“There was an idea…to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to fight the battles we never could.”
That is, in a nutshell, the Avengers Initiative, Nick Fury’s larger-than-life masterplan that involved assembling Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. It’s not without its flaws, of course; despite his best intentions, thrusting Cap and Iron Man together under the same roof seeded a full-blown Civil War, and the fallout of that historic event is still being felt across the four corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
How do we know? Well, for one, the teaser trailer for Avengers: Infinity War opens at a time when the titular heroes are at their lowest – at their most vulnerable – which only has us all the more worried about Infinity War‘s body count. Joe and Anthony Russo will likely hold fire until 2019 (read: Avengers 4) before bumping off some major characters, but Marvel fans are still on edge.
One quick and simple way to ensure that ‘Character X’ makes it out of Avengers: Infinity War alive though is to consult the cast list for its as-yet-untitled sequel. And though it’s by no means official, the folks over at Marvel Studios News have uncovered a new set photo that ostensibly confirms Scarlet Witch for 2019’s royal rumble.
Elizabeth Olsen’s all-powerful sorceress has long been rumored for Joe and Anthony Russo’s 2019 sequel, though the actress’ recently-released Instagram Story all but confirms that, yes, Wanda Maximoff will bear witness to the ultimate showdown with Thanos.
Josh Brolin’s Mad Titan isn’t alone, of course, given Infinity War has fleshed out its villain roster with the Black Order – think Legion of Doom, but in Marvel colors. That supergroup includes Corvus Glaive, Ebony Maw, Proxima Midnight, and Cull Obsidian.
In accordance with the MCU’s timeline, Avengers: Infinity War will roll off the Marvel production line on May 4th, 2018, before its unnamed sequel officially brings the curtain down in 2019.