The fact that is written in stone is – A movie as big as Avengers: Infinity War will see superhero deaths as equally huge and earth-shattering. If the movie takes a leaf from comic books (which the director heavily implies it does), the movie will be a reflection of the award-winning Infinity Gauntlet saga of Marvel Comics.
The 1991 comic book arc saw a lot of superhero deaths. Before that arc, Marvel fans believed superheroes are supposed to be untouchable. They get beaten, struck down, pushed back but never ever do they get killed. The title ‘Infinity Gauntlet’ was the first to challenge that status quo in Marvel Comics. It was the first to revolutionize and spread one simple idea lacking in comics until then. No matter how powerful, Superheroes die.
Thor, Captain America, Iron Man and Spiderman along with a ton of superheroes meet their demise in the Infinity Gauntlet saga. So it would be foolish to think the same won’t happen in the movie.
Marvel’s feel good, spoon fed and lightly toned approach to storytelling don’t leave much room for the concept of death. But it will be there. It may be watered down to a freakishly docile level, but it will be there.
It is still months before we actually watch the movie and see the epic unfold in its entirety as Earth’s mightiest heroes take on Thanos and his Black Order with mind-blowing action scenes and witty one-liners. But what has fans got even more riled up is guessing the possible deaths that are sure to come in the aftermath of Infinity War.
Up until now, Marvel has treaded carefully as to not let anything slip unintentionally regarding the upcoming superhero deaths. The sets of Infinity War and its successor, the as of yet unnamed Avengers 4, do not reveal enough information as to correctly predict who will die and who will survive Infinity War.
Recently, it was confirmed that a major Avenger will fall as the movie features a funeral scene. It was evident from the casting call released by Marvel. Here’s the description:
“Mourners: Looking for men and women over the age of 18, all ethnicities, to portray mourners. Especially looking for good character looks and expressive faces. This will be photo selected by the film’s directors! Size restrictions: Men no larger than 44 coat, women dress size 0-8. FOR NEW FACES ONLY! You cannot have worked on this project previously, or be booked on upcoming days. NO EXCEPTIONS!”
Filmmaker Kevin Smith, on the other hand, has some interesting predictions regarding this area. One of his predictions, in particular, could certainly take you by surprise.
“If Hawkeye goes down, I doubt they’re going to rush to refill that position, but he’s the obvious one, I mean f**k we all thought he was going to die in Age of Ultron,” Smith said. “It looked like they were leading up to that and they’re like ‘nah, we like being around Jeremy Renner’. So, I think if you’re playing money ball and I think you have to because now Disney owns Marvel but at the end of the day the most expensive person in their world is Robert Downey, Jr.”
Smith goes on to explain this statement. Iron Man is the focal point of the MCU. He is the most well known Avenger and one of the most complex and layered on-screen superheroes ever. His death, if it happens, will shake the entire MCU apart. It will give the movie much more meaning if the legendary RDJ bites the dust.
“You’re talking about a guy who makes all the money,” Smith said. “They’re like what do you want to be in it and he’s like all of it and they’re like okay. So, I think financially speaking if you were like you know these movies are only going to go on and get bigger you know that’s a cord you can cut. It’s also a very emotional cord to cut because the entire universe hangs on Tony Stark/Iron Man”.
“The whole Marvel Universe in the real-world hangs on the spine of Robert Downey, Jr. That performance in Iron Man launched the entire series of movies that were credible and plausible and connected to him always kind of coming back to his character. Who better to throw under the f**ing Thanos bus than that and if you look at that first trailer they put up it’s a lot of Tony out of the outfit looking scared so for my money I think they’re going to wind up killing Tony Stark.”
Iron Man’s death could not be the only thing to watch out for. Kevin Smith also claims another beloved (anti-) hero could become the latest casualty of Infinity War. Loki could also be a part of the death list. Chris Hemsworth’s cryptic statement of being open to reprising the role of Thor is one indication. Thor survives the movie but Loki? Not so much.
“I bet my f**ing fortune, everything I’ve got in this world on the fact that Loki dies in those movies,” Smith said.
“They’ve been building that arc it seems like since the beginning and the last Thor movie, you know, he’s actually taken the kind of turn to become more good than bad there he is working with his brother and s**t like that and yes, they revealed that he stole the cube and I guess that’s what’s going to bring the Thanos into their f**ing trajectory but I think that gives him a chance. He also knows Thanos, he is the one Thanos sent in with the Chitauri army. Feels like they’re building him up to be able to sacrifice him for his brother so he dies a hero.”
Other deaths that make the list include Captain America, Hawkeye, and Drax the Destroyer. Drax’s death could be the result of his making a final stand against Thanos as a result of his vow to kill him after Drax’s family is murdered.
“It will be a noble pyrrhic death, but there is a way in which that is also the beating heart, in a way, of the Guardians if Drax goes,”
Marvel Studios has released three different synopses as of now:
Synopsis 1:
“Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk and the rest of the Avengers unite to battle their most powerful enemy yet — the evil Thanos. On a mission to collect all six Infinity Stones, Thanos plans to use the artifacts to inflict his twisted will on reality. The fate of the planet and existence itself has never been more uncertain as everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment”.
Synopsis 2:
“As the Avengers and their allies have continued to protect the world from threats too large for any one hero to handle, a new danger has emerged from the cosmic shadows: Thanos. A despot of intergalactic infamy, his goal is to collect all six Infinity Stones, artifacts of unimaginable power, and use them to inflict his twisted will on all of reality. Everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment – the fate of Earth and existence itself has never been more uncertain”.
Synopsis 3:
“An unprecedented cinematic journey ten years in the making and spanning the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Infinity War” brings to the screen the ultimate, deadliest showdown of all time. The Avengers and their Super Hero allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe”.
Avengers: Infinity War is slated for release on May 4th, 2018.
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