'Avengers: Infinity War' Survivors Confirmed To Include A Fan-Favorite Character And A Surprise Cameo

Avengers: Infinity War has been out in theaters for less than a week, and fans are already buzzing about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Specifically, about which characters we might see in future Marvel films. Now, directors Joe and Anthony Russo have assuaged our fears about the return of one specific fan-favorite character from the MCU, while the actor behind a surprise Infinity War cameo has something to say about future appearances. There's not much more I can say here without jumping into spoiler territory, so read on only if you have seen Infinity War.Major spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War follow.

With a snap of his fingers, Thanos wiped out half of the universe and changed the Marvel universe as we know it. But while it was devastating enough to see tons of our favorite superheroes dissolve into dust before our very eyes, it was even more tortuous to not find out the fate of dozens more fan-favorite characters. Where's Wong? What happened to Valkyrie? And more importantly, what's going to happen to the cast of Agents of S.H.I.E.LD.? (Just kidding, I know you don't care about those last guys.)

But the Russo brothers were kind enough to assure us about one of those characters: Tessa Thompson's scene-stealing Valkyrie. She survived, folks. Don't worry.

At an Iowa high school Q&A, Joe Russo revealed that Valkyrie survived Thanos' slaughter of the Asgardian ship at the beginning of the film (via ScreenCrush). She and the other surviving refugees managed to flee the ship on escape pods, Russo explained, filling in a vague plot point in the film. He was, however, cryptic about Korg's fate, the character played by director Taika Waititi in Thor: Ragnarok.

This is great news, considering a female-led Marvel film starring Thompson's swaggering warrior is possibly in the works. And while Thompson has been MIA from Infinity War and its delightful press tour, she did recently get a chance to see the film herself:

Just saw Infinity WAR. (Finally) Oh my goodness, holy wow. I would say you've outdone yourselves @MarvelStudios + @Russo_Brothers.. but I know it's just the beginning.

— Tessa Thompson (@TessaThompson_x) May 1, 2018

So we know she survived the Asgardian ship explosion in the beginning of the movie, but there's still no telling if she survived the snap heard around the universe. We'll have to find until Avengers 4 to find out, but I can't imagine Marvel dropping one of their best new characters in years, especially when Thompson lights up the screen whenever she appears. I just want to see her lead an A-Team movie, is that too much to ask?

Meanwhile, a familiar face returned to Infinity War, though he was not played by the actor you'd expect. The Walking Dead star Ross Marquand took over the role of Captain America villain Red Skull from Hugo Weaving, appearing as Thanos' ghostly guide to the Soul Stone. Since Red Skull exists outside of the realm of reality, is there a possibility we could see him return? Possibly, Marquand teased in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

"I don't know. I can't speak to that, and I think that I would obviously love to replay that role again anytime. It's such a rich character, especially now that he's gone to this intergalactic hellscape and he's found his own prison there.

But he's a changed man, and I don't even know if he is a man anymore. He's almost like this ghostlike deity, and he's at the service of the Soul Stone now, and his sole purpose is to essentially guide people to this, but you have to wonder: Is there still a part of him that does have ambition? I don't know. It would be really cool to see where that character goes. But that's really a question for all the folks at Marvel and the Russo brothers and the writers. I certainly couldn't speak to that."

So essentially, Marquand would be happy to reprise the role. So you can add Red Skull to your list of possible surviving characters who might return in Avengers 4.