When Nick Fury hurried to reach that sophisticated pager and press the button with his dying “MotherF…” in Avengers: Infinity War we learned that Captain Marvel would be in the sequel. Now that Captain Marvel premiered, we know precisely how Fury got that pager, and what it’s meant for. We also know how she’ll appear in Endgame. Captain Marvel will surely help the other Avengers defeat Thanos in Avengers 4, but Marvel just told us what the movie is really about, and it’s not about Carol.
A few months before Captain Marvel came out, Marvel boss Kevin Feige teased a heartbreaking finale for Avengers: Endgame when he told the world that Captain Marvel will take over as leader of the Avengers. Fans then tried to guess whether Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, or both, will die in Endgame. Some speculated that for the Avengers to win, Captain Marvel’s skills are required, and the only way to make sure she returns to Earth is for the snap to occur in Infinity War. That’s the kind of intergalactic event that would undoubtedly draw her attention.
Moreover, Samuel L. Jackson did a great job misleading fans into thinking that Captain Marvel can travel through time. We learned that’s not the case. And Marvel just told the world that Captain Marvel’s powers aren’t limitless and she’s not immortal, even though she is about to become one of the strongest Avengers. The implication was that Carol alone couldn’t beat Thanos and everything else that might come their way.
In a new interview, Feige revealed Empire Magazine (via ComicBook), something we’ve all suspected. Endgame is about the original Avengers, the six heroes that defended Earth in New York many years ago, and who were then involved in one way or another in Avengers adventures.
“People would point out that that Cap wasn’t in Infinity War a whole lot,” Feige said. “And Iron Man didn’t really speak for that last half hour because of what was going on. But those characters and all of the original six are very much the focus of Endgame in a very personal and emotional way.”
An earlier report did say that Disney purposely killed the newer heroes, leaving alive the core Avengers team to deal with this massive Thanos threat.
Feige’s comment also suggests that heartbreak is in store for the audience. When he says “emotional,” he may refer to the Steve-and-Tony scene we’ve been waiting to see since Civil War. Not to mention that Banner and Natasha haven’t had a moment of their own now that he’s back on Earth. There’s Hawkeye too to consider, who’s been missing in action in Infinity War. There’s also Thor, who lost a lot recently, starting with Ragnarok through Infinity War, and who has to deal with the fact that he could have ended everything by killing Thanos before the snap. But we also expect Endgame to have a tragic conclusion that should be even more emotional than anything else. The Avengers might beat Thanos, they might undo the snap, but it won’t be a real happy end.
Infinity War and Endgame co-writer Christopher Markus told Empire that the MCU will change following Avengers 4.
“We are in different territory, possibly than anyone’s ever been in before in terms of a movie series,” Markus said. “The MCU continues to exist. Who happens to be in it is fluid and evolving things where, because it’s all connected, you can’t reboot one. All the parts have to work together. Things continue, but like life, losses are real, and change is real.”
After Infinity War, Marcus told us that the deaths were real, and that “the sooner you accept that, the sooner you will be able to move on to the next stage of grief.” At the time, he hinted that Avengers 4 doesn’t do “what you think it does.” He’s now saying almost the same thing, that losses are real. So, yes, we expect permanent hero deaths from Endgame. But it’s unclear whether Markus’s new “losses are real” comment refers to what happens in Endgame, or Infinity War.
Luckily, we only have to wait just a few weeks to see what happens next — Avengers 4 hits theaters on April 26th.
