AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR "Aftermath" Novel Reveals Two Survivors And Teases A New Threat To The MCU - SPOILERS
A new Avengers: Infinity War tie-in novel was released this week and as well as revealing two more survivors of Thanos' snap, we get yet another tease of a threat even bigger than the Mad Titan...
There's still no sign of the first trailer for Avengers 4 but as speculation mounts that it will be released tonight, we may have some clues about the direction of the highly anticipated sequel.
Brandon T. Snider, the author of Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War: The Cosmic Quest, Vol. 2: Aftermath, has shared some photos of the front and back covers of his new book and they not only confirm that Dr. Erik Selvig and Darcy Lewis survived Thanos' "snap," but also shed some light on what might be next for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
As you can see, it says that "the people of Earth are left reeling in despair and confusion" and notes that there isn't "any logical explanation for the blip-out event."
It seems Selvig and Darcy are trying to find out what happened but the most interesting thing about this is the fact that, "little do they know that a new foe who threatens to destroy them all is looming..." This is the second time we've seen a tease about an even bigger threat to the MCU than Thanos and thanks to the rumoured Avengers: Annihilation title, Annihilus remains the most likely pick.
We'll have to wait and see, but in the meantime be sure to share your theories in the comments section below.
Click on the "View List" button below for a breakdown of what
should and shouldn't be included in the Avengers 4 trailer!
What We Should See:
The Aftermath Of The Snap
Without revealing too much, Marvel Studios definitely needs to shed some light on where this movie takes place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's timeline. Is it really five years later as some scoopers have claimed or will we pick up with our heroes where we left them: broken and defeated at the hands of the Mad Titans?
Either way, getting some sort of feel for the aftermath of Thanos' actions is a must, especially as some fans already believe that Marvel isn't taking those deaths as seriously as they should.
Captain America And Iron Man's Reunion
Don't get me wrong, this is a scene which should definitely be saved for the big screen but there would be no harm in at least teasing a reunion between these two characters, especially as it's a moment we were all eagerly anticipating seeing in Avengers: Infinity War earlier this year.
Perhaps something as simple as Tony Stark retrieving Captain America's shield would be enough to leave fans salivating at the prospect of a long overdue Captain America and Iron Man team-up!
A First Look At Ronin
Quite possibly one of Avengers 4's worst kept secrets is the fact that Hawkeye is going to be suiting up as Ronin. We don't know why and there's no reason for the trailer to explain that but seeing as we've caught a glimpse of Jeremy Renner wearing the costume and seen some blurry promo art, it's about time we get a proper look at the archer's new identity and this trailer could easily deliver it.
Time Travel Or No Time Travel?
One of the biggest talking points when it comes to Avengers 4 is whether or not the sequel is going to feature time-travel. There's no way Marvel is going to show its hand too much with this first look at the movie but it would be nice to get confirmation of whether all those fan theories are correct...or total nonsense.
I don't know, perhaps showing those scenes which are quite clearly set during the events of The Avengers would be too confusing but if the trailer has some sort of narrative structure, it could work and making it clear that Earth's Mightiest Heroes are planning to take a trip through time would generate lots of conversation.
The Freakin' Title
Kevin Feige has been quoted as saying that they're holding off on revealing the Avengers 4 title because it would be a spoiler for Avengers: Infinity War but now that's been out in theaters and hit Blu-ray, it's about time we learn what this one is called.
The perfect place to make that happen would be in this trailer...if Marvel Studios handles it the right way, they could save that reveal for right at the end of the sneak peek, something which would really excite fans and make sitting through it even more exciting than it already will be. Who knows, this could come before the trailer is released but please don't release a preview without it!
"Professor" Hulk
Another huge talking point when it comes to Avengers 4 is the fact that The Hulk is back...and he has a costume! Given the Green Goliath's absence in Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel could decide to hide him here to keep the hero's return a "surprise" (which seems unlikely seeing as there will be action figures and the like) but it would be great to see him in action.
After all, The Hulk wearing that suit has led to a lot of speculation that we're getting the intelligent, "Professor" version of the Jade Giant and seeing anything of him here will really excite us fanboys.
Captain Marvel...But Only A Little
Marvel Studios faces a unique challenge when it comes to showing Captain Marvel in this trailer. We know that she's coming after Avengers: Infinity War's after-credits scene but her movie will be an origin story and there's no way the studio is going to want to spoil how that adventure ends here.
However, there will be no harm in a money shot featuring Carol Danvers standing alongside the rest of Earth's Mightiest Heroes as they line up for battle against Thanos even if we don't see Thanos (more on that later). The fact is, if Marvel Studios is hoping to establish this hero as the new face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they need to make it clear she's key in this adventure.
A Funeral For The Dead
As I mentioned a little earlier in this post, a lot of fans are complaining that Marvel Studios isn't really handling all those big character deaths as seriously as they should. I mean, they've been shooting a new Spider-Man movie for the past six months so he's clearly coming back soon enough!
As a result, some quick shots of our favourite heroes mourning the fallen is a must because it's no good seeing the world basically waiting for The Avengers to (hopefully) fix things after they've just lost their loved ones and half the Earth's population has vanished! If we are getting a time jump, this may be irrelevant, but something has to happen to acknowledge the dead.
Some New Faces In The MCU
We haven't heard a huge amount of casting news when it comes to Avengers 4 but there are definitely going to be some new faces arriving in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it would be great to get a glimpse of at least some of them here. It's no secret that Pepper Potts is suiting up as Rescue so a shot of her is a must, while seeing an older Cassie Lang would be another big talking point.
Aside from that, I'm pretty sure the focus of this sequel will mostly be on characters we already know and while some might argue that Marvel Studios should hold off on showing the likes of Rescue and Stature, a glimpse of them won't hurt, especially as there's so much we know they won't show.
The Money Shot
I mentioned this a little earlier in the post and even though it's fair to say that Marvel could show a black screen for two and a half minutes and we'd all still be ridiculously excited about this movie, it never hurts for a trailer to have a money shot (Avengers: Infinity War featured Earth's Mightiest Heroes assembled and running toward the screen, a moment which didn't make the final cut).
Personally, I would like to see something along the lines of that promo art as we see a new team of Avengers coming together to face an unknown threat (Thanos or maybe Annihilus if those rumours are correct). If they're lead by Captain America back in his red, white, and blue gear, then that would be one helluva bonus.
What We Shouldn't See:
The Annihilation Wave
Well, assuming it's in the movie, of course! Thanks to that rumoured Avengers: Annihilation title, speculation is running rampant that Marvel Studios has somehow got its hands on Fantastic Four villain Annihilus and Thanos's actions will have sufficiently weakened the universe for him to unleash his horde on Earth and pretty much every other planet in the universe.
While Marvel can certainly hint at this, it would be better to do no more than that at this stage, especially as this is a plot point which would be more satisfying to see play out on screen rather than in trailers.
Thanos
Bear with me here but there's actually no reason for us to see the Mad Titan in this first look at Avengers 4. A glimpse of the Infinity Gauntlet? Sure. Even Thanos' armour on that scarecrow would be enough but the fact is that the villain was victorious in the last movie, so Marvel Studios don't need to tell us what he's doing next as we know he's enjoying watching the sun rise over a "grateful" universe.
The Dead Heroes
While I'm sure it would be tempting for Marvel Studios to give us a glimpse at the likes of Gamora and Spider-Man, there's no way they should appear here even if it is inside the Soul Stone as so many of us suspect is the case.
For the duration of Avengers 4's marketing campaign, none of them should show up because even though we all know that dead doesn't mean dead, there's no harm in at least making us think that's the case. Instead, the focus should be on the surviving members of The Avengers as we learn how they're dealing with the ramifications of Thanos' "snap" decision.
The only "dead" hero I would like to see the return of here is The Vision, especially if he's become the greyed out emotional android Marvel introducing in the West Coast Avengers series.
Surprise Cameos
I know I've mentioned the likes of Stature and Rescue here but if Marvel has any surprises planned (and you have to bet they do), I don't want to see them in the first trailer. Unless they have significant roles, keep characters like Korg and Valkyrie away from us for now so we can discover what role they'll play when the actual movie is released next May.
Rumours are swirling that we're going to see the likes of Hela, Loki, and Heimdall return (possibly in Hel) but that's another plot point which needs to be kept under wraps no matter how marketable all of them obviously are.
Ant-Man In The Quantum Realm
Ant-Man and The Wasp obviously ended on a huge cliffhanger when we learned that Scott Lang has been left trapped in the Quantum Realm after Hank Pym, Janet Van Dyne, and The Wasp all turned to dust. What role Ant-Man and that mysterious dimension will play in proceedings is hard to say and for now, there's absolutely no reason why we need to see any of that.
The odd hint won't hurt but there are more important things to show at this point than the Quantum Realm, especially as trying to explain all that in the span of a trailer would be damn near impossible.
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