die, so it's possible Marvel will throw us a curveball and kill Tony. Or both of them. Or neither of them. This is just a theory.

But think about it. The Soul Stone sacrifice would prove that despite their longstanding rivalry and difference in opinions, the two superheroes did love each other in their own ways.

Marvel