Spoiler warning: I don't actually know any plot information about Avengers 4, but there are reasons a lot of the Marvel fan theories make sense. If you want to go into the movie completely cold, you have been warned!
The anticipation for Avengers 4 is reaching a fever pitch, and it's in no small part because of the complete lack of details from Marvel Studios. There's no synopsis, trailer, photos, or even an official cast list for this movie and it's starting to drive us all a little wild. To fill in the gap of content, fans have been going nuts analyzing any piece of information about the movie that surfaces on the internet.
Normally, I wouldn't put too much stalk into rumors or leaks, but sometimes those rumors and leaks have a kernel of truth to them, and with a movie as big and secretive as Avengers 4, these rumors deserve some attention. The Russo Brothers may be content to leave everyone guessing, but that hasn't seemingly stopped a few details from slipping through the cracks. Combined with other leaks, these rumors have a pretty good shot at being on the money or at least in the right ballpark, and these are the nine biggest Avengers 4 rumors to watch out for.
There Will Be A Time Jump Into The Future
One of the most prevalent rumors about Avengers 4 is that it's going to pull a time hop and take place several years after the events in Avengers: Infinity War. The popular idea is that the movie will jump five to 10 years into the future, which would make sense. That way we get to see the full effect of The Snap and whether or not Thanos was actually right that things would be better off. Set photos have shown what appears to be an older Tony Stark in a SHIELD uniform and it's rumored that actress Emma Fuhrmann will be an older Cassie Lang (Scott Lang's daughter). A time jump certainly would explain both of those.
Time Travel Plays A Big Part
Thanks to set photos showing off Tony Stark and Scott Lang in what appears to be the Battle of New York (with an Avengers-era Captain America as reference), people believe that time travel is a big part of the film. Some rumors claim the Avengers will travel to multiple points in the past, making the movie something of a love letter to the MCU. Other rumors claim that no one actually time travels and this is just an advanced use of Stark's holographic BARF technology -- which the Russo Brothers have hinted. Still cool either way.
Pepper Potts Suits Up
Some fans have wanted Pepper Potts to suit up in her own armor, for a role which in the comics is called Rescue. One rumor has Pepper flying all the way to Titan to pick up Tony (which is farfetched as hell), but others say she will play a support role on the battlefield. There wasn't any real basis for this rumor until a leaked photo of Gwyneth Paltrow in some kind of battle suit hit the Internet. The whole costume isn't in view, but there are some hard Iron Man vibes to what can be seen. Regardless, it looks like Pepper is suiting up for something.
The Quantum Realm Is Needed
The Quantum Realm is the dimension-sized plot device of the Ant-Man franchise, and it might be the key to solving the Avengers' problem. No rumor quite agrees on what the Quantum Realm will be used for, but the most popular is time travel. People have also drawn comparisons to some leaked matching white outfits for the Avengers and Hank Pym's Quantum Realm suit. Are the Avengers suiting up to head deep into the Quantum Realm with Pym technology? As long as they are wearing those stylin' suits, I don't care what they do.
Hawkeye Will Be Ronin and DARK
His absence in Infinity War drew shouts of frustrations from MCU fans, but while Hawkeye will be in Avengers 4, he may not be the same guy. Rumors have heavily indicated that Clint Barton will change identities (or at least costumes) to become Ronin, a ninja-like hero that Barton became for a time in the comics. Bits and pieces of the Ronin costume have been seen in set photos, and leaked concept art showed the black, hooded outfit. As to why Clint has opted for a new identity, there's a pretty dark rumor that his whole family was Snapped and he doesn't take it well. Jeremy Renner himself has hinted that Hawkeye is in for a dark storyline.
Hulk and Bruce Banner Will Unite
Bruce Banner's main problem in Infinity War -- other than the threat of annihilation -- was that the Hulk refused to fight after Thanos trounced him. However, Hulk isn't going to sit out the final battled and leaked concept art showed a new kind of Hulk, one that was something of the halfway point between Hulk and Banner. Banner has always been at odds with the Hulk, so it's fitting the culmination of their story would be that they finally learn to get along and unify as one identity. Assumedly, this form has the mind of Banner with the strength of Hulk, and hopefully, that can help turn the tide of battle against Thanos.
There's A Villain Greater Than Thanos
Thanos has been billed as the top dog of villains in the MCU, and he lived up to that in Infinity War after he, well, won. It was assumed that his villainy streak would continue into Avengers 4, but it turns out that he might not be alone. According to a leak from a promotional item for the film, the Avengers have to assemble to battle an "even greater" enemy, implying that someone is trying to upstage Thanos. It's an interesting wrinkle, and it could lead to an Avengers-Thanos team-up to take down this new baddie. We can only speculate as to what this new threat could be. There are a few different cosmic beings that fit the bill, but one theory claims the villain might be none other than Annihilus, a bug monster overlord from another dimension.
So Many Rumors About The Title
In all of cinema history, has there ever been such a focus on the title of a movie? Fans are obsessed with finding out the true title of Avengers 4, which was deemed too much of a spoiler to reveal before Infinity War released. There have been rumors suggesting the title could be Avengers: End Game, Avengers: Eternity War, and Avengers: Annihilation. None of these have been confirmed yet and likely won't be until the first trailer drops, but the one that really seems to be picking up steam is Annihilation. It fits right in with the tease of another villain (Annihilus) while tying into the "final chapter" tone for this era of the MCU. With all this build up, there's a really good chance the title is going to be a letdown no matter what it is, but boy, what a ride it's been!
Captain America Will Die
To be fair, there are rumors that most major characters will be kicking the bucket by the time the credits roll, but Captain America is by far the most prominent. Due to comic book storylines, fans have been expecting Cap to die for a while now, and it seems almost pre-destined to happen at this point. Chris Evans fueled the fire for this rumor himself after he tweeted an emotional "farewell" tweet about his last day on set. He later came out and said that this tweet didn't mean he was done with the role forever... but it had some severe goodbye vibes. Maybe Cap doesn't die and gets to walk off into the sunset; either way, this is likely the last we'll see of this excellent character for some time.
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