After months of radio silence and endless fan theories, the first trailer for Avengers: Endgame is finally here. The Russo Brothers' phase-ending blockbuster will reveal the fallout after Thanos' finger snap of death (known as "The Decimation"), and the trailer teases a dark and emotional story largely revolving around the original Avengers.
That first trailer provided a handful of long awaited answers, including the fate of Hawkeye and the movie's official title. Endgame's first footage also shut down some popular fan theories, including a time jump. Specifically, that years might have passed, with Tony Stark and Pepper Potts possibly having a child of their own. Now that's been shut down, as the first trailer revealed that Endgame takes place only shortly after The Decimation occurred, and half the galaxy perished.
This fan theory's demise is a bittersweet loss. While it ruins the those narrative possibilities of a world rebuilt after half the life on Earth perished, it makes Avengers: Endgame's story all the more exciting. Thanos' mass murder is fresh on the minds of the surviving characters, and moviegoers will be privy to the immediate ramifications of their loss to the Mad Titan.
The opening moments of the trailer show just how immediate the affects of Infinity War are being felt, especially for Tony Stark. It looks like Iron Man (and probably Nebula) is stranded in deep space, after failing to stop Thanos during the battle on Titan. While Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Star-Lord, Drax, and Mantis faded to dust, Tony was left on the desolate planet with Nebula. And there's no tech on Earth that can rescue him.
The surviving Avengers on Earth were left counting their losses, of which there are many. Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner is seen taking it all in, as the faces of Spider-Man and Shuri were shown on screen. The remaining Avengers likely think that Iron Man also faded to dust, as they have no way of communicating with him in the far depths of space. Of course, Tony isn't the only presumed dusted character who will have a role to play in Avengers: Endgame.
Rumors about a possible time jump in Avengers: Endgame were at least partially empowered by the comments of Pepper Potts herself, Gwyneth Paltrow. The Oscar winning actress was quoted months ago talking about Pepper and Tony's long relationship, where she revealed they had a child. Obviously at least nine months would have needed to pass since we saw Pepper and Tony in Infinity War, although the trailer for Endgame now puts that statement into question.
The concept of time may end up being particularly relevant, as time travel has long been rumored for Avengers: Endgame. The key to that may be Paul Rudd's Ant-Man, who popped up in a delightful way in the final moments of the Endgame trailer. We'll have to see how his time in the Quantum Realm affected the comedic character.
Avengers: Endgame will now arrive in theaters on April 26th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.
