Make no mistake. Infinity War delivers its ending generously. It’s no secret that several heroes die in the film. But had Disney gone with the original comic book storyline, Thanos would have killed everyone. Everyone. Of course, Disney can’t really do that with the film, since they need to make money off of their IP between now and Thanos’ return for the next Avengers movie.
That said, the death toll in Infinity War is no joke. And as things stand, the remaining heroes are going to have their hands full trying to salvage what is left in the aftermath of their battle. The question then becomes: what happens next?
MCU After Infinity War — Enter Captain Marvel
Carol Danvers, also known as Captain Marvel, will play a large role in the sequel to Infinity War. In fact, that is exactly what the post-credits teaser is about. Captain Marvel is a cosmic level, part human, part Kree (Roman the Accuser from Guardians of the Galaxy) heroine. Keep in mind however, that Captain Marvel’s solo movie is scheduled for March 2018. That’s a full 2 months ahead of Avengers 4. This leads us to speculate one of two possibilities.
- Captain Marvel is going to deal with some other threat prior to Thanos’ return in Avengers 4.
- Thanos is actually going to return in Captain Marvel, and again for a final appearance in Avengers 4.
The second option sounds like the more attractive path. Infinity War’s post-credits message said “Thanos will return.” Unlike previous MCU films, it failed to specify which movie Thanos would return for. And with the death count as high as it is by the end of Infinity War, Thanos needs a reason to get back on the warpath. Only a handful of characters are powerful enough to get the Mad Titan’s attention, and only two have been hinted at for the MCU. The first is Carol Danvers herself. The second one is…
The Birth of Adam Warlock
Adam. For those who aren’t familiar with Adam Warlock, he is another cosmic entity, capable of wielding even the Infinity Gauntlet. Guardians of the Galaxy 2 teased Adam post-credits, so we know he’s appearing sometime soon. The only question is how he fits in the MCU’s current state. His first appearance won’t be in the next Guardians film, given the Guardians’ condition by the end of Infinity War (heh…). This means he will either appear in Captain Marvel, Avengers 4, or both.
And why not both? In the comics, Adam Warlock is not inherently good. In fact, he starts out as a narcissistic “perfect humanoid” with demigod-level powers. His first act upon being born is to kill his creators. If Thanos is not the main antagonist for Captain Marvel, then it is possible Adam Warlock is. And if by the end, two cosmic level beings come to terms with each other, to stand up to Thanos, then what better reason for him to return?
The Fate of Doctor Strange
In the comics, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is the mastermind behind the heroes’ victory. While Thanos is able to use the Infinity Gauntlet to end all life in the universe, it is revealed that Doctor Strange managed to send everyone into a pocket dimension, protecting them from the Mad Titan. Fun fact: the Infinity Stones, by canon, do not work outside of their own universe. And while yes, “dimension” and “universe” do not mean the same thing, this is soft fiction we’re talking about.
While it doesn’t look like this ending will carry over into the MCU, Doctor Strange has seen (every possible way) how the story ends. Who’s to say that Infinity War didn’t conclude the way he needed it to?