The Avengers movies have had bigger casts compared to most superhero outings, which makes sense given it’s a whole team of protagonists dealing with a threat. With the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War movies, however, things are being taken to the next level. This is a two-part event deals with an antagonist that’s been biding his time for years, making it Marvel’s biggest undertaking. So when the battle against Thanos finally unfolds in the near future, moviegoers are going to see upwards of 60 players in action.
During a panel at Wizard World New Orleans (via ComicBookMovie), director Anthony Russo mistakenly referred Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter as "Sharon" (Sharon Carter, as we know, is a separate character played by Emily VanCamp). Defending his brother and partner, Joe Russo explained that it’s hard to keep track of everyone who’s involved with the Avengers: Infinity War movies. He said:
We have so many characters we're dealing with. We're breaking ground on Avengers: Infinity War. We have a board with 67 characters on it. You have to forgive him.
We’d be foolish to hold the Russos to that exact number, but from what little we know about the Avengers: Infinity War movies, it wouldn’t be surprising if the two movies featured close to that amount. In many ways, the two-part adventure is the culmination of everything that’s been established in the MCU since 2008. More importantly, it’s going to take everything the Avengers have to defeat Thanos. The Mad Titan is already powerful on his own (he’s gone head-to-head with Hulk in the comics), but with the six Infinity Stones in his Infinity Gauntlet, he’ll be near-invincible. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will definitely be needing reinforcements.
Aside from Josh Brolin making his first full appearance as Thanos, the Avengers: Infinity War movies are also expected to feature Captain America, Iron Man Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye, and even Loki. It’s also more likely than not that we’ll see every other Avenger, from Black Widow to Falcon, take part, whether they’re still affiliated with the team or not. Many fans also expect that the Guardians of the Galaxy will appear in at least one of the movies, given their previous experience with Thanos’ goons and the Power Stone. Then, of course, there’s some of the newer heroes who are just getting started in the MCU, like Doctor Strange and Black Panther, along with a few supporting characters from a hero’s solo movie here and there.
As for appearances from characters who appear on the small screen, it was rumored last year that Netflix heroes like Daredevil and Jessica Jones could be thrown into the mix, but it was later implied that would be difficult to accomplish. Who knows, maybe even some of the folks from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. could cameo, since they’ve also had experience dealing with extraterrestrial dangers. After all, it’s about time the founding Avengers learn that Phil Coulson is still alive.
Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 hits theaters on May 4, 2018, while Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 will conclude the story on May 3, 2019.
