Avengers: Endgame - Softonic English

New MCU secrets shared by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige

The man running Marvel’s movie empire gives clues about the future of the films.

Yesterday, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige visited Reddit to answer some questions from fans. His responses give us a closer look at the creative process of the films and where the superhero blockbusters might go from here. These are the biggest things we learned during that Q&A.

Captain America was always worthy

Remember the scene in “Age of Ultron” when everyone’s trying to lift Thor’s hammer? Steve Rogers manages to make it budge. Feige says he believes Cap was worthy then, but just being polite by not lifting Mjolnir at the time.

The moment in Endgame when we all lost it.

Are you worthy enough to wield Thor’s hammer?

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Hulk isn’t done evolving

Hulk has been a notoriously problematic character for Marvel. After two actors, it seems they may have cracked the code with Mark Ruffalo. “Many years ago, Mark came in for a meeting with us at Marvel Studios to discuss ways in which the Hulk could grow and evolve in upcoming films. He pitched a lot of cool ideas, some of which led to what you saw in Thor: Ragnarok, Infinity War and Endgame, and some of which would still be cool to see someday.”

Hulk saved more lives than we saw in ‘Endgame’

Many fans calculated that the orignal Thanos snap probably killed far more people than those who got dusted. Imagine the supplemental deaths caused by the disappearance of air traffic controllers, pilots, drivers, and other people responsible for keeping us alive. When Hulk put on the gauntlet and re-snapped people into existence, did those people reappear at random? No, Feige says. “We refer to the version of Hulk in Endgame as Smart Hulk,” Feige wrote. Feige explains that Smart Hulk would take care to ensure that everyone affected by his snap would end up in a safe place. Good Hulk.

Stan Lee never saw ‘Endgame’

Boy, this hurts. The Marvel legend never got to see “Endgame” before he died. Feige explains, “Stan loved to wait to see the final movie at the premiere, so, unfortunately, he did not get to see the finished movie.” Feige did say that Marvel leadership did tell Stan the entire story on the day he showed up to film his cameo. We like to think he smiled when hearing that Captain America would finally tell the Avengers to assemble.

How Stan Lee created Marvel’s complex characters

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The Marvel films are planned way in advance

“We usually work with a specific 5 year plan at any given point but often have a general plan that extends much, much further.”

Planning for the Infinity Gauntlet series began after filming of the first Avengers film

“We started discussing how to adapt the Infinity Gauntlet comic soon after the release of the first Avengers. It was on one of our creative retreats about 5 years ago that we decided to do it as two films. We started to crack the specifics of the story during production on Civil War with Chris Markus and Stephen McFeely, Joe and Anthony Russo, in a conference room as we went back and forth between takes.”

The Disney+ shows will work with the MCU

When a franchise begins spinning off into books and comics and digital series and video games, things can get pretty messy. You know this if you read any of the Star Wars books produced between the original trilogy and the prequels. Fans argued about whether those books were canon. Starting with “Episode I” in 1999, many of the books became invalid. By the time “The Force Awakens” debuted, it made virtually all of those books irrelevant to the larger storyline.

Feige reports that the upcoming Disney+ Marvel shows will work “totally and completely” with the MCU.

Everything we know about Disney+

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How did ‘Iron Man’ come together?

It’s easy to forget, but “Iron Man” was not a slam dunk success. Had that film failed, the entire MCU may not exist. There were two unconventional choices that ended up paying off in a big way: Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr. So why did they give Favreau the director’s chair? Feige wrote, “Jon Favreau is one of the best storytellers on the planet, and Elf is a stone cold classic.”

As for Tony Stark himself, Feige confirmed that Robert Downey Jr was his biggest casting fight with Disney. It seems crazy now, but you have to remember that at the time, RDJ was seen as radioactive after a string of drug-related legal problems. Had Feige not won that fight, the MCU would have been radically different.

What is Feige’s favorite DC film?

Interestingly, Feige didn’t choose one of the most recent DC films to answer this question. He says his favorite is the 1978 “Superman” with Christopher Reeve. Although the special effects are quite dated, the film features some excellent performances and moments that make the Man of Steel very human. It’s worth a watch if you’ve never seen it!

Which MCU weapon should you wield? (Quiz)

See what weapon best suits your personality.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the home of many iconic weapons – Infinity Gauntlets that can erase the universe with a single snap, swords that unlock bridges to other planets, and staffs that can take over people’s minds. There’s something for everybody, but which is the right one for you? Take our quiz below and find out which weapon from “Avengers: Endgame” you should take into combat!

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Satisfied with your choice? If not, just grab the nearest Time Stone and go for a do-over. Let us know what you got in the comments below, and we’ll see you in theaters!

If you haven’t seen it yet, you should also totally check out the new trailer for “Spider-Man: Far from Home.” Get ready for a wild ride!

How well do you know the MCU?

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10 most evil MCU villains

Dirty, vile, and despicable don’t even come close to describing these baddies. Check out the worst of the worst here.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

In a world populated by colorful and outsized heroes, it stands to reason that they’ll be going up against some pretty evil baddies. The MCU has more than its fair share of villains, with a rogue’s gallery spanning the course of 22 films. Here, we’re narrowing down the cream of this malevolent crop and taking a look at the worst baddies around.

Note: for this article, we’ll solely be looking at villains that have been portrayed in the MCU.

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10 most evil Marvel villains

10. Kaecilius- “Doctor Strange”

doctor strange kaecilius — Image courtesy Marvel Studios

It’s hard to call a guy like Kaecilius “evil;” he certainly doesn’t think of himself as a bad guy. After the tragic deaths of his wife and son, Kaecilius becomes convinced that he can use the mystic arts to return his loved ones to him. As a result, he betrays The Masters of the Mystic Arts and The Ancient One, attempting to bring a vastly destructive cosmic being known as Dormammu to Earth.

Though his motivations are understandable, his methods are what land him on our list. He’s not above ruthlessly executing anybody standing in the way of his goals, and gives almost no thought to collateral damage.

If not for the intervention of Doctor Strange, Kaecilius would have razed entire cities and potentially destroyed the world in the pursuit of his plans.

9. Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger- “Iron Man”

iron man obediah stane — Image courtesy Marvel Studios

The Dude does not abide with this guy.

As the MCU’s first villain, Obadiah Stane certainly left a mark. A former mentor to Tony Stark after his father’s death, Stane was secretly working behind Tony’s back to take control of Stark Industries.

On the surface, Stane appears to support Stark’s goal of shifting the company away from the arms industry. Behind the scenes, Stane has no qualms about selling Stark Industries arms to terrorists and other criminals. He then turns a profit by playing both sides in a conflict.

Driven almost entirely by greed and self-interest, he plays off of Tony’s trust to pursue his own goals. After his betrayal is revealed, Stane becomes Iron Monger and nearly kills Stark in the ensuing battle. Fortunately, Tony eventually gains the upper-hand and vaporizes Stane.

8. Malekith- “Thor: The Dark World”

malekith thor dark world — Image courtesy Marvel Studios

It’s hard to mistake Malekith as anything but a villain. Seriously: his name is Malekith the Accursed, he’s the ruthless leader of the Dark Elves, and his goal is to plunge the universe into eternal darkness. Not exactly the most cheerful guy in the universe, is he? Along with a handful of innocent Asgardians, Malekith’s troops also claim the life of Frigga, Thor’s mother.

As the leader of the Dark Elves, Malekith’s cruelty inspired god-like reverence in his followers, but his army was eventually defeated by Thor’s grandfather. Apparently, he didn’t learn his lesson and came back thousands of years later to try again. His cold cruelty and tenacity earned him a spot on our list.

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7. Ronan the Accuser- “Guardians of the Galaxy”

guardians of the galaxy ronan the accuser — Image courtesy Marvel Studios

Ronan’s not a great guy.

He’s a racist and a zealot hell-bent on wiping out the Xandarians. He got so far that the only way he could be defeated was a dance battle:

He eventually teams up with Thanos himself to try to destroy the planet Xandar. Unfortunately, Ronan’s own nature got the better of him. He made the mistake of betraying Thanos to try to take the Power Stone for himself. If the Guardians of the Galaxy hadn’t ended up defeating him first, Thanos certainly would have.

6. Alexander Pierce- “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”

captain america the winter soldier alexander pierce — Image courtesy Marvel Studios

Pierce is the villain that nobody sees coming. Played by consummate good-guy Robert Redford, Alexander Pierce is the level-headed and almost fatherly leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. Behind that carefully constructed facade, however, Pierce is the secret leader of the neo-Nazi organization HYDRA.

His goal is to use computer algorithms and predictive software to summarily execute any latent societal threats using a fleet of unmanned helicarriers. He’s also partially responsible for subjecting Bucky Barnes to years of mental torture and turning him into the mindless killing machine known as the Winter Soldier.

5. Ego- “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”

guardians of the galaxy volume 2 ego — Image courtesy Marvel Studios

Unfortunately for Peter Quill, his lifelong quest to track down his dad doesn’t turn out the way he hoped. His father turns out to be Ego, a powerful celestial being who takes the form of an actual planet.

At first, he seems to be a pretty cool guy. However, he eventually reveals to Quill that he hopes to wipe out all life in the universe and replace it with an extension of his own consciousness.

He also tells Quill that he wasn’t his only child, and actually killed all the others because they didn’t serve their purpose in his plan. Oh, and he also gave Quill’s mom the brain cancer that eventually killed her. Yeah, not a great dude.

Which Avengers: Endgame hero are you?

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4. Ultron- “Avengers: Age of Ultron”

Ultron was created with good intentions at heart. Tony Stark built him to be an AI network with the goal of creating global peace, eventually making the Avengers unnecessary. Unfortunately, Ultron took that goal a little too seriously and concluded that the only way to achieve that objective was to eliminate the human race.

It’s the classic story of artificial intelligence outpacing its creators. Think HAL 9000, but on steroids. Ultron’s stated goal is to literally commit wholesale genocide and wipe the planet clean of human life. If that’s not abjectly evil, what is? Though defeated, his actions caused a ripple effect that changed the Marvel Universe and eventually led to the events of “Captain America: Civil War.”

3. Hela- “Thor: Ragnarok”

thor ragnarok hella — Image courtesy Marvel Studios

Hela is the big, bad older sister of Thor and Loki. She makes her grand entrance by crushing Mjolnir like it’s nothing and booting her two baby brothers across the universe. She then proceeds to roll up on Asgard to assume her spot on the throne.

She’s got a totally badass outfit complete with a sick antler headdress and she has to the power to literally create giant knives out of thin air. She’s also got a massive undead Dire Wolf as a pet, an army of zombie warriors, and almost singlehandedly wipes out Asgard’s entire army. We’d be impressed if she wasn’t this evil.

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2. Red Skull- “Captain America: The First Avenger”

captain america the first avenger red skull — Image courtesy Marvel Studios

It’s hard to get more evil than a literal Nazi, but Red Skull takes that one step further. He actually betrays the Nazis because they aren’t evil enough for his tastes.

He’s too evil for the Nazis. Let that sink in.

Instead, he starts his own fascist organization known as HYDRA with the goal of dominating the world. Red Skull believed that humans couldn’t be trusted with freedom, and that the only way to ensure a prosperous and peaceful society was through absolute totalitarian control.

He nearly got his way, too. If not for Captain America’s last-minute sacrifice play, his fleet of technologically advanced bombers would have wiped the United States off the map.

1. Thanos- “Avengers: Infinity War“/ “Avengers: Endgame”

avengers infinity war endgame thanos — Image courtesy Marvel Studios

Here he is: the king of all baddies, the Mad Titan himself, the dreaded Thanos. This giant purple people killer doesn’t want to conquer the universe or become the rule of the galaxy. No, Thanos wants to wipe out half of all life. What’s worse than that? He succeeds:

In his view, the universe can’t sustain its own rapidly expanding population. So, unless Thanos steps in to restore balance, all life will eventually be snuffed out. He views his actions as a necessary evil, but in a way, wiping out only half of all life is crueler than wholesale extinction.

As we see in “Endgame,” the survivors are left alive to deal with their grief and guilt, which changes them in plenty of traumatic ways. What lands Thanos in the number one spot is that he’s the only villain that actually succeeds in his plan. He can talk the talk and walk the walk, and that makes him the worst of them all.

Wrapping up

So, there’s our definitive list of the worst the MCU has to offer. Did we miss anyone? Let us know in the comments, and check back with Softonic for the latest Marvel news.

Are you worthy enough to wield Thor’s hammer?

Take our quiz to see if you could pick up Thor’s mighty hammer.

“Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” That’s the inscription Odin placed upon Mjolnir, the infallible weapon wielded by his son, Thor. While Thor is famous for using this hammer, carrying it into battle was not his birthright. It was something he had to earn. If you can’t remember a time where Thor didn’t have his trusty Mjolnir, you might want to re-watch his first film in the MCU. Luckily for you, you can live-stream “Thor” right here!

It takes a lot of internal strength to wield Thor’s hammer, and precious few are deserving of the honor. Are you one of them? Take our quiz and discover whether your are worthy!

Are you worthy of Mjolnir? If not, never fear; as we’ve seen in the MCU, strength can come from the most unexpected of places – don’t write yourself off yet! It may simply be time to “stop trying to be the person you’re supposed to be and start being who you truly are.” Take another crack at it when you’re feeling zen, and we’ll see you in theaters for “Avengers: Endgame!”

‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ trailer teases multi-verse

Does this trailer mean we are getting to see more of the Spider-Verse? Let’s talk about that.

SPOILERS BELOW!

As Tom Holland says at the beginning of the trailer, if you haven’t seen “Endgame” yet, stop right now. There are spoilers ahead!

After the hype train that was “Avengers: Endgame,” we are ready to hop aboard the next one with “Spider-Man: Far From Home:”

In the “Endgame” aftermath, Peter Parker needs to learn how to live in a world without Iron Man. While fighting crime across the Big Apple, Spider-Man decides to take a vacation with his friends. Around this time, Nick Fury is trying to get ahold of him, but Spidey ignores his calls.

After the events of “Avengers: Infinity War,” and “Endgame,” Peter has suffered great losses, including his own life, until being snapped back to reality (oh, there goes gravity). We may be seeing a Spider-Man who understands the consequences of being a superhero, so he may want to live life as a normal teenager for a while.

The trailer also gives us another look at Jake Gyllenhaal playing Quentin Beck/Mysterio. Beck appears to be working with Nick Fury on the side of good. He also claims to be from an alternate universe and got there after Thanos snapped his fingers. Fury wants Mysterio and Spider-Man to team up to take down threats that slipped in from alternate universes.

In the comics, Quentin Beck lies about being an alien from another world, so this multi-verse talk might be hot air. Our guess is that Beck is full of it, and the monsters they are facing are under Beck’s control. With Iron Man out of the picture, Beck might be trying to take the role of Earth’s mightiest hero. However, if Beck isn’t lying, then we might get introduced to a live-action Spider-Verse.

Since the trailer confirmed that the movie takes place after the events of Endgame, we now know for certain that Ned, Flash, and MJ all also died from the first snap, and were brought back by the second.

Peter and MJ look like they’re headed for romance in this film, but it will be taking a backseat to the rest of the story. MJ also reveals in the trailer that she knows that Peter is Spider-Man, so now, basically everyone who knows Peter also knows his secret identity.

We’re excited for “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” and we luckily don’t have to wait too long. The movie is set to release on July 2 of this year, and we can’t wait to see it. “Endgame” was satisfying but left us wanting more. Thankfully, Spider-Man is on the way.

Surprise characters in ‘Avengers: Endgame’

Overcoming death and the cutting room floor of the writer’s room, several MCU characters return in Endgame.

Spoilers ahead!

It’s no surprise that “Avengers: Endgame” has broken box office records left and right, smashing even Infinity War in its opening week. This cinematic end to the Thanos saga ties up loose ends, delivers the climactic story we were hoping for, and brings back a lot of familiar faces.

There were some that we expected (like Cap, Iron Man, and Black Widow), and others that we were pleasantly surprised to see back on screen. Just who are those characters? We’ve put together a list.

However! This is as far as we can go without dipping into spoiler territory so here’s your final warning before reading on:

Captain America museum whisper Winter Soldier — Don’t spoil the Endgame.

Surprise characters in ‘Avengers: Endgame’

Valkyrie

The first character we were pleasantly surprised to see make a return was Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson). She’s the able, militant, and fiercely independent warrior of Asgard who made her introduction in “Thor: Ragnarok.” Since the realm’s destruction at the end of Ragnarok, we were happy to see that some Asgardians also survived Thanos and the snap. They find a new home on Earth… in a hillside fishing village.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

While Thor is supposed to be the ruler of Asgard, he’s thoroughly shirked his duties in favor of drinking and playing Fortnite. This has left Valkyrie in charge of “New Asgard,” and Thor happily puts her in charge at the end. However, that’s not before she gets some shining moments in the battle of battles against Thanos! If you’re a Valkyrie fan, you’ll be happy to see that she’s alive and well, and proudly taking the fight to the titan himself.

Korg and Miek

“Hey man, I’m Korg and this is Miek. We’re about to jump on that spaceship and get out of here. Wanna come?”

Oh, yes we do, Korg. Also, we’re happy to see you.

While we’re on the subject of living Asgardians, we were excited to see that our favorite duo from “Thor: Ragnarok” also survived. The lovable Korg (Taika Waititi) and Miek are safe and sound in “New Asgard.” They are spending their time consoling the traumatized Thor and playing Fortnite.

Honestly, we’re still surprised Miek survived Korg stepping on him:

The Ancient One

The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) from “Doctor Strange” shows up once time travel enters the mix. Bruce Banner shares a conversation with her over the need to recover the Time Stone. Rather, it’s thanks to Scott Lang’s introduction of Pym Particles and the time-bending effects of the Quantum Realm. Nevertheless, the Time Stone is needed to complete the set, and the Avengers are sent back to 2012 to snag it along with the Mind Stone and Space Stone.

Though we didn’t know it at the time, The Ancient One was helping out during Loki’s Chitauri invasion back in the first Avengers movie. This makes sense since the Sorcerer Supreme is responsible for defending both the reality in which they live and the New York sanctum during times of crisis.

In a pretty cool scene, we get to see the Ancient One explain how branching timelines occur. She explains how if the Infinity Stones are gathered from all corners of the universe, they must be returned from whence they came. This comes into play later in the film when Captain America is tasked with returning them.

Howard Stark

One of the greatest scenes in the film had to be Tony Stark‘s reunion with his father, Howard Stark (John Slattery). Tony stumbles into an encounter with his father on his return to the ’70s in search of more Pym Particles with Captain America. Howard is dubious of Tony, feeling like he knows him even though they’ve never met. The fake name Tony chooses of “Howard Potts” probably didn’t help much.

This scene provides a different kind of closure than the other tied up plot threads. Rather than explaining a cut-and-dry plot point, we instead get to see an unexpectedly touching conclusion. Now that Tony is a father himself, he connects more deeply with Howard whose own wife is about to enter have Tony. Tony gets to give parenting advice to his own dad, and the perceived coldness and hostility of their past relationship retroactively melts.

Frigga

If seeing Tony and Howard talking together wasn’t enough parent-child bonding, Thor gets a second chance too. When he and Rocket Raccoon travel back in time to recover the Reality Stone, Thor is shocked to see his mother Frigga (Rene Russo) gracing the halls.

Though he tries to hide his identity from her, Frigga sees right through it like only a mother (albeit a mother raised by witches) can. Ever since failing to “aim for the head,” Thor has been in a pretty low place. His mother is able to slap some sanity back into him though, and gives him sage advice: Stop trying to be who you’re supposed to be, and start being who you are. It’s this advice that encourages Thor to give up being Asgard’s leader and instead hand the throne to Valkyrie.

Gamora

“Avengers: Endgame” runs the gamut of family relationships. It touches on mother-son, father-son, and sister-sister. Gamora’s (Zoe Saldana) shocking death in Infinity War was made only worse by occurring before Thanos even snapped his fingers. This led many fans to believe that, even if the snap was undone, her death could not be reversed. Thankfully, thanks to some time travel this is not the case, and we get to see the most dangerous woman in the universe come back to help out.

Gamora’s character was always more complex. She served Thanos in his hunt for Infinity Stones, but never quite wanted him to find them all. Now that Nebula is a changed woman, she tells Gamora of their better relationship in the coming future. This knowledge causes her to join forces with the Avengers. She’s still not too convinced that Star-Lord was a great romantic choice, though.

Loki

While it may remain true that there are “no resurrections” this time, it doesn’t mean that Loki (Tom Hiddleston) isn’t alive in the past! When the Avengers go back to 2012 to steal the Mind and Space Stones, that naturally puts them in the path of the mischievous trickster god. While he doesn’t have more than a few lines, he does get to snag the Space Stone when it accidentally spills out of Tony’s hands. With it, he escapes his restraints and portals out of the scene. Where to? Most likely to wherever the upcoming Loki series takes place!

Alexander Pierce

In the same above scene, Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford) confronts Cap as he makes to exit the Avengers building with the Space Stone. We saw Pierce’s character in “Captain America: Winter Soldier,” and now that Cap knows of his affiliation with Hydra, he’s not about to part with an Infinity Stone. Even though neither party gets the rock in the end (thanks, Loki), it was pretty awesome getting to see Pierce working behind the scenes. Now, we know how the Space and Mind Stones ended up in Hydra’s hands!

Peggy Carter

Not all encounters with people in the past are bad ones for Steve Rogers. Some of them hurt in a different way. The most heartbreaking confrontation was with Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), the woman he fell in love with back in the ’40s. While Tony Stark was talking with his father, the Russo brothers decided to hit with an emotional double-whammy. In a scene reminiscent of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ Rogers sees the love of his life through the window of her office. So close, yet so far.

While the mission came first at that point in time, seeing Peggy stoked the flames of his love for her. So much so that after Thanos was defeated and the Infinity Stones were returned, Steve Rogers decided to “try some of that life that Tony was always telling him to get.” He chooses to stay back in time with her. Peggy and Cap finally got their long-awaited dance and lived a happy married life together. Another plot thread we didn’t expect to see resolved.

Hank Pym

When time travel via the Quantum Realm is involved, it only makes sense that Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) shows up at some point. While he doesn’t get to do much, we do get to see a digitally de-aged Hank in the ’70s as well as the current version we’re familiar with during the end funeral scene.

Happy

This film featured a number of returning characters from the Iron Man trilogy including Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). We were happy (pun intended) to see this also meant the return of Jon Favreau’s character as well. With Stark tragically dead at the end of the film, it looks like Happy is going to help Pepper raise little Morgan Stark.

Who else was there?

While that’s the main returning cast, we’ll also give a shoutout to characters who briefly made appearances as well:

Nick Fury
Pepper Potts
Jane Foster
Jasper Sitwell
Crossbones
Janet Van Dyne
Human Jarvis
Harley Keener
Everyone killed in the snap

Did we get them all?

With the huge cast of characters in MCU, it is easy to miss one here or there. If we missed any, let us know in the comments below. Also, let us know who you were most psyched to see return to the big screen!

5 Marvel stories the MCU should use after ‘Avengers: Endgame’

With Endgame in our rearview mirror, it’s time to look ahead at other possible Marvel projects to come.

SPOILERS BELOW!

Now that we got that out of the way…

The aftermath of “Avengers: Endgame” left many fans in tears, both of joy and of sadness. The film presented a satisfying and climactic end to a 22-movie saga that changed the landscape of blockbuster films forever. We don’t know where the MCU is going to go after Endgame, but we do have some theories:

Where does the MCU go after Endgame?

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For many fans, it’s difficult to imagine Marvel ever surpassing Endgame. While this may end up being true, there have been dozens of huge crossover events throughout Marvel’s decades of comic books. One major advantage the MCU has moving forward is Disney’s purchase of FOX. This gives the MCU access to lucrative Marvel characters like the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and Deadpool. Here are five massive Marvel stories that could end up becoming major successes in the MCU:

5 Marvel stories the MCU should use after “Avengers: Endgame”

5. Secret Invasion

In the comics, the shapeshifting alien Skrulls have been a pain in the side of many superhero teams. This includes the Fantastic Four and the Avengers. The storyline “Secret Invasion” has several key figures in the Marvel Universe being kidnapped and secretly replaced with Skrulls. It leads up to a full-on invasion of Earth.

Earth’s heroes quickly find themselves unable to trust one another, worried that they may be talking to a Skrull. The Skrulls even took the form of several beloved dead Marvel heroes to sew confusion and emotional vulnerability among the Avengers. This is something that could be exploited in a movie adaptation to bring back some fan-favorite characters temporarily.

The invasion force has them combining the powers of several heroes into single beings called Super Skrulls. In this story, the Skrulls use their psychological and scientific prowess to bring the Avengers to their knees.

The Skrulls finally made their MCU appearance in “Captain Marvel,” being portrayed as sympathetic refugees hoping to escape the imperialistic, warlike Kree. While their portrayal in “Captain Marvel” worked in the movie and was a welcome surprise, there are several ways the MCU can turn the Skrulls into a vicious invasion force.

Since “Captain Marvel” took place in the ’90s, they could show a rebuilt Skrull Empire that has since shunned their peaceful ways. Alternatively, they could show a powerful Skrull terrorist force that goes rogue from the Skrulls we already saw. Either way, “Secret Invasion” would be a massive, body-snatching cinematic experience.

4. Annihilation

“Annihilation” was a comic storyline that had many of Marvel’s cosmic heroes like the Silver Surfer, (what would become) the Guardians of the Galaxy, and Nova defending the universe against the unstoppable Annihilation Wave. The Annihilation Wave was a force of millions of insect-like ships led by Annihlus. It was so powerful it managed to subdue both Thanos and Galactus. The storyline is often cited as one of Marvel’s best events ever.

Films like “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Thor: Ragnarok,” and “Captain Marvel” have expanded on the MCU’s cosmic side for years. They show a delightfully weird and colorful cast of characters and locations. After introducing some of FOX’s Marvel characters like the Silver Surfer, an MCU adaptation of “Annihilation” would be the grand climax the MCU cosmos deserves.

3. Avengers vs X-Men

In many ways, FOX’s X-Men movie franchise can be seen as a precursor to the MCU. While it had its ups and downs, you can’t say that it wasn’t ambitious. Now that Disney owns FOX, the beloved cast of mutants can finally join the MCU. And what better way to introduce them to the Avengers than to have them fight?

The “Avengers vs X-Men” comic event is confusing, overstuffed, and underwhelming. However, this doesn’t mean that the basic concept wouldn’t translate well to the MCU. Pairing up Marvel’s most famous mutants like Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, and Gambit against the Avengers would be many comic fans’ dream come true.

Since Marvel has had continued success in bringing together huge casts of characters, they should have no problem with this. It’s unfortunate we wouldn’t see iconic Avengers like Iron Man or Captain America suit up to fight the mutants. However, it would nonetheless be a treat for audiences to have two of Marvel’s greatest teams duke it out.

2. House of M

The Scarlet Witch of the comics is a very different beast than the one in the MCU. After experiences devastating losses, she uses her reality-warping powers to change the world. She creates one where everyone she cares about gets their heart’s desire.

In this new world, mutants dominate the world and humans are second class citizens. She rules alongside her adoptive father Magneto and her brother Quicksilver. They try to put an end to the constant human uprisings led by revolutionaries like Luke Cage. Some characters don’t want this world to end. Spider-Man, for example, is a beloved hero in this world who is happily married to the now alive Gwen Stacy.

In the MCU, Wanda has faced incredible loss after the events of “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Captian America: Civil War,” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” After Thanos brutally resurrects and then murders Vision after she was forced to kill him, Wanda was quickly snapped away by the mad titan.

When she comes back in the climactic battle of “Avengers: Endgame,” she shows a brand new ferocity in her fight against Thanos. She is nearly able to kill him singlehandedly by ripping him apart. This newly revived Wanda is clearly a broken person, which could easily lead her to do some questionable things. This may include rewriting reality. Scarlett Witch is set to appear in a new show for Disney+ called “WandaVision.” If the show follows “House of M,” we will not be disappointed.

1. Secret Wars

Note: This will be about Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 Secret Wars event and not the 1984 original miniseries.

The 2015 crossover event “Secret Wars” changed Marvel Comics forever. It brought an end and new beginning to the shared comic universe that had been running since the early 1960s. As the culmination of Jonathan Hickman‘s amazing Fantastic Four and Avengers runs, “Secret Wars” is arguably the greatest event Marvel has ever produced.

The series has Doctor Doom stealing the power of the omnipotent Beyonders, allowing him to bend reality to his will. Doom uses his new power to create Battleworld, a patchwork of various Marvel universes and timelines, all under his control. Different heroes and villains from across the Marvel Multiverse must band together and fight a hopeless battle against a god.

The Secret Wars storyline brought a rare sense of finality to comic books. While the Marvel Universe continued after “Secret Wars,” it would be one hell of a way to close out the MCU for good.

In conclusion

It’s still hard to believe that the Thanos saga has been concluded. We are happy with the conclusion, we just also want more. What stories would you like to see the MCU adapt moving forward? Let us know in the comments below!

Russo brothers announce Endgame is their last MCU film

It is the end of an era as Joe and Anthony Russo announce they are leaving the MCU for the foreseeable future.

They gave it whatever it took.

Joe and Anthony Russo have announced that “Avengers: Endgame” will be their last MCU film for the foreseeable future.

The Russo brothers began started directing films in the MCU in 2014 with “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” They have also directed “Captain America: Civil War” and “Avengers: Infinity War.”

“It’s our Endgame, at least for now,” said Anthony Russo in an interview with GamesRadar. “We don’t have any plans for now to make any more Marvel movies. It certainly may come up in the future at some point. We have a wonderful working relationship with [Marvel Studios] and a great passion for what they’re doing.”

The Russo brothers have other non-MCU projects on the horizon, according to IMDb.

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The brothers have teamed up with Tom Holland who plays Spider-Man in the MCU for a new movie called “Cherry.” The movie is about an army medic who becomes a drug addict and a bank robber.

Although it is not part of the MCU, the Russo brothers recently announced a project about Marvel’s greatest hero, Stan Lee.

“We are fascinated by the life of Stan Lee and we are actually developing a little something that has to do with his work in the history of Marvel,” said Anthony Russo in an interview with Cinemablend. “But we are not ready to present it or talk about it yet. It’s more of a documentary.”

Seeing the Russo brothers leave the MCU is upsetting. The movies they made for the MCU are some of the best it has to offer. “Avengers: Endgame” had the biggest opening weekend in film history.

We’re sad to see the Russo brothers go. Their love and commitment to the characters have been a joy to witness. We don’t know much about who may or may not be replacing them. Jon Watts will return as director for “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” and Scott Derrickson is set to direct the next Doctor Strange film. However, we don’t know who will direct the next MCU team-up film. Whoever it may be, they have big shoes to fill.

Which Avengers: Endgame hero are you?

Take our quiz to see which hero you’d be!

Thanos “snapped” a lot of our heroes at the end of “Avengers: Infinity War.” Now that we’re in the Endgame, there are a handful of survivors left to carry the torch and take the fight to the Mad Titan. While the whole gang is set on a singular goal, the crew’s pretty diverse in terms of personalities, backgrounds, and powers. Heck, there’s a talking raccoon with a rocket launcher. Of all the heroes on screen, though, which one are you most similar to? Are you a war-hardened military veteran? Or maybe a super spy? Or are you a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist? Take our quiz and find out!

Happy with your result? If not, you can always grab your Time Stone and take it again to undo the damage. Or you could refresh the page. Up to you. Let us know in the comments below which Avenger you got, and we’ll see you in the theaters!

Where does the MCU go after Endgame?

As the MCU gets a major shake-up from Endgame, what can we expect in future titles?

We’re in the Endgame now, and it’s glorious.

“Avengers: Endgame” is here, and with it comes major changes to the MCU. If you have seen the movie, and want to both recap the film and further the discussion, continue reading. If you haven’t seen it, read at your own volition because SPOILERS are ahead. As for the rest of you, buckle up. We have a lot to talk about:

Where does the MCU go after Endgame? SPOILERS BELOW

The original team is pretty much shot

Let’s recap who is left standing, and who is still ready to fight. Captain America has retired and is no longer in fighting condition even if he wanted to come back. Iron Man and Black Widow are both dead. Hulk MIGHT have permanently damaged his arm from using the Infinity Stones. Thor may be able to come back to Earth if he’s needed, but for now, he appears to have joined the Guardians of the Galaxy.

As for Hawkeye, his adventures are far from over. A spin-off Hawkeye series starring Jeremy Renner has been announced for Disney+. We are definitely excited for Disney+ and the show, and we think we have an idea of what the show might entail.

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The Hawkeye show will follow him as he trains a potential new Hawkeye, Kate Bishop. This may not be the only person Hawkeye helps train. As one of the only remaining OG Avengers left, Hawkeye may take it upon himself to train a new team altogether. Referred to in the comics as the New Avengers, the new superhero squad may be the future of the MCU.

So who’s dead?

To make it clear, Disney and Marvel could change their mind at any time and bring whoever they want back to life. Although we say these characters are dead, we can’t say for certain.

The feeling we got from Endgame is that if you died from the first snap, you’re alive now. However, if you died by other means you’re probably still dead.

The Gamora we knew is most likely dead. The movie made it clear that if you are sacrificed to get the Soul Stone, you’re not coming back. However, we now have a Gamora from a completely different timeline. We don’t know with 100% certainty whether or not she got dusted in Tony’s final snap. We just can’t imagine her final moment with Starlord would’ve been a knee to the balls. Although, we all wanted to do that to him after he inadvertently caused the first snap.

Both Black Widow and Iron Man are both probably completely dead. Black Widow got Soul Stone-d, and Iron Man couldn’t handle the power of the Infinity Stones. However, that doesn’t mean we are done seeing Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey Jr. in MCU movies.

Scarlett Johansson is set to do a standalone Black Widow movie. As we don’t know much about her origins in the MCU, an origin story seems like the best route. As to who the villain may or may not be, we think it might just be Winter Soldier as the two have a history.

We don’t see Iron Man coming back to life any time soon. His death seemed very final and fitting for the character. We could see Robert Downey Jr. reprising the role in a prequel, but unless he comes back like how Cap did in “Secret Invasion,” we don’t see him returning.

That just leaves two main heroes that died from something other than the snap, Heimdall and Vision. Heimdall was stabbed by Thanos at the beginning of “Avengers: Infinity War.” The reverse snap didn’t bring him back to life, so we can assume Idris Elba won’t be returning to the MCU. As for Vision, we’re pretty sure he’s coming back, and Disney has all but confirmed it.

“WandaVision” is set to come out for Disney+. We don’t know many details about the show other than the fact that Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany will be reprising their roles. The two lived together in secret between “Captain America: Civil War” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” Although it is possible the show takes place between those films, it is much more likely that Black Panther’s sister Shuri figured out how to bring Vision back without the Mind Stone.

What about Loki and the Loki show on Disney+?

So here’s where things get a little complicated. In “Avengers: Infinity War,” Loki 100% died. However, due to some tomfoolery with time travel, Loki isn’t gone in every timeline.

After fumbling around with the Space Stone during the events of the original Avengers, Loki was able to snatch it and make an escape. Tom Hiddleston is starring as Loki in a series for Disney+ as well.

Our guess is that the show will follow this alternate timeline Loki. As the God of Mischief, we are guessing that this new timeline will suffer some wild results. It could be that this show will follow in the tracks of the “What If” series. It’s a bit of a pipe dream to expect Robert Downey Jr. or Chris Evans to make regular appearances on a “What If” style show. However, cameos here and there from various Avengers would be appreciated.

Falcon is the new Captain America

Along with passing Falcon his shield, Steve Rogers also passed him the torch.

Fans have speculated if Falcon or Winter Soldier would take up the mantle of Captain America if Steve Rogers were to die or retire. Both have replaced Rogers in the comics, so both were suitable replacements. When Falcon strapped the shield to his arm, we couldn’t have been happier. Anthony Mackie has been doing a great job as Falcon, and we are excited to see what he does moving forward with Disney+’s “Falcon and The Winter Soldier.”

We can’t imagine Falcon retiring his wings. However, we can imagine him in a more star-spangled outfit along with busting out the vibranium shield from time to time.

The Asgardians of the Galaxy

Thor’s throwaway joke at the end of Endgame may not be entirely inaccurate.

When Thor referred to the Guardians of the Galaxy as the “Asgardians of the Galaxy,” he may have given a small clue. “Asgardians of the Galaxy” is actually a comic series from Marvel. It features several powerful Asgardians and their adventures throughout the galaxy.

We don’t expect the full cast of Asgardians of the Galaxy to make their way to “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” but we could see a few characters making appearances. Since we already have a talking raccoon, why not add a talking frog and a weird horse-thing?

Movies we know are coming

Although we only have a trailer for “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” there are still more upcoming MCU films confirmed by Disney and Marvel.

An article from Time confirms several upcoming MCU films as well as upcoming Marvel films in general. Along with another Spider-Man movie, we are also getting sequels for Black Panther, the Guardians of the Galaxy and Doctor Strange.

Kevin Feige recently confirmed a movie featuring the Eternals. The Eternals are another superhero team. They are like the Avengers meet the Guardians of the Galaxy. They defend Earth, but they also travel through the galaxy. Thanos was a member of the Eternals in the comics, so it will interesting to see if he makes an appearance in a flashback.

Marvel has also confirmed a standalone Shang-Chi movie. Shang-Chi is a martial arts master similar to Iron Fist. We don’t have any plot details or even casting decisions, but if we get something similar to a Jet Li or Bruce Lee movie, we’ll be happy.

Finally, we know that we are getting a Ms. Marvel film. As for this one, we actually know a few things. This iteration of Ms. Marvel will be Kamala Khan, a teenage Pakistani girl living in New Jersey. Khan idolizes Captain Marvel and is taught how to be a hero by her. We don’t have casting decisions or a release date yet, but we really have our hopes up for this one.

What can we assume for the sequels?

The “Spider-Man: Far From Home” trailer shows Peter with Ned, MJ, Flash and Aunt May. As none of them appear to have aged much since “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” we’re guessing they all were killed in the snap, or else they would be five years older.

There is a theory that the film takes place before “Avengers: Infinity War.” However, a Sony producer recently told Insider that the film takes place not long after “Avengers: Endgame.”

There are two big loose ends that we can expect to be cleared up in upcoming sequels. First and foremost is Adam Warlock:

Adam Warlock is more than likely going to be the main focus of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” It has yet to be confirmed whether or not Zoe Saldana will reprise her role as Gamora, but we don’t see her being omitted altogether. What we do know is that a movie with Thor and the Guardians of the Galaxy fighting Adam Warlock sounds incredible.

At the end of “Doctor Strange,” Chiwetel Ejiofor’s character Mordo announces his plans to kill the Earth’s wizards. The question remains whether or not Mordo was killed in the snap. If he wasn’t, what has he been doing? If he was, has he had a change of heart? We don’t know much about “Doctor Strange 2,” but we are expecting to see Mordo and Doctor Strange settle the score.

Wrapping up

“Avengers Endgame” was just about perfect.

Three words: Cap wields Mjolnir.

We got the fan service we’ve been craving, and we aren’t left with too many unanswered questions. Although we are sad to see some of our heroes bite the dust, we are left completely satisfied.