MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

Seriously, DON’T read this unless you have seen Avengers: Infinity War.

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Welcome to Breaking Geek, a weekly column where uber-geek Nick Doll offers commentary and reactions to the most interesting news of the week, using his expansive knowledge of all things geek!

Guys, Avengers: Infinity War has been out for a week. I saw it last Wednesday and Thursday, so it has been over a week since I have seen it. Still… wow… blown away… so many emotions… yada, yada, yada.

Snap! Am I right?

But, where does the currently Untitled Avengers 4 go from here? More than half the heroes are dead (I guess that 50% does play no favorites), basically left with Phase 1 heroes, Nebula, and Rocket. Obviously Spider-Man, Black Panther and others won’t stay as dust – unless somehow their sequels are actually weightless prequels? – so how do our core Avengers and friends set things right?

Here are some wild predictions for Avengers 4 and how likely — or impossible — each possibility is.

What We Can Assume:

Our team is currently Captain America, Bruce Banner with no Hulk, Black Widow, Thor, and Rocket in Wakanda. Meanwhile, Iron Man and Nebula are still on Titan. Am I missing anyone?

We can assume Ant-Man and Hawkeye join the fight, as well as Wasp… hopefully. I imagine a post-credits sequence to Ant-Man and the Wasp that leads to Wasp seeing Hank Pym disappear, and Scott Lang watching Cassie turn to dust. Something similar likely happened to Hawkeye’s family. Hence their need to join the fight this time (aside from a lack of Avengers).

Though, there is a chance Wasp disappears too to make things even, though that would be a shame. We have seen Ant-Man in Avengers 4 set photos, as well as knowing Jeremy Renner was on set, so it is safe to assume these two heroes join in the battle.

Note: This would actually bring the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Avengers team closer to the original comics’ team than ever before; Ant-Man and Wasp were founding Avengers, but Captain America didn’t even come around until the second storyline.

We can also assume Captain Marvel will be a BIG part of this movie. Kevin Feige has said she is even stronger than Hulk as far as the MCU heroes are concerned. And with her Cosmic background, she may know a thing or two about Infinity Stones and/or where Thanos chills and watches the sunset. So, unless Captain Marvel looks at her beeper and immediately turns to dust, she’s a major player here.

Finally, unless this is extreme misdirection, we have seen photos of several Avengers cast members in their original costumes from older movies including 2012’s The Avengers. Does this mean time travel? Something else? Let’s explore!

Captain Marvel Does Turn To Dust

What a move! Make a whole movie about Captain Marvel set in the ‘90s, then have her receive the message from Fury in her own post-credits scene… then she turns to dust!

Even better, wait until the opening scene in Avengers 4 to turn her to dust. That would really “Alien 3” fans in an even worse way than the opening to Infinity War! All that anticipation, used against fans…

Probability: Very, very unlikely

Captain Marvel Time Travel Adventure

This is my 2nd favorite theory.

So get this, what if that old-school yet high tech beeper Nick Fury used to contact Captain Marvel with is not tied to time as we understand it?

What if she has to influence events from past MCU films, reshaping the Marvel Cinematic Universe in time for their face-off against Thanos? After all, there have been the aforementioned set photos showcasing the main Avengers cast in their old uniforms and even old Tony Stark t-shirts. And, Marvel Studios is the first to have the power to revisit any scene they want from now nineteen films. It would almost be a waste not for it to be connected to time travel in some way.

And, as long was we like her depiction in her solo film, Captain Marvel may be the perfect character to navigate the timeline of the MCU with.

Probability: More likely than most the options on this list? Your guess is as good as mine!

Tony Stark’s Magical Memory Machine – B.A.R.F.

When confronted with the time travel theory months ago, long before we even knew the ending to Infinity War, one of the Russo bros. offered another explanation for why we may be seeing set photos leaking featuring old gear and locations, reminding us of Tony Stark’s weird memory reenactor device from their last film, Captain America: Civil War.

So, is that an awesome plant, or a misdirection?

It literally does explain why they would reshoot old scenes and why the machine hasn’t had a true purpose in the MCU except to simplify exposition about the Stark family.

But, how in the world is this useful to the remaining Avengers?

They can’t actually change the past by reliving a memory, even if they can alter a memory. Is it to look for old clues? Does it really work this way if it is basing the memory off your brain wave? Can a device nicknamed B.A.R.F. save the MCU?

Probability: I think the Russo Bros are lying! If not, that is a sick plant. But, unlikely. Not very, very unlikely, but “unlikely.”

Ant-Man And The Wasp (And The Quantum Realm)

The Quantum Realm is technically a different dimension, so maybe it also is not exactly tied to time. Maybe this is an Ant-Man time-travel adventure? We have seen him alongside Captain America in his original Avengers suit on a set that looks like the Battle of New York…

Bonus Points: Hawkeye is also involved in the trip in and out of the Quantum Realm, distorting time. Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) love triangle with Wasp or Captain Marvel!

But… then would Hawkeye bump into himself? Paradox!

Probability: I honestly think Ant-Man and the Wasp has a bummer of a release date because it won’t tie into Avengers 4. Also, unlikely, despite set photos featuring Ant-Man. There must be another reason for that.

Everyone Really Is Dead… The End

We were told this by Infinity War co-writer Christopher this week:

“[Avengers 4] doesn’t do what you think it does. It is a different movie than you think it is. Also…[the deaths are] real. I just want to tell you it’s real, and the sooner you accept that, the sooner you will be able to move on to the next stage of grief.”

“We broke your heart. Now we’re going to blow your mind!”

No fucking way. What exactly does “real” mean as far as death in a comic book movie, because it doesn’t mean much in a comic book.

They’re going to kill the Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man, and Black Panther franchises? Plus, how do you go forward without the actors who aren’t retiring if nearly everyone else is gone? Is this really a new start for the MCU?

As far as Doctor Strange… I figured he was on the chopping block anyway. I know his franchise made money, but when Marvel Studios spins gold every time, it may be cheaper to ditch Benedict Cumberbatch and start a new franchise like Nova with a cheaper actor. As much as I’d hate to not see a sequel… I can believe he’s dead for good.

RELATED: All Current Marvel Cinematic Universe Films Ranked From Worst To Best (Including INFINITY WAR) | Breaking Geek

You could do pointless prequels. Ones where we know which character is safe. Even stories between the last entry of each franchise and Infinity War would be an option, with Guardians Vol. 2 set in 2014 and Black Panther and Spider-Man: Homecoming set right after Civil War in 2016. Again though, this feels like a step backwards, especially if the new franchises are moving the narrative forward, not focusing on the past.

Or… new versions of classic characters? Though I want to see Miles Morales very badly, it would seem unfair to give Peter Parker only one film, with no Aunt May knowing his identity pay-off. On the other hand, we have seen three Peter Parkers in 15 years…

Guardians works too. You use the version established at the end of Vol. 2, Stallone aka Stakar and the gang!

Even the Black Panther mantle could be picked up by Shuri… but didn’t Killmonger burn all the heart shaped herbs?

Probability: I can’t imagine Peter Parker, Peter Quill, and T’Challa not getting more films. So, again, unlikely. But…

Multiverse + Everyone Is Really “Dead”

Maybe the snap didn’t kill everyone but launched them into an alternate dimension. I really don’t like this theory, but multiverses have to happen in comic book films eventually, and Marvel should be the first to do it for real (forget Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, that’s a standalone… and animated!).

Probability: More likely than never seeing these actors again.

Classic Adventure To Save/Avenge The Dead

My favorite theory:

Picture this, all the Phase 1 heroes – Iron Man, Hulk, War Machine, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow, and Hawkeye – along with a talking raccoon, a daughter of Thanos, Ant-Man, the Wasp, and Captain Marvel take the fight to Thanos. The leaked set photos suggesting time travel were bullshit. This is your favorite Avengers fighting together like never before, to overcome their greatest obstacle.

Nebula can be their guide to wherever Thanos wants to live out his life. Maybe she will grab the Gauntlet like in the comics, but that thing looked trashed after Thanos snapped his fingers. Captain Marvel can be the muscle that makes the difference against Thanos. Captain America gets to die a hero’s death! And maybe some other originals as well, but for God’s sake, not Hawkeye! He has a family, man!

And they do save everyone snapped to dust, somehow. Because forget about the lost Avengers, how weird would the MCU be with half the Universe’s population gone? Though, I guess Kevin Feige has discussed Phase 4 being a huge shift in the MCU.

Probability: Honestly, the most likely on this list. Even though a studio is insane to spend money on fake shoots.

Soul For A Soul

This kind of ties into the last theory. We get to see our core Avengers in all their glory after Captain America and Black Widow got the shaft, screentime wise, in Infinity War. But… in the tradition of sacrificing a soul to obtain the soul stone, everyone must sacrifice something… likely their lives. But, can they just bring back their friends or Earth’s whole race? As mentioned earlier, that makes a huge difference going forward.

Probability: Maybe… Just maybe…

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