7 'Avengers 4' Fan Theories That Deal With The Fallout Of 'Infinity War'

The ending of Avengers: Infinity War left audiences reeling and searching for answers. Will some of the devastating events of that film be undone in next year's Avengers 4? If so, how?

Below, we've compiled a list of seven Avengers 4 fan theories that could shed light on what Marvel Studios has in store for its big Phase 3 finale. Join us, but beware of major spoilers for Infinity War and possible spoilers for Avengers 4, too.

Enough preamble – let's just dive right in.

When Thanos sacrificed Gamora to get the Soul Stone, it looked like the green-skinned hero was really and truly dead. But after the Mad Titan snapped his fingers, he was transported to an orange plane of existence where he encountered a young Gamora, who asked him about the cost of his victory. It turns out that this orange area is inside the Soul Stone (the directors have confirmed this), meaning that Gamora's soul is still alive.

If she can escape from that realm, it will bring an imbalance to the universe; as we saw, achieving balance is kind of Thanos's thing, so that would raise some conflict. While Nebula wields the gauntlet in the comics, it would make sense for Gamora to do it in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, finally setting things right and take down her oppressor once and for all.

This theory completely forgets about Wong, who is still alive and already, you know, knows about the mystic arts. But putting that huge omission aside, the theory points out that Tony Stark now knows about alternate dimensions after seeing Doctor Strange visit over 14 million possible outcomes. Tony is a futurist who tries to create ways to solve problems before they happen instead of just reacting to them, so maybe he could teach himself about the mystic arts (maybe with the help of Strange's cape, which the theory says is still around) and learn how to undo Thanos's finger snap.

A shot from a recent behind-the-scenes Marvel Studios video showed Robert Downey Jr. wearing the cape, and there's comic precedent for Tony becoming the new Sorcerer Supreme in one alternate timeline. So it seems...vaguely plausible? But again, if that happens, the movie will be doing Wong nasty, and that's not cool.

Ant-Man and the Wasp will take us back into the Quantum Realm, where time and space don't work the same way they do in the regular world. Ant-Man and Wasp are heading to the Quantum Realm to search for Janet van Dyne, but I've seen speculation all over the place that they all could emerge after the ending of Infinity War. If they come back into an altered reality, maybe they'll be the only ones who remember the heroes who vanished. If that's the case, they'll have to remind the surviving team members and convince them to help resurrect their fallen friends.

This theory wonders if Shuri was actually able to make a copy of the Mind Stone in the nick of time in Infinity War, and since she survived, maybe she could recreate it and implant it back into Vision's grey husk of a body. What would that accomplish, exactly? Bringing Vision back might be another example of offsetting Thanos's precious balance in the universe, which could bring the Mad Titan back to finish the job once and for all. But maybe the Avengers would be ready for him this time.

Leaked set photos from Avengers 4 have shown the characters in older costumes and in familiar locations, like the Battle of New York at the end of the first Avengers movie. It's looking like time travel is going to be involved, especially since Disney CEO Bob Iger spoke about "different realms" and hinted toward what that could mean for the future of the MCU: "They can be separate geographically, or separate in time—not just in place, but in time. So there's almost—it's not quite infinite, but the directions we could go are extraordinary."

And if Ant-Man and the Wasp aren't the ones responsible for reminding the surviving team members what they lost, perhaps the incoming Captain Marvel could serve that function in Avengers 4. Maybe there's even a crossover with her 1990s-set solo movie that's coming out early next year.

We all could guess that Captain America might sacrifice himself for the greater good, but Vanity Fair speculates that Cap might sacrifice himself specifically for Tony Stark to be able to wield the gauntlet. Remember, the Soul Stone requires a sacrifice from its user. Maybe the reason Doctor Strange left Tony alive was because he knew that Tony's brotherly love/respect for Cap runs even deeper than his romantic love for Pepper Potts? It would certainly be a noble way for Chris Evans to bow out of the role for good.

Tony Stark and Pepper Potts are the MCU's original romantic pairing, so it'd be fitting if this era ended with them tying the knot. (After things are mostly returned to normal in Avengers 4, of course.) They talk about getting married in Infinity War before all hell breaks loose, and their relationship has been pointing that way for a while now.

Vanity Fair got a comment from Sebastian Stan that possibly hinted at a superhero wedding, a mainstay trope of the comic books:

"There was one scene, I think, we had where everybody was there. I can't really talk about that scene, but I knew it took them three months in planning this scene to have everyone there. You look around and you just saw everyone from Samuel L. Jackson to Michael Douglas to Michelle Pfeiffer. Everybody was there."

If Avengers 4 ends with a wedding, that would send audiences out into the world feeling the exact opposite of how they felt after Infinity War. And after Cap's (presumed) sacrifice – and maybe one or two other deaths that actually stick – it'd make sense for Disney/Marvel to send people out on a high note.

Avengers 4 blasts into theaters on May 3, 2019.