It has been eleven months since Thanos snapped his fingers and earned $1.2 billion at the box office. Now, with just a month left for the next installment in Marvel's all-encompassing Avengers franchise, fans across the world are eagerly awaiting the happy ending they were all denied when the purple Titan wiped out half of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Because—and let's face it—Marvel isn't going to let these characters stay dead. Whether it is Spiderman, T'Challa, Dr. Strange or the Guardians of the Galaxy, Thanos' victims are good for a few billions more at the box office. And, to ensure this outcome, the Avengers will do whatever it takes to unsnap their destinies.
With the release of the Avengers: Endgame trailer, we can take a few pointers as to how the good guys will prevail in the end.
#1: Ant-man will have an important part
It is a brief inclusion, but he is there. We already know that the Ant-Man can shrink himself to a quantum state, a position so small that the laws of time can become mere suggestions instead. This, as well as other hints in the trailer—"The world has changed. None of us can go back"—suggest that time travel could play a role in undoing Thanos' evil-doing.
But then again, was Thanos doing evil?
#2: Thanos makes the MCU great again
Thanos is easily the most provocative and engaging figure onscreen in Infinity War. The build-up to this character has been in the teasing ever since Thor released in 2011. In spite of the incredible death-toll of his purple snap attack, Thanos has attracted a significant fan following, with an entire sub-reddit dedicated to the idea that Thanos "did nothing wrong".
What does this have to do with Endgame? Well, if you enjoy a not-so-brief dig into the world of comics (or a brief dig into that of fan-made wikis) you will find that in the comic 'The Infinity Gauntlet', the post-snap situation sees Thanos switch sides after unsuccessfully flirting with Death (personified) herself. Here, he loses the gauntlet to his grand-daughter Nebula and is forced to take the Avenger's help to get it back. The idea that Thanos could ultimately redeem himself will certainly go down well with the fans. Plus, following the script of the comics will allow Marvel to introduce a well-known fan favorite—the Silver Surfer.
#3: Captain Marvel makes the MCU great again
This one has been foreshadowed for a while now. But while Infinity War ended with a disappearing Samuel Jackson calling for Captain Marvel to save the day, the Brie Larson starrer instead only revealed that the Cap'n may not be able to single-handedly save the day. Adding to that, the latest trailer suggests that the original six of the Avengers will end up playing the important parts.
Will Captain Marvel help save the day? Undoubtably. But will she be the golden goose that snatches victory? It seems unlikely, given how powerful Thanos is (he uses barely a fraction of his gauntlet's power in Infinity War) and the fact that her movie demonstrated her strengths too have a limit just like everyone else—except Thanos at the moment. The trailer does not depict her in any form, so we could assume she isn't the day-saver. That said, the trailer has been stated as only representing the first 15 minutes of the movie.
But then, it is important to remember that trailers can also be fake news.
#4: Don't believe the trailers
This one isn't about what could happen in Engame, but about what couldn't. Many fans believe that scenes have been added to the trailers that will not be present in the final film. At the same time, Marvel has a history of toying with trailers to include stuff that doesn't happen in the final product.
This theory—or anti-theory—is just another way of saying "don't believe everything you see online— even if it comes from Marvel itself".
#5: The Cat Saves Everybody
One of the coolest parts about Captain Marvel was not the superpowers of its titular character, but the superpowers of its leading cat. 'Goose' turns out to be a highly-powerful alien called Flerken, capable of swallowing an containing an Infinity Stone all by itself.
Given that recent studies have proven that cats are actually nice after all, it is not too unlikely that the feline saves the day after all.
#6: Robert-Downey Jr. learns magic
Not all fan theories have in-universe clues. In this case, the theory originates from a behind-the-scenes shot of Downey Jr. wearing Dr. Strange's cape.
That Dr. Strange has already foreseen the path to victory is known; this particular sequence of events was "the only way" to victory, in his prediction. Given that he was the smart-alec character of the group, a void now filled by Iron Man, it is not too unlikely that the billionaire will learn a new skill and defeat Thanos with it.
#7: Captain America Dies
This has been doing the rounds for a while. It is a depressing outcome, one that is not helped by the Captain having been killed off in a few Marvel comics in the past. It is a theory that has backings in speculation around the Capn's actor, Chris Evans, seemingly confirming that his role as Captain America would terminate with Endgame. In October of 2018, it was reported that Chris Evans "was finished" playing the blue-suited superhero. However, the very next month, it was reported that he "was not done yet".
In an era of fake news, fake trailers, and fake retirements/comebacks, who do we believe?
At this point, there is only one point of absolute truth, and that will be the end-credit scene of the Avengers: Endgame. So come next month, hold on to your fan theories, conspiracy hats and infinity gauntlets until that moment in the theatre, when the lights are on and the ushers are eyeing you with distaste, if you want to truly know the final take on the MCU.
