The Best and Strangest Theories About What Happens After "Avengers: Infinity War"

It’s been a few weeks since Avengers: Infinity War hit theatres, so let’s do what the Internet does best and start speculating about what’s to come.

Spoiler Warning: This article talks about the ending to Avengers: Infinity War.

Infinity War is apparently the "culmination of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)." But… is it?

To me, it seems like Marvel Studios is really just getting started. With many more solo movies on the slate—including both sequels and origin films—and many more characters to (fingers crossed) finally join the universe, the MCU is far from being over.

The most recent film ends with Thanos actually in possession of all six Infinity Stones, snapping his fingers and using the Infinity Gauntlet to instantly turn half of the world’s population to dust. This includes the "dustification" of many Marvel heroes, including Black Panther, Spider-Man, Scarlett Witch, Falcon, Winter Soldier, Star-Lord, Drax, Nick Fury, Maria Hill and Groot, among others. (Why Groot?!)

There are a number of theories about how these events will be resolved in the Untitled Avengers 4, out next year. For instance, who will conclusively make it out of the next movie? And where will the MCU go from there? I love to speculate, and I hope you do too cause we’re about to go deep.

Role Reversal

One theory I highly doubt is real but really intrigues me is that the characters who turned to dust at the end of Infinity War are actually the ones who are still alive, and the main Avengers—Iron Man, Captain America, et cetera—are actually dead and in some weird purgatory. Pretty eerie! Still, I’m doubtful. Likelihood: 2/6 Infinity Stones.

A Whole New World

Along those lines, I’ve started to wonder if "The Snap" created parallel universes. So, the "dustified" characters didn’t actually die; they just entered a new universe. It cannot be a coincidence that, for the most part, everyone left standing is one of the original Avengers, and, more significantly, the actors who are almost at the end of their contracts. Either way, I think it’s pretty safe to assume the next film will be the last for our O.G. team-members… as much as that makes me want to throw a temper tantrum. Likelihood: 3/6 Infinity Stones.

A Strange Theory

Perhaps Doctor Strange is the key. In fact, it’s pretty safe to assume he will be. Considering the film makes a point of explaining that out of more than fourteen million possibilities, there is only one set of choices that will lead to an eventual Avengers victory. Strange even tells Stark that giving Thanos the Time Stone has put our heroes in "the endgame". It’s not as if this was a subtle clue. Perhaps whatever Doctor Strange’s plan is will be revealed early in the next film, and Avengers 4 will be all about executing that plan. As for what Strange had in mind… perhaps a spell cast on the Time Stone, allowing all those "dustified" to not die, but simply "head out for a moment"? Doctor Strange is clearly going to be one of the key players going forward in the MCU, and I have faith that he knew what he was doing. Likelihood: 5/6 Infinity Stones.

Think Small

Ant-Man and the Wasp, which will be released in a few short months and takes place before the events of Infinity War, may very well provide the answer to this problem. This film contains an important tool that hasn’t been explored all that much thus far in the MCU but could end up being the saviour of everyone: the Quantum Realm, or Microverse. Maybe Ant-Man was able to shrink between the molecules of an Infinity Stone and alter its effects in some way? I guess we’ll have to wait and find out! Likelihood: 3/6 Infinity Stones.

A Twist!

What if the half of the population that became "dustified" really is dead? As in, permanently dead. That would mean Black Panther, Spider-Man and Groot have had their last outing. Now, of course that can’t be the case. Black Panther just made a ridiculous amount of money and Spider-Man already has a sequel due for 2019. Could Marvel pull off the biggest twist in cinematic history and actually retire these beloved heroes. The answer is no. I think. Right?! Likelihood: 0/6 Infinity Stones.

Graham Mitchell Elphick is one of Student Edge’s student contributors. See more student contributions here.

Photo: Marvel