an unprecedented feat in cinematic storytelling, tying up one of the most sprawling sagas in

movie history.

But all signs point to one certainty it will pull it off in style.

Tony's last stand

Considering the end credits scene of Infinity War, a lot of speculation over the pending

defeat of the Mad Titan Thanos has centered on the spacefaring Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers.

But comments made by the directing team of the Russo brothers have heavily implied that

the good Captain won't necessarily be a magic bullet.

The biggest threat to Thanos may be none other than Iron Man.

As Infinity War detailed, Thanos and Tony are on a first-name basis, with both of them

holding deep-seated grudges over the first Avengers' Battle of New York.

While Captain Marvel's power level will surely play a part in Thanos' defeat, it makes more

sense that Stark who kicked off the entire MCU will be forced into a final showdown with

Thanos.

One way or another, it's probably the last time we'll see Robert Downey Jr. in the role

but does the encounter have to end with his death?

It's never been more plausible.

Expiring contracts

Not only would a clash between Iron Man and Thanos in which Stark meets his demise make

narrative sense, it would also make business sense.

Robert Downey Jr.'s contract with Marvel will be completed with Avengers 4 and he's not

the only one whose time is up.

While everyone who was snapped away in Infinity War is probably coming back, the fates of

the original team members are much more up in the air.

We know that Avengers 4 will also complete the contracts of Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth,

and Jeremy Renner.

The status of Mark Ruffalo's deal is unknown, and though Scarlett Johansson is on board

for a Black Widow solo feature, there's no guarantee that that film will take place in

the post-Avengers 4 timeline, meaning she could be done for as well.

There's a reason the original crew survived Thanos' big Snappening for the old-school

members of the team, Avengers 4 is one last ride.

End of the Guardians?

The Guardians of the Galaxy series quickly became one of the MCU's most cherished series

thanks to its adventurous tone and characters that are outlandish, yet relatable.

Their crossover with the Avengers in Infinity War was long-awaited, and even though they

mostly turned to dust by the end of that film, Dave Bautista has confirmed the team will

appear in Avengers 4.

However, Disney's firing of writer-director James Gunn and subsequent decision to put

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on hold has thrown the entire future of the team into

question.

And it's even been speculated that Avengers 4 may be reworked during reshoots to phase

out Gunn's version of the team permanently.

For all we know, Avengers 4 will be the last time we see the Guardians something that used

to seem unthinkable.

Returning favorites

Infinity War saw many of our heroes being reduced to dust, but the fates of more than

a few popular characters remained up in the air.

Luckily, many of their actors involved with the movie seem to have difficulty keeping

their mouths shut, cluing us in to a few significant characters who survived Thanos' snap.

In an interview with ScreenRant during the promotion cycle for Mission: Impossible Fallout,

Angela Bassett let slip that not only did her character Ramonda survive, so did her

genius daughter Shuri.

Could she take up the mantle of Black Panther while her brother is away?

Instagram detectives were also able to all but confirm that Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie

will also be back after sitting out Infinity War.

But no sleuthing was required to determine the fate of Wong, the trusted companion of

Doctor Strange.

The character's actor, Benedict Wong, just went ahead and posted a photo of himself on

set.

His return will be welcomed, but that skull-peeling photo has prompted wild speculation from fans

that Wong just might turn out be a Skrull one of the shape-shifting alien baddies we'll

be introduced to in Captain Marvel.

A cosmic culmination

Infinity War took the saga of the Avengers to new heights, dramatically raising the stakes

of the conflict with Thanos by having the Mad Titan actually succeed in his genocidal

mission.

But Avengers 4 will give us something that the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn't had to

face until now: a conclusion.

According to Marvel Studios mastermind Kevin Feige, Avengers 4 the 22nd entry in the MCU

will completely wrap up the ten years' worth of story that started unfolding with 2008's

Iron Man.

He acknowledged that the individual movies within the MCU are perpetually in motion,

always leaving viewers on the hook for a sequel of some sort.

This time, he says, will be refreshingly different.

"We're in the endgame now."

Uncharted territory

Seasoned fans of the MCU know that the studio has never directly adapted a story from the

comics, but rather used Marvel's decades of print storylines for inspiration.

The most obvious example of this is Captain America: Civil War, which took its title from

a famous story arc while sharing only a few basic plot points with its namesake.

Infinity War is a loose adaptation of the comics' Infinity Gauntlet story, but Marvel

isn't dipping into its back catalog for Avengers 4 according to directors Joe and Anthony Russo,

it will be a totally original story.

Joe Russo told ComicBook.com,

"I have no interest as a director in telling a story that's already been told or in seeing

one that's already been told.

If I know all the events of the story as they're going to happen, then what's the point of

going to the film?"

It's a good point, and one which means that fans looking to Marvel comics for clues to

the conflict's outcome probably aren't going to find them.

Comic readers saw Thanos' snap coming from miles away, but what comes after?

Nobody knows.

Thor speaks

If you're looking for general reassurance that Avengers 4 will blow your mind just as

hard as Infinity War, look no further than the words of the Odinson himself,

Chris Hemsworth.

Speaking in an interview with Esquire, the actor revealed his opinion that Avengers 4

will outdo its predecessor when it comes to unexpected surprises, saying,

"If you were shocked by [Infinity War], I think the second one is even more shocking,

for other reasons entirely.

[…] The second one I'm probably even more excited about."

While we're curious about where the story will go, assurances like this are almost as

good.

Whatever happens, we're happy to let the wild speculation continue until the movie's release.

At least, until Mark Ruffalo comes around and spoils the entire thing for us.

"Wait til ya see this next one easy Mark everybody dies."

"D-Dude!

Dude..." "... ...not everybody."