Unless this is literally the only page on the internet that you’ve visited today, you’re probably well aware that the first trailer for Avengers 4 – or as we’re calling it now, Avengers: Endgame – has finally dropped, putting an end to an exhausting few weeks of speculation and uncertainty. Of course, since Marvel Studios was never going to give the whole game away in a two-minute teaser, it’s inevitable that the new footage will raise at least as many questions as it answers, with one particular image leading some fans to theorize that the death of Captain America has been foreshadowed.
The shot in question shows an old photo of Steve Rogers’ Captain America: The First Avenger love interest Peggy Carter. As you may recall, Cap had this picture on the control panel of Red Skull’s ship when he crashed into the Arctic, making a heroic self-sacrifice that would ultimately lead to his ‘rebirth’ for 2012’s The Avengers.
Because of the photo’s close connection to Steve’s first metaphorical death, and in light of Peggy’s own death in Captain America: Civil War, the theory has emerged that this trailer moment hints that Cap’s actual demise is nigh. The speculation is fueled further by the fact that Black Widow is the one holding the compass, suggesting that either Cap is opening up about his relationship with Peggy, or that Nat is looking at the photo after Steve has passed away – though the latter idea feels especially unlikely, seeing how the editing strongly suggests that the moment takes place in a scene opposite Chris Evans.
All in all, this theory certainly sounds like a stretch given the thin evidence it’s based on, but either way, Steve Rogers will no doubt continue to be among the most widely predicted deaths in next year’s release. Of course, in light of co-director Joe Russo’s recent statement that Evans is “not done yet,” perhaps fans should be rethinking their forecasts, but as the filmmaker himself teased at the time, all will be revealed when Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26th, 2019.