It seems like it’s been a lifetime since Thanos snapped his fingers inside the Infinity Gauntlet and wiped out half of the Marvel Universe. Thanks to the studio’s vigilance, we have been kept virtually in the dark about what to expect in Avengers: Endgame. Now, with a month until the film’s debut, Marvel Studios has released some new marketing materials to further heighten everyone’s excitement.
The most urgent matter on everyone’s minds is the several prominent characters that we saw perish in Infinity War. Marvel Studios knows we are all worried and hoping for a way to resurrect any and all of the fallen heroes, so as we approach the release of Endgame, it’s the fallen heroes and the few remaining who are in the focus in an extensive set of 32-character posters released.
In addition to the Original Six Avengers, the posters reveal a few characters that weren’t confirmed to be alive or dead at the end of Infinity War.
We knew that Ant-Man, Captain Marvel, Nebula, Rhodey, Rocket and Okoye all survived the snap. However, it’s only a guess at this point who else may or may not have survived. Thanks to the new poster set, we now know that Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, Wong, and Valkyrie all made it through. Will they be part of the plan to “Avenge the Fallen?” That’s the next question to be answered.
On a more somber note, the posters also reveal another casualty of the snap, as well: among the black and white posters of “the fallen” is Shuri. The princess of Wakanda and brains behind the Vibranium-based tech of Black Panther will not be there to help resurrect her brother, because sadly she’s lost with him.
Although it’s now revealed that there are more remaining heroes than we first thought, they still have their work cut out for them. The loss of so many loved ones has taken a heavy toll on them all (almost as much as it did the fans!)
A new featurette has some veteran cast members detailing the gravity of their losses and how they can begin to rebuild and fight back. You can see the full featurette for Endgame below:
As most fans are well aware, Endgame will be the finale of a long-woven storyline spanning 22 MCU films over the last 11 years. Although it is unclear how far in advance the grand storyline had been planned, the buildup to this culminating moment is something unparalleled in movie history. As Phase 4 approaches, the biggest point of speculation is if—and how—the stories will end for so many of the MCU’s most beloved characters.
With the upcoming new addition of Fox’s Marvel characters in the mix, the horizon is full of possibilities. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige spoke recently with Empire Magazine about the preceding 22 films and what is to come. With a bright future ahead, Feige believes that the time has finally come to bring an end to some of the storylines from the last 11 years, saying:
“We wanted to bring to a conclusion a series of movies in a way that had never been done before. Harry Potter had an ending because there were only so many books. Lord of the Rings too. But we thought, 22 movies in, wouldn’t it be fun to bring some finality to the storyline.”
In the conversation with Empire, Feige also went on to say that the official title for the collective MCU films storyline thus far will be dubbed “The Infinity Saga.” Does this mean a whopping 22-film box set of the Infinity Saga is on the way? It would definitely be a great investment with hours upon hours of MCU material.
Although it’s not confirmed, much of Endgame might be paying homage to this saga. With several veteran Marvel characters becoming victims of the Infinity Gauntlet, their return could mean that the movie delves deep into the films we know and love. A new TV spot released this past week heightens this speculation, as it pays special tribute to the many characters lost in the snap. We don’t know how Endgame will play out, but the filmmakers are definitely emphasizing the heartbreak that fans experienced after seeing their favorite characters turn to dust.
As the film prepares to release worldwide, new cast posters are also appearing internationally. In addition to the posters revealed yesterday in the US, an exciting new image debuted last week ahead of the Chinese release. This time, instead of just the soft-mannered Bruce Banner on the poster, there’s also the gargantuan Hulkbuster that Tony Stark made and first debuted in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Banner was not able to become the Hulk in Infinity War, so that was his only defense against Thanos’ forces. This may reveal that some more grappling with his inner green-guy is yet to come in Endgame for Bruce Banner.
Besides that, this cast poster boasts similarities to the main American version: epic action poses and foreboding looks into the distance by our remaining heroes. Despite the visual parallels to other MCU movie posters, the excitement just doesn’t wear off. You can see the new Chines poster for Endgame below.
You can read more about what Kevin Feige has to say about the Infinity Saga and beyond, as well as several other interviews about Endgame in the upcoming Avengers-themed issue of Empire magazine, which is detailed HERE.
Avengers: Endgame comes to theaters on April 26, 2019. One more month!