Avengers: Endgame creeps closer and closer to our movie screens. Very little is known about the plot, resulting in an enormous influx of rumors, theories, and predictions. The cast list has been one of the most debated aspects of the movie. Regardless of what IMDB and Google say, (sources that can be easily edited by anyone), the only confirmed characters for Endgame are the heroes who survived Infinity War, plus Hawkeye, Ant-Man, Captain Marvel and obviously Thanos.
Nevertheless, with the immense catalog of heroes Marvel Studios have at their disposal, a few more characters are bound to make an appearance in the biggest MCU movie yet. With that said, here are 10 rumored Endgame characters, ranked by probability of appearance.
JANE FOSTER
This first entry is an unexpected one, seeing as she made her last appearance in Thor: The Dark World, before being cast aside due to Natalie Portman’s scheduling conflicts and her overall disinterest in returning to the Marvel universe. After Ragnarok quickly mentioned her break up with the God of Thunder, it seemed as if the matter was settled for good.
It was very surprising then when the Russo brothers, after revealing who had died off-screen after the Snap, chose not to reveal Jane Foster’s fate for it being “too spoilery”. Furthermore, in early 2018 Portman mentioned that she had gained a renewed interest in reprising her Marvel character once more. It all seems as if Jane’s journey is not yet finished.
BLACK KNIGHT
The only new addition on this list is that of Dane Whitman AKA Black Knight. This rumor comes from pure speculation, not depending on any cast listings, set photos or accidental spoilers. There is, however, a very sensible theory behind it. Marvel Comics are set to release their new “True Believers” comic book series. This comic book series is a re-release of classic comics from the past that are relevant to the next Avengers movie. For example, they will release stories on Nebula, Thanos and Gamora, Stormbreaker and more.
There are two comic books though that seem like very odd choices. Both Avengers #71 and #343 will be released, and both of them heavily feature the Black Knight. The fact that these hand-picked comics are meant to be closely connected to Endgame, makes these choices nonsensical… unless Dane Whitman makes his unexpected debut in the MCU in April.
RED SKULL
Arguably one of the biggest surprises last year was the return of Cap’s former arch-nemesis in Infinity War. After being presumed dead for nearly 80 years, Thanos and Gamora found Johann Schmidt on Vormir, trapped as the keeper of the Soul Stone for all eternity. Or at least until someone manages to obtain it, which Thanos does.
He then wasn’t seen for the rest of the movie, but we now know he is not only alive but, according to the Russo Bros, is now also free to leave Vormir. The Russos tweeted the following: “Red Skull is free to leave Vormir, and he is also free to pursue his desire for an Infinity Stone.” Could the former leader of Hydra interfere with Thanos and the Avengers in Endgame?
HARLEY KEENER
Who? Remember the kid who helped Tony Stark in Iron Man 3? Not many people do. It’s not that he was a bad character, it’s the fact he only appeared in half an MCU movie and had very little impact on audiences. But no one can ever be sure of anything with Marvel, and if rumors are to be believed, Harley Keener will be back.
This all stems from an IMDB cast listing in 2017. True, IMDB is a dodgy place to gather information as it can be edited by anyone. But in this case, since the official IMDB Twitter account announced it, it seems to be an official cast addition. It should be noted that the actor (Ty Simpkins) has obviously grown since 2013, so he would be playing an older version of the character than what we saw in IM3.
VALKYRIE
Infinity War started off with a bang. Thor trapped, Loki and Heimdall killed, and half the Asgardian population dead. What was missing from that scene was the other half, the ones who survived. The directors later confirmed that fan-favorites Valkyrie, Korg and Miek were amongst the survivors. Nothing has been said in regards to Korg and Miek, but Valkyrie has garnered a lot of interest and has left a ton of clues leading to her potential Endgame appearance.
Firstly, a very recent Tessa Thompson tweet revealed that she has two movies coming out this year, in April and June. The problem is, she has no movie slated for April… except for (maybe) Endgame. But even before that speculation began with a leaked Endgame toy collection that featured Valkyrie, and the fact she supposedly filmed scenes last year for an Avengers movie. There were no such scenes in Infinity War so…
RESCUE
Rescue wouldn’t be exactly a new addition to the team, seeing as this superhero would be played by none other than the beloved Pepper Potts. This is not the first time there have been claims that Tony Stark’s assistant, turned CEO, turned wife (and possibly mother) was set to finally don the iron suit. Rumors were swirling as early as Iron Man 3, but only now is there some actual concrete piece of evidence.
Like with Valkyrie, Rescue toys have leaked online, showing Pepper in her very own light blue armor. The biggest hint though comes from an even more reliable source. In late 2018, an image was leaked showcasing Gwyneth Paltrow in front of a green screen wearing a never-before-seen suit.
ANCIENT ONE
Before her tragic death, the former Master of the Mystic Arts was one of the most powerful and most knowledgeable beings alive. Her title then fell to Doctor Strange, but even he hasn’t yet been able to match her skills. With all the time-travel, multiverse, Quantum Realm theories lying around, having her return isn’t as crazy as it seems. This evolved from theory to near confirmation overnight.
When Endgame’s executive producer was discussing the difficulties they had with accommodating every actor’s schedules, he accidentally let slip a crucial piece of information by stating: “When we got Tilda Swinton, she was just a 1-day availability”. Tilda Swinton is, of course, the actress who plays the ancient sorcerer.
CROSSBONES
Another very surprising addition to the list. Of all the past movie villains that could show up in Endgame, Brock Rumlow AKA Crossbones never really crossed anyone’s mind. Despite his great performance in Winter Soldier and the beginning of Civil War, he was never anything more than a secondary bad guy. There is also the minor issue of his death.
Nevertheless, the actor himself, Frank Grillo, confirmed his role in the upcoming movie saying: “He [Crossbones] makes an appearance in the next Avengers movie but it’s a flashback”. This must be taken with a grain of salt though, as the Russo Brothers are notorious for keeping their entire cast in the dark, meaning he could actually feature in an important time-travel scene or really just be in a quick flashback. He may even be cut from the movie altogether.
EVERYONE WHO DIED IN THE SNAP
Everyone at Marvel Studios has been trying to convince us that deaths at the end of Infinity War will remain permanent. As much as we admire their attempts at keeping the story as real as possible, there is just too much evidence against it. Since 2017, we were all teased with an “every character scene” that made no appearance in Infinity War. Also, nearly every cast member who was"killed" by Thanos has accidentally (or not so accidentally) revealed their presence in Endgame.
The actors playing Gamora, Vision, Bucky, Wasp, and Drax have all explicitly stated they will be in the next Avengers movie. Bucky Barnes’ Sebastian Stan also revealed his character would interact with Nick Fury, Hank Pym, and Janet van Dyne. If that wasn’t enough, Spider-Man, Scarlet Witch, Falcon, and Mantis were all spotted on the set of Endgame. There aren’t many characters left after that.
LOKI
The most unkillable being in the MCU. Everyone’s favorite villain turned hero (ish), the God of Mischief fell into the abyss of space, was stabbed in the heart, and had his neck broken by Thanos, yet he is back once more. To be fair, this might not mean he’s come back to life a third time. For all we know, he will remain dead. This is because leaked images were released of Tom Hiddleston in his full Loki gear from The Avengers.
What this means is still very much unknown. Like with the Ancient One, time-travel, Quantum Realm journeys or Tony Stark’s memory machine from Civil War are all viable options. Whether he’s back from the dead or just a memory of the past is a matter that will be very much debated until the end of April.
