Avengers: Infinity War deaths ranked from least to most likely

Time to acknowledge our own morbidity: deny as we may try, we're all a little obsessed with finding out who's going to die in Avengers: Infinity War.

The MCU is now brushing up against one of the most cataclysmic events in Marvel comics' history: there, pretty much everybody you've ever liked dies in a most brutal fashion (Wolverine's bones turn to rubber! Iron Man is beheaded!), so presumably Infinity War will play things a little more subtly.

Who exactly may meet their maker, however, seems left wide open. Most of the more recently introduced characters seem safe for now, particularly those who already have sequels and further adventures in the pipeline.

Infinity War and Avengers 4 will have to retire the original line-up by some means, with contracts now wrapping up and actors unlikely inclined to renew them any further. You can't spend your entire life making superhero movies, to take a page from Hugh Jackman's book.

So we've attempted to countdown the probability of death for all the major MCU characters, from least to most likely. Check it out below.

Let’s sprint through the obvious: the future of the MCU rests on the shoulders of Black Panther and Spider-Man, so let’s not even joke. They couldn’t be safer if you wrapped them up in the world’s supply of bubble wrap.

Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 has already been scheduled, with Black Panther 2 all-but-confirmed by Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige and an absolute guarantee after the first film’s astounding box office numbers. You can throw Shuri and Okoye in there, too; it seems foolish to kill off Wakanda’s finest.

While Doctor Strange 2 has yet to be officially greenlit, the future MCU is clearly set to prop him up as a central character, and a key member of any Avengers-esque team we might get.

Not only does he boast a major A-list name in Benedict Cumberbatch, he’s a character with unique powers, knowledge of the universe, and a dash of arrogance that could fit well in Iron Man’s (presumed) absence. And chuck Wong in there as well - the pair bounce off each other perfectly, so it seems wise to keep him around.

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We’ve already got Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on the release schedule, and the team will need its moneymakers. Star-Lord is especially unlikely considering he’s both their leader and Chris Pratt is a major star draw, but Groot and Rocket are also essential to the group’s dynamics and landing the franchise’s loveable, offbeat tone.

Plus, Groot’s already died once. Give the tree a break. When it comes to Mantis; with the character having only just been introduced in Vol. 2 (and sorely underused, to be honest), it would be ridiculous of Marvel to get rid of her so soon.

Though their film is set between Civil War and Infinity War, it’s still released mere months after the latter - would be a tad awkward if we’d just watched them die.

Can’t kill somebody who isn’t even there. Seriously, though, where is Hawkeye? Is he taking a nap?

As much as it seems the Guardians are all automatically safe thanks to their scheduled third outing, both Gamora and Drax have a pretty intense history with Thanos. The former is his adopted daughter, who saw her entire race slaughtered by his hand, before he cybernetically altered her body and turned her into a living weapon.

The latter saw his family murdered by the hand of Ronan the Accuser, under the order of Thanos, and has been non-stop banging on about getting his revenge since. However, they’ll probably be safe, since there’s another Guardians member far more likely to get the chop in Infinity War…

Come on, Civil War already left the guy paralysed. Surely Marvel isn’t that cruel?

It seems a little odd to kill him off so quickly after Black Panther only just restored his mind after decades of being a mere pawn. It’s probable the MCU has far greater plans for him (a possible new Captain America?), and to kill him now would seem to end an only half-completed journey.

A comparatively underdeveloped character in the MCU, Marvel’s left with two options: either dispose of him in a brief but shocking death to prove the seriousness of Thanos’ threat, or start to shift him towards the central roster, kick-starting some serious character development and enough intrigue to set up a potential solo film. And, certainly, Anthony Mackie’s a charismatic enough a star to pull it off.

She’s in a similar position to Falcon, in many ways. There’s enough tragedy in her backstory that her death could already lend some weight to the film, but her relationship with Vision - whose chances are really not looking good - could also lend the right level of righteous anger to really turn her into a prime ass-kicker.

His exile during Thor: Ragnarok brought some serious self-reflection when it came to the relationship between Bruce Banner and the Hulk. With the Hulk completely taking control of him for two years, it may be Banner will be renewed in his search for a cure (or a way to keep the Hulk under control, at least).

That film certainly seemed to set up a new arc of sorts for the character, so it seems likely he’ll at least make it Avengers 4 - then maybe he’ll be allowed to skip into the sunset with Black Widow.

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Speaking of, Natasha Romanoff doesn’t seem the likeliest of the main Avengers to die, either. Though the solo film Marvel is currently tinkering on will likely be a prequel, it would (again) be a little awkward to premise it on a character audiences already watched get pulverised into nothing by a giant purple guy.

There’s also something largely unresolved about her character; the pure tragedy of her backstory makes it more likely she’ll be in for a happier end.

Thor: Ragnarok’s post-credits scene certainly didn’t put him in a good position, with Thanos’ ship intercepting his, which happens to contain every surviving citizen of Asgard.

However, that film also saw his character completely refreshed under the guidance of Taika Waititi, and it only seems logical that the MCU would want to eke out a little more of that new found charm before permanently saying goodbye. At least, we know he survives long enough to cross paths with the Guardians.

Also currently trapped on the Asgardian ship, both characters could be on the chopping block as early demonstrations of Thanos’ power. At the same time, however, they’re both characters with rich histories that certainly deserve more than getting so casually tossed out. Especially Valkyrie, who’s only just been introduced and has already become a firm fan favourite. Hopefully, Korg and Miek will be spared, too.

Though Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 secures the safety of most of the team, Nebula is somewhat of an exception here. Though Vol. 2 saw her reconcile with Gamora, she declined to join the team and instead vowed to pursue Thanos on her own. The idea of her switching right back to Thanos’ side comes off a little hollow, but any real attempt she might launch to stall his path seems only destined to end in tragedy.

As much as Loki’s presence in Thor: Ragnarok proved helpful to our heroes, he’s not exactly turned his life around in any way that makes him actually trustworthy. Neither is his character set up to particularly go anywhere in the future.

The trailer suggests he’s already betrayed his brother by offering the Tesseract he stole from Asgard (which contains the Space Stone, one of the Infinity Stones Thanos is after) to Thanos, so could there be any other fate in store for him other than death?

Could his villainy even stand up alongside a force as all-consuming as Thanos? A still from Infinity War shows him standing alongside the Black Order (Thanos’ lackeys), but it doesn’t look like he’ll be joining their ranks anytime soon, since Proxima Midnight is pointing her spear right at him. And why would they not dispose of him once they’ve taken what they need?

Between our two leaders - Captain America and Iron Man - it seems safe to assume one of them is set to kick the bucket here. However, after all the emotional torture he went through with Bucky, it seems almost like a character now so grizzled, so bitter better deserves a more hopeful ending.

Particularly when Marvel has set up a fairly promising out for him. Doctor Strange is in possession of the Time Stone, which could potentially offer a way to hurtle Cap back to his own time, where he can live the rest of his days in bliss with Agent Carter.

There have been several heavily implied deaths in the various trailers and TV spots - the question is which of these are fake outs and which are the genuine thing. Vision seems pretty doomed, considering the small issue of the Mind Stone stuck in his head, and Thanos intent on yanking it out.

There’s a shot of Black Order member Corvus Glaive digging his weapon into Vision’s head and the Mind Stone itself, but it’s clearly from the sequence set in Edinburgh. That makes it unlikely he’ll meet his end there, considering he’s also shown as part of the climactic Wakanda sequence; the reason all our heroes retreat there may actually be in an effort to protect Vision.

Though waving farewell to Vision and Loki would certainly strike pain into the hearts of Marvel fans - you just know the film won’t stop there. And what could be more symbolic than the sacrifice of the franchise’s originator: Iron Man.

Furthermore, the character’s at serious risk of being overshadowed by all the technology now coming out of Wakanda, and there’s only so many times he can be outdone by Shuri before looking a little irrelevant.

Avengers: Infinity War hits UK cinemas 26 April.

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