The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been expanding in unprecedented way in Phase Three, with every blockbuster being a critical and box office success. 10 years of filmmaking collided when Avengers: Infinity War arrived in April, combining all the main characters of the shared universe for an epic and emotional new movie. Following the twist ending that saw half the galaxy wiped out with the snap of Thanos' finger, Marvel has been keeping tight lipped about the next Avengers movie. Until now.
The first trailer for Avengers 4 has finally arrived, along with a new release date, and (most importantly) an official title. The Russo Brothers will end Phase Three with Avengers: Endgame. It's a title that's been rumored since Infinity War arrived, and has the potential to tease major things for the shared universe.
Hardcore Marvel fans have been pouring over every frame of Infinity War since it was released, especially once it arrived for home purchase. When trying to decipher what the possible title of Avengers 4 would be, Endgame was actually a very popular theory. In addition to sounding totally badass, it comes directly from a line of dialogue by Doctor Strange in the previous movie.
After the battle on Titan went haywire during Infinity War, Thanos managed to stab Tony through the chest. Doctor Strange ultimately traded the Time Stone for Tony's life, in a decision that baffled moviegoers at first. And when Iron Man questioned this decision, Benedict Cumberbatch's character declared "We're in the endgame now."
While Strange's decision to hand over the Time Stone was surprising, he'd previously gone through 14,000,605 scenarios of the conflict with Thanos. He only saw one outcome where they won, which might be the titular endgame that Avengers 4 is named after. Strange's master plan will presumably be uncovered when Endgame arrives in theaters, including why he found Tony's survival more important that stopping Thanos on Titan.
It's especially interesting that The Russo Brothers named the next blockbuster Avengers: Endgame, because they'd previously thrown the fandom off their scent. When Endgame started floating around as a possible title, the Brothers claimed the title hadn't already been uttered in the MCU. Clearly that wasn't the case, as the project was likely always planned to be Avengers: Endgame.
The title for Avengers 4 has been a hot button issue since Infinity War arrived in theaters. Fans have theorized every single possibility, although Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige actually believes this choice had backfired. After all, there's no way the title could meet all the myriad expectations set by months of wonder and mystery. Still, Avengers: Endgame is a pretty epic title, and one that seems fitting for the final movie in Phase Three, and the MCU as we know it.
Avengers: Infinity War has been moved up to April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.
