It's hard to believe it's been over a decade since Elizabeth Olsen made her debut as Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. By the time she was cast in the role for Avengers: Age of Ultron, Olsen was coming off her indie success in Martha Marcy May Marlene and was steadily moving into the mainstream space. Put simply Olsen is the perfect Wanda for the MCU. Interestingly enough, though, she was initially under the impression that she was auditioning for a totally different heroine.

During a panel at C2E2 in Chicago, Olsen revealed that her MCU journey was a bit unexpected. Not only did she think she was auditioning for a character other than Scarlet Witch, she thought she was actually being considered for a different Marvel franchise altogether. And let's just say the other franchise was a bit more cosmic. Olsen explained (via Popverse):

So Olsen seemingly believed was going out for Guardians of the Galaxy and, apparently, her brothers put the thought of Gamora, the alien adopted daughter of Thanos, in her head. It's honestly interesting to think about what Olsen's take on the green-skinned warrior would've been like.

That role, however, ultimately went to Zoe Saldaña, who also ended up joining the Avengers cast for Infinity War and Endgame. I personally can’t imagine anyone else in that part, as Saldaña played Gamora impeccably, capturing the rough exterior which was hiding a much more sensitive character. She also had great chemistry with Chris Pratt, who played her love interest, Peter Quill (a.k.a. Star-Lord) in the five films they did together.

Going off of this, I can’t imagine Scarlet Witch being played by anyone other than Elizabeth Olsen either. Scarlet Witch became one of the most powerful characters in the MCU, but that power was also held by someone deeply human with complex emotions. Olsen played the character not like a superhero, but as she would play any flawed character with a power struggle and complicated relationships. The witch blossomed even more WandaVision, and Wanda was one of the brightest spots in the MCU for me before her death at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Clearly, the Marvel casting directors made the right decisions when it came to casting both Olsen and Saldaña in the franchise, however. This whole situation also speaks to the secrecy that commonly surrounds the Marvel films and how actors don’t even know what characters they are auditioning for when they are considered for a Marvel project. I'd say that Olsen's meeting ended up changing the course of her career, as she'll likely be synonymous with the Scarlet Witch for years to come.

You can revisit Elizabeth Olsen’s run as Scarlet Witch by watching the Avengers films, as well as WandaVision, which are currently streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Superhero fans who are also excited about projects coming to the MCU should also read up on upcoming Marvel movies for information on what’s to come.

Major spoilers for the latest episode of Ahsoka, “Part Five: Shadow Warrior” lie ahead, so read at your own risk. 

To say that the latest episode of Ahsoka was a biggie would be a gross understatement. Disney+ subscription holders were treated to a cerebral episode, which recreated some key moments from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. With that, the series had to tap an actress to play a teenage version of the titular heroine for the flashback sequences. That turned out to be none other than Ariana Greenblatt, who also just happened to have played young Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War. Following the episode’s debut, much of the Internet is making that connection, and it would appear that fans are loving it. 

The Star Wars limited series’ latest installment saw Rosario Dawson’s protagonist continue her tenure in the “World Between Worlds,” where she reunited with her master – Anakin Skywalker. (Hayden Christensen reprised his role and had fans head over heels.) Anakin sought to “complete” his former padawan’s training and did so by dropping her into major moments from their time serving in the Clone Wars. That’s where Ariana Greenblatt’s iteration of the character came into play. Some may not have recognized her for playing Gamora right away but, once some did, they were surely taken aback like the X user below:

Marvel fans may remember that the diminutive iteration of the daughter of Thanos popped up during a flashback in Infinity War and in a later scene that occurred after her adopted father succeeded in wiping out half the universe. That was a big opportunity for the actress, as not many can say they played a younger version of a character played by Zoe Saldaña. (And even fewer stars can say they made prank calls with Josh Brolin behind the scenes.) The teenage star has been on the come up lately, as she was also part of the Barbie cast this year, and one fan seems impressed by the credits she’s amassed:

Seriously though, those are massive credits for someone who’s still in the early years of their career. She also has Scoob!, In the Heights, Love and Monsters and 65 on her resume and is looking towards the release of video game adaptation Borderlands. She’s racking up some sweet roles, and clearly admirers on social media are taking notice:

It’s amazing to see that she’s been on such a positive professional path as of late, and she’s steadily gaining notoriety as a result. Another fan on X admitted that they were already excited that she’d appeared on the Star Wars show after Barbie. However, they became even more pumped after discovering her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: 

She’s a talented actress, and she had some big shoes to fill with her latest role. Both Ashley Eckstein and Rosario Dawson have done masterful work as Tano, so there may have been some pressure there. But the Awake star more than rose to the occasion, and many appear to hold the opinion that Screen Rant’s Rob Keyes shared below:

So after joining both the Star Wars and MCU families, Ariana Greenblatt has accomplished a rare feat. She’s really putting in the work, and it more than seems to be paying off. With that, it’s wonderful to see that she’s getting so much love for her performance as the beloved Jedi.

You can stream her Ahsoka episode on Disney+ now, and know that new episodes premiere on the service on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT as part of the 2023 TV schedule. You can also find Avengers: Infinity War on that same streaming platform.

After dozens of movies and TV shows, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced us to countless characters over the course of the past 17 years. Though the likes of Thor, Hulk, and Captain America are still all among the living, and will once again lead some of the upcoming Marvel movies, many of their fellow heroes, and O.G. Avengers, have since bitten the dust (this is not a reference to everyone lost in the Snap) and are no longer with us.

With so many movies and shows having come out since Iron Man kicked off the massive franchise a decade-and-a-half ago, keeping track of all the major MCU heroes who have died is no easy task. That being said, we’ve put together a quick yet comprehensive guide of all of Earth’s, and the universe’s, mightiest heroes who have either sacrificed themselves for the greater good, died of old age, or somewhere in between during some of the best Marvel movies.

Scarlet Witch

Though there is still a lot of mystery surrounding her fate in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there’s good reason to believe Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), aka Scarlet Witch, is dead. Does this mean we’ll never see the hero-turned-villain again after she was brought down by tons of rubble at the end of the 2022 MCU movie? No, as so many heroes (and villains) from the franchise have come back in some shape or form over the years. With Marvel, never say never is the best approach.

Earth-838 Illuminati (Mister Fantastic, Black Bolt, Captain Carter, Captain Marvel, Charles Xavier)

The Earth-838 Illuminati – Mister Fantastic, Black Bolt, Captain Carter, Captain Marvel, and Charles Xavier – were gone pretty much before we got to know them, but they still count as MCU heroes. Introduced partway through Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, these hero variants provided some exposition before Scarlet Witch showed up and used their abilities against them. Seriously, this was one of the most unsettling scenes in the entire MCU.

Frigga

Frigga’s (Rene Russo) death in Thor: The Dark World, which was later revisited in one of Avengers: Endgame’s most heartbreaking scenes, had a major impact on the God of Thunder as well as the MCU as a whole. Killed by dark elves during the siege on Asgard in the 2013 superhero flick, Frigga was a major part of Thor and Loki’s lives, and was pretty much the only person that meant anything to the God of Mischief, at least then anyway.

Iron Man

The MCU’s first superhero (in terms of order of release), Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), a.k.a., Iron Man, was the heart, soul, and sarcastic voice of the Avengers in the first three phases of the franchise. Though RDJ will be back to play the villainous Dr. Doom, the OG MCU hero’s journey would come to an end when he snapped his fingers while wearing the Infinity Gauntlet to kill Thanos once and for all during the emotional and shocking Avengers: Endgame ending.

Black Widow

Another one of the MCU’s earliest heroes, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johannson), a.k.a., Black Widow also met her fate in Avengers: Endgame. Though her death didn’t come in the epic battle, and she never got to hear Cap yell his famous line, Black Widow’s act of self-sacrifice to secure the Soul Stone on Vormir was a pivotal moment in the movie and franchise moving forward.

Black Panther

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler had a tough decision to make when it came to the death of T’Challa in the 2022 MCU movie, considering Chadwick Boseman, the actor who brought the character to life, died of cancer two years earlier. In the movie, it is revealed that Black Panther died of an illness he couldn’t overcome without the heart-shaped herb that Kilmonger destroyed in the 2018 megahit.

Vision

Vision (Paul Bettany), who was introduced after the Mind Stone was implanted into the body of the android meant to be used by Ultron in the second Avengers movie, suffered one of the most heartbreaking deaths in the MCU. You may recall that Vision died after Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) destroyed the stone that brought him life in Avengers: Infinity War, only to be brought back by Thanos (Josh Brolin), who ripped the reconstructed gem from his head.

Loki

Before a variant of Loki (Tom Hiddleston) branched off in a new timeline in Avengers: Endgame, the character died at the hands of Thanos in the opening scene of Infinity War after he tried to kill the Mad Titan and prevent his master plan from coming to fruition. But we may soon be seeing the God of Mischief again, as there’s talk of Loki Season 3.

Gamora

Though an alternate version of the character now runs with the Ravagers in the MCU, the Gamora (Zoe Saldaña) fans and Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) feel fell for back in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy became one of the first major casualties in Avengers: Infinity War when her adoptive father, Thanos, threw her off a cliff to procure the Soul Stone. The death, which brought an end to Gamora and Star-Lord’s relationship, was still a major aspect of the franchise in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Groot

Groot (Vin Diesel) is another Guardian of the Galaxy who died performing an act of self-sacrifice during the Guardians of the Galaxy ending. Though the character came back as a baby and grew into an adult once more, James Gunn has since cleared the air and said he is the son of O.G. Groot.

Maria Hill

The Disney+ series Secret Invasion started with a shocking death when Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) died at the conclusion of the show’s premiere. Hill died when she and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) were trying to prevent a terrorist attack in Russia only for a Skrull, who was impersonating her longtime friend, to shoot her point blank.

Phil Coulson 

Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) was one of the most beloved characters in the early days of the MCU, which is what made his death in The Avengers all the more shocking and emotional. Though the character hasn’t returned to the film side after being stabbed by Loki, Coulson was resurrected for the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series not long after.

Talos

The hits just kept coming for Nick Fury during Secret Invasion, with one of the most upsetting being the death of longtime friend and Skrull, Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), a character first introduced as the fake-out villain in Captain Marvel. Fury’s buddy was killed by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) in a pivotal scene in the later part of the Disney+ original series.

Peggy Carter

One of the few MCU characters to die at an old age (if you don’t count Captain Carter’s demise in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) passed away in her sleep in the early goings of Captain America: Civil War. However, it sounds like Peggy could be coming back in a thrilling way.

Ramonda

Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) was one the fiercest leaders in all of the MCU, especially after she became the ruler of Wakanda following the death of her son in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. But, the mother of T’Challa and Suri wouldn’t be on the throne long, as she drowned during Namor’s attack on the kingdom.

Quicksilver

Though he was kind of a secondary antagonist upon being introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Pietro Maximoff (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a.k.a., Quicksilver, went out as a hero. Not long after turning on Ultron and siding with the Avengers, Quicksilver sacrificed himself to save Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and a young child during the Sokovia Incident.

May Parker

Spider-Man fans are used to seeing Uncle Ben die as part of Peter Parker’s hero’s journey, but not Aunt May! Moviegoers were in for a devastating surprise in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home when Marisa Tomei’s character was murdered by Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) after his big reveal.

Jane Foster

Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) was another MCU character who died from an illness instead of at the hands of a villain or from sacrificing herself to save someone, though she didn’t listen to doctors or anyone else’s advice in Thor: Love and Thunder. Death wasn’t the end for the Mighty Thor, as she was welcomed into the gates of Valhalla in one of the movie’s end credits sequences.

Odin

Who knew that the death of Odin (Anthony Hopkins) would lead to one of the bloodiest and most destructive periods in the MCU, but that was the case when the king of Asgard died and turned into a flash of glittery light in Thor: Ragnarok. Tired and fulfilled after living a long life of good times and bad, Odin vanished in the presence of his sons just before his secret daughter, Hela (Cate Blanchett), made her return.

The Ancient One

Though an earlier version of the character shows up and explains the dangers of messing with time in Avengers: Endgame, the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) would die at the hands of Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) in the first Doctor Strange movie.

Yondu

Over the course of the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Yondu (Michael Rooker) went from being a villain you love to hate to one of the best characters in the entire MCU. His death, which is a franchise-best, is still impactful more than a half-decade later, and no one should ever forget how he sacrificed his own life to save that of his “son,” Peter Quill.

Heimdall

First introduced in Thor back in 2011, Heimdall (Idris Elba) served as the God of Thunder’s longtime best friend, Gatekeeper of Asgard, and guardian of the Bifrost throughout the next two movies in the trilogy. His time came to an end at the hands of Thanos in the opening minutes of Avengers: Infinity War, but it wasn’t in vain, as Heimdall sent the Hulk back to Earth to warn the Avengers about the Mad Titan’s plan. However, we did get to see Heimdall in Valhalla at the end of Thor: Love and Thunder.

T’Chaka

Though he would show up in the Ancestral Plane in Black Panther, King T’Chaka (John Koni), the king of Wakanda and the former Black Panther died pretty much right after we met him in Captain America: Civil War. One of the two major deaths in the movie (more on the other shortly), T’Chaka’s passing would put T’Challa not only in the movie’s epic airport showdown but also make him his father’s successor.

The Warriors Three (Fandel, Hogun, Volstagg)

The Warriors Three – Fandral (Joshua Dallas/Zachary Levi), Hogun (Tadanobu Asano), and Volstagg (Ray Stevenson) – were three of Asgard’s fiercest fighters and Thor’s closest friends throughout the God of Thunder’s movies, but they would all fall to Hela when the daughter of Odin took over Asgard in Thor: Ragnarok.

Ajak

One of the central figures in Eternals, Ajak (Salma Hayek) was also one of the first of the group of immortal warriors to die as its story unfolded. Later in the movie, it is revealed that Ikaris (Richard Madden) was the reason for her death after she revealed to her longtime ally that she planned to save humanity from the Emergence.

Howard Stark

And then there is Howard Stark (John Slattery/Dominic Cooper), whose death in Captain America: Civil War is a major part of that 2016 movie as well as the next few years of the MCU, as revelations about the nature of Tony Stark’s parents' deaths leads to a major rift in the Avengers.

With the MCU picking back up again, expect this list to get a whole lot longer, especially as we work our way toward the highly anticipated next two Avengers titles.

Some MCU fans have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order, and therefore have a strong emotional connection to its characters. This is especially true for fan favorite franchises like Guardians of the Galaxy. That trilogy was recently wrapped up in an emotional way, and it had a fascinating ending for Gamora. And James Gunn recently offered some cynical thoughts about Gamora’s fate after Guardians 3.

Fans were surprised and thrilled when the entire team survived the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. But Gamora decided to stay a Ravager after their mission, and didn’t stay with the team or Peter Quill. James Gunn was recently asked on Threads if Zoe Saldaña’s character would do heroic actions for free after her mission, and he responded with:

There you have it. The Gamora that’s currently alive in the MCU never actually became a Guardian of the Galaxy, even after the events of Vol. 3 (which is available to stream with a Disney+ subscription). As such, any potential good deeds are going to come with a price. Hey, she’s a Ravager– that’s the chosen family for this version of the character.

The ending of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 saw the team successfully save Rocket, and each get their own unique conclusion. And while Gamora eventually learned to understand Groot and connected with Star-Lord, she ultimately returned to the Ravagers and said goodbye to the Guardians. It’s a powerful narrative choice by Gunn, one that likely hit the feels of moviegoers who have had a breakup before. 

Prior to the release of Guardians 3, fans likely thought that the happy ending would include Gamora and Peter’s romantic reunion. But realistically, the 2014 Gamora that joined the present via the Time Heist never had her years with the Guardians. She simply never fell in love with Star-Lord, and seemingly never will.

While the ending of Guardians 3 was pretty cut and dry, fans are wondering if/when we might see the various cosmic characters return to the MCU. For her part, Zoe Saldaña seems to have said goodbye to Gamora and her green makeup, although she’s open to another actress taking on the role. The title card at the end of the threequel revealed Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord will be back, but it’s unclear when. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently streaming on Disney+. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. The next upcoming Marvel movie is The Marvels on November 10th. 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown into a behemoth franchise over the last few years, but a few properties stand out as fan favorites. Guardians of the Galaxy is definitely in that category, which is why the threequel was one of the most hotly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies ahead of its release. And Gamora actress Zoe Saldaña recently responded to her character’s bittersweet ending in Guardians 3.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ended the story of the beloved cosmic team, and packed plenty of emotional moments for fans who had watched the Marvel movies in order. Gamora didn’t end up getting back with Peter or the Guardians, instead going back to her life with the Ravagers after their mission to save Rocket. Saldaña recently spoke to THR about this narrative choice, saying:

Points were made. Gamora had a horrible life growing up with Thanos. And after she was killed by Thanos to procure the Soul Stone, the green girl was “resurrected” when the 2014 version of her was brought into the present via the Time Heist. At the end of that battle she was stranded alone in an alternate reality, which no doubt had a major impact on her psyche. 

Throughout their mission in Guardians 3, Gamora was able to connect with various members of the cosmic team. She eventually understood what Groot was saying, and was able to see the good in Peter Quill. But she ultimately didn’t have any love for her fellow heroes (beside Nebula), and returned to her chosen family: The Ravagers.

Later in that same conversation, Zoe Saldaña spoke about where Gamora and Star-Lord’s relationships might have moved forward following the events of Guardians 3. While it doesn’t seem like Saldaña will be back in the role, she’s got ideas about what came next for the Guardian. As she put it,

Friends is something! The title card at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 confirmed that Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord was going to return to the MCU sometime in the future. It’s unclear when that’ll happen, but perhaps we’ll get a Gamora-related update when it does.

Zoe Saldaña’s new show Special Ops: Lioness airs on Paramount+. Guardians 3 is still in theaters now. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Spoilers ahead for Guardians of the Galaxy 3.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth force in the entertainment industry, and there are a handful of franchises that stand out as fan favorites. Guardians of the Galaxy is definitely in that category, and fans are still reeling from the wild events of the threequel. James Gunn recently revealed that he thought about cutting one team member from the movie entirely. And my mind is pretty blown.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the latest Marvel movie to arrive in theaters, and wrapped up the story of the cosmic team as we know it. The ending of Guardians 3 surprisingly didn’t kill anyone off, and gave the heroes their version of happily ever after. But Gunn almost left Zoe Saldaña’s Gamora out of the movie, given her character’s death in Avengers: Infinity War and her “resurrection” via the Time Heist. As he explained in a recent conversation with the New York Times:

Well, my mind is blown. It’s almost impossible to imagine Guardians 3 without Gamora, but that was a possibility that Gunn actually debated while writing the threequel. And it certainly would have been a drastic change to the way that Peter’s story played out throughout the blockbuster. But I’m thinking he made the right decision by including Thanos’ daughter for one more movie.

The events of Avengers: Infinity War no doubt created a number of challenges for James Gunn when developing Guardians 3. In addition to Gamora’s death at the hands of Thanos, most of the Guardians were snapped out of existence. So Gunn had to factor those events into his script for the acclaimed blockbuster.

The Gamora we knew died in Infinity War, with the 2014 version of the character brought into the current timeline thanks to Endgame’s time heist. Because she had no memory of her time with the Guardians and relationship with Peter Quill, she departed the final battlefield and eventually joined the Ravagers. While fans expected to see Gamora and Star-Lord once again connect on a romantic level, that didn’t happen throughout the runtime of Guardians 3.

While Gamora didn’t get back together with Peter Quill, they did find a common ground by the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. I found this plot choice super powerful, with the cosmic superhero flick offering a touching take on break-ups in the process. And both characters still ended up happy; Gamora reunites with her Ravagers family while Guardians 3’s post-credits scene reveals he’s happily back on earth with his grandfather. While Star-Lord will be back in an upcoming Marvel movie, it seems like Gamora’s story might have been wrapped for good.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is still in theaters now and making money at the box office. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 lie ahead, so read at your own risk.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 firmly closed the book on this iteration of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s fan-favorite team of cosmic do-gooders. But as we consider how things ended for each of the Guardians, this also serves as a great time to reflect on their journeys. Writer/director James Gunn has been doing just that during the press tour for his threequel, as he’s shared behind-the-scenes details about the narrative. One of the major details he’s discussed is the fact that Zoe Saldaña’s Gamora was meant to die before the events of Avengers: Infinity War. Additionally, he’s also revealed that he “begged’ for a specific scene in that team-up film that would help push her story forward. 

Some fans seem to think that what James Gunn did with Gamora in Vol. 3 was “painful,” but pain could’ve come a lot earlier. The filmmaker discussed the beloved character’s journey during an interview with The New York Times. Amid the chat, he recalled how the daughter of Thanos was going to meet her demise in his franchise’s second installment. He also shared whether there were any other scrapped plans for the other members of the titular team:

The idea of the green-skinned warrior dying in the 2017 movie seems somewhat strange now, given everything that’s occurred at this point. Plus, I really appreciated that it was Yondu who met his fate in that movie – even if it was sad at the time. The emotional, third-act moment solidified the relationship between the Ravager and his surrogate son, Peter Quill. So all in all, I’m pleased that Zoe Saldaña’s character got to live a bit longer.

She also got some solid moments to shine in Infinity War, before she was thrown off that cliff on Vormir, of course. One of her most tender scenes involved her boyfriend and, as the Super director explained, he specifically requested it to help develop Gamora and Star-Lord’s relationship: 

That liplock did indeed confirm her and Peter Quill’s relationship status and, even though it was sweet to see, it made her eventual death all the more heartbreaking. It also gives viewers a better understanding as to why Quill lost his temper when he and his fellow heroes had Thanos on the ropes. (Though I still don’t think fans are going to forgive him for that careless move.) But within the MCU and in real life, everything seems to have turned out just the way it was supposed to for him and Gamora as well as the rest of the Guardians. 

The two former lovers may not have ended up together by the end of Vol. 3, but they do have a mutual respect for one another. Kudos to James Gunn for sticking the landing there and for remaining flexible and advocating for his character’s story when needed. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now playing in theaters, and you can check out CinemaBlend’s schedule of 2023 new movie releases for details on other films hitting the big screen this year. You can also stream past MCU movies using a Disney+ subscription.

Spoilers ahead for Guardians 3.

The MCU is always expanding, and we’re currently the midst of Phase Five. Hardcore fans who have been watching the Marvel movies in order were thrilled when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 finally hit theaters and seemingly ended the story of the current team. Fans are calling what director/writer James Gunn did to Gamora “painful.” And to be honest, it hit me in the feels too. Let’s break it down.

Guardians 3 had some narrative hoops to jump through related to Zoe Saldaña’s Gamora. The hero we knew and love was killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War to acquire the Soul Stone, and the 2014 version of her was resurrected during Endgame’s Time Heist. The end of Guardians 3 revealed she and Peter never got back together, although their “break-up” seemed amicable. Fans responded strongly to this plot point on Twitter, sharing:

Some serious points were made. While James Gunn was methodical with his work on the Guardians franchise, Gamora being killed off in another movie was a huge twist that no doubt complicated plans for the threequel. And in the end he was able to find an emotional ending to her story with Peter, one that was equal parts heartwarming and hopeful. No wonder DC made Gunn the new co-CEO of the DCU. He’s probably going to hit me in the feels there too.

The Russo Brothers swung hard during Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, forever changing the MCU in the process. Phases Four and Five have very much lived in the shadow of those projects, especially related to the Snap/ The Blip. And rather than trying to retcon or reverse Gamora’s story, Gunn leaned into the idea that Saldaña was playing a different woman entirely.

Throughout Guardians 3’s runtime, audiences watched as Peter Quill attempted to reconnect with Gamora, and show her much he and the rest of the team meant to her previously. But she’s unwilling to simply pick up where her alternate self left off. In the end Gamora found common ground with Star-Lord, and she (and the audience) understood Groot’s language. But she ultimately decided to return to her life with the Ravagers. In a larger than life franchise, this simple break-up narrative was something that really touched me in theaters.

The finale of the Guardians threequel is set to Florence + The Machine’s beloved track “Dog Days Are Over.”, and showed each of the cosmic heroes getting their version of a happy ending. While it seemed sad that Gamora and Peter never found a way to reconnect, we see how truly happy she is with the rest of the Ravagers. She found her own chosen family, it’s just not the one audiences would expect.

Guardians 3 is in theaters and making money at the box office now. The next MCU movie hitting theaters is The Marvels on November 10th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Come back once you've seen the film!

The end is here. Just a year shy of a decade since James Gunn’s groundbreaking Guardians of the Galaxy, the writer/director has delivered the final story from this core team of misfits we love. How does Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 leave each of its main characters? It’s time to get into how the movie left things for each of them and talk it out. 

In Vol. 3, their mission is to save Rocket’s life after he becomes injured by Adam Warlock, but along the way it becomes their most formidable adventure yet. Now, to the ending... 

The mission ends up being a fight against the High Evolutionary, a brilliant scientist who has made it his goal to create the perfect society, but due to his intense perfectionism, has been testing on animals in very inhumane ways and killing entire worlds, which is the reason Rocket is a genius (yet very traumatized) raccoon. Rocket is also the only experiment of the High Evolutionary’s who has become smarter than he is, so the villain is hell-bent on testing Rocket’s brain to figure out how. At the end of Vol. 3, they save Rocket, defeat the High Evolutionary and save what looks like thousands of animals and children from his lab. But, once the mission is successful, the team doesn't all stick together. Let’s go character by character: 

Star-Lord

When we meet Star-Lord at the top of Vol. 3, he is drinking away his troubles after losing Gamora in the war with Thanos. However, when Rocket gets injured he sobers up quickly at the possibility of his good friend dying, and heads the mission to save him. When he and Mantis get into an argument about the fact that he’s left his grandfather, Jason Quill, on Earth all alone for all these years, despite having the means to go back and reconnect with him. 

Peter initially rejects the idea of returning to see his grandfather, but after the events of their mission, he tells the Guardians he intends to make the quest to Earth alone to find him. Jason is very happy to see his grandson, and it looks like Peter is content to get to know his human family for a while. Though, the movie also teases the return of “the legendary Star-Lord” in MCU’s future. What upcoming Marvel movie will Chris Pratt’s character show up in next? Or perhaps, will it be a Disney+ show? We don’t know right now, but it’s sweet he finally reconnected with family. 

Gamora

The Gamora we knew and loved, who adventured with the Guardians in the first two films and Avengers movies, died on the Cliffs of Vormir. However, Zoe Saldana’s character does return in the form of the 2014 version who was brought to the future without memories of being part of the team. We soon learn that she has found a family in the form of the Ravagers, though she does end up working with the Guardians on their mission. 

While many of us surely thought Peter would romance his way back into the heart of Gamora despite him falling in love with another version of her, it never happens. She certainly gains a greater appreciation for the Guardians and doesn’t completely hate Peter by the end of Vol. 3, but she decides to reunite with the Ravagers at the end of the movie, and looks very happy doing so. As Marvel has shown us time and time again, not every love story between heroes is a happy one. Captain America’s ending is still the best (and most happily ever after-like) of them. 

Nebula 

Gamora's adopted sister may have begun her journey as a villain, but in Vol. 3, she has been fully embraced as part of the team and is very much an asset to their mission to save Rocket. Along with calling the Ravagers to help out with the mission, she is a key Guardian throughout the entire movie for the first time. And, following the major events of the film, Nebula decides she wants to stay and help all the animals and kids they saved settle in and create a community she never had for herself as Thanos' adopted daughter. 

Drax The Destroyer

Drax the Destroyer started his journey as a man out for revenge following the murder of his wife and daughter by Thanos. But, following the events of Vol. 3, he’s officially become Drax the Dad. While he lost his family at Thanos’ hand, in the latest mission, his father's instincts come out, especially when meeting the many young children whom the High Evolutionary tested on and meant to discard. Drax will join Nebula on the mission to build a community and family for those they saved. 

Mantis 

Mantis, however, is another Guardian who decides she needs to break away from the group following their latest mission. We first met Mantis in Vol. 2 with Ego, and as we learned in the Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special, she is also one of Ego's daughters, and therefore a sister to Peter Quill. In the group’s “talk,” Mantis explains that it’s time, for the first time in her life, to explore what she wants on her own terms, without being part of the group, or being protected or told what to do by anyone. 

Groot 

And then there’s Groot. Groot and Rocket have always been inseparable, and that continues with the Vol. 3 ending. Groot decides to continue being a Guardian, and we see more of that later. 

Rocket

Rocket Raccoon becomes the new leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy following Peter’s decision to return to Earth, as unanimously agreed upon by the rest of the team. After the character’s near-death experience, he finally gets some closure for his traumatic experience of being tested on by the High Evolutionary, by saving tons of animals like him and his late friends, whose deaths he's been blaming himself for all these years. While Groot and Rocket still have their home base in Nebula's community of traumatized animals and people created by the High-Evolutionary, the mid-credits scene shows the two long-time buddies in the new version of the Guardians that's led by the now very proud raccoon. 

It’s such a heartfelt ending for the Marvel trilogy! While the team doesn’t all stay together, nor does Star-Lord and Gamora’s relationship timeline end with them together, they all learn what they need to do to heal, and I think that’s beautiful. We’ll certainly miss the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 cast, but what an emotional and satisfying ending! 

When the MCU first got its start, it was high on the brawn and low on the girl power. Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow doing a crotch-throat grab in a tight black leather getup and Natalie Portman, Hayley Atwell and Gwyneth Paltrow as supportive girlfriends on the sidelines to the big-league heroes was all there was amidst Marvel’s boys club. Since then, a ton more female Marvel characters have been introduced into the universe that are just as badass, clever and quick-witted as their male counterparts.

That being said, the walls are still stacked behind the women of Marvel leading their own solo movies. Out of the Marvel movies released so far, only 2019’s Captain Marvel, 2021’s Black Widow n and 2023’s The Marvels is all the leading girl power we’ve seen across 35 films.When taking a look at the upcoming Marvel movies, there isn’t a single female-led or female directed Marvel movie on the way . What’s up with that? And yet, there are so many incredible female Marvel characters who are deserving of their own film. Here are our picks:

Storm

One of the most powerful mutants not only in the X-Men movies so far, but, but in Marvel Comics as well has been Ororo Munroe, aka Storm. While Halle Berry and Alexandra Shipp’s version were supporting characters with only a few standout moments in the X-Men franchise, there’s a lot more to her than what’s been explored. She’s actually the daughter of a princess in Kenya and a photojournalist father and was raised between Cairo, Egypt and Harlem, New York. Of course, she has the power to control the weather.

After Ororo was orphaned after her parents were killed in a plane crash, she was taken in by a thief in Egypt and trained by him to become a pickpocket. At some point in her origin story, she becomes worshipped as a goddess for using her powers with the droughts in the African desert. Ultimately she gets approached by Professor X and joins the X-Men, but she also once married Black Panther and became the leader of Wakanda, led the X-Men and worked directly with the Fantastic Four. She deserves a lot better than being on the sidelines. Oh, and Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo already wants to play her!

Spider-Gwen

By now, we’ve arguably seen too many Peter Parker / Spider-Man movies play out, so wouldn’t it be sweet to see a twist with Spider-Gwen leading a spinoff next time around? Spider-Gwen is a comic book character that began in 2015 that follows Gwen Stacy, who is famously Peter Parker’s ill-fated first girlfriend. Except it’s about her life in another universe where she is the one to get the spider bite and it’s Peter who dies in her arms. The character was of course explored as a Sony animated character in the Spider-Verse movies.

Now that the multiverse has been opened in the MCU, it would be exciting to see another version of the Spider-Man origin story through a live-action Spider-Gwen, who by the way has a super cool rock band called The Mary Janes. It’d be an especially great idea with Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man, who he could accidentally meet (both from other universes) and have a love story across dimensions. I could also see actors like Yellowjackets’ Sophie Thatcher, Euphoria’s Hunter Schafer, House of the Dragon’s Milly Alcock or Wednesday’s Emma Myers playing a more age-accurate version of the comic book character.

Captain Carter

After Steve Rogers found his happy ending with Peggy Carter in Avengers: Endgame, Marvel has brought back Hayley Atwell as Captain Carter, an alternate version of Captain America where Peggy gets the super serum instead of Steve Rogers in the animated What If…? series and with a cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Along with Anthony Mackie taking up the mantle in the new Avengers movies, it would be a blast to see Atwell’s version of Captain America in live action for longer than a single scene.

Let me remind you that Atwell’s Captain America character has long been a favorite, having a two-season run on ABC’s Agent Carter as well. And now that Chris Evans has hung up his shield, it’d be fun for the studio to take their What If idea to the big screen, perhaps as a multiverse spinoff storyline. With Robert Downey set to be Doctor Doom, I’d imagine the superhero team could use all the help they could get, but I’d watch an entire solo movie with Atwell back as the character. Even if it’s just an espionage film from the WWII days.

Scarlet Witch

Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch is arguably the strongest Avenger in the MCU. The character has been featured in multiple Avengers films, the first Marvel Disney+ show WandaVision of course, and last time we saw her in 2022, she supposedly died in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.They also built on the world of witches in the MCU with last year’s Agatha All Along series, which was a rare and welcome MCU series with a dominantly female cast.

While one might think Marvel is done with her, given the Vision series is still on the way and Joe Locke confirmed to be her son, Billy Maximoff, I’d love to see a feature film with all eyes on one of the most wildly complex members of the Avengers.

Okoye

In 2018’s Black Panther, the vast world of Wakanda was introduced to audiences to stunning results. Since then, I’ve always loved seeing Danai Gurira’s Okoye, who started as the General of the Dora Milaje and even joined the Avengers for Infinity War and Endgame before the events of Black Panther 2 where she was stripped of her rank by Queen Ramonda.

While we previously heard in 2021 that she might get a TV spinoff that was debunked by Marvel exec Brad Winderbaum recently who said he didn’t think she would be in a TV show but fans will be “excited to come back,” but couldn’t “say where.” Clearly Marvel sees the potential for the character to thrive further, but I sincerely hope she gets to lead a project soon.

America Chavez

When Xochitl Gomez was cast as America Chavez for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, I definitely thought she’d have much more to do than she did, but hey, there was a lot going on in that movie. Last we left her, she was brought under the care of Wong to learn the mystic arts. When she spoke to CinemaBlend about her future back in 2022, she had hopes to get into America’s connection with Kang, but now that storyline has pivoted, I’m worried the MCU won’t know what to do with her.

Of course, given America’s powers to travel to different dimensions, she could easily star in her own coming-of-age adventure where she’s perhaps exploring the multiverse on a smaller scale than an Avengers flick, but I also hope she’ll be recruited to the new team, of course.

Valkyrie

Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie quickly became a fan-favorite when she appeared in Thor: Ragnarok and since then, Marvel has promoted the character to King of Asgard as Chris Hemsworth’s hero went down a rough road during the Infinity War, along with her return in Thor: Love and Thunder. But, I’d also follow the superheroine to other corners of the universe even without the God of Thunder.

While Tessa Thompson’s specific version was created for the movies, her origins tie in with the Secret Avengers and the Fearless Defenders with characters like Misty Knight, Danielle Moonstar and Elsa Bloodstone. She could definitely lead a team of ladies in her own flick.

Yelena Belova 

We waited way too long for the Black Widow solo movie and then when it came out Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova stole the show right under from Scarlett Johansson. The younger sister of Black Widow has an intriguing way forward in the MCU given she has the chance to be the hero the studio was somewhat still figuring out with her arc. Yelena recently helped free an army of Black Widow soldiers and could have her own espionage thriller within the universe.

Of course, Thunderbolts* seems to have her potentially taking center stage in the summer team up movie also involving Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, U.S. Agent, Taskmaster, Sentry, Ghost and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, but I certainly wonder if the movie will truly give her a leading role and set up a future where she can be a key female member of the MCU.

The Wasp 

In 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp, Michelle Pfeiffer’s Janet Van Dyne reunited with her family after thirty years stuck in the Quantum Realm. With that in mind, there are three decades of a missing timeline for the OG Wasp that could be a really interesting way for the MCU to explore the Quantum Realm itself.

It could play like a survivor movie where Janet finds herself in a mysterious place and learns to live in a reality where “all concepts of time and space become irrelevant as you shrink for all eternity” as Hank Pym has described it. We definitely got to see more of Janet Van Dyne in Quantumania, but I’d definitely be up for exploring more of Wasp’s life in the Quantum Realm.

Jessica Jones

Remember when Netflix made Marvel shows? Well, ever since Charlie Cox’s Daredevil made a cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home, these characters belong to Disney/Marvel Studios now. And the Daredevil: Born Again series has made the return of more Netflix Marvel heroes feel more possible than ever. In addition to Cox’s Daredevil, Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk and Jon Bernthal’s Punisher entering the MCU, all the shows from the comic book universe Netflix explored are also now available to watch on Disney+ including Jessica Jones.

So technically, Jessica Jones could become part of the MCU, or at least have her own movie from the studio. Krysten Ritter’s character is a well-loved one who could continue her story on the big screen following the cancellation of her magnificent series. Plus, Ritter herself said she “one hundred percent would return” as Jessica Jones, citing that the character she spent five years on is “very important” to her and many fans.

So many ideas for the next female Marvel solo movie! We’ll have to wait and see which characters get movies next. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more updates about the expanding MCU.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is chock full of comic book characters, but some stand out as fan favorites. The Guardians of the Galaxy are in that category, as audiences immediately responded to the scrappy group of cosmic heroes. And actress Zoe Saldana recently explained why she’d like to see more of Gamora’s tragic backstory in a future Marvel movie.

Thanos’ green daughter had a difficult life before joining the Guardians of the Galaxy, starting with the Mad Titan’s invasion of her home planet. We saw a brief flashback of this during Avengers: Infinity War, and it sounds like Zoe Saldana would actually like to dive back into that time in her iconic hero’s life. She was recently asked which of her character’s backstories she’d like to see more of, responding with:

She’s got a point. At this point Zoe Saldana has played Gamora in four movies, and will once again reprise her role in James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Fans can’t wait to see how the trilogy ends, and we’ll just have to wait and see if Saldana gets her wish with more flashbacks of young Gamora.

Zoe Saldana’s comments about Gamora come from a recent conversation with ReelBlend co-host Jake Hamilton about her new Netflix movie The Adam Project. Eventually the conversation turned to her time in the MCU, and the past of her signature Marvel hero. Smart money says that Gamora will be a major presence in Guardians of the Galaxy 3, especially given the wild events of Avengers: Endgame.

While Gamora was killed by Thanos so he could procure the Soul Stone in Infinity War, she was miraculously “resurrected” thanks to Endgame’s Time Heist. The 2014 version of Gamora made her way to the modern MCU timeline, without any of the memories of her years working with the Guardians of the Galaxy. After the final battle she left to places unknown, with the Guardians trying to follow her in The Benatar.

Since characters like Star-Lord will once again be starting from scratch with Gamora in Guardians 3, perhaps Zoe Saldana will get her wish with another flashback. It’s unclear, as James Gunn and company have been keeping their cards close to the chest regarding the threequel’s contents. But considering the upcoming Marvel movie will end the current team’s story, the stakes have never been higher for the cosmic heroes.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is currently expected to arrive in theaters on May 23rd, 2023. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

In 2014, writer/director James Gunn pulled off one hell of a trick. The filmmaker took a relatively unknown team of comic book heroes called the Guardians of the Galaxy and turned them into instant pop culture icons. We've been on one hell of a ride with the characters ever since, between Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2., Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, and soon we will see their time as a unit come to an end in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It's a highly anticipated blockbuster, but according to star Zoe Saldana, the fact that everyone is preparing to say goodbye has created a bittersweet atmosphere on set.

Production on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is still rolling along down in Atlanta, Georgia (principal photography having begun last November), and the star best known for her role as Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe recently told ScreenRant about what making the movie has been like. Saldana noted that restrictions from the pandemic have had an impact on experience, but it seems that what's more significant for her is what's happening with the cast and crew emotionally. She explained,

Of all the Marvel characters set to return in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Zoe Saldana's Gamora is arguably the most fascinating. Fans who saw the last two Avengers movies will remember that the Gamora we got to know and love from Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is now dead – having been sacrificed by Thanos so that he could acquire the Soul Stone. The Gamora who will be featured in the upcoming blockbuster is one who traveled through time and has no idea who Peter Quill, Drax, Groot, Rocket, and Mantis are... but they still know her like family.

We don't know much of anything about the plot of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (which is nothing out of the ordinary), but James Gunn did confirm all the way back in 2017 that it would be the film that would end the story for the current lineup of heroes. According to Zoe Saldana, shooting the movie has been difficult (early call times are harsh and the makeup removal process certainly seems like a real challenge), but she clearly thinks that the juice will be worth the squeeze:

After many years of waiting, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now just a little over a year away. Starring Zoe Saldaña, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sylvester Stallone, and Will Poulter, the blockbuster is on track to hit theaters on May 5, 2023. To learn about the full slate of Marvel Cinematic Universe titles on the way, check out our Upcoming Marvel Movies guide.

After years of delays, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now being filmed in London, which means Zoe Saldaña is back in green as Gamora. The actress’ role requires a longer time commitment than some of her co-stars, thanks to the hero being a green-skinned character. She has shared the three-hour process with fans before but, now, we’re actually getting a look at the effort that goes into getting it all off at the end of the day. 

Zoe Saldaña shared a video to her Instagram that features her scrubbing off the green from her skin with a funny twist. Check it out: 

While that looks like hard work, Zoe Saldaña clearly has a sense of humor about the whole thing as she posted a video of her Gamora makeup removal routine next to a cute video of a mouse scrubbing soap off itself. The two videos totally give off the same energy. In the clip, the Gamora actress can be seen with a bucket of water in fron of her as she scrubs all the green off. It looks like there’s green literally everywhere and it cannot be an east end to a shoot to spend what could be hours making sure to get all of it off. It looks like it’s deep inside her ears too, yikes!

Rosario Dawson showed support for the actress on the post, which is perfect considering the actress has a similarly long prep time to play Ahsoka Tano in the Star Wars universe. Check another post from the actress:

When Zoe Saldaña is Gamora on the screen, we can forget just how much effort goes into making her into the now-iconic Marvel character, which, of course, includes a lot of behind-the-scenes work. Not only that, but Saldaña recently shared being up for a 3:30am call time to play the role. Can you imagine? 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 started filming back in November and is expected to wrap production sometime in the spring. Writer/director James Gunn is back behind the camera and is joined by the returning Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan and Sylvester Stallone, along with the voice talents of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper. One notable addition to the cast is Will Poulter, who will debut as Adam Warlock in the MCU. 

The third Guardians of the Galaxy film comes after the last appearance of the intergalactic crew in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Before we see them back for their third solo movie, some of the Guardians are expected to briefly show up in Thor: Love and Thunder, which heads to theaters this summer alongside other upcoming Marvel movies. Zoe Saldaña will be back in green for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 when it hits theaters on May 5, 2023. Before that, though, she’ll be in blue as Neytiri in Avatar 2, which is being released in theaters on December 16, 2022. 

You can also stream the Guardians of the Galaxy films and Avatar on Disney+.

After years of anticipation, Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is finally in production. Cameras started rolling on the long-awaited threequel back in November, during which writer-director James Gunn celebrated with a sweet social media post. Meanwhile, Star-Lord actor Chris Pratt says it’ll be well worth the wait. Since the start of production, Zoe Saldana has dropped a few cool behind-the-scenes tidbits of the non-spoiler variety. They’ve mainly focused on the full makeup look for her character. Her more recent photo is just as nice and shows that the actress looks good as her green warrior – even with an incredibly early call time. 

Yes, even superheroes take selfies – or at least, the actors who portray them do. That’s exactly the kind of photo Zoe Saldana took and then posted to her Instagram. The star, who was still in her robe, got a clean snapshot that beautifully captures her character’s glowing green skin. Down below, you can check out the filter-free photo, which the actress cheekily captioned with “Gamora felt cute!”:

I don’t know how she does it, but it would seem that the star can pull off just about any look, even when she’s covered in green makeup and playing a galactic assassin-turned-hero. But what may be even more amazing is just how early the Marvel Cinematic Universe star has to be up to start shooting. In another post, she shared a video and revealed that she has a 3:30 a.m. call time. Check it out:

The mere idea of having to get up that early is enough to give some people chills. Nevertheless, many of us find ourselves with such a daily routine. It should be noted that unlike most, Zoe Saldana is getting paid a hefty sum to put in the work. That doesn’t mean a 3:30 a.m. call time necessarily agrees with her, though. But even if that is the case, these social media posts suggest that she’s handling things in stride, as she reprises her role as one of the lethal daughters of Thanos. 

As Guardians Vol. 3 approaches, there are a lot of questions surrounding the elusive Gamora, who was technically killed off in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War. A 2014 version of the character would appear in Avengers: Endgame the next year, yet her fate was left somewhat ambiguous by the end of the movie. Fans can take comfort, though, as the upcoming threequel will apparently address the alternate timeline story.

The fan-favorite character’s return is just one of the things audiences can look forward to in the capper to James Gunn’s run on the lovable A-holes. One of the biggest things would have to be the addition of Adam Warlock, who was teased during the end credits of Vol. 2. The powerful being is being played by Will Poulter in the MCU, and he’s since broken his silence on being cast, saying he feels “very very lucky and honored” to be joining the franchise. But as new blood comes in, some are worried that others could be headed out the door. And James Gunn has the perfect response for those worried about character deaths. 

The death of Zoe Saldana’s Gamora was tragic enough and, even now, some may still be recovering from that fateful scene. If there’s one thing James Gunn has done, though, it’s that he’s always crafted meaningful demises for his characters ( like OG Groot and Yondu). It’s something to consider but, at present, let’s just enjoy the return of Gamora and the fact that Zoe Saldana is blessing us with these great photos and videos (and during such an early part of her day).

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 blasts into theaters on May 5, 2023. Ahead of its release, you can stream the first two film and the other various installments in the MCU’s Infinity Saga by streaming them on Disney+.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth franchise with a large number of individual properties included. But some stand out as fan favorites, like James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Gamora actress Zoe Saldana just shared a detailed look at her green makeup, so bring on the mysterious Vol. 3.

Zoe Saldana made her debut as Gamora in the first Guardians movie, reprising the role in the first sequel as well as Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Fans can’t wait to catch up with Thanos’ daughter, especially since she was killed and “revived” thanks to some time traveling. While it’s unclear how her story will play out, Saldana posted an up-close look at her signature green makeup, check it out below,

Gamora is officially back, although she’s technically not the same hero we grew to love throughout the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Zoe Saldana’s character could go seemingly anywhere in the upcoming threequel, with the team last seen departing into space in hopes of finding the 2014 version of her. Production for James Gunn’s movie is currently underway, which is likely how Saldana snapped this awesome photo.

The above image comes to us from Zoe Saldana’s personal Instagram account, and is sure to delight the countless Guardians of the Galaxy fans out there. Audiences were devastated when Gamora was killed by her father in order to procure the Soul Stone during Infinity War. Luckily Saldana’s tenure as the deadliest woman in the galaxy didn’t end there, thanks to a complication from the Time Heist. 

Since Gamora fled the battlefield after Avengers: Endgame, the Guardians (especially Star-Lord and Nebula) definitely want to track her down. But because of this disconnect, smart money says Zoe Saldana won’t be appearing with the rest of the team in Thor: Love and Thunder. But she is set to star in both Guardians 3 and the Guardians Holiday Special– both of which are currently in production.

While Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was originally supposed to be one of the first installments in Phase Four, the schedule was changed drastically as a result of James Gunn’s (temporary) firing by Disney. This allowed the filmmaker to take his gig at DC for The Suicide Squad, with the Guardians 3 not expected to hit theaters until spring of 2023. But that hasn’t stopped anticipation for the upcoming Marvel blockbuster from being any less high. Especially since the current team's story is expected to come to an end. 

The next installment in the MCU is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 6th, 2022. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will eventually follow suit a year later on May 5th, 2023. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe now encompasses TV, the movie side alone remains massive. Since the franchise began in 2008, 37 total feature films have been developed for the canon, and that’s very impressive, considering that this franchise began as nothing more than a pipe dream of Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige and co.. Those who’ve watched the Marvel movies in order can surely tell you that the reception to each film varies. A number of MCU installments are excellent, while others leave much to be desired.

So how does a fan stack up the cream up of the crop against the bottom of the barrel? With a ranking, of course! Two of CinemaBlend’s resident MCU fans have put together this ranking of every MCU movie to date. Our ranking ranges from Jon Favreau’s Iron Man to Matt Shakman’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps and, in time, the titles in our upcoming Marvel movies guide will join this list. So read on, true believers, and see how these various superhero flicks compare to each other!

37. Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania

Peyton Reed's Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania is a significant swing-and-miss. As the first film of Phase Five, the blockbuster was released in a position to get audiences excited and amped for the terror of Kang The Conqueror in the coming years as the new Thanos-level big bad, but the movie itself is terribly underwhelming. And, while this isn’t the most important element to consider, it also stands as a prime box office bomb for Marvel. With poor stakes, zero character development, a lot of telling instead of showing, and muddy visual effects, it's the worst MCU movie to date.

36. Thor: The Dark World

If Marvel Studios has had any one consistent issue with their films, it's that the villains for the most part have been small-time and forgettable. Perhaps the best example of this is featured in Alan Taylor's Thor: The Dark World, as Christopher Eccleston's Malekith never manages to get interesting, and it's a shame because the entire plot is dictated by his actions. The movie definitely has a solid, spectacle-driven third act, which helps elevate it out of last place, but the movie still can't really be called one of Marvel's best.

35. Captain America: Brave New World

Captain America: Brave New World dominated conversations ahead of its release due to reports of massive reshoots and other BTS changes. While Julius Onah’s film isn’t the worst installment in the MCU, it’s definitely disappointing. The movie, which is the first to be headlined by Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, is hampered by a lackluster story that’s heavily concerned with resolving plot threads from The Incredible Hulk. Some of the performances are strong, including Mackie’s and Harrison Ford’s turn as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. There are also some cool action sequences and sweet character moments. Unfortunately, none of the positive elements can save this flick from its Red Hulk-sized issues.

34. The Incredible Hulk

While it didn't hit the bottom of our rankings, there definitely is a degree to which The Incredible Hulk is the forgotten sibling in the Marvel Cinematic Universe family. For years, the only actor from the movie to actually reprise their role in a second film was Robert Downey Jr. That’s changed now, though, as a number of Hulk characters return in 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World (with the results being mixed). Beyond that, though, the 2008 movie is really the only title in the catalogue that doesn't have the trademark tongue-in-cheek humor and sense of fun that has made Marvel so popular. It's not a bad movie, but the franchise would go on to do much better work.

33. Black Widow

Cate Shortland's Black Widow is a film hurt by multiple factors. Being released in the wake of Avengers: Endgame and the in-canon death of Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff, and featuring events that take place a good half decade before it, the film not only feels late to the punch, but has a difficult time establishing stakes. It's also hurt by the fact that it doesn't possess much of its own style, as it instead seems fine with echoing what worked in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. At the very least, it does provide some excitement for the future with the introduction of a number of key characters, including Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova.

32. Iron Man 2

When looked at from the macro perspective, Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2 serves as a key piece of the puzzle in building the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it has some great things going for it (the Monaco Historic Grand Prix sequence in particular is memorable and cool). All by its lonesome, however, it is a mess. Its plot is jumbled as a result of the movie trying to do way too much, it has a poor villain in Mickey Rourke's Whiplash and all of the different elements never properly fit together.

31. Thor

Given its origins in Norse mythology and a fantasy-esque element not really seen before in comic book movies, Kenneth Branagh's Thor was one of the first big risks that Marvel Studios took. That being said, it wound up paying off in a great way and established both Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston as bona fide stars. It strikes the perfect Marvel tone and introduces some great new ideas to the canon. It has flaws (the pacing is too fast and there's not enough exploration of Asgard), but it ultimately holds up.

30. Eternals

Chloé Zhao's Eternals is a Marvel blockbuster that bites off a bit more than it can chew with an ensemble cast of 10 brand-new heroes, but the film is one of the most beautiful chapters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and features some impressive themes about faith and purpose. It introduces an exciting cast of characters who still have great potential to further expand the cosmic side of the franchise, and even delivers an extra bonus by kicking off the journey of Dane Whitman a.k.a. Black Knight (Kit Harrington), whose MCU future remains unclear.

29. The Marvels

It’s hard not to ignore that part of The Marvels’ legacy is that it was the first true box office disappointment from Marvel Studios, but it’s far from the franchise’s worst film. In fact, it’s actually pretty fun. There is a well-balanced triumvirate between Brie Larson's Carol Danvers, Iman Vellani's Ms. Marvel, and Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau (with Vellani being the MVP), and both the swapping battle and the Flerkin attack count among some of the MCU’s most inventive set pieces. There are holes and lackings (as the focus on three heroes results in an antagonist lacking real substance), but the positives outweigh the negatives.

28. Ant-Man

Peyton Reed's Ant-Man works on a much smaller scale than many of the other titles in Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and is a bit more straight-forward than you want it to be – but boy, is it a hell of a lot of fun. The 2015 movie succeeds by featuring a handful of fantastically entertaining performances and characters, with the most important piece of the puzzle being Paul Rudd, who has kept MCU fans greatly entertained in the years since.

27. Doctor Strange

From a visual standpoint, director Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange is unlike anything audiences have ever seen. Interdimensional travel and magic create some absolutely gorgeous and bombastic set pieces that audiences will remember for a very long time, and the triumvirate of Benedict Cumberbatch (Dr. Strange), Tilda Swinton (The Ancient One), and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Mordo) is fantastic. Unfortunately it's all weighed down by a standard origin story and an underdeveloped villain, but it's definitely an exciting introduction for the would-be Sorcerer Supreme.

26. Avengers: Age Of Ultron

Joss Whedon carried some incredible weight bringing The Avengers: Age of Ultron to the big screen, working under immense pressure and scrutiny. While the final product isn't as good as its predecessor, it's still an impressive, epic blockbuster that honestly feels like a major Marvel Comics event brought to life. The stakes are big, some great new characters are introduced and it sets an interesting table for the events that transpire in Phase Three.

25. Captain Marvel

With Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's Captain Marvel, audiences everywhere have the chance to meet one of the most powerful heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it's definitely one of the most exciting debuts we've seen thus far in this franchise. It is a bit dragged down by the familiar aspects of its origin story, but it also has a number of unexpected twists, and provides fans with is plenty of exciting new looks at the expanded continuity – such as events from the MCU in the 1990s, the Kree-Skrull War, and even a bit more of the Tesseract. Of course, at the center of it all is also a badass new protagonist who has tremendous potential for awesome cosmic and Earthbound stories in the future.

24. Thor: Love And Thunder

Taika Waititi gave himself quite a high bar to reach for with his sophomore Marvel Cinematic Universe effort, having made such a phenomenal splash with his first entry into the franchise. Thor: Love And Thunder isn't as strong as its predecessor in the Thor series, but it's an adventure that delivers plenty of big laughs and pushes the titular God of Thunder into terrific new territory. Christian Bale is brilliant as Gorr The God Butcher, and Russell Crowe's Zeus is an undeniable scene-stealer.

23. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

As will be discussed later, James Gunn totally changed the Marvel game with 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy but in doing so, set the most ridiculous of high bars for its sequel to reach. The bad news is that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 isn't quite as good as its predecessor, but the great news is that it's an incredibly fun intergalactic romp. It smartly sacrifices scope in favor of character, and it's a legitimate cinematic treat to see Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot back up on the big screen.

22. Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings

Destin Daniel Cretton's Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings is a movie that gets a bit tripped up when it tries to go too big – bringing characters into a mystical dimension full of beautiful and monstrous creatures – but it's really something else when it is focused on being small. The characters are absolutely wonderful, as Simu Liu instantly proves his star appeal in the lead role, and Awkwafina emerges as an amazing new sidekick in the MCU canon. What the film will always stand out for, however, is its action, as there are some stunning choreographed sequences in the movie that stand out as some of the best we've seen in the franchise.

21. Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness

Truth be told, Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness doesn't fully live up to its title (in the sense that there really isn't a whole lot of multiversal madness), but it's a terrific ride. Benedict Cumberbatch continues his stellar run as the master of the mystic arts, and Xochitl Gomez is a sparkplug as newcomer America Chavez (one of several new, young MCU heroes). But the real showstopper is Elizabeth Olsen, who delivers an amazing villainous turn in the wake of the events that transpired in the Disney+ series WandaVision.

20. Deadpool & Wolverine

Shawn Levy's Deadpool & Wolverine is a landmark movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for multiple reasons, as it is not just the first film in the canon to center on X-Men-related characters, but it's also the first to sport an R-rating. The movie puts both two spectacular work, with Ryan Reynolds delivering huge laughs reprising his role as the titular Merc with a Mouth and Hugh Jackman delivering incredible gravitas while returning to his most iconic role. The script is a bit of a mess, and calling the plot thin would be generous. However, most of what it's lacking is made up for with excellent surprises and a stellar jokes-per-minute rate.

19. Iron Man 3

Shane Black's Iron Man 3 is unquestionably the most underrated Marvel movie. While some audiences complained about the Mandarin twist and lack of Iron Man screentime, the other way to look at those two things is the power of the movie's ability to defy expectation, and the way in which it enriches Tony Stark as a character outside of his armor. It's a fun piece of noir storytelling, and a great comeback after the mediocre Iron Man 2.

18. Ant-Man And The Wasp

There is an argument to be made that first sequels in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have a specific advantage over their predecessors. After all, origin stories are essentially fixed expositional vehicles used to establish key characters; but once those introductions are made, what's left is the purely creative opportunity to craft a wholly original, specific story natural to those heroes. Peyton Reed's Ant-Man And The Wasp is a perfect example of this. The movie beautifully capitalizes on everything we loved about the first Ant-Man (Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly are genuinely perfect together), putting its wonderful ensemble through an expertly-molded comedic thrill ride in the vein of After Hours and Midnight Run – coming together as a romp that is hilarious from beginning to end.

17. The Fantastic Four: First Steps

For years, superhero aficionados waited for Marvel’s First Family to be featured in an MCU film, and that finally happened with the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. This glossy, retro-futuristic take on the FF is far different from other big-screen interpretations of the team, but it’s arguably the most comic book-accurate interpretation. Director Matt Shakman (of WandaVision fame) skips the origin story and introduces viewers to an established version of the team that must save their planet from the grim Galactus. Shakman’s direction is stellar as is Michael Giacchino’s score, but it’s the performances of the four leads, especially Vanessa Kirby, that make this movie worth the watch.

16. Spider-Man: Far From Home

Being the first Marvel Studios film released in the wake of Avengers: Endgame, Jon Watts' Spider-Man: Far From Home ironically found itself in a position of great responsibility within the franchise, but it succeeds both in being high-flying fun and impressive superhero storytelling. The villain twist isn't all that great (as every comic book fan saw the heel turn from Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio coming). However, the way in which they brought the Master of Illusion to the big screen is remarkable, and the third act showdown is blockbuster gold. It also needs to be said that the movie features arguably the most exciting credit scenes since the first Iron Man.

15. Captain America: The First Avenger

Landing right in the heart of this list is Joe Johnston's Captain America: The First Avenger: another origin story, but one that takes the audience back in time to the days of World War II. There is a rightful complaint in that the third act of the film doesn't have quite the punch of Marvel's better titles, but it's also one of the studio's best introductory tales, and features some perfect performances from both Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell (performances that would completely change their individual careers).

14. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Ryan Coogler was given a staggering and unfair challenge in the making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The loss of Chadwick Boseman was a devastating emotional blow to the filmmakers and co-stars who worked with him, and Coogler had to change all of his plans for the blockbuster – and make it a movie that would honor the memory of his friend. The result is simultaneously a somber tribute and an action epic, and it features both brilliant performances from returning stars Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Danai Guirira and Lupita Nyong'o as well as a brilliant introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Tenoch Huerta's Namor.

13. Thunderbolts*

Thunderbolts* had the misfortune of releasing during a time at which a number of fans felt MCU fatigue. Luckily, the film is an excellent addition to the canon, thanks to the keen direction of Jake Schreier. A classic “man-on-a-mission” story, Schreier’s film assembles the antiheroes of the MCU for an action-packed, funny and sweet tale that also serves as a meditation on depression. The practical action sequences are quite impressive (including Florence Pugh’s dive off the world’s second tallest building) as are performances from the likes of Pugh, David Harbour and MCU newcomer Lewis Pullman, who plays the all-powerful Bob (or Sentry). Some may have been able to predict the New Avengers title reveal at the end of the film, but that doesn't take away from the movie’s status as one of the most important films of the Multiverse Saga.

12. Thor: Ragnarok

The Thor movies have never been one of Marvel's strongest series – as evidenced by their rankings on this list. That's why Marvel had director Taika Waititi rebrand the whole thing with Thor: Ragnarok, and the results are fantastic. The tone is not only much lighter than its predecessors, resulting in one of the funniest titles in the franchise to date, but the character work is just phenomenal. It's the most compelling arc we've seen for Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder, Mark Ruffalo is phenomenal as a Hulk who can finally have a conversation, and their thrust together in one of Marvel's most vibrant and fun adventures.

11. Spider-Man: Homecoming

As a big screen character, Spider-Man was at big risk of reboot fatigue going into Jon Watts' Spider-Man: Homecoming, but nothing dissipates audience apprehension quite like quality – and boy, did this one bring it. In his second Marvel Cinematic Universe appearance, Tom Holland perfects both being Peter Parker and the wall-crawler, and the film succeeds by actively differentiating itself from anything that's come before, skipping the overdone origin story and fully embracing the new movie's position in MCU continuity with a strong supporting role for Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark. It's a crazy fun adventure, full of youthful energy that gets us excited for the web-slinger's franchise future.

10. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3

James Gunn has never been shy about expressing his love for Rocket as a character, and with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, he developed a powerful, emotional, beautiful and fun blockbuster that has the diminutive hero as its center. Endings are always difficult in fiction, but Vol. 3 is a conclusion that is both wholly original and best utilizes everything that is great about the MCU series. It doesn't quite reach the mile-high bar set by the first Guardians of the Galaxy, but it's both a worthy sequel and among Marvel's best sequels to date.

9. Iron Man

Jon Favreau's Iron Man, of course, was the film that kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe but, while that's a significant feat, it's only part of the larger reason why we have it ranked so high. It's also the film that brought the amazing Robert Downey Jr. back to us, the actor doing his part to create what has become a truly iconic character, and the movie in and of itself is a fantastic story of redemption and facing down demons. It's a superhero blockbuster that will go down in history – which makes it actually kind of impressive on Marvel's part that it's only number five on our list.

8. The Avengers

Marvel's Phase One films are, on the whole, enjoyable pieces of entertainment, but Joss Whedon's The Avengers was when the Marvel Cinematic Universe truly became the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only one of the greatest event movies of all time, it also beautifully, dazzlingly, and unexpectedly delivers on a four-year-long promise of bringing some of comics' greatest heroes together on the big screen for the first time ever. For the longest time, the whole thing just seemed like an impossible dream, but Whedon and Marvel delivered in the biggest way imaginable, and it's a finished product that can be rewatched endlessly with enjoyment.

7. Black Panther

After 10 years of establishing the expansive roster of heroes in the franchise, you'd think that Marvel Studios would have started struggling to create effective introductory solo films by 2018. The truth, however, is that they'll keep being successful so long as they continue to hire filmmakers with vision, and that's exactly what they did, bringing in writer/director Ryan Coogler to make Black Panther. The movie is not only a remarkable exercise in world-building – introducing audiences to the remarkable land of Wakanda – but it also very much has something important to say, and it says it compellingly. The narrative regarding the African nation's relationship with the rest of the planet is impressively sophisticated in a blockbuster package, and Michael B. Jordan's Erik Killmonger, equipped with understandable and powerful ideology, is arguably Marvel's greatest villain to date.

6. Spider-Man: No Way Home

One of the consistently phenomenal things about the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the franchise's capacity to regularly go the extra mile and accomplish things on the big screen that fans only previously dreamed were possible. It's in this respect that Jon Watts' Spider-Man: No Way Home feels more like a fantasy than a hit blockbuster, as it features everything that a fan of the titular wall-crawler could want. It unfolds a spectacular adventure that does a head-first dive into the multiverse, and ultimately proves to be an amazing capstone for an MCU trilogy that serves as an expansive origin story for Tom Holland's Peter Parker.

5. Avengers: Infinity War

To paraphrase Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, Joe and Anthony Russo's Avengers: Infinity War was built on the idea of it being the capstone for every Marvel Cinematic Universe film that preceded it. A full decade was spent watching Infinity Stones be revealed, and Thanos being teased, and it seemed like there was just far too much pressure on the blockbuster for it to actually be any good. Boy, did they prove us wrong. Finally getting his time in the spotlight, the Mad Titan proves to be an absolutely terrifying force of nature, and the film is filled with too many shocking, disturbing and amazing moments to count. It's in every way the movie fans were promised.

4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier

For Phase Two, Marvel Studios made a point of not just making superhero movies, but making complex genre films that happen to feature superheroes. For Captain America: The Winter Soldier, directors Joe and Anthony Russo infused the blockbuster with the structure and spirit of a 1970s conspiracy thriller, and the result is absolutely stunning. No other feature in the Marvel Cinematic Universe features fight choreography that is as visceral, and the character dynamics between Cap, Black Widow and Falcon are thoughtful, unique, and fun.

3. Guardians Of The Galaxy

James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy is a legitimately special movie. Only tangentially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film is unlike any comic book feature we've seen – even in the modern era – and has everything a person could want from a summer blockbuster. It's hilarious, with not just star Chris Pratt getting fantastic laugh-out-loud lines; it's action-packed, with a third-act spectacle that will boggle the mind; and it's even emotional, creating amazing bonds between characters. It stood as Marvel's best work for a couple years... but then 2016 rolled around.

2. Captain America: Civil War

As ridiculously huge as the first two Avengers blockbusters were, directors Joe and Anthony Russo somehow managed to up the ante even further with Captain America: Civil War. The third Captain America movie is shockingly emotional (particularly in the showdown between Cap and Iron Man), stunningly action packed (the Leipzig Halle Airport fight is among the best we've ever seen), and gives us some amazing new characters in Spider-Man and Black Panther. It's spectacularly crafted storytelling with a real gut-punch ending, and to date the best film in the MCU.

1. Avengers: Endgame

Joe and Anthony Russo's Avengers: Endgame is a film that really shouldn't be as phenomenal as it is. It should be impossible to make a blockbuster that is able to perfectly capitalize on the 21 blockbusters in the series that preceded it. And yet that's exactly what this movie does. It starts with the fallout from Avengers: Infinity War, with the surviving heroes picking up the pieces of their lives following their battle with Thanos and massive defeat, but where it goes from there coalesces as one of the most bombastic, jaw-dropping and remarkable big screen experiences we've ever seen. It may not technically be the end of Phase Three, but it's still the perfect ending for the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

37 movies is a lot, but there are always more on the way – and the next title that’s set to hit the big screen is the highly anticipated Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is directed by Shang-Chi’s Destin Daniel Cretton. And, after the web-slinger has his day, Earth's Mightiest Heroes will come back together to take on Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. Be sure to keep an eye out for forthcoming MCU titles and, to stream all of the films in this massive franchise, grab a Disney+ subscription.

While the finale of What If notably brings together heroes prominently featured in all of the episodes of the show’s first season, it’s hard not to notice that one member of the team is introduced to audiences for the first time. Fighting alongside the likes of Captain Carter, Party Prince Thor, and Dark Doctor Strange is an alternate universe version of Gamora who lives on Sakaar and is identified by having killed Thanos. From an outside perspective it is a bit odd, but there is an explanation for why it is the way it is, and it is tied into the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the wake of the What If finale arriving on Disney+ this week, I had the opportunity to talk with head writer A.C. Bradley and director Bryan Andrews about the capstone episode, and one of the subjects of discussion was the presence of Thanos-Killer Gamora. I asked if there were originally plans for her to have her own episode in Season 1, and Bradley both confirmed there was, and explained what happened:

This also explains why Season 1 is only nine episodes instead of the originally announced 10. The development and production teams were able to complete the vast majority of the run, but the story centered on a Gamora who killed her “adoptive” father was the exception. There was obviously no way that the character could be extracted from the finale, so the creative team just opted to lean into the mystery.

Things aren’t playing out as originally planned, but it is now interesting that audience’s perspective on the What If character is playing out in the opposite direction than the rest of her Guardians of the Multiverse teammates. We’ve seen what Gamora can do against Infinity Ultron, but we’ll have to wait until next season to learn about how she wound up partnering with Tony Stark, and why she was on Sakaar at the start of the finale. A.C. Bradley continued,

As implied by the filmmaker, we don’t know as of right now when we will be getting What If Season 2, but for now the entirety of Season 1 is streaming on Disney+.

When it comes to Marvel, there are more than a few characters that I've felt should get more and more screen time. Originally, one of my favorites when she first arrived in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was Scarlet Witch, a.k.a. Wanda Maximoff. However, we were gifted with WandaVision, and then, later on, we were given The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, featuring another one of my favorite characters, Bucky Barnes.

However, I couldn’t help but wonder, with all these Marvel shows on Disney+ that are lined up in the coming months and beyond, especially in summer 2021 alongside the upcoming Marvel movies, there are many more stories yet to be told. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat in the theater and thought "this would make an amazing show." And that’s what I'm about to get into because these are the other Marvel stories or characters I believe deserve a little more screen time in the MCU, specifically with their own Disney+ TV show.

Bucky’s Time As The Winter Soldier

Look, we love James Buchanan Barnes, we adore a redemption story, we are cheering for his mental health and all that is involved with his future.

But I’m not going to lie and say a part of me doesn’t miss The Winter Soldier a lot.

There was just something so mysterious about the character prior to him discovering who he was. And while the new Bucky is completely badass in every way, I would love to know more about his past when he was with HYDRA. I want to see how hard they trained him, some of the missions that he faced – maybe even that Winter-Widow relationship we were all sadly deprived of from the movies.

There’s so much story to his character in the comics and with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier really showcasing Bucky, I think a Disney+ TV show that puts Bucky and his past at the center of the story would really build upon the super soldier that we all care for already. It doesn’t even need to be a super long series, maybe even just a mini-series. I just want to know more about it.

Clint And Natalie's Budapest Story

This is the ultimate inside joke of Marvel and I’m over it.

I know the internet has its feelings about Clint and Nat and their individualized skill sets to the Avengers, but you can’t sit there and say that you’re not the least bit curious as to what happened between these two in Budapest.

It’s been driving me crazy since the first Avengers movie and the fact that they bring it up decently often throughout the films only frustrates me more because all I want is the damn series showing off their spy times together. It’s clear that Clint and Nat had a deep friendship, especially from what happened in Avengers: Endgame – we’re getting a Black Widow movie soon, why not talk more about how she met Clint and what really happened when they were out doing their spy adventures? That would have been perfect to go over before she – well, you know.

We don’t have to talk about that again.

Gamora And Nebula Growing Up

I recall that the first time I ever watched Guardians of the Galaxy, I thought it was the funniest Marvel movie ever and had spat out my drink several times in the theater. But after my chuckles, I started to think about who my favorite character from the movie was, and I realized it was two of them – Gamora and Nebula, the alien stepsisters.

It’s clear that Thanos always preferred Gamora over Nebula, but after the heavy amount of story we got for both of them both in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, it only made me want to learn more about them and their relationship. And now that Gamora is technically alive again thanks to the power of time travel, and the old Nebula still remains, a series about the two of them growing up, training, and the sibling rivalry to prove who is better to daddy-dearest Thanos would be amazing. Plus, who wouldn't love the amazing visual effects of space that Marvel has given us?

The Ancient One

I’m going to be honest – at first, I didn’t think that Doctor Strange was going to be any good, even as a Harry Potter fan and a Scarlett Witch fan. However, as soon as I actually saw the movie, I knew I had dug myself a hole because it was actually really good and extremely interesting, including amazing visual effects and cinematography. I was stunned.

However, one question that I had – or rather, several questions I had – revolved around the Ancient One. We haven’t seen much of her. We saw her in the movie as well as Avengers: Endgame but then she just… died. Like that. Without any real, fully developed story behind her. For someone who is extremely powerful, I think she deserves a TV show to show off her powers and history before meeting Stephen Strange.

I want to learn more about her past lives, her life now, wherever her spirit took her – there are so many possibilities with this character.

Natalie And Steve’s Journey On The Run After Civil War

Truly one of the best pair-ups they ever could have given us in the movie, I wanted more of Nat and Steve together after Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and then they were on opposite teams in Captain America: Civil War. But once the events of that film were over and done with, they ended up going on the run together because they were fugitives after refusing to sign the accords.

What happened when they were on the run?!

I mean, just by their appearances they look different for protective reasons but I want to learn all about them. There was a solid two years that went by without any sort of word from them before they showed up to save Wanda and Vision from some of Thanos’ allies. When did Steve destroy his costume? When did he even meet up with Natasha? Did they do anything that was considering “superhero” while on the run or did they sort of just lay low?

I mean, the amount of questions I have is endless.

There was that possibility that Chris Evans might return back to the MCU via Deadline, so who knows? It might be for a small series like this that explores his character a bit. Or it could be for the one down below.

When Steve Rogers Returned The Infinity Stones

I can’t be the only one thinking this.

Is it just me, or is everyone a bit confused about the time travel aspect in the MCU? Because I know I was. Don’t get me wrong, it was a lot of fun, but at the same time, I was still a bit lowkey confused about it. And that’s where I think a series about when Steve returned each of the stones to their respective location would be great.

I mean, a reunion between Red Skull and seeing Nat’s body? Seeing Peggy again? Going back to the Avengers fight in New York City once more? I can almost imagine the stories and the different timelines that could be explored. This would be the perfect moment to do so.

Even with all these ideas, I can’t deny that the next couple of years are going to be amazing for Marvel, especially with their upcoming movies and TV shows, so I’m excited either way. What kind of Marvel stories do you want to see brought to life?

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown to extreme proportions over the last 12 years, establishing a litany of heroes spread across multiple series, and while we've had the opportunity to see all of them cross paths at this point, it can still be a challenge to remember exactly where the franchise left each of them. With that in mind, we have built this feature to help you keep track of all of the most important Marvel characters.

Looking both backwards and ahead, here is where everything currently stands for the main 29 heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. - Major Marvel spoilers ahead if you aren't caught up on all of the MCU films.

Iron Man: When We’ll See Tony Stark Next

Recognized as one of the smartest men to ever live, Tony Stark ushered in the age of heroes with the invention of the Iron Man armor and changed the world forever.

Where We Saw Iron Man Last

After more than a decade ruling as the central star in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tony Stark died during the showdown with Thanos in Avengers: Endgame – sacrificing himself by using the Infinity Stones to stop the Mad Titan and his army

Where Iron Man Will Appear Next

Iron Man might be dead, which will stop him from showing up in stories set after Avengers: Endgame, but prequels offer a kind of loophole, and it's rumored that we will see Tony Stark alive again in Black Widow, which will see its story begin in the wake of Captain America: Civil War.

Captain America: When We’ll See Steve Rogers Next

Captain America was created as the world's first superhero, and while he spent decades frozen in ice, humanity will never be able to fully calculate his contribution to history.

Where We Saw Captain America Last

Captain America survived the battle against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, and saw the aftermath of the war as an opportunity to retire from the superhero business. After returning the Infinity Stones to their proper places in the timeline, he chose to return to the 1940s and live out his life with Peggy Carter.

Where Captain America Will Appear Next

From what we can tell, Chris Evans' time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe playing Captain America has come to an end, and there are no current plans to see the return of the character to the big or small screen.

Thor: When We’ll See The God Of Thunder Next

When Thor was born, the expectation was that he would be Odin's successor as rule as the King Of Asgard, but fate had other plans for the God of Thunder that not only took him to Earth to become an Avenger, but set him on another heroic path entirely.

Where We Saw Thor Last

Thor lost a hell of a lot between the events of Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War, but the third act of Avengers: Endgame saw him not only get his act together and redeem himself, but also start forging a new trail for himself by leaving Asgard in capable hands and leaving Earth with the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Where Thor Will Appear Next

While Iron Man and Captain America only got trilogies, Thor will be the first Marvel Cinematic Universe series to see his series hit four chapters, as he will be back in action in Taika Waititi's Thor: Love And Thunder – a film that will see him discover that his former lady love, Jane Foster, has attained his godlike powers.

Hulk: When We’ll See Bruce Banner Next

Part genius scientist, part rage-fueled monster, Hulk has gone on one hell of a journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the ride isn't done yet.

Where We Saw Hulk Last

Years and years of internal struggle ended for Hulk in Avengers: Endgame, as he was finally able to create peace between both halves of himself and become "Professor Hulk." He survived the battle against Thanos, though his arm may be permanently damaged following his use of the Infinity Stones in the nano gauntlet to resurrect all those killed by Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet snap.

Where Hulk Will Appear Next

At present, it's unknown where or when Hulk will appear next in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We know he's still roaming around, but we don't know whose story he will next be a part of. That being said, there is a She-Hulk series in development for Disney+, and it has been confirmed that the central hero, Jennifer Walters, will be portrayed as a cousin of Bruce Banners'.

Black Widow: When We’ll See Natasha Romanoff Next

Black Widow has a darker past than any Marvel Cinematic Universe character, raised with the sole purpose of being a killer and a spy, but that just makes her path as a hero that much more impressive.

Where We Saw Black Widow Last

Like Iron Man, Black Widow saw her life come to an end in Avengers: Endgame as she too made a sacrifice for the betterment of humanity – throwing herself off a cliff on the planet Vormir so that Hawkeye could acquire the Soul Stone.

Where Black Widow Will Appear Next

Also like Iron Man, Black Widow still has the capacity to show up in prequel stories, and that's exactly what we'll see her do next. As mentioned earlier, the upcoming solo Black Widow movie will reveal what happened to the titular character while on the run following the events of Captain America: Civil War, and the adventure will in turn teach us more about her endlessly mysterious past.

Hawkeye: When We’ll See Clint Barton Next

You might not think that a guy with a bow and arrow would fit in with Earth's Mightiest Heroes, but Hawkeye has more than proven his worth over the years, and will see his story continue.

Where We Saw Hawkeye Last

Hawkeye had some really dark years following the events of Avengers: Infinity War, as losing his family transformed him into a murderous vigilante, but the events of Avengers: Endgame allowed him to buy back part of his soul and return to being a force for good.

Where Hawkeye Will Appear Next

As of right now it looks like the next time we see Hawkeye will have him being in mentor mode. Disney+ is developing a Hawkeye series that will feature Clint Barton in the lead role and have him training the next hero to take on the mantle a.k.a. comic book fan-favorite Kate Bishop.

War Machine: When We’ll See James “Rhodey” Rhodes Next

A decorated war hero before he became a superhero, War Machine's journey has been an impressive and noble one – as he has always followed a strict moral code and been able to overcome great hardships.

Where We Saw War Machine Last

After being a key player in the battle against Thanos, War Machine was last seen suffering great heartbreak following the passing of his best friend, Tony Stark.

Where War Machine Will Appear Next

All signs point to James "Rhodey" Rhodes still being an active hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but as of right now it's unclear where or when the character will next appear.

Scarlet Witch: When We’ll See Wanda Maximoff Next

Scarlet Witch has come a long way since her introduction in Avengers: Age of Ultron, with her control over her powers only becoming greater and greater with each appearance, and in the near future we may see her become so powerful that she becomes a serious danger to herself.

Where We Saw Scarlet Witch Last

Scarlet Witch was nearly able to take down Thanos herself in Avengers: Endgame (the Mad Titan unleashed spaceship fire on his own army just to try and stop her), and in the end was a massive part of the victory – though she is clearly still emotionally scarred from the death of Vision.

Where Scarlet Witch Will Appear Next

Fans won't have to wait long for the return of Scarlet Witch, as her fascinating power set will be back on full display in WandaVision – the new Marvel Cinematic Universe Disney+ show that will be arriving in December 2020.

Vision: When We’ll See The Android Next

Being an android, Vision is unlike any other hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he is quite a wonder.

Where We Saw Vision Last

Vision was one of the only main Marvel Cinematic Universe characters who didn't appear for even a frame of Avengers: Endgame, and there's a good reason: he was killed in Avengers: Infinity War when Thanos ripped the Mind Stone out of his head.

Where Vision Will Appear Next

We don't quite know how exactly, but Vision will be back and very soon, as he is the co-lead alongside Scarlet Witch in WandaVision. How is he alive? Fans will have to tune into the Disney+ series to find out.

Falcon: When We’ll See Sam Wilson Next

Sam Wilson's history as Falcon goes back long before his time with the Avengers, having worn his special winged flight suit while serving in the military, and he has proven to be an immensely loyal and talented asset in action.

Where We Saw Falcon Last

The last time we saw Falcon he was being bestowed with quite the incredible honor. Having decided to retire from superherodom, Captain America made the decision to pass his shield on to one of his best friends, meaning that Falcon will now not only be equipped with awesome wings, but also some patriotic vibranium.

Where Falcon Will Appear Next

One of the many Disney+ shows set to roll out from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the coming years is The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, which will see the two titular heroes trying to square their differences in a post-Captain America world.

Winter Soldier: When We’ll See Bucky Barnes Next

From army sniper to brainwashed assassin to superhero, Bucky Barnes has led quite the interesting life, and the future only looks to be getting wilder for him

Where We Saw Winter Soldier Last

When Captain America made the choice to pass on his mantle to Falcon, it came with the approval of The Winter Soldier, who watched in approval as the passing of the torch unfolded at the end of Avengers: Endgame.

Where Winter Soldier Will Appear Next

You probably figured this one out: The Winter Soldier will be reteaming with Falcon in the upcoming The Falcon And The Winter Soldier series, and the story will find him facing off against a familiar foe: Captain America: Civil War's Helmut Zemo.

Spider-Man: When We’ll See Peter Parker Next

Everyone's favorite wall-crawler is only just starting his journey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while there's a whole lot we don't know about his future, we do know that it will be crazy exciting.

Where We Saw Spider-Man Last

Thus far Spider-Man is the only character who has had a movie released in the wake of Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: Far From Home most definitely left him in a precarious position. He is now not only a wanted terrorist, but everyone knows his secret identity

Where Spider-Man Will Appear Next

We don't know what it will be called, but work on Spider-Man 3 is well under way, and the film will be in theaters at the end of 2021.

Ant-Man: When We’ll See Scott Lang Next

Shrinking, growing, and communicating with ants is one of the cooler power sets in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and combined with the charisma of Paul Rudd he is one of the most beloved characters in the franchise.

Where We Saw Ant-Man Last

If it weren't for Scott Lang's strange experience in the Quantum Realm, the Avengers may have never been able to beat Thanos – but he did, and they did. He's now living a happy life with Hope van Dyne (more on her in a second) and surely working to adjust to the fact that he missed five years of his daughter growing up.

Where Ant-Man Will Appear Next

While it's not yet on the release schedule, Marvel Studios is actively developing a sequel to Ant-Man And The Wasp, and it's in that film where we will presumably see the hero's return.

The Wasp: When We’ll See Hope van Dyne Next

You know what's even cooler than shrinking, growing, and communicating with ants? Doing all that plus also being able to fly and fire wrist-mounted stingers at enemies. The Wasp is a badass.

Where We Saw The Wasp Last

As mentioned, we last saw The Wasp in the aftermath of the battle with Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, and it seems her relationship with Scott is really unfazed given that they both didn't really exist during the five year time jump.

Where The Wasp Will Appear Next

It's not impossible that she will appear in an earlier film or show (same goes for every character on this list, really), but The Wasp is expected to next appear in the Ant-Man And The Wasp sequel.

Black Panther: When We’ll See T’Challa Next

R.I.P. Chadwick Boseman. You brought Black Panther to life like no other actor could, and the extent of the inspiration you provided will never be calcuable.

Where We Saw Black Panther Last

Following the fight against Thanos, which saw Black Panther as the first of the resurrected heroes to stride out on to the battlefield, Avengers: Endgame concluded his part of the story by having him to return to Wakanda to resume his rule as king.

Where Black Panther Will Appear Next

Following the devastating loss of Chadwick Boseman, it is not known what the future holds for the character, but the untitled Black Panther sequel is still on the schedule for May 2022.

Shuri: When We’ll See The Wakandan Princess Next

Following the death of Tony Stark, Shuri is arguably now the smartest person on the planet, and now that Wakanda has opened itself up to the world, there's no telling what kind of impact her brilliance may make.

Where We Saw Shuri Last

While we didn't actually see Shuri turn to dust in Avengers: Infinity War, we did see her resurrected right alongside her brother in Avengers: Endgame, and she was back with him in Wakanda by the end of the film.

Where Shuri Will Appear Next

Nothing has been confirmed yet, but it is expected that Shuri's next live-action appearance will be in the Black Panther sequel.

Okoye: When We’ll See The Dora Milaje Captain Next

Any Marvel fan would be challenged to name a more fiercely loyal hero in the Cinematic Universe.

Where We Saw Okoye Last

Okoye, operating like any proper member of the Dora Milaje, fought side-by-side with her king in the battle against Thanos (while also working as a peacekeeper during the five years following The Blip.

Where Okoye Will Appear Next

Unless she makes a surprise cameo in another project, Okoye's next appearance is expected to be in the untitled Black Panther 2.

Captain Marvel: When We’ll See Carol Danvers Next

Carol Danvers has made one hell of a splash in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while we've primarily seen what she was up to in the 1990s, we're endlessly excited to see what she's up to in the 21st century.

Where We Saw Captain Marvel Last

Captain Marvel's final moment in Avengers: Endgame is at Tony Stark's funeral, so we don't actually know if she decided to stay on Earth after the battle with Thanos, or if she is heading back to the stars.

Where Captain Marvel Will Appear Next

At present, it's not entirely clear where Captain Marvel will pop up next – and that's because there are two distinct possibilities. The Captain Marvel sequel and the Disney+ Ms. Marvel series are both launching in 2022, and not only is it unknown if Carol Danvers will pop up in the latter, but it's unclear which will debut first in the calendar year.

Doctor Strange: When We’ll See Stephen Strange Next

As a master of the mystic arts, Doctor Strange is one of the most powerful weapons the world has against the forces of evil – both those from our dimension, and others.

Where We Saw Doctor Strange Last

Like the vast majority of Marvel characters, we last saw Doctor Strange fighting against Thanos' forces for the fate of the planet and then attending Tony Stark's funeral – and it's fair to assume that he returned to the Sanctum Sanctorum in New York following the conflict.

Where Doctor Strange Will Appear Next

It goes without saying that we will see the return of Doctor Strange in Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (on the calendar for March 2022), but that won't be the next time we catch up with the sorcerer. Instead, it's been confirmed that the character will next have a supporting role in Spider-Man: Far From Home's developing sequel, which is due out in December 2021.

Wong: When We’ll See The Master Of The Mystic Arts Next

Stephen Strange may have an aptitude for magic, but his experience is nothing compared to Wong's and we have only begun to see what he can do.

Where We Saw Wong Last

The last time we saw Wong was in the aftermath of him fighting the good fight in the showdown versus Thanos, and like Stephen Strange, we can assume that he returned to New York City after the conflict.

Where Wong Will Appear Next

While Doctor Strange has been confirmed for the untitled Spider-Man 3, it has not yet been confirmed if he will be joined in the blockbuster by Wong. If that doesn't happen, expect to see him again with a big supporting role in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.

Valkyrie: When We’ll See The Asgardian King Next

Valkyrie ignored her duties for a long time, instead choosing to live as a drunk on the trash planet Sakaar, but now she is ready to fulfill her responsibility to Asgard in ways she surely never imagined.

Where We Saw Valkyrie Last

As the big header above notes, the last time we saw Valkyrie was when Thor gave her the proverbial keys to the car and anointed her as the new king of Asgard (which is now located in Norway instead of in outer space).

Where Valkyrie Will Appear Next

Assuming again that she doesn't have a cameo in one of the many projects set to come out between now and 2022, we next expect to see her return in Thor: Love And Thunder.

Star-Lord: When We’ll See Peter Quill Next

The wannabe space-trotting badass has been through some serious drama in recent years, but he's ready to continue cementing his intergalactic legacy.

Where We Saw Star-Lord Last

As noted earlier, Thor took off with the Guardians of the Galaxy at the end of Avengers: Endgame, but the only person who wasn't super onboard with the idea was Peter Quill, who radiates extreme jealously when around the God of Thunder.

Where Star-Lord Will Appear Next

Given the passenger he has on board, it's possible that Star-Lord's next appearance will be in Thor: Love And Thunder, but if not we can expect his return in the unscheduled Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Gamora: When We’ll See The Deadliest Woman In The Galaxy Next

The Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe now is not the same character we got to know in Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but that should make her journey ahead that much more compelling.

Where We Saw Gamora Last

While most of the Guardians of the Galaxy reunited at the end of the battle with Thanos, Gamora – not really knowing any of them – made the choice to leave and go off to do her own thing.

Where Gamora Will Appear Next

There is a lot of speculation that the search for Gamora will be a notable plot point in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which is also where we expect to next see the character.

Drax: When We’ll See The Vengeful Alien Next

What does the future hold for Drax now that those he wish vengeance against are dead? We're excited to find out!

Where We Saw Drax Last

Though his wife and daughter are dead, Drax has found a new family with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and we last saw him with the group while they departed Earth with Thor in Avengers: Endgame.

Where Drax Will Appear Next

The safest money is bet on Drax next showing up in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but, as noted, we're not taking the possibility of a Thor: Love and Thunder cameo off the table.

Rocket: When We’ll See Raccoon-Like Hero Next

Rocket was left in a scary position with his adopted family all dying in Avengers: Infinity War, but he has grown quite a lot in the years since, and has tremendous potential going into the future.

Where We Saw Rocket Last

Thanks to the reversal of Thanos' snap, Rocket was reunited with the Guardians of the Galaxy in Avengers: Endgame, and was with them at the very end of the movie as well (minus Gamora, obviously).

Where Rocket Will Appear Next

Expect Rocket to pop up next in Spider-Man 3, Black Widow, the She-Hulk series... just kidding. It will be either Thor: Love and Thunder or Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Groot: When We’ll See The Sentient Tree Next

Groot is far and away the youngest established hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he's certainly made every moment of his life count.

Where We Saw Groot Last

We last left Groot as a teenager still putting up with his compatriots in the Guardians of the Galaxy, taking off from Earth for all varieties of outer space adventures.

Where Groot Will Appear Next

The answer to this question is Thor: Love And Thunder or Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but more than anything we're just curious what the next stage of his evolution is going to be like.

Nebula: When We’ll See The Cyborg Killer Next

After years of being one of the bad guys, Nebula is definitely fighting on the side of good these days, and her future is bright now that it's Thanos-less.

Where We Saw Nebula Last

Rather than going off with the "new" Gamora, Nebula stuck around with the Guardians of the Galaxy for Tony Stark's funeral – which makes sense when you consider how they bonded in the opening of Avengers: Endgame.

Where Nebula Will Appear Next

Again, if the Guardians don't have any kind of role in Thor: Love And Thunder, Nebula's next appearance will most likely be in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Mantis: When We’ll See The Alien Empath Next

Considering how introverted she was when first introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Mantis has become an intense warrior, and her journey is still only just beginning.

Where We Saw Mantis Last

After being on the frontline charge against Thanos' army, she joined the other Guardians at Iron Man's funeral before departing Earth from Norway with Thor on-board.

Where Mantis Will Appear Next

Again: if it's not Thor: Love And Thunder, Mantis will next be in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Nick Fury: When We’ll See The Man Of Mystery Next

The former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. stuck to the shadows in the wake of the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age Of Ultron, but it looks like he will have a big role in a whole new realm in the coming years.

Where We Saw Nick Fury Last

While audiences thought they were watching Nick Fury team up with Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Far From Home, the truth revealed in a post-credits scene is that the real Fury had the Skrull Talos operate in his place while he is busy dealing with business in outerspace.

Where Nick Fury Will Appear Next

As of right now it has not been confirmed when Nick Fury will next appear, but we certainly hope it will be sooner rather than later.

As always, be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest news and updates about your favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe characters.

For as long as comic books have been around, fans have been arguing over power rankings and the results of imaginary showdowns between superheroes. This is partially because there are no definitive answers available, with every battle being situational with numerous variables in play, but also because it can be fun and allows obsessives to further engage with the material. It was thinking about that, along with the last decade-plus of action from the Marvel Cinematic Universe that birthed the concept for this feature: ranking all of the heroes not individually, but instead by categorizing them on different tiers.

Reflecting on all of the major heroes we’ve met in the MCU, we’ve managed to separate them all into five levels, going from the Expert Fighters to the God-Like Beings. Some of the determinations weren’t easy, but check out our choices below.

(Note: beyond power tier, characters are listed in alphabetical order)

Expert Fighters

The heroes on this level don't possess any kind of next-level technology, or special genes/DNA, but they more than earn their positions fighting alongside all of the other heroes thanks to their dedication and training.

Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow

Natasha Romanoff may have just been a human, but she was also a human who spent almost her entire life dedicated to spy craft – able to kick an unholy amount of ass and operate in near total obscurity.

Yelena Belova / Black Widow

Though her resume isn’t quite as extensive as Natasha Romanoff’s, Yelena Belova had a matching upbringing in the notorious Red Room, and it led to her developing both equal levels of trauma and equal levels of ass-kicking ability.

Maya Lopez / Echo

Echo has a dark background, having spent most of her life being manipulated by Wilson Fisk a.k.a. Kingpin and working as a criminal, but all those years did contribute to her becoming an expert fighter. She doesn’t have special abilities, but she does show in her eponymous show that she can go toe-to-toe with Daredevil.

Clint Barton / Hawkeye

Clint Barton is an above-average athlete and possesses a sharp killer instinct, but it’s when he is going full Hawkeye with a bow in his hand that he proves himself worthy as one of the original Avengers.

Kate Bishop / Hawkeye

Ever since Kate Bishop was saved by Clint Barton during the Battle of New York, she has known exactly what she has wanted to do with her life – and her superhero ambitions from a young age helped motivate the development of a great number of skills. She is a lithe gymnast and gifted in martial arts, but, of course, her number one talent is archery.

Joaquin Torres

Introduced in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, Joaquin Torres is a character with a bright future (the future Falcon), but for now, he is staying on the expert fighter level. He doesn’t have any particularly advanced or special training, but he is a dedicated soldier and first lieutenant in the Air Force.

Nick Fury

In addition to functioning well with advanced technologies, and certainly knowing how to aim a gun, Nick Fury’s greatest asset was front and center when he served as director of S.H.I.E.L.D. – which is to say that he is a mastermind character, and rather brilliant in the realm of intelligence gathering and compartmentalization.

Xi Xialing

She may not have the big power boost that comes from using the Ten Rings, but Xi Xialing is nonetheless not an individual to be confronted. In addition to having spent her entire life studying martial arts, she also is the head of one of the most powerful crime organizations in the history of the world.

Enhanced Humans

The heroes we classify as “Enhanced Humans” are those who aren’t biologically different than people you meet every day, but they have access to remarkable technology, training, and genetics and use them in a way that puts them above the folks using traditional tools and weapons.

Scott Lang / Ant-Man

As awesome as we’ve seen Scott Lang perform in his various films, deftly growing and shrinking in times of crisis, the Ant-Man technology has not exactly been perfected yet – but the potential is certainly amazing.

Matt Murdock / Daredevil

Though blinded in an accident when he was a young age, Matt Murdock a.k.a. Daredevil developed superhuman senses that actually allow him to see the world better than any normal person. There’s an argument to be made that he’s the best hand-to-hand fighters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it’s also near impossible to sneak up on him and he is a human lie detector.

Sam Wilson / Captain America

There’s perhaps a time in every person’s life when they wish they had the capacity to fly like a bird, but Sam Wilson a.k.a. Captain America gets to live that dream every time he is in battle. His use of his specialized wing technology is unmatched in the world, and with his soldier training, he certainly knows his way around firearms. Along with the new vibranium suit he got in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, he has leveled up in a big way.

Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel

It won’t be too long until this feature becomes populated with X-Men characters (perhaps earning their own special category?), but for now, Kamala Khan a.k.a. Ms. Marvel is the one mutant we know about in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As depicted in both the Ms. Marvel series and The Marvels, she has the ability to generate hard light – which she can use for both defensive and offensive purposes.

Monica Rambeau

Monica Rambeau may still not have an official superhero name, but her powers are legitimate. Thanks to her multiple passes through Wanda Maximoff’s hex barrier in WandaVision, she has the ability to “manipulate and see all wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum” (as she explicitly puts it in The Marvels). The limit to her gifts has not yet been seen, and she has been able to add new talents to her resume – like flying.

Okoye

Members of the Dora Milaje don’t possess any specific gifts in their appointments to protect the king of Wakanda, but they do receive both advanced weaponry and upper echelon training, and in both respects Okoye demonstrates herself an expert. Her equipment may not outwardly appear as advanced as others on this tier, but the scene in Black Panther where she uses a spear to stop a speeding car dead on the road argues otherwise.

Alexei Alanovich Shostakov / Red Guardian

We don’t know for a fact whether or not Alexei Alanovich Shostakov a.k.a. Red Guardian has ever fought hand-to-hand with Captain America, but at the very least we know that he could. He’s not quite in the same shape as either Steve Rogers or Sam Wilson, but the guy has Super Soldier Serum in his blood and is quite formidable because of it.

Peter Quill / Star-Lord

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, there is a stretch where the Legendary. Star-Lord would belong much lower on this list, but as things currently stand, he belongs among the enhanced humans. Not only are his literal enhancements listed during the booking sequence in Guardians of the Galaxy, but he also has access to kick-ass alien tech like his ankle rockets, mask, and twin blasters.

Cassie Lang / Stature

There are many obvious downsides to being the child of a superhero, but things have worked out quite well for Cassie Lang. Now that she has grown up, she has made great use of the advanced resources in her household and become a hero in her own right. As of Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania, she has developed expert use of Pym Particles and is skilled at utilizing her growing and shrinking abilities in battle.

James “Rhodey” Rhodes / War Machine

With all due respect, James “Rhodey” Rhodes is pinned to this tier as a result of not quite having the genius intellect of his best friend – but he still stands as one of the more formidable heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only is the regularly-updated War Machine armor outfitted with all of the bells and whistles of the Iron Man suit, but Rhodes also has extensive military training and command experience.

Hope van Dyne / Wasp

Just about everything written above about Ant-Man also applies to Hope van Dyne a.k.a. Wasp, though she is technically always one spot above him. Assuming that she also has the capacity to grow like her partner and communicate with insects (we have no reason to believe otherwise), her suit is also outfitted with both wings and blasters, and she is a superior fighter.

James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes / Winter Soldier

James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes has certainly had a rough go at life, having spent decades as a super assassin, but at least he got some nifty powers out of the experience! Having a vibranium arm is pretty amazing by itself, but there is also the suggestion that he was given some kind of knock-off Super Soldier Serum by Hydra, giving him some extra kick in a battle.

The Extra-Terrestrials

This is a more nebulous category, as extraterrestrial races in the Marvel Cinematic Universe possess abilities beyond human biology, but the full extent of those abilities and other physical attributes aren’t made entirely obvious.

Adam Warlock

Adam Warlock was created by The Sovereign to be a perfect entity. Ultimately, “perfect” might be a stretch, but he is certainly incredible. As seen in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, he can fly through the cosmos without the use of a ship, is nearly indestructible, and he can manipulate cosmic energy.

Cosmo

First appearing as an exhibit in The Collector’s museum in Guardians of the Galaxy, Cosmo has since become a full-fledged member of the team. Though she was born a normal dog, her journey into outer space has seen her become something else, as she can communicate telepathically and has limited telekinetic powers.

Drax

Drax doesn’t have a great deal going for him in the brains department, but boy, is he durable and strong. Not every Marvel hero can jump into the mouth/stomach of a giant alien monster and emerge totally unharmed.

The Eternals

The Eternals aren’t traditional extraterrestrials in that they were specifically made by the Celestials and not naturally born, but this feels like the proper tier for them regardless. Each of the 10 team members has a particularly special gift – be it Makkari’s speed, Druig’s mind control, or Sersi’s matter manipulation – and while they are not immortal, they live for thousands upon thousands of years.

Gamora

Gamora in the comics sports the nickname “Deadliest Woman In The Universe” and her on-screen counterpart has done a great deal to live up to that reputation. She is ferocious and dangerous, particularly with a blade in her hand (but a massive gun broken off from a spaceship also works just as well).

Groot

Groot is easily one of the weirdest entities we’ve seen thus far in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starting with his odd reproduction/growth cycle. In a fight he can grow his limbs to great lengths, and they possess awesome versatility.

Kraglin

When Kraglin was first introduced in the first Guardians of the Galaxy, he was just a mid-ranking member of the Ravagers, but he has upped his game over the years. He is now well battle-tested, having been a member of the Guardians for years, and he is (finally) trained in the use of Yondu’s whistle-controlled Yaka arrow.

Mantis

The unique ability demonstrated by Mantis that has mostly defined her character is her empathic sense – able to feel the feelings of anyone she touches – but she is also a pretty tough cookie. Many fans were quick to note her prominent position on the Avengers front line in the initial charge against Thanos’ army in Endgame, and that is an awesome display of courage.

Nebula

Thanks to her adoptive father’s awfulness, Nebula is arguably more machine than biological being – and while that’s horrible in the grand scheme, it also makes her a formidable hero. Her technological parts are replaceable, making her particularly durable, and she very much puts her all into battle.

Phyla

Truth be told, we don’t know much about Phyla in the Marvel Cinematic Universe beyond the fact that she was one of the children being kept captive by the High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. That being said, what she can do must be awesome, as she can be spotted at the end of the blockbuster as part of the brand new Guardians of the Galaxy lineup.

Rocket

Born a racoon and getting some excellent upgrades courtesy of torture at the hands of the High Evolutionary, Rocket  is just as nimble as any raccoon, but is also a skilled improviser/innovator with a knack for hardware and an insatiable taste for explosions. You just have to put aside his perpetual bad attitude.

Yondu Udonta

Yondu Udonta was not an alien to be trifled with when he was equipped with his special fin and Yaka Arrow. The guy could clear a battlefield with a few simple whistles and look effortlessly cool while doing it.

Hyper-Powerful Heroes

The characters on this level have notable weaknesses, and they aren’t quite at the level of potentially altering the functions of solar systems, but they do have tremendous gifts and properly aligned hearts and minds to utilize those tremendous gifts well.

America Chavez

America Chavez is an interesting entry on this list, as while many gifts and strengths discussed here have to do with offensive and defensive capability, what America can do exists on a different scale. She is still learning how to control her power as of the end of Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, but her ability to travel between realities is very special and future training could eventually see her rise up a few tiers in this feature.

T’Challa / Black Panther

T’Challa a.k.a. Black Panther’s energy-absorbing suit made of an indestructible vibranium weave would alone qualify him for this tier, but on top of that, he also had the enhanced abilities provided by the sacred heart-shaped herb and was an effective and powerful leader. He was decisive, commanding, and definitely dangerous in combat.

Steve Rogers / Captain America

People joke about Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America being a hero born from steroids, but the truth is much more complex than that. More than just making him strong, the Super Soldier Serum that Cap took had the effect of enhancing who he was at his core, and that is a truly perfect and good human being. His greatest gift is arguably that his moral compass permanently points true north – but on top of that he also happens to essentially be the peak of human physicality.

Tony Stark / Iron Man

Tony Stark had a special brain, and his use of that special brain effectively changed the entire universe. His creation of the Iron Man suit is obviously a work of pure genius, but this is also the guy who gets credit for co-creating true artificial intelligence (albeit the end results aren’t great) and successfully cracks time travel. He may not have been a near-god (the invincibility bit really would have helped at the end there), but his intelligence alone more than qualifies him for this tier.

Marc Spector / Steven Grant / Moon Knight / Mr. Knight

With gifts bestowed upon him by the Egyptian moon god Khonshu, Mark Spector/Steven Grant has many weapons and abilities at his disposal as he carries out his terrifically harsh form of justice. He’s not too gifted when he is scared nebbish Steven Grant, but he kicks a whole lot of ass as trained mercenary Marc Spector, and he has a great many powers when fully suited up – including enhanced speed, strength, stamina and endurance as well as flight and the ability to summon Crescent Blades.

Shang-Chi

For years, Shang-Chi ran from his past as the son of Wenwu, but after his adventure in Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, he has embraced his roots and, in so doing, become an incredibly powerful hero. In addition to having brilliant martial arts skills, he also has complete control of the mystical Ten Rings, which not only enhance his natural abilities but make him an immortal.

Shuri / Black Panther

Shuri may be younger, but already she has an IQ on the level of Tony Stark’s, plus she has direct access to what is essentially an unlimited supply of the greatest resource on the planet. Her inventions – including the Black Panther suit – are astonishing, and one can only imagine what she will be able to come up with as she learns more about the world outside Wakanda and devises ways she can help. Now that she has taken the Heart-Shaped Herb, she is firmly in this tier.

Peter Parker / Spider-Man

As we know him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider-Man is definitely still green, but there’s just no arguing that the kid isn’t special. Once again we have a case of a hero possessing an impressively sharp and innovative mind, not to mention a perfect attuned sense of right and wrong, but he also has all of those wonderful gifts provided by the spider bite, including wall-crawling, super strength, off-the-charts agility, and his famous spider-sense.

Valkyrie

There exists a particular power gap between Valkyrie and Thor, as she doesn’t have the ability to fly or control lightning, but as a warrior-class Asgardian she is still a beyond-formidable force to be reckoned with, and well suited to become the new king of the realm after Avengers: Endgame. Plus she earns significant bonus points for being the kind of badass who is trained to ride a Pegasus into battle.

Vision

Under normal circumstances, Vision would probably rank as one of the god-like beings on this list, but that’s kind of hard to do right now given that he is presently dead in the Marvel Cinematic Universe canon. Still, there’s no denying what he is able to do – from the fact that his intelligence is made up of all existing intelligence, to his capacity to control every cell of his form. He’s not flawless or immortal, as demonstrated by his mistake in Captain America: Civil War and his death in Avengers: Infinity War, but he is also easily one of the most powerful heroes we know about thus far.

Wong

Doctor Strange may have a demonstrated knack for magic, but Wong was studying the art long before the former brain surgeon arrived at Kamar-Taj, and his skills are not to be underestimated. His knowledge of spells and conjuring is matched by few on the planet, and that means quite a lot when you consider what magic has the capacity to do and its significance in the grander scheme of the multiverse.

God-Like Beings

To put it bluntly, the denizens of the Marvel Cinematic Universe should be superbly happy that these characters fight with the good guys. This tier features the heroes who are not only practically invincible and technically ageless, but could also crack a planet in half if not careful with their respective abilities.

Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel

Kree and human DNA individually both have some excellent biological advantages, but when you mix them together the results are extraordinary. At her most powerful Carol Danvers a.k.a. Captain Marvel can become imbued with a remarkable level of energy, and her advanced control of that energy makes her nearly indestructible.

G’iah

While G’iah would have originally been categorized under “The Extra-Terrestrials” given that she was born a Skrull, the events of Secret Invasion level up her game significantly – and there’s an argument to be made that she is the most powerful being in the universe. After all, she is made to possess the abilities of many of the heroes on this list – including Captain Marvel.

Bruce Banner / Hulk

One day, Bruce Banner was a nerdy scientist with a curiosity about Gamma radiation, and then the next he was a man who could turn into an invincible giant green rage monster by losing control of his temper. Now that the two halves of himself have merged post-Avengers: Endgame, and his intelligence operates alongside his brawn, he is permanently one of the most powerful beings in the universe.

Jennifer Walters / She-Hulk

Because Jennifer Walters is a full-on Hulk, there’s no doubt that She-Hulk belongs on the same power tier as her cousin Bruce Banner. The real question is: how does one count her ability to break the fourth wall? That meta awareness is quite a special gift to go alongside her remarkable strength and indomitability (and let’s not ignore that she can control her emotions much better than Hulk can).

Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch

When we first met Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. Scarlet Witch in Avengers: Age Of Ultron, she was capable of some cool mind tricks and effective energy manipulation, but since then her magic has come a long way, and she has become one of the most powerful entities in the universe. To put it simply, in Avengers: Endgame, Thanos literally had to order open fire on the entire battlefield, including on his own men, just so that he wouldn’t lose a one-on-one fight with her, and she has only grown more powerful since then.

Stephen Strange / Doctor Strange

Dr. Stephen Strange may only have a few years of experience as a wizard under his belt, but he is an exceptional kind of fast learner, and what he can do is phenomenal. He is a hero with immense power (including the ability to change reality) and is quite formidable.

Thor

It says it right in Thor’s nickname: the God of Thunder. It’s true that he isn’t really a god, but instead an incredibly powerful alien who seemed to be a god to 13th century Scandinavian humans – but it’s still an apt name. While it used to be believed that the Asgardian’s greatest powers came from his hammer, Mjolnir, including flight and lightning conjuring, but Thor: Ragnarok changed the canon to show that he is much more than just the wielder of his bestowed weapon.

Stay tuned for all of the latest news and updates about the Marvel Cinematic Universe here on CinemaBlend, and learn about all of the adventures on the way with our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV guides.

Marvel Studios is known for maintaining an air of mystery surrounding all of their projects, but James Gunn’s Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is perhaps the biggest question mark of them all right now. The film has been in development since before the release of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2, but the plan that existed was thrown for a loop when Gunn was fired in 2018, and then rehired in 2019. Since then, his second sequel has been in limbo.

We have a lot of questions about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3… so we figured why not organize all of them in one big feature – talking out not only why the questions exist, but also tossing up potential answers. Let’s start with the big one that is surely at the forefront of fans’ minds:

When Will Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Be Released?

In the last year, Marvel Studios has announced a lot of their future plans, both on the big screen and on Disney+, but one title that is currently missing from their set schedule is Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3. Based on comments by James Gunn, the original plan was to have the blockbuster ready to come out in 2020 – right in the wake of the events in Avengers: Endgame – but the aforementioned firing/rehiring episode through a wrench into the gears.

The fact that James Gunn is currently working within the DC Extended Universe on The Suicide Squad isn’t really a factor, as that movie is on schedule to come out in mid-2021, and Marvel Studios has firmed up their slate through July 2022. It could wind up being the franchise’s fall 2022 release, but if the tradition of releasing Guardians titles in the summer wants to be maintained we’ll have to wait until 2023 for the next chapter.

Will Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Be Impacted By The Movies Around It On The Schedule?

The heart of what’s special about the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that every new release is essentially a puzzle piece adding to the bigger picture. While individually a blockbuster may not have a story that creates big ripple effects in the franchise, each one still simultaneously expands the universe and tells audiences about events during a place and time in the canon. Because of this, the placement of a title on the studio’s release schedule has a certain significance – and Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 won’t likely be an exception.

As mentioned before, there were early ideas to have the next James Gunn-directed Marvel film be released in the wake of Avengers: Endgame, and one has to imagine that this placement would have left the film to showcase a fair amount of fallout from Thanos’ attempt to eliminate half the universe. But will that still be the case? We’ll likely see the impact of Endgame on the cosmos in both Thor: Love And Thunder and the untitled Captain Marvel 2, so where does that leave Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?

Will We See The Guardians Of The Galaxy Again Before Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3?

There is no denying the popularity of the Guardians of the Galaxy. The team entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe as serious underdogs, but their films have been crazy successful, and fans loved seeing them interact with the rest of the franchise’s heroes in the last two Avengers titles. This in mind, it seems crazy that Marvel would just let the characters sit on the shelf for up to four years – which would happen if Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 doesn’t come out until 2023, and the heroes don’t appear in any other movie between now and then. So the question is: could we see Guardians cameos in one of the eight films that exist on the release calendar?

If the characters are going to cameo in an upcoming project, the safe money would surely be on Thor: Love And Thunder for what should be reasons obvious to anyone who watched the last 20 minutes of Avengers: Endgame. With jokes about become the Asguardians Of The Galaxy, the team was last seen giving the God of Thunder a ride off of Earth, so it wouldn’t be altogether surprising if they showed up at the very least at the start of the upcoming Taika Waititi film. Whether or not that will happen, though, is very much up in the air.

Will Thor Be In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3?

Thinking about that previous query, the old phrase “one good turn deserves another” comes to mind. If the Guardians of the Galaxy were to make some kind of special appearance in Thor: Love And Thunder, is it totally preposterous to think that James Gunn might return the favor and give Chris Hemsworth a tiny role to play in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3? It’s a fair question even if the answer might end up being “probably not.”

There are a number of factors to keep in mind here, the big one being that we don’t really know what the future holds for Thor as a character beyond Thor: Love And Thunder. The Chris Hemsworth character is the first Marvel hero to see their solo series go to four chapters, and while it would certainly be sad, it wouldn’t be too shocking if the film were to wind up being his big goodbye. This is a question that may not have a clear answer until the blockbuster comes out in February 2022, so be patient!

Will We See The Guardians Of The Galaxy Team Roster Change?

Over the course of their time on the big screen, the look of the Guardians of the Galaxy has changed a lot, and the number of characters on the roster has varied. At its smallest the unit has featured four heroes (specifically after Groot’s death in Guardians Of The Galaxy) and at its biggest it has boasted eight (prior to the death of Yondu in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2). That leaves us with some expectation that the lineup will continue to evolve in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but what’s unclear is how.

At this point in time we don’t even know if Gamora will be a part of the team (more on that in a minute), and it’s entirely possible that James Gunn will find a way for the film to introduce a wholly new hero who winds up joining the ranks. Needless to say, we’ll be paying very close attention to any casting news that features an actor joining Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 who has never been in a Marvel movie before and isn’t announced as the villain (again, more on that in a minute).

How Will Gamora Be Different In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3?

The Gamora that audiences met in Guardians Of The Galaxy and got to know in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 and Avengers: Infinity War is dead. In his quest to attain the Soul Stone, Thanos sacrificed her, and she met her end at the bottom of a cliff on Morag. That being said, her presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t concluded. Through the plot events in Avengers: Endgame, a version of 2014 Gamora was able to time travel to the future, and remained alive even after Thanos and his army were turned to dust. Given the fact that she has a pulse, it’s expected that she will be back for the adventure that is Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3, but what’s unclear presently is how she will be different than the character we knew.

For starters, when we catch up with Gamora it’s likely that she won’t have the same kind of bond that she formed with Star-Lord through their earliest adventures – and it actually may be Nebula who is far and away her closest confidant (which is funny when you consider their past… conflicts). Much of this question depends on when Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is set in regards to Avengers: Endgame, so the picture will become clearer when that’s established.

Who Will The Villain Be In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3?

The Guardians Of The Galaxy movies have had an interesting run when it comes to antagonists. First they were able to takedown the revenge-hungry Ronan The Accuser, then destroy the living planet known as Ego, and most recently they helped in a big way finally taking down Thanos. All of these fights have been fun to watch, which is why the identity of the villain in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is an intriguing mystery.

There are one of two directions to go: the film could either have the characters face off against a brand new threat, or they could find themselves up against an old enemy. Both are on the table at this point – but the most enticing part of this question factors in one of the many end credits sequences of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2. After all, Elizabeth Debicki's Ayesha looked pretty damn menacing in her final moments while working to give birth to the universe’s most perfect being, Adam Warlock. The creation may end up taking a turn for the heroic, as he does in the comics, but that will still leave Ayesha as a threat.

Will Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Feature The Ending That James Gunn Envisioned Years Ago?

Prior to the release of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2, James Gunn not only announced that Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 was going to be a thing, but that it would conclude the story of the original iteration of team. This announcement by itself suggested that the writer/director had a particular ending in mind for the family of heroes he established on the big screen, but what we don’t now at present is if Gunn’s original approach is still going to work by the time Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 arrives in theaters.

Once again there are a lot of variables here that make the situation a bit foggy. Given the history between James Gunn and Marvel, it’s possible that the studio is doing everything in their power to try and maintain a certain status quo that allows the filmmaker to execute his vision as originally planned, but certain circumstances may wind up being untenable and force things to change.

How Will Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Pave The Way For The Future?

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 looks to be a trilogy capstone for a fantastic arc first launched in 2014, but just because we may see the team as we know it disband doesn’t mean that we’ll see the characters just disappear into the vastness of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Given the fact that these are heroes who fans have loved to see on the big screen, it’s perfectly realistic that Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, Groot, Mantis, and Nebula will wind up being utilized in stories that aren’t part of the original series. The big question, is if the second Guardians sequel will make efforts to set up those future adventures.

We’ve heard fans clamor in the past for a Rocket & Groot spin-off, but is that something that Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 could set up? What about perhaps Gamora, Mantis, and Nebula being recruited for a big screen version of Captain Marvel And The Carol Corps? As things stand, nothing seems to be off the table.

What are the biggest questions you currently have about Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3? Hit the comments section to let us know your thoughts on the matter, and stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more of our Marvel Cinematic Universe coverage.

In 2026, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has stepped back a bit. For only the second time in a decade, there are fewer than three movies on the way this year (not counting 2020 in the heart of the pandemic. Summer tentpoles are the franchise’s bread and butter (when looking at the Marvel movies ranked, they admittedly range from the great to the not-so-good), and we always know what projects are coming and when years in advance, including this summer and this Christmas.

If you are an MCU fan and ever curious about what is on the way, you are definitely in the right place. Our Marvel Movies In Order timeline looks at the franchise’s past, but this feature is designed to keep track of the future. And if you have a Disney+ subscription and are curious about what’s coming on the streaming front, also be sure to check out our Upcoming Marvel TV guide.

Marvel Phase 6

Spider-Man: Brand New Day - July 24, 2026

Why Spider-Man: Brand New Day Is Important For The Future Of The MCU: This one doesn’t really need explanation, does it? Spider-Man is a beloved lynchpin character in the history of Marvel, and while his connection to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is different than just about every other character in the canon (due to movie rights belonging to Sony Pictures), he will be a vital piece in the big picture for as long as the major studios can agree to contracted terms.

The Backstory: In the wake of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Tom Holland's Peter Parker is in real trouble. Having made mistakes while messing with the multiverse, he now lives in a reality where everyone he has ever known and cared about has wholly forgotten about him – and it seems that he plans to keep it that way for a while as a means of protecting them from his life as Spider-Man. Exactly what the future holds for the character is unclear, but at the very least, what we do know is that his adventures will continue on the big screen.

We don't know exactly what the story will be about, but we do know that the wall-crawler will be encountering a number of notable MCU characters, including Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle a.k.a. The Punisher, Mark Ruffalo's Hulk, and the return of Michael Mando as Frank Gargan (will we finally get to see him become Scorpion?) The movie recently added some re-shoots, and some fans believe we've seen one of the villains in the latest trailer:

Brand New Day is the second film in Phase 6, but it's the next two that will bring this phase to a new level.

Avengers: Doomsday - December 18, 2026

Why Avengers: Doomsday Is Important For The Future Of The MCU: If a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie has “Avengers” in the title, you know it’s important. From the beginning, the blockbusters in the Avengers intra-franchise series have all been essential capstone projects that answer big picture questions and merge multiple established storylines. We don’t know exactly how that will unfold in Avengers: Doomsday, but there is every expectation that it will.

The hype for the first Avengers movie since 2019 is well underway, starting even before production had wrapped, with multiple short teasers that rolled out starting in late 2025.

The Backstory: Marvel Studios spent years setting up Jonathan Majors’ Kang The Conqueror as the next Thanos-level big bad in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that plan went straight to hell in 2023 due to legal issues and a conviction that led Marvel Studios to terminate the actor’s franchise contract. Because of that situation, the plans for the next Avengers movie have changed dramatically: what was originally going to be called Avengers: The Kang Dynasty has now become Avengers: Doomsday.

This big change was made official at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, where it was not only confirmed that Joe and Anthony Russo will direct the film, but that the role of Victor von Doom will be played by Robert Downey Jr. – who will be making his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe following the death of Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame. It has not been confirmed whether or not there will be a specific connection between Stark and Doom – but it has inspired a great deal of fan speculation.

The full cast of the film premiered in a special livestream when Avengers: Doomsday went into production in March 2025.

Avengers: Secret Wars - December 17, 2027

Why Avengers: Secret Wars Is Important For The Future Of The MCU: Expectations are obviously super high for Avengers: Doomsday and its impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but you can basically double those expectations for Avengers: Secret Wars. Exciting as the introduction of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom might be, that’s nothing compared to a film named after two of the most impactful crossover events in the history of Marvel Comics. There is a very real chance that the blockbuster ends up rewriting the entire franchise.

The Backstory: Next to nothing is known about the plans for the movie plot-wise, but Michael Waldron (Loki Season 1, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness) has been hired to pen the screenplay, and there is an expectation that the project will take inspiration from the two comic book events series of the same name.

Unscheduled Marvel Projects

Below are the upcoming Marvel movies that are expected at some point, but do not have a release date.

Black Panther 3 (2028)

Why Black Panther Is Important For The Future Of The MCU: The return of Black Panther is one of the more anticipated moments in the MCU. It's already been four years since Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and MCU fans are more than ready for a third installment in the series, directed by Ryan Coogler. We still have a little bit of a wait, as, at least for now, the movie is set for a 2028 release.

The Backstory: It's still very early in the process, but we know that this will be Ryan Coogler's next movie, following the incredible success of Sinners in 2025. Speculating now about a plot is way too premature, but given the success of the previous two movies–and the announcement that Denzel Washington will be joining the MCU in Black Panther 3–we certainly have a lot to look forward to.

Blade (TBD)

Why Blade Is Important For The Future Of The MCU: Monsters and horror have been a key part of Marvel’s history from the beginning, but they have thus far been relegated to the small screen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with projects like Werewolf By Night and Agatha All Along. Blade will not only be the first blockbuster in the canon to feature creatures of the night, but it’s also been said that it will be the second R-rated MCU movie after the ultra-successful Deadpool & Wolverine.

The Backstory: How hard is it to make a movie about a half-vampire who dedicates his life to ridding the world of vampires? Apparently, it’s pretty damn hard. It was first announced that Two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali would be playing the lead character in a solo Blade movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe all the way back in 2019, and the character made a voice-only cameo in the end credits of Eternals, but there have been a number of behind-the-scenes shakeups that have slowed development of a solo feature for the character.

The MCU Blade movie was originally put in the hands of director Basam Tariq in July 2021, but he departed the project in September 2022 just as production was gearing up. Yann Damange came aboard in November 2022… but he reportedly lost the gig in June 2024. The would-be R-rated blockbuster does not currently have a director attached, and while Blade had a scheduled November 2025 release date at one point, the project has since been taken off the calendar. There is some hope, however. In October of 2025, Cast member Mia Goth explained that development is still ongoing.

X-Men

Why X-Men Is Important For The Future Of The MCU: As noted earlier, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has long felt incomplete because rights issues prevented the use of historically significant characters, but that sad era ended with the Disney/Fox merger, and the future is now bright for upcoming X-Men projects. Technically speaking, Deadpool & Wolverine was the first MCU title to put a primary focus on classic mutant characters, but it still retained firm links to the X-Men movie timeline. This film – whatever form it will eventually take – will presumably establish the MCU versions of the classic X-Men.

The Backstory: Despite what happens at the end of Deadpool & Wolverine, the X-Men franchise that existed for two decades has ostensibly ended (2000-2021), and fans worldwide are over-the-top excited for their chance to finally see the legendary mutant characters make their debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The hitch is that introducing mutants to the expansive franchise is no small undertaking... so Marvel Studios is playing things smart by not rushing things.

Like with the Fantastic Four, Kevin Feige first name-dropped "the mutants" during the Marvel Studios Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, but he didn't offer any actual information regarding when we'll get to see them. We have seen developments involving mutants in key blockbusters and TV shows, but the X-Men do not yet exist in the MCU. Deadpool & Wolverine features a number of mutant characters, Kelsey Grammer's Beast appeared in The Marvels, and Patrick Stewart reprised his role as Professor Charles Xavier in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, and it's been confirmed that a number of mutant heroes and villains will be featured in Avengers: Doomsday.

Shang-Chi 2

Why Shang-Chi 2 Is Important For The Future Of The MCU: There have been a lot of sequels in the post-Avengers: Endgame era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but none of them have been for the original films that have premiered since the start of Phase 4. We still don’t know if we’re going to get a Black Widow 2 or an Eternals 2, but we do at least know that Shang-Chi is coming back for another adventure.

The Backstory: At the very end of Destin Daniel Cretton's Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, there is a message that announces that the titular criminal organization would be making a return in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – but there was no such affirmative declaration regarding the hero played by Simu Liu. The lack of news about a sequel continued for weeks after the film turned out to be a big box office hit, but finally things changed in December 2021. It was officially announced that Shang-Chi 2 is in the works, and Daniel Cretton will once again be back at the helm.

What we don't know right now is a) when the sequel will actually be made, or b) what it will be about. It seems fair to assume that Shang-Chi 2 will not only see the return of Simu Liu as the eponymous master of kung-fu, but also Awkwafina as his number one pal, Katy. Though news has been sparse, we did get an update from Liu in January 2025, and the movie is still in development.

Armor Wars

Why Armor Wars Is Important For The Future Of The MCU: Since the death of Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark in Avengers: Endgame, the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t put much focus on his particular corner of the world (the exception being Spider-Man: Far From Home). Armor Wars is the way back into the world of Stark Technologies, this time with Don Cheadle as the lead.

The Backstory: In December 2020, Marvel Studios announced a plethora of shows that were being made as Disney+ exclusives, and among the titles revealed was Armor Wars: a limited series that would feature Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes a.k.a. War Machine trying to stop the proliferation of Tony Stark's proprietary Iron Man technology. The studio hired Yassir Lester as head writer on the project in August 2021, and its continued development was confirmed at D23 Expo 2022... but then everything changed in September 2022. Instead of being a show, Armor Wars is now being made as a movie. There haven't been a ton of updates over the last couple of years, but apparently, the project is still a go.

Yassir Lester is still attached to the film, but will obviously now be writing a screenplay instead of orchestrating teleplays for a six-episode series. There is presently no director attached, and, as you can tell by the fact that it is in this section of this feature, it doesn't have a release date. Since the project changed mediums, Marvel Studios hasn't provided any updates about its development – plus it was revealed in Secret Invasion that the guy we thought was James Rhodes for years was actually a Skrull in disguise.

And that covers all of the upcoming Marvel movies lined up for the future. Now let's take a look back at the previous phases of the MCU...

Past Marvel Releases

Marvel Phase 1

Iron Man (2008)
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Thor (2011)
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
The Avengers (2012)

Marvel Phase 2

Iron Man 3 (2013)
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)
The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Ant-Man (2015)

Marvel Phase 3

Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Doctor Strange (2016)
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Black Panther (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Ant-Man And The Wasp (2018)
Captain Marvel (2019)
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Marvel Phase 4

Black Widow (2021)
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (2021)
Eternals (2021)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)
Thor: Love And Thunder (2022)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Marvel Phase 5

Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
The Marvels (2023)
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
Thunderbolts* (2025)
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

With new Marvel movies always being announced and release dates shifting around, we will continue to update this feature, and as always, stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest news about the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in a unique place, as it's currently the interim period between phases. There are a ton of exciting blockbusters coming to theaters over the next few years, chief among them being James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The highly anticipated threequel was delayed after Gunn was briefly fired from the MCU, leaving the rabid fandom to patiently wait for the team of heroes to return to the big screen. Luckily for us, Gunn has been all too happy to shut down certain fan theories about Vol. 3.

One of the biggest question marks surrounding Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the future of Gamora. While Zoe Saldana's character was killed by Thanos in Infinity War, she was "resurrected" via time travel in Endgame, as the 2014 version of Gamora entered the current timeline and helped take down her father. One fan theory indicated that Mantis might be the key to giving 2014 Gamora her counterpart's memories, and James Gunn addressed that on social media, saying:

Well, that seems pretty cut and dry. It looks like Mantis won't be able to fill 2014 Gamora in on her life with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Namely because her empathic powers wouldn't apply to issues of memory, which was more closely associated with the mind. As she explains in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, "telepaths feel thoughts. Empaths feel feelings."

James Gunn shut down this Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 rumor over on his personal Twitter. While the social media service got him in hot water for a bit, Gunn regularly uses it to directly communicate with fans. Gunn recently participated in Comic Book's #QuarantineWatchParty for Guardians 2, and fielded all sorts of questions about the franchise in the process. The filmmaker is usually happy to end fan theories and rumors on social media, and this Gamora/Mantis theory is no exception.

Gamora's death was one of the most unexpected plot twists of Avengers: Infinity War, one that would obviously have some huge ramifications within the future of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. While it seemed that Zoe Saldana's iconic Marvel hero was gone forever, the 2014 version of Gamora was brought into the present after Thanos intercepted Nebula during the Time Heist. She ultimately took arms against her father/abuser, and joined the epic final battle in the ruins of the Avengers Compound.

Marvel fans can re-watch The Guardians' tenure in the MCU on Disney+. You can use this link for a free 7-day trial to the streaming service.

While Star-Lord briefly reunited with that version of Gamora, she ended up sneaking away after the battle. Avengers: Endgame's conclusion saw the Guardians (and Thor) departing on The Benatar in search of Gamora, so clearly that's going to be a major plot point in the upcoming threequel. Mantis won't be the key to welcoming the character back to her chosen family, so it should be interesting to see exactly how things shake down.

James Gunn no doubt has a very specific plan for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, as well as each member of the fan-favorite group of superheroes. Gunn wrote the movie's script before he was briefly fired from the project, so his vision is clear. As for what he's got planned, that's anyone's guess.

The next installment in the MCU is Black Widow on November 6th. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your trip to the movies once they reopen.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, the majority of the public is still in self-quarantine and practicing social distancing. Most seem to have the concept of social distancing down pact, but it never hurts to have a bit of help. Luckily, Guardians of the Galaxy star Karen Gillan is stepping in to lend a hand. And she humorously did so with the help of Thanos’ adopted daughters – Gamora and Nebula.

Like many other celebrities, Karen Gillan has been active on social media during this state of self-quarantine. The actress, however, hadn’t been too vocal when it came to the pandemic itself, but this changed when she posted a cute picture (presumably fan art) of Gamora and Nebula pointing their weapons at each other. But instead of initiating a fight, the siblings are illustrating social distancing. You can check out the sweet image below:

What better way to encourage social distancing than to have MCU’s favorite stepsisters show you how it’s done? Karen Gillan is known for her cheeky nature, and this new post only reaffirms it. Still, as cute and funny as the picture may be, it still makes a firm point about the need for social distancing.

Gillan is one of several stars who have found creative ways to help inform the public on the benefits of using social distancing in the age of COVID-19.

Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds used a clip from Deadpool 2 featuring the Merc with a Mouth and X-Man Colossus to encourage social distancing. Like Gillian’s artwork, the clip is funny, but it also seeks to make a point.

The Knives Out Twitter account also had a bit of fun with the concept. Recently, the account shared an edited version of the film’s poster that only featured a few of the characters, who were spaced out across the image. Before this, the film’s Instagram account also shared a clip from the movie that now takes on new meaning, thanks to social distancing.

Nevertheless, one of the most creative and informative messages came from Mel and Max Brooks. In a video, Max Brooks stood in front of a screen door, with his 93-year-old father Mel Brooks on the other side, and stressed the importance of social distancing due to its effects on the elderly population.

While most are doing their best to keep up the practice, some may not have adopted it in their daily routines right away. This includes the Duggar family, who recently came under fire for not closely following social distancing guidelines.

This incident aside, it’s good to see that most people have committed to keeping their distance to avoid spreading germs. This and the fact celebrities like Karen Gillan are helping to lead the charge bodes well for things moving forward. Keep it here with CinemaBlend for more COVID-19-related updates.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has produced one of the boldest, most expansive cinematic experiments in history. An interconnecting, overlapping and constantly growing web of stories, events and a multitude of characters tied together through one gigantic on-screen universe, the MCU allow these characters to connect and grow in a variety of different ways — often through different films and constantly evolving new storylines. Only in the comics has there ever been a chance for superhero characters to expand and develop in rich and distinct ways, and that's one of the many reasons why audiences everywhere have continued to revere these huge movies and its quickly expanding on-screen universe — even as it grows even bigger.

With nearly two dozen movies inside this full-fledged cinematic universe, Marvel has allowed some of their most pivotal and sustaining movies to grow and flourish in entertaining and engaging ways. With a nice mix of action, adventure, comedy and drama, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has given a number of super-heroic characters the grand opportunity to develop in a variety of compelling ways. That's why we are going to take this moment to recognize some of the best examples of character development thus far inside the MCU and try to explore which characters have changed the most.

We should note at the top that we're going to primarily focus on the characters who feel as though they have closed their arcs in some fashion or another, or are almost over. While the character development for characters like T'Challa/Black Panther and Peter Parker/Spider-Man has been strong, they are still growing in their respective movies. (Assuming, of course, regarding Spidey, that Sony and Marvel eventually come to their senses and patch things up again...) With a multitude of movies and a whole lot of screen-time, we've seen these characters at their highest and lowest points. And it is through those moments in particular that we saw their arcs, the ways they grew through struggle and how they fought through great pain.

Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.)

In the opening moments of Iron Man, Tony Stark is anything but a hero. He is a party boy billionaire who makes weapons of mass destruction for very powerful and dangerous leaders, and he's a whip-smart businessman who ultimately has more interest in the money he is making rather than the lives that he is damaging with his powerful tech. But when he finds himself in grave peril, with his life on the line and in need to re-evaluate his decisions, Tony Stark paves the way for his greatest creation: Iron Man, an machine-made war hero crafted from revolutionary tech which allows him — in a firm sheet of armor — to bring down the bad guys and save the day in the name of truth and justice, which are values that once meant nothing to Stark.

Later on, Tony Stark found himself in touch with his humanity (even with his robotic heart) by joining The Avengers and learning to trust others where he previously only put trust into himself (and his billion dollars ideas). This great change of heart for Tony Stark (in both ways) allowed the character to become more fully fleshed and more realized, making decisions that led to him finding his strength in numbers outside of his high bank account. Later, as his loving relationship to Pepper Potts grew more serious, Tony Stark also found himself become an unsuspecting parental figure, watching out for a young boy named Peter Parker, who undeniably reminds the tech billionaire of a younger version of himself, filled with reckless ambition and desire.

This paves the way for a greater sense of maturity for Tony Stark, and that is something that continues to be found in his final adventures, when he builds a family life with Pepper Potts and has a child of his own. By the end of Avengers: Endgame, Tony Stark sacrifices himself for the good of the whole universe in a brave act that is wholly selfless and, naturally, a stark departure from the man we once knew all the way back in 2008's Iron Man.

Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans)

In his introductory film, the underrated 2011 period piece Captain America: The First Avenger, we see Steve Rogers as a small, good-hearted innocent who simply wants to do his part for his country and for his fellow men. But his bellowing patriotic duty is ultimately outsized compared to his short stature and scrawny frame, before he becomes the test subject of an extraordinary serum that gives him superhuman strength, size and build, the likes of which have never been seen so rapidly before. But his heart stays true, and Steve Rogers carries his waving flag throughout his journey fighting in the name of America. Eventually, he adopts the title of Captain America, and fights Nazis and other prevailing evils throughout the world.

Throughout The First Avenger, Captain America is lead to make a choice that'll find him frozen for generations to come, waking up in a completely different decade and time. He handles this situation as best as one can, ultimately, but Steve Rogers is always a man whose out of place and time. In his idyllic headspace, however, Rogers continues to see the good in this country and the need to continue fighting for what is best, noble and true.

But in time, Captain America grows to realize that the people he trusted can't always be counted upon, particularly when S.H.I.E.L.D. is compromised and The Avengers are disbanded. Captain America realizes that he'd rather become a war criminal than to do something that ultimately goes against the fundamentals of American freedom — at least, as he perceives it. He lives in seclusion until he must re-team with The Avengers to defeat Thanos.

But when Thanos wins, Captain America finds himself filled with great grief and remorse, realizing that he cannot always save the day no matter how hard he punches his foes in the face. Eventually, though, the day is saved through the magic of time travel, and Steve Rogers uses this extraordinary ability not to help his country, but to live the life that he always wanted for himself. He gets a chance to think for himself rather than the lives of others.

More specifically, Steve Rogers uses time travel to live his life with the woman he loves, which is something that's fundamental to the American Dream, but a misty-eyed hope that has often been fleeting for Steve Rogers due to the circumstances of his country-and-world-saving. Later, as an old man, Steve comes back to his former timeline, wistful and proud, and feels a sense of catharsis that can warmly be seen in someone who has finally gotten to live their own life, away from the expectations thrown upon Captain America over time. He finally saves himself rather than his country.

It is one of the most emotional and impacting moments in the MCU, and it resonates because it's a simple but charming fantasy given the depth and gravitas that it needs to thrive through a number of movies featuring or centered around this character. Steve Rogers always put others before himself before deciding it was time to live the life he's always wanted to live — outside of saving the world and helping others through moments of great peril.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth)

Similar to Tony Stark, Thor had a cocky god complex, one that makes him believes that he was better, stronger and more resilient than anyone. Thor's god complex was slightly more understandable, however, since he was literally a demigod. Nevertheless, after years of living on Asgard, Thor finally gets a chance to get in touch with his human side when he crash-lands on Earth. He meets a small band of scientists, falls in love with a human named Jane Foster and later takes on his mischievous half-brother Loki in an super-heroic attempt to save a helpless planet he once didn't know.

Over the course of The Avengers, Thor learns to work as a team with a band of mismatched heroes with competitive egos. The God of Thunder finds himself in a state of flux, not quite sure of himself from both a character and creative standpoint until Thor: Ragnarok, where Thor must lose everything he values (which includes his hammer, his homeland, his girlfriend, his hair, his eye, etc) in order to find what this lowly demigod values the most — and what ultimately means the most.

Still, Thor's depression weighs heavily on him, having lost his home planet and all, and it's increased after the personal failure of Thanos, who killed numerous Asgardians and left half the population of the galaxy wiped away after obtaining the Infinity Stones. Sulking, Thor finds himself living low in New Asgard, which was relocated to a quaint small dwelling, and he spends his days ignoring his responsibilities, believing he's not worthy of his title.

Nevertheless, Thor comes back to help his Avengers buddies in their time of great need, and he plays a part in the galaxy-saving. Once it's all said and done, however, Thor realizes that he might not be the best person (i.e. a demigod) for this thunderous duties and responsibilities, so he hands off his duties to Valkyrie, and he joins the Guardians of the Galaxy on their journeys. It's the quest of a character who finds himself living in a state of total self-absorption, believing that he was best and the mightiest. It was ultimately through saving the day several times over that Thor was acquainted with his humanity, and he sees that it's through being both a god and a man that one can ultimately live out their grand lives to the fullest. But we'll see him again (maybe for one final time) in Thor: Love and Thunder, which will introduce the exciting development of Jane Foster becoming The Mighty Thor.

Bruce Banner/Hulk (Edward Norton/Mark Ruffalo)

Bruce Banner is someone who changed so much, he literally became a different person — both in terms of the character actually becoming the big green meanie lughead and the producers rotating the A-list actor playing the part of Bruce Banner. He is a character caught between two different personas. One is a mild-mannered scientist trying to keep himself and his fragile emotional center in check; the other is a total raging monster who only causes chaos and destruction in his wake, most particularly when Bruce cannot keep his burning emotions of anger and vicious fury in check.

This fantastical inner battle, which obviously becomes a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde-scenario, causes Banner to try to commit suicide — which the Hulk outright rejects. The Hulk literally spits the bullet back out. Thus, it's a battle that continues to haunt the character of Bruce Banner. Even when he uses his vengeful powers for good, he can't help but feel guilt over the damage that he causes and the destruction that's inevitable with the Hulk.

By the end of The Avengers, an invigorated Bruce Banner learns to channel his rage in a more suitable, if not entirely healthy way ("I'm always angry"), making it apparent that Bruce and Hulk are learning to work together — if not quite on ideal terms just yet. Later, in Avengers: Age of Ultron, it is made clear that Bruce returns to his more human form through their unexpected love between Banner and Black Widow, which helps him keep his center.

The ongoing inner conflict between Hulk and Banner continues to be a loud and persistent one, with the Hulk taking over for two-three years time with no input from Bruce Banner. But that ends in Thor: Ragnarok, when Thor and Bruce team back together to return to Earth and try to stop Thanos' reign of terror. When Bruce returns to Earth in the midst of Thanos-related chaos, it finds that Hulk simply doesn't want to come out, which causes many obvious problems. When the world cannot be saved, Hulk and Bruce Banner soul-search and we get Professor Hulk, an unlikely combination that's ultimately the most harmonious match one could possible ever hope to find between these two very distinctly different and angry personalities.

And that results in an entertaining and compelling look at how one character chooses to fight his battle. Rather than simply ignoring the vengeful spirit that is inside him, Bruce learns to work with it and grow with it to the point where the two are able to become one wholly unlikely team in harmony. It's a nice resolution that might not be the full end of the character (there's a chance that Hulk will find some time to catch up with She-Hulk over at Disney+), but it seems like a final point for now, and it's one that comes with many surprising bits of humor and heart for a character with such a weighted conscious earlier.

Gamora (Zoe Saldana)

While Gamora wasn't exactly the main character during her cinematic introduction in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, she has grown and flourished into one of the most compelling and investing characters inside the ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe. The adopted daughter of Thanos and a former assassin who holds a lot of resentment about how she was raised and how she was fostered under Thanos, like her fellow Guardians of the Galaxy, Gamora is a loner who found the unlikely company of her fellow rejected space-based allies. And it's under their wayward friendship and care that Gamora began to find her sense of self-worth and the sense of family that she never truly found in full throughout her life, which helped her grow.

Gamora knows that she needs to defeat Thanos, but it's not an easy task. Beyond being the purple alien that raised her into the woman she is, Thanos is an undeniably strong and powerful galactic being who does not take kindly to any and all attempts to take him down. Even when she's aided by her fellow Guardians of the Galaxy, Gamora is unable to stop Thanos. But she does find herself through her loving oddball relationship to the other Guardians. And when she finds herself following him on his trails towards the remaining Infinity Stones, it ultimately comes at the cost of her life.

But it is through Gamora that we see the rare bit of sensitivity found in Thanos, and it's clear that it is through her blooming romance with Star Lord that Gamora is finding her own sense of sympathy, which is often under a thick coat of resentment, bitterness and fear of vulnerability. Through a tortured childhood and deep-seated trauma, it's clear that Gamora has found and fought a great many difficulties in her life, but she still stays strong.

Through her makeshift family, Gamora has grown into a developed and richly realized character, and one that tragically found her life taken in her quest to save the galaxy and beyond. But something suggests that Gamora will return, like in the third Guardians of the Galaxy movie, and it's clear that the narrative/character building blocks were put into place to turn her (suspected) return to the fold into a grandly emotional, meaningful moment. More specifically, with the younger version of Gamora that we saw in Avengers: Endgame likely playing a big role in her eventual return in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. That wouldn't be the case unless Marvel provided the building blocks through which Gamora could rise and prosper into a fully-developed character.

These are only a handful of the well-developed characters that we've seen throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And there are obviously a ton of other examples that we could pick from. Specifically, I was thinking about including Jarvis/Vision at one point. We are sure you have your personal favorites too. Let us know in the comment section below which characters you feel have the strongest character development throughout the MCU.

These days, it looks as if every actor in Hollywood is signing up for a role in the MCU. At San Diego Comic Con this year, the Marvel Studios panel exuded star power as big names including Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek and Mahershala Ali took the stage to be inducted into the huge universe. But what about the ones who got away? There have to be a ton of actors who were up for parts in the universe and ultimately didn’t join.

It looks like Mamma Mia! star Amanda Seyfried is among them. She has revealed that she could have been Gamora in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. In her words:

As the great philosopher Kermit the Frog once said, it’s not easy being green. It’s a fact of life Marvel’s Gamora Zoe Saldana knows well, and the main reason Amanda Seyfried decided to pass on the badass character. Saldana has played Gamora in four movies across six years, and each time she comes into work, she has to sit in a makeup chair for five hours before she can act in the role. It’s a huge commitment for an actor to make and Amanda Seyfried didn’t think she’d be up for it.

Props to her for knowing her limits. Jennifer Lawrence famously had to be put in extensive makeup for the X-Men franchise and started to grow tired of being painted blue from head to toe to play Mystique. By the time she got around to Dark Phoenix, the makeup artists looked like they tried to compromise for the actress, but it resulted in a lazy look for the character. Take a look:

It is interesting to hear about one of the other actresses that was in the running for Gamora. Amanda Seyfried has taken on a ton of different roles throughout her career, such as her iconic characters in Mean Girls, Mamma Mia! And Les Miserables. But she has yet to head to the superhero genre. The closest she’s come is probably in the 2011 sci-fi film In Time with Justin Timberlake. She offered up another good reason why the MCU may not be her jam to MTV:

The actress is currently promoting her newest movie, The Art of Racing in the Rain, where she plays the wife to a race car driver (Milo Ventimiglia) and his trusty Golden Retriever, Enzo (Kevin Costner).

As for Gamora, she’ll return to the big screen in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, confirmed to be in the works, but is some ways away since writer/director James Gunn is committed to making The Suicide Squad first.

Avengers: Endgame arrived back in April, but new details about the massive blockbuster are still coming out everyday. The Russo Brothers' set of movies did the impossible, utilizing a huge ensemble cast and crafting a story that was both character driven and full of outrageous spectacle. Endgame is set to arrive for home purchase shortly, complete with exciting special features.

A deleted scene from Avengers: Endgame was recently revealed, which showed the heroes' reaction to Tony's sacrifice in the movie's final battle. Heroes from multiple franchises all kneeled to show their respect for Iron Man's last heroic action in a powerful but deleted moment. But the brief sequence also revealed Gamora's fate as the 2014 version of the Guardian left the field of battle to places unknown.

What happened to Gamora was a big mystery following Avengers: Endgame, with some fans even worried that Tony snapped her out of existence when he destroyed Thanos and his forces. Peter Quill was shown searching for her aboard The Benatar, but the deleted scene actually would have revealed her fate earlier. As a reminder, you can check it out below, from USA Today.

I'm not crying, you're crying. In addition to giving Iron Man a pre-funeral sendoff courtesy of the MCU's heroes, this brief scene showed that Gamora survived the final battle, and departed while the other characters were focused mourning Tony Stark. Just where she is going remains a mystery.

The cut scene from Avengers: Endgame is indeed powerful, although you can understand why it might have bene cut for time. Plenty of time is spent memorializing Iron Man during the film's end. After Pepper and Peter's emotional first reaction, Tony Stark is also given an epic funeral scene from his lakefront home. The service was star-studded, with nearly ever major character from the shared universe appearing in black to mourn his sacrifice, and the bravery that brought the dusted back to life.

Then again, revealing Gamora's fate would have solved one of the overarching questions of Avengers: Endgame. While we still don't know where Gamora was heading, moviegoers would at least have known she was alive. So even if the full scene is cut, there might have been an opportunity to keep the shot of Zoe Saldana's signature green character walking away from the battle.

Related: The Russo Brothers Had To Lie To Avengers: Endgame Actors For The Final Scenes

It should be fascinating to see what comes next for Gamora, whenever Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 finally makes its way to theaters. At the final moments of Endgame, the full group of heroes, including Nebula and Thor, was shown returning to space in an attempt to find the green girl. She must be out of sorts, stranded in the future and free from the clutches of her father's abuse. But she doesn't know the Guardians or even have the a real relationship with future Nebula, so it makes sense that she might want to get out of there once the dust settled.

It's currently unclear when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will arrive in theaters, as it wasn't listed in the schedule for Phase Four. But given James Gunn's involvement in The Suicide Squad, it stands to reason. The next installment in the MCU is Black Widow on May 1st, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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The events of Avengers: Endgame created an alternate timeline, one that allowed some dead characters to “return.” I'm not talking about the dusted folks. I'm talking about the definitively dead characters who died pre-Snap. I put “return” in quotation marks because the original versions of these characters perished before Thanos killed half the universe in Avengers: Infinity War, excluding them entirely from the temporal rescue attempt which comprises most of the film. These characters included Loki, Vision, Heimdall, and, most tragically, Gamora. Thrown from the top of a rocky cliff on Vormir by her adoptive father Thanos, Gamora was easily the character who was dealt the cruelest blow.

However, by the time the credits roll on Endgame, we're left with a version of Gamora created when the Avengers traveled back in time. Now, if recent comments are to be believed, her story will continue in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. It's fairly predictable, but it's cleverly executed and makes her return more organic and believable. We all knew it would happen. We just didn't know how.

And we still don't know how. But we do know a bit more about where the writers' heads are at regarding her return to the franchise. At this year's San Diego Comic-Con, Avengers: Endgame writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely not only confirmed that Gamora survived Iron Man's snap, but also hinted at her possible return in Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3. The character wasn't dusted like her despotic father, whom we knew was pretty dang dead after Tony Stark sacrificed himself to save the universe.

This all makes perfect sense, especially considering the fact that a Guardians sequel without one of its most important characters wouldn't feel right. And Peter Quill needs to be an idiot in more ways than one, and what better way to do that than to bring back his smarter, more competent love interest? (Assuming alternate timeline Gamora is even his love interest.) Sorry, Peter. You done goofed when you punched Thanos in the head repeatedly and basically killed everybody.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 may also add Chris Hemsworth's Thor, whom Drax star Dave Bautista said would be a perfect fit for the new film. Even Hemsworth himself wants to return. The film will mark James Gunn's triumphant return to the MCU after the whole Twitter fiasco that went down around this time last year.

Avengers: Endgame is now playing in theaters. It's really good so if you haven't had the chance to catch it, now may be the best time. Mark Ruffalo even said so. But it's leaving theaters soon. That's if it's not already gone where you are. Keep up with everything still heading to theaters this year with our 2019 movie schedule.

MAJOR spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame has been in theaters for weeks, providing countless plot twists and major payoffs for the hardcore Marvel fandom. The Russo Brothers brought an end to the Infinity Saga, killing off beloved characters and bringing back everyone who got dusted by Thanos in Infinity War. But there's one hero's fate that's currently unclear: Zoe Saldana's Gamora.

Gamora perished in Infinity War not through the snap, but by Thanos killing her on Vormir in order to procure the Soul Stone. But the fans were delighted to see her return in Endgame, although it was the 2014 version of the character who was still serving Thanos. She ultimately united with current day Nebula to take the Mad Titan down, although she wasn't seen after the battle ended. Now The Russo Brothers have addressed the ambiguity of Gamora's fate, saying:

Tricky, tricky. The Russo Brothers purposefully didn't reveal whether or not Tony dusted Gamora in the final moments of the Endgame battle. Although since she was so prominently featured in the epic battle and all-female moment, that fate would be a disservice to the character.

The Russo Brothers' comments to Business Insider help to get a glimpse behind the curtain of the MCU, and the co-directors' methodical way of filmmaking. Avengers: Endgame included just about every character imaginable, and the Russos had to juggle countless narratives. But Marvel characters also have their own franchises, so there was a tricky balance regarding how much ownership the brothers could take.

Because of this, Gamora's death in Infinity War it was truly a gut punch. And since she wasn't dusted by Thanos' snap, it didn't seem likely that she'd return from the dead once it was reversed. Luckily, time travel was a major macguffin in Endgame, and allowed for Zoe Saldana's signature Guardian to brought back to life.

Gamora had always hated Thanos, so it made sense that she would help out the future version of her sister, and try to stop him from getting the Infinity Stones again. This also reunited her with Peter Quill, although he was a total stranger to her. Gamora was last seen fighting alongside women of the MCU, as Captain Marvel got the Gauntlet through Thanos' army.

Related: How Does One Return The Soul Stone? We Asked The Avengers: Endgame Writers

The Russo Brothers' tease about Guardians 3 was set up during the final moments of Endgame, as Star-Lord was shown searching for Gamora's location back onboard The Benatar. Smart money says that's a major plot line in the upcoming threequel, as Gamora's family tries to find her. But since she doesn't know any of the motley crew besides Nebula, they'll be starting from scratch. That includes Peter Quill, who had finally broken down her walls and convinced the green girl to dance.

James Gunn is back behind the director's chair for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and has teased some big things for Rocket in the upcoming threequel. But he's no doubt got plans for every member of the group, including Gamora.

It's currently unclear when Guardians 3 will hit theaters, but you can watch Gamora and the rest in Avengers: Endgame now. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

We lost a lot of fan favorite characters at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, but one of the most emotional losses came long before "the snap" when Thanos sacrificed his "daughter" Gamora in order to obtain one of the Infinity Stones. Of course, the Infinity Stones themselves mean that death is not necessarily permanent, but don't try asking Zoe Saldana what the future holds for Gamora, because even the actress herself says she doesn't really know. Because of the way the actors are never given the whole story on set, Saldana admits she has no idea what, if anything, is next for Gamora...

Zoe Saldana's comments to the New York Daily News are well structured as to not specifically give anything away. Still, you could certainly take her comments to mean that Gamora at least has some scenes in Avengers: Endgame. Of course, she could also be trying to intentionally misdirect by implying that when it's not the case.

Zoe Saldana makes it sound like she doesn't know if her character is brought back to life by the end of Avengers: Endgame or not, which seems unlikely, as one would certainly assume that if she did come back to life, she filmed a scene in which that happens. Still, considering how little some the Marvel actors are told, even about the scenes they are actually filming, it's possible the actress was in a scene and didn't really know what it was that was being filmed.

Of course, the fate of Gamora is a bit more important to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe now that we know that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is actually happening. It's difficult to imagine a third Guardians film that doesn't include Gamora, but such a thing is certainly possible.

Of course, if we wanted to take Zoe Saldana's statement at face value, the idea that she doesn't know Gamora's destiny could simply mean she doesn't know where the road ends. Maybe Gamora does return to life, and Saldana even knows that, but if she doesn't know what Guardians 3 has in store for the character, then the character's true destiny is still up in the air.

This is a lot of hair splitting to be sure, but that's what you've got to expect as we sit here mere weeks away from finally seeing Avengers: Endgame. We'll have a lot of answers very soon, but until we get them, anything is possible.

The Guardians of the Galaxy family is back together and Zoe Saldana (Gamora) is thrilled -- she also has no hard feelings against Disney for the James Gunn situation. Not that she would share them publicly if she did, since Disney is now the Avatar star's employer on multiple fronts.

Disney rehired James Gunn as director of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, after the infamous firing back in July. While promoting her new movie Missing Link, Zoe Saldana shared love for Gunn and gratitude to Disney for the final result. Here's what she told ET:

James Gunn had been fired as writer/director of the movie back in July, after old offensive tweets resurfaced. Later in the same month, Zoe Saldana and fellow Guardians of the Galaxy cast members posted a statement showing their support for Gunn:

In August, there were reports that Disney would not rehire James Gunn. There was speculation about what would happen next for the film, and if Disney/Marvel would hire someone new. But no. It turns out, no one else was even considered. (Sorry, Taika Waititi.)

About two weeks ago, it was announced that Disney had rehired James Gunn, and that the decision had actually been made months ago. The announcement came after Gunn had already signed on to make DC's The Suicide Squad and that movie is still happening, and Gunn plans to work on it first, before Guardians.

James Gunn thanked everyone for their support after he was rehired, since it came as a pleasant surprise to many fans, as well as MCU stars like Zoe Saldana.

It's not clear when Guardians 3 might hit the big screen at this point, but we have some ideas. Meanwhile, it still needs to be explained how we might see Gamora again -- not to mention Star-Lord, Groot, Drax, and others snapped by Thanos in the Avengers: Infinity War Decimation. Right now, Rocket Raccoon and Nebula seem to be the last Guardians standing. But Avengers: Endgame may change all of that.

Zoe Saldana's new animated movie Missing Link opens in theaters on April 12. Saldana is also part of the multiple Avatar sequels in the works. Avengers: Endgame arrives April 26. Guardians 3, like a wizard in Lord of the Rings, will arrive precisely when it means to. Keep up with everything coming to the big screen with our 2019 movie release date schedule.

As Marvel appears primed to tentpole its Phase 4 around Captain Marvel, it feels as though female heroes are finally getting their due on the silver screen. However, that's not to say things only started now, as there's been plenty of great female heroes on screen over the years that have undoubtedly led to Hollywood making hero films less of a boys club. In no particular order, here's some of the fiercest female superheroes we feel deserve a shout-out.

Black Widow

A spy-turned-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent-turned-founding member of The Avengers, Natasha Romanoff's significance could easily be forgotten in films that feature Iron Man and Captain America. With that said, Marvel has always made a point to give Black Widow a purpose in each of her appearances, and Scarlett Johansson has done a good enough job with her role to the point fans are eager for more.

Marvel's been trying to oblige, and has had a Black Widow standalone film in development for some time. The latest word is that the script is getting a re-write, which may leave audiences waiting longer for a feature that highlights this wonderful character. At least they have Avengers: Endgame to look forward to, which may tease some of what's in store for the hero going forward.

Storm

Halle Berry's Storm wasn't front and center in any of the X-Men films, but damn did she manage to make her screen time count. The film franchise may not have gotten every mutant right, but it's safe to say they managed to get the look and immense power of Storm down rather well. Plus, that scene where she electrocuted Toad is still features one of the more badass lines in superhero cinematic history.

Storm wasn't on the level of Jean Grey in the X-Men films, but she was a solid team player with great moments throughout the franchise. That's not bad considering Rogue even managed to get a larger story arc than Storm, and folks still tend to remember Berry's standout performance.

Wonder Woman

There's a good chance Captain Marvel will build a massive following as one of the new faces of the MCU (on top of her existing fans, of course), but credit is due to the superhero film that proved female-driven hero films are viable money makers. Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman was strong evidence that audiences responded to more inclusive hero films, especially ones that do very little different than features that star a male hero.

It also helps that Gal Gadot is one of the better representations of a superhero we've seen in this modern era, and is equally as badass in real life is she is on screen. She'll have to stay that way for some time, as director/writer Patty Jenkins is already planning for her to do another film after Wonder Woman 1984. Who would've thought five years agom Wonder Woman could end up a trilogy while DC still struggles with Batman?

Wasp

Not that it's a really high bar to set, but Hope Van Dyne's Wasp is far more badass than Scott Lang's Ant-Man. Those who weren't convinced of that in Ant-Man were surely swayed in Ant-Man and the Wasp, which really showcased how awesome the character really is.

Hopefully the MCU will show more Ant-Man adventures with Evangeline Lilly's character in the future, assuming of course she's brought back to life at the end of Avengers: Endgame. That's also provided Marvel has plans for another Ant-Man, although Michael Douglas has us somewhat optimistic we'll get to see Wasp back in action yet again.

Gamora

Really, when it comes down to it, Gamora is the most capable member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Compared to the rest of the Guardians, she's levels above all of them in just about every category there is in battle. That's not too surprising given her upbringing by Thanos, whose connection is really the only discernible weakness she has.

Unfortunately, that connection ultimately led to her death in Avengers: Infinity War, and while there's a solid shot the snapped Avengers will return, her future in the Marvel universe remains uncertain. That said, crazier things have happened in the Marvel comics, so it's not so crazy to believe Gamora's death will be reversed at some point in the distant future. We hope so anyway, because the Guardians would have a hard time getting anything done without her!

Valkyrie

Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie had fans really excited after her introduction in Thor: Ragnarok, and then confused post-Avengers: Infinity War. Audiences had only just gotten a taste of what she could do, and then it seemed she was all but forgotten the next time she could've appeared. Does this mean Valkyrie is done, and audiences will be robbed of seeing her more interesting powers (such as being able to travel to the realm of the dead) from the comics?

It's possible, although leaks make it seem as though Valkyrie is a strong candidate to appear in Avengers: Endgame. That's not surprising considering Joe Russo made a point to mention she escaped Thanos along with half of the other Asgardians. It's possible we'll see what became of all of them, and maybe even get to see Valkyrie take a trip to the realm of the dead? That could be a handy way to bring back a character who died pre-snap!

Hit-Girl

Who doesn't love Hit-Girl? The tough-as-nails young heroine gave fans quite the jolt with her rough language and her violent style in Kick-Ass, but it's safe to say it was a refreshing jolt. especially in 2010. It's surprising not many superhero films since have tried to replicate the angle, although doing so would mean finding another character that's similar to the original character.

Which isn't all that easy to do, obviously, as Dafne Keen's X-23 has only sort of lived up to the mantle of badass hero girl in the time since. It's still not quite as good as the standard set by Chloë Grace Moretz, who really brought her comic book character to life with her portrayal.

Is there a female superhero from the movies who was left off this list that needs to be included? Be sure to add a suggestion in the comments below, and get hyped for Captain Marvel to arrive in theaters March 8. For more on the upcoming adventure, check out a clip of Carol and Jude Law's character going head to head.

With Disney planning to launch its streaming service Disney+ at some point in the year, the world should be excited for all the exciting originals that are on the horizon. Of course, one can only get so excited when their only aware of a handful, and not the many other unconfirmed projects rumored to be in development. With that said, here are the confirmed and rumored shows chocked into one post, with some more rumors as to what they're about.

Loki

What We Know: News about Disney+'s Loki series initially leaked out, but has since been confirmed by Disney in an official press release. Bob Iger stated the series is based on the God of Mischief, and that Tom Hiddleston was on board to star. Disney labeled the project as a live-action series, although the leaked report labeled it and others as a limited series rather than ongoing.

What's Been Rumored: A popular rumor is circulating at the moment that the upcoming Disney+ series will not actually star Tom Hiddleston, but rather a younger version of Loki. Much like Jim Parsons does with Young Sheldon, Hiddleston is said to be the narrator for part of an adventure that features Loki's youth in Asgard, or possibly his new life post-death as Kid Loki.

In the first rumor, Tom Hiddleston is to split time with a younger actor and will narrate the younger portions of his life. A younger Thor is believed to make an appearance as well, as the series will encompass a tale of the Norns and Loki's attempt to save his soul from Hel. The rumor states that Karnilla and Ulik are the villains of this adventure. It's also stated Anthony Hopkins is not expected to reprise his role as Odin.

The second rumor is based on speculation that Loki was able to resurrect in the comics in the form of a young child. That child would eventually link up with the Young Avengers, who have been speculated to make an appearance in Avengers: Endgame. There are no real details as to how a series like this would play out, but Tom Hiddleston's secrecy surrounding it would make more sense if the show's concept directly involved the upcoming Avengers film.

Scarlet Witch

What We Know: The Scarlet Witch adventure is not officially confirmed by Disney, but rumors of its existence leaked out the same time as the Loki show. That could mean it's as legit as that rumor was, but nothing will be known until the House of Mouse gives the official thumbs up.

What's Been Rumored: It was revealed in December that the unconfirmed Scarlet Witch project had a title, and that Paul Bettany's Vision was going to co-star alongside her in Vision and the Scarlet Witch. The title has since been removed from the Deadline article it originated from, but the widespread reporting on it remains. Provided the title was legit, Disney may have requested its removal due to both characters' fates in Avengers: Infinity War.

Presently, there's a rumor floating around that Vision will be rebuilt in Avengers: Endgame, and the Disney+ project will revolve around Wanda attempting to make their relationship work without the Mind Stone. Apparently, that bit made Vision a lot more human, and Wanda will attempt to bring his personality back with a spell. This effort results in Vision being possessed and will lead up to an introduction of the villain Grim Reaper.

It's an oddly specific rumor, which even states that actor Dominic West is in consideration for the role of Grim Reaper. The character Agatha Harkness is also said to make an appearance, and Wanda and Vision's romantic relationship and the public's perception of it will reportedly be an underlying theme of the story. It's certainly a strange concept for a series, but remember, it's all just a rumor at the moment.

Winter Soldier and Falcon

What We Know: Disney hasn't spilled the beans on this one yet, but Variety reported that Empire writer Malcolm Spellman had been tapped to develop a limited series based on the two characters.

What Is Rumored: With Chris Evans' stint as Captain America potentially coming to an end, it's been thought that this project may result in either Winter Solider or Falcon ultimately becoming the new Captain America. That said, there's reason to doubt Evans might not be done with the role after all, which means this rumored show would cover something completely different.

Regardless of what Chris Evans has to say, there's a rumor out there that this project would feature a new Captain America, and the mantle would be handed over to John Walker. Marvel comic fans are likely familiar with that name, as Walker took the mantle in the comics and ultimately became the extremist U.S. Agent. Much like in the comics, he'll become a problem, and Winter Soldier and Falcon must reel him in.

Other characters teased for this adventure include General Ross, Nick Fury and Agent 13. Additionally, this project is said to set the stage for Phase 4 and will see a new S.H.I.E.L.D. going up against Ultimatum as opposed to HYDRA. It sounds like a good time, but fans would do well to take this information in addition to most internet rumors with a grain of salt.

Lady Sif

What We Know: In one of the more surprising rumors, it's being said that Lady Sif may be getting her own limited series. Disney and Marvel, of course, have no comment. Sif hasn't been seen in the MCU since Thor: The Dark World, but she did have a brief run on the ABC series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The Russo Bros have confirmed she was snapped away by Thanos.

What Is Rumored: Discussing Film reported the alleged project was given a budget similar to that of Jon Favreau's live-action Star Wars series The Mandalorian. It's also rumored this project would allegedly have Blindspot actress Jaimie Alexander back to reprise the role of Lady Sif. While Sif is a fairly minor character in the MCU thus far, Alexander's extensive television series does make this project feel plausible.

As far as what the show may be about, a rumor surfaced the adventure will show Lady Sif teaming up with Beta Ray Bill (via We Got This Covered) and others in a fight against Enchantress. Enchantress is one of Thor's greatest enemies, so it's rather unsurprising Sif would require the aid of others in order to bring her down. If this rumor is true, this will certainly be an adventure worth recalling in the halls of Asgard.

Rocket Raccoon And Groot

What We Know: Rocket Raccoon and Groot had a series of animated shorts on Disney XD, but That Hashtag Show reported Disney+ may have plans for something bigger. The report is that the CGI'd duo are headed for their own limited series adventure, and that Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel may be on board to lend their voices.

What Is Rumored: All of it technically, and that's also about the most exciting part as there have been no big rumors revealing what this project could be about. With that said, Rocket and Groot's relationship predates the Guardians of the Galaxy, and with both characters CGI animated, a prequel adventure isn't out of the question. There's also a chance the two have something shaking post-Avengers: Endgame, provided Groot gets brought back of course.

It's also easy to believe Disney might be looking for a way to keep the Guardians on fans' minds, what with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 indefinitely delayed. A prequel adventure with Rocket and Groot could do that, while not necessarily charting a course for the Guardians that marries them to any pathway the next film could take. With that said, would Disney really drop the money it would take to make a Rocket and Groot-based adventure?

Nebula And Gamora

What We Know: We Got This Covered has confirmed that a source close to says Disney is in the early stages of getting together a TV series centered on Gamora and Nebula. It is not known whether or not Karen Gillan or Zoe Saldana is involved.

What Is Rumored: This is one of the freshest rumors out there, and as such, there hasn't been much reported beyond the initial rumor. With that said, the points brought up in the rumored Rocket and Groot series still stand here, and it's very possible Disney is looking to use these characters to continue the Guardians franchise while it figures out what to do with Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Provided Avengers: Endgame brings back Gamora, this one feels possible.

Nick Fury

What We Know: News that Disney+ was eyeing a Nick Fury limited series came from MCU Cosmic, which admitted the series is still in rumor territory and not a sure thing.

What Is Rumored: No reported story details have surfaced about this potential project, but with Captain Marvel proving it has the technology to de-age Samuel L. Jackson, it feels as though the sky is the limit for possibilities. A limited series could feature Nick Fury's past, present or future, and fans would in all likelihood be here for it provided Samuel L. Jackson is on board.

Hawkeye

What We Know: The Hawkeye Disney+ project reportedly started out as a movie idea, according to MCU Cosmic, but is now in "some stage" of development in what could end up being a limited series.

What Is Rumored: This Hawkeye project is supposedly going to chronicle the hero's journey as he trains a younger archer to be the new Hawkeye. This is interesting considering the rumors that Avengers newcomer Katherine Langford is playing Kate Bishop in Avengers: Endgame, although that itself is far from a sure thing. Additionally, Clint Barton will apparently take up the mantle of Ronin in the new adventure, which may mean his Hawkeye persona is up for grabs.

Disney+ is scheduled to launch in 2019, and when it does, who knows what rumored Marvel shows on this list or off will be confirmed? CinemaBlend will, of course, be the place to look for said confirmation, so be sure to keep up on our latest television news and see what's coming to television in 2019 with our midseason premiere guide.

With no Marvel Studios movies officially dated beyond summer 2019, there is no greater question mark in the franchise world than what audiences should expect from Joe and Anthony Russo's untitled Avengers 4. As the blockbuster follow-up to 2018's Avengers: Infinity War, there are extreme expectations regarding the various heroes and villains who show up in the capstone project, let alone what to expect the plot to do with all of them. Infinity War gave us our first inkling of what's in store for Avengers 4 thanks to that shocking ending, but Marvel Studios is staying more tight-lipped than usual about story details. Fortunately, the news cycle has provided us some good insight.

Combing the internet for information, we've dug up every confirmation we could find regarding the cast list for Avengers 4 -- including quotes from stars and filmmakers, set photos and more. We'll continue to update this feature as we get closer to the blockbuster's release, but for now read on to find out which characters have been confirmed for the movie so far.

Tony Stark/Iron Man

It's hard to imagine what the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be like without Robert Downey Jr., as the man has served as the face of the insanely popular franchise for about a full decade. As such, it would have been crazy to leave his legendary take on Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man out of the Avengers 4 activities -- and that's definitely a mistake that Marvel will be avoiding. Page Six has posted images of Downey Jr. on the set of the Joe and Anthony Russo-directed blockbuster, seemingly confirming it as the actor's 10th Marvel Studios film. Since he was one of the main characters to survive Avengers: Infinity War, it would have been weird for him not to have shown up.

James 'Rhodey' Rhodes/War Machine

Don Cheadle's James 'Rhodey' Rhodes a.k.a. War Machine hasn't been around since the beginning beginning, as the part was notably played by Terrence Howard in Jon Favreau's original Iron Man -- but he has been a key part of the franchise ever since Iron Man 2 in 2010. The character went through a big shakeup during the events of Captain America: Civil War, having been paralyzed from the waist down, but clearly that's not going to keep him down, as evidenced in Avengers: Infinity War. Comments from Gwyneth Paltrow to The Hollywood Reporter reveal that Cheadle has been hard at work on the Avengers 4 set, though obviously we don't really know what to expect from his arc.

Pepper Potts

In case you didn't get the hint from the last section, Gwyneth Paltrow has also confirmed her own involvement in Avengers 4, meaning that we will be seeing the return of Pepper Potts. The character's relationship with Tony Stark over the years has seemingly never been on fully stable ground, but at the very least things were good when we last saw her. The events of Captain America: Civil War saw Pepper and Tony going through a bit of a separation, but Spider-Man: Homecoming showed that they were able to reconcile and get back together. Pepper only popped up briefly in Avengers: Infinity War, but she'll be back for Avengers 4 with presumably a bigger role, as it appears she'll be getting her own special suit of armor.

Happy Hogan

Tony Stark's bodyguard was nowhere to be seen in Avengers: Infinity War (though that wasn't originally the plan), but all signs point to him showing up in Avengers 4, meaning he survived the Thanos snap. If Avengers 4 ends up being Tony Stark's last MCU appearance, It would be strange for Rhodey and Pepper to show up, but not Happy. Those two have been tight for at least two decades, and while Happy doesn't always agree with his boss on things, he still cares about Tony's wellbeing. So it'll be good to have him around, and while Tony's future post-Avengers 4 is still up in the air, it appears that Happy will continue on, as Jon Favreau was spotted on the Spider-Man: Far From Home set.

Steve Rogers/Captain America

As the star of arguably the strongest trilogy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Chris Evans has been a pillar of the franchise playing Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America, and keeping him out of the action in Avengers 4 would be as misguided as ditching Robert Downey Jr. Captain America is obviously an immensely important hero for the world to have, as he is the leader and plan-maker for The Avengers, and Evans has said that he will definitely be back for the third sequel -- even though he actually had to extend his Marvel contract to do it. Steve made it out of Avengers: Infinity War intact, and he'll be back in action with a clean-shaven face and wearing a traditional Captain America costume in Avengers 4. Whether he dies in that movie or makes it out alive, that remains to be seen, and Evans is being careful not to spoil his character's fate for fans.

Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier

The first post-credits scene for Captain America: Civil War featured Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes a.k.a. The Winter Soldier being cryogenically frozen -- but we all knew that he wasn't going to be staying on ice for too long. The reformed Hydra brainwashed assassin was back fighting alongside Wakandan warriors in Avengers: Infinity War, and the actor directly confirmed to CinemaBlend that he will be back for Avengers 4 as well. That said, like many of the characters coming up, Bucky turned to dust at the end of Infinity War, so who knows how he and those other unlucky individuals will be brought back.

Scott Lang/Ant-Man

Of all the principal cast members in Avengers 4, Paul Rudd had one of the trickiest schedules, as he filmed the 2019 blockbuster at the same time as Ant-Man And The Wasp, which shared facilities at Pinewood Atlanta. A video from the set of the untitled blockbuster urging donations for Hurricane Harvey confirmed that the actor is pulling double-duty, and given that Rudd is one of the most charismatic Marvel stars, this is definitely great news. Scott sat out the events of Avengers: Infinity War, but Ant-Man and the Wasp's mid-credits scene showed him getting trapped in the Quantum Realm right as Thanos erased half of all life in the universe. While we don't know yet exactly how he'll escape this dimension (the best guess is he'll enter a time vortex), Scott eventually will find his way back to Earth and participate in the final Phase 3 film. And given his knowledge of the Quantum Realm, he could end up being the key to victory.

Hope Van Dyne/The Wasp

All that stuff we were just saying about Paul Rudd's Ant-Man? That goes for Evangeline Lilly's Hope van Dyne a.k.a. The Wasp as well. She appeared in the same Hurricane Harvey relief video, wearing her new superhero gear, confirming she will be in Avengers 4. But unlike Scott Lang, Hope won't initially be around in the movie, as she, Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne were erased from existence in Ant-Man and the Wasp's mid-credits scene. Somehow she and her mom and dad will be reconstituted during Avengers 4, but as far as the movie's main action goes, we probably shouldn't expect her to buzz in as Wasp until late in the game.

Bruce Banner/Hulk

Thanks to character rights being caught up in an old deal with Universal Pictures, Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner a.k.a. The Hulk hasn't had nearly as many Marvel Cinematic Universe appearances as many of his fellow Avengers, , but that's been changing in a big way. Thor: Ragnarok kicked off a "special trilogy" for the Green Goliath, which took a strange turn in Avengers: Infinity War. Because after getting his ass kicked by Thanos, Bruce Banner's monstrous half refused to come out for the rest of the movie, requiring Banner to join the battle wearing Tony Stark's Hulkbuster armor. Bruce survived Infinity War, but officially, we have no idea what's in store for him or Hulk. However, Avengers 4 concept art leaked showing Hulk back and wearing a purple bodysuit as he charges into battle with his teammates. It's hard to tell what this means for the big picture, but some fans are speculating that Banner and Hulk will merge into one intelligent, superstrong individual.

Vision

Fans of Paul Bettany's Vision have been fretting about the life of the character pretty much since his introduction in Joss Whedon's Avengers: Age of Ultron, and there's actually a pretty good reason: his consciousness was sparked to life by the Mind Stone -- which resides in the middle of his forehead -- and Thanos is going to need that shiny yellow ingot if he's going to complete his Infinity Gauntlet. As such, we were dreading a scene where the Mad Titan rips the stone from the android's head, and sure enough, that's exactly what happened. Granted, Scarlet Witch succeeded in destroying the Mind Stone before Thanos arrived, but with the Time Stone in his Gauntlet, the Mad Titan was easily able to wind back time, undo her actions and kill Vision for the Mind Stone. Bettany let reporters know that he will be involved with the production of Avengers 4, so Vision will return to life. Maybe the Mind Stone will be seized back from Thanos and put back in Vision's head, or maybe a different power source will be used to reanimate the android.

Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow

Scarlett Johansson's Natasha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow is a character we've grown to love more and more with every appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only is her fighting style endlessly fun to watch, but her loyalty to S.H.I.E.L.D. and grey-colored ethics have also made her a wonderful foil to both Tony Stark and Steve Rogers over the years. Hence, we're extremely excited that she will be keeping the fight going in Avengers 4, as set photos have confirmed the character's return (and apparently she'll be sporting a beautiful new tattoo on her back).

Clint Barton/Hawkeye

After a somewhat rocky start because of his limited role in The Avengers, Jeremy Renner has become an important part of the Marvel family, and Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye has become a legitimately exciting on-screen presence. However, because of the house arrest deal he set up with the U.S. government following his incarceration in Captain America: Civil War, Hawkeye didn't appear in Avengers: Infinity War. Not to worry though, he'll finally be back for Avengers 4, as Jeremy Renner has made abundantly clear through his social media posts. Unfortunately, there's speculation that the reason Clint has picked the bow and arrows back up is because his family was among the unlucky half erased from the universe.

Peter Parker/Spider-Man

As a way of keeping the aftermath of The Avengers: Infinity War and The Avengers 4 on lockdown, Marvel Studios has kept a tight lid on most "Phase 4" projects -- but one movie we definitely know is coming is the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home. So even though we watched Peter Parker turn to dust in Tony Stark's arms at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, we know with absolute certainty that Peter will return to the land of the living during Avengers 4. And for those of you who counter that Far From Home could be a prequel to Infinity War, it's already been noted that the sequel picks up minutes after Avengers 4.

Nick Fury

It has been confirmed that Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury will have a key role to play in Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's developing Captain Marvel movie, and while initially that led to belief that he'd be sitting out Avengers: Infinity War, both he and Cobie Smulders; Maria Hill made a last-minute appearance in the movie's mid-credits scene. Granted, both of them were erased from existence, though before he faded, Fury successfully transmitted a signal from a pager displaying the Captain Marvel insignia. There were already hints that Fury would appear in Avengers 4, and given how Infinity War ended, it's safe to assume that he'll be brought back.

Peter Quill/Star-Lord

Chris Pratt spent years earning a fanbase playing Andy on Parks and Recreation and small parts in movies like Moneyball and Her, but playing Peter Quill a.k.a. Star-Lord has completely changed his career. He is now unquestionably one of the most popular leading men in Hollywood, and has a nice long future ahead of him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a result -- including a role in Avengers 4. Despite most of the Guardians, including Star-Lord, disappearing at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, by the end of Avengers 4, each of those members (with one possible exception, more on that in a bit) are expected to be be made whole again. From there, they'll be ready to go for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, albeit without James Gunn leading the charge.

Rocket

Rocket, brought to life by Sean Gunn and voiced by Bradley Cooper, has what looks like a very bright future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as there are not only the aforementioned Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 plans, but also plenty of buzz about a possible spin-off for the character. Rocket's also quite lucky, as he was one of only two Guardians of the Galaxy members to survive Avengers: Infinity War. The good news is he'll be thrust back into the fray for Avengers 4, and I can't blame him, as Rocket will almost certainly do whatever is required to undo what happened to his family.

Gamora

Remember that Hurricane Harvey relief video mentioned earlier? It wasn't just Ant-Man and The Wasp who made appearances, but also the deadliest woman in the galaxy. Zoe Saldana is seen wearing her beautiful green makeup in the clip, which combined with the timing is evidence enough of he involvement in Avengers 4. Here's where things get tricky: Thanos killed Gamora so he could obtain the Soul Stone. So because her death came about before the Thanos snap, does that mean if that genocidal event is reversed, she'll also be brought back? Or will she remain dead, and Saldana is playing the character in flashbacks?

Drax

Dave Bautista has now spent years as the secret weapon of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, providing plenty of big laughs, but soon we will be seeing him take his game to Earth. It has been long known that he will be playing a key role in Avengers: Infinity War, but he will be bringing his game to Avengers 4 as well. So yeah, like has already been said many times with the other casualties of Infinity War, expect Drax to be resurrected during Avengers 4.

Nebula

A total of four Marvel actors appeared in the on-set Hurricane Harvey relief video, and in case you've lost count we're already discussed Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lily, and Zoe Saldana. The final member of that little outfit is Karen Gillan, confirming that we will see more of the formidable Nebula in Avengers 4. Nebula was the only other Guardian to survive Avengers: Infinity War, and you can bet that her desire to kill Thanos is stronger than ever now that her "sister" Gamora and half of all life in the universe is dead/gone. Expect Nebula to be a key player in the final act of the story.

Mantis

Introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as Ego the Living Planet's servant, Mantis rebelled against her master and became the newest regular member of the Guardians. Unfortunately, like most of her teammates, she was turned to dust by Thanos at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, thus cutting short her time to "kick names and take ass." Fear not, though, we'll be reunited with Mantis soon enough, as long before Infinity War came out, Pom Klementieff informed her Facebook followers that she was back on set for the Avengers 4 portion of the shoot.

Black Panther

It's safe to say that Black Panther was the MCU's 2018 MVP. First T'Challa led his own solo movie, which was met with critical, commercial and cultural acclaim, and then he returned a few months later for Avengers: Infinity War to lead Wakanda's warriors into battle alongside Earth's Mightiest Heroes against the Black Order and Thanos' Outriders. Sadly, while helping Okoye back to her feet, T'Challa turned to ash, but he won't be absent for much longer. Baseman was spotted in Avengers 4 set photos last year, and since Ryan Coogler is back on board to write and direct Black Panther 2, the Wakandan king still has a bright future ahead of him.

Shuri

Shuri's main task in Avengers: Infinity War was to try to safely remove the Mind Stone from Vision without killing the android. Sadly, Corvus Glaive broke into her workshop before she could finish. Like Wong, Infinity War didn't reveal if Shuri survived the Thanos snap, but since Letitia Wright let slip that she enjoyed working with Chris Pratt (Shuri and Star-Lord didn't have any scenes together in Infinity War), we can deduce that she's in Avengers 4. And with T'Challa gone, it's entirely possible that means Shuri has been crowned queen of Wakanda.

Wong

Although Wong appeared at the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War and assisted Iron Man, Doctor Strange and Spider-Man in fighting Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian, he returned to protect New York Sanctum Sanctorum after Strange was captured. Wong's fate post-Thanos snap wasn't reveal at the end of Infinity War, but since Benedict Wong confirmed he's reprising the character for Avengers 4 in a deeply unsettling photo, we can assume that he's still alive and keeping Earth safe from any threats that make their way to Earth. Although it's hard for anything to compare to the destruction Thanos unleashed.

Captain Marvel

Avengers: Infinity War foreshadowed Carol Danvers' arrival to the MCU, and in spring 2019, we're winding the clock back to the 1990s to tell her origin story in Captain Marvel. For a long time there was uncertainty about whether or not Carol would appear in Avengers 4, but thanks to comments from both Brie Larson and Kevin Feige, as well as the previously mentioned leaked concept art, she'll definitely be around. With their ranks thinned, the remaining heroes will need all the help they can get, and Carol is definitely someone they'll be glad to have by their side, what with the planet-moving powers and all.

Thanos

The untitled Avengers 4 used to be known as Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 -- and when the change was made, many questioned what that meant for Thanos. Would the Mad Titan still be facing off against Earth's Mightiest Heroes and the Guardians of the Galaxy in the 2019 blockbuster, or would there be a new foe? Here's what we do know: at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos retired to an unidentified planet after carrying out his mass, random slaughter, content that he'd finally succeeded in his mission of balance. If it were up to him, he'd never fight again, but he'll undoubtedly have to when the surviving MCU heroes retaliate against him in their efforts to undo his genocide. But let's not forget that despite the Infinity Gauntlet being damaged, the Mad Titan still has all six Infinity Stones, so he's still more powerful than all of them.

Warning: SPOILERS to follow for Avengers: Infinity War!

Avengers: Infinity War was chock full of characters and compelling stories, but perhaps no character's story was more emotional or important than Gamora's. The daughter of Thanos was the key to the Mad Titan finding and obtaining the Soul Stone, and this led to some moving moments between her and Peter Quill. More than the Guardians of the Galaxy films, we were able to see just how close their relationship was, and it was actually this exploration of their relationship that Zoe Saldana liked about Infinity War, as she explained:

As Zoe Saldana told the Los Angeles Times, director James Gunn has done a slow build of Gamora and Star-Lord's relationship in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, with hints of a budding romance, but never actually diving into it. We've seen the jokester Quill and the fierce Gamora butting heads, but the attraction has been undeniable, leading to a 'will they or won't they' situation for a while now. Zoe Saldana likes that Infinity War finally delivered on that build with a long-awaited kiss, showing audiences that these two characters are together and really do love each other, and all their bickering is really just a mask for their true feelings. We finally see what is beneath the surface of this relationship and how far these two will go for each other.

It makes sense that the relationship between Gamora and Star-Lord was more open in Infinity War than in the Guardians films too based on the fact that it takes place four years after the battle with Ego. A lot can happen in that time, so it's only logical that relationship has grown. While we've been waiting to see the kiss for some time, what's arguably more intimate and meaningful is what Gamora entrusts Quill with doing for her. Making him promise to kill her to prevent Thanos from getting her is incredibly emotional and tells us a lot about their relationship. Quill listens to her and, despite his objections, loves her enough to commit to it. When the moment of truth comes, while he initially balks, he loves her enough to carry out her wishes. But it's ultimately all for naught, leading to Gamora's death and Quill making a grave mistake in his rage.

The beautiful tragedy is that we finally got to see these characters together just in time for them to be torn apart. As for whether or not we will see this relationship explored more in the future, that's an open question. We assume that those killed by Thanos' finger snap will be coming back, but Gamora was killed before that, so you would think she is dead for good, but you can't be too sure. That will certainly make things interesting for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which is expected to hit theaters in 2020. If Gamora is dead for good, at least Infinity War gave Zoe Saldana's character a poignant and meaningful sendoff.

For all the latest movie news and everything going on in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.

Warning: SPOILERS for Avengers: Infinity War are ahead!

We have James Gunn to thank for bringing the Guardians of the Galaxy to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while he didn't write or direct Avengers: Infinity War, Gunn did contribute to the movie as an executive producer, which included him writing some dialogue for the Guardians and suggesting songs for Peter Quill to listen to on his Zune. Now we've learned that both Gunn and Quill's actor, Chris Pratt, were adamant on one key moment in Infinity War unfolding the way it did: when Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord, made the heartbreaking decision to try to kill Gamora so that Thanos couldn't interrogate her. Unfortunately for Star-Lord and Gamora, that didn't work out the way they planned, but we could have gotten a version of the scene where Star-Lord wouldn't have pulled the trigger at all. Infinity War co-writer Stephen McFeely explained:

For those who need an Avengers: Infinity War refresher, before arriving Knowhere to try to reach The Collector and the Reality Stone before Thanos did, Gamora told Peter Quill that if Thanos captured her, she wanted Quill to kill her, as she had information that the Mad Titan could never know, and she refused to tell Quill for fear of him being targeted as well. Upon arriving at Knowhere, Gamora was tricked into thinking she had successfully killed Thanos, but it was all a ruse, as he had already taken the Reality Stone from Collector. He subsequently took Gamora hostage, and after confessing his love for her, Quill tried to kill her to respect her wishes, but Thanos used the Reality Stones to make bubbles come out of the blaster instead.

Had James Gunn and Chris Pratt not spoken to Stephen McFeely and Christopher McFeely, the writers may have decided to have Star-Lord not kill Gamora to show vulnerability, but since James Gunn and Chris Pratt were more familiar with these characters, they suggested going in the opposite direction, and as McFeely told Backstory Magazine (via The Playlist), it ended up working for the story. And Star-Lord still had his 'mistake' moment in Avengers: Infinity War, as when he later learned that Thanos had killed Gamora to obtain the Soul Stone, he grew enraged and retaliated against Thanos, which allowed the villain to break free from the hold the heroes had over him and wipe the floor with them.

By the time Avengers: Infinity War ended, the only Guardians of the Galaxy left alive were Rocket and Nebula, with Star-Lord, Drax, Groot and Mantis having been erased from existence along with half of life in the universe by Thanos. We'll see how this tale and the MCU's Phase Three concludes when Avengers 4 is released on May 3, 2019.

There is arguably no person who has their hands in more huge sci-fi franchises at the moment than Zoe Saldana. The actress plays Uhura in the new Star Trek franchise, she was Neytiri in the biggest film in history, Avatar, and she is currently starring as Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's record-breaking achievement, Avengers: Infinity War. All she needs at this point is a role in one of the many upcoming Star Wars films and she'll be made in the shade. Zoe Saldana actually feels quite at home in the science fiction genre, as it has helped her to avoid stereotypical roles that she might have found herself in otherwise, as she explained:

On the road to stardom, Zoe Saldana turned down roles that she saw as typecasting, so you can see how the science fiction genre gave her an opportunity to do different things than plain dramas or comedies might afford her. Instead of being a down-on-her-luck Latina in every film, science fiction opens up a whole universe of possibilities to play with. As she told Variety, the science fiction genre allowed her to stretch her creative legs by playing characters who mattered, had agency and were heroes important to the story versus just being generic archetypes and forgettable supporting characters. She seems quite happy with the path her career has followed, and given the success of franchises she has been in, it is hard to argue with that. Plus, it has to be cool to play aliens, assassins and other characters who have been memorable, important and interesting in these imaginative and expansive worlds.

Some might say that Zoe Saldana has now been typecast as the actress who plays different colored alien characters, but just like Keira Knightley and period pieces, everyone has their thing. Zoe Saldana's characters have also all been very different beyond their outward alien-ness. Her Gamora is fierce and vulnerable, Neytiri is wise and brave, and Uhura is funny and caring. Zoe Saldana is on her way and may already be one of the iconic science fiction actresses alongside the likes of Linda Hamilton, Sigourney Weaver and Carrie Fisher, and the genre is lucky to have her.

Zoe Saldana's science fiction dominance won't be ending anytime soon either. She is currently filming Avatar 2 and 3 with sci-fi luminary James Cameron. The visionary director is aiming for lightning to strike four more times with his Godfather-esque saga of films set in the world of Pandora, a world that Zoe Saldana's Neytiri is an integral part of. As of right now, Avatar 2 is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 18th 2020. For movies hitting theaters a little bit sooner, check out our release schedule, and go see Zoe Saldana's Gamora again in Avengers: Infinity War, playing in theaters now.

Whether you've seen Avengers: Infinity War or not, there's almost no way you've escaped the film's presence. Beyond offering up the biggest opening weekend box office in cinema history, it has also featured heavily in product promotions, cross-over events and late night television appearances. It has turned into so much more than just a spring blockbuster, which is probably why it shouldn't surprise anyone that Infinity War has started to have an effect on porn searches too.

Our friends over at Pornhub sent us over some statistics on the superhero-related porn searches, and not surprisingly, the term "Avengers" has skyrocketed 356% since the film opened. There's just something about those costumes and the whole saving the world thing that gets people excited. Or at least excited about one of the characters.

That's the thing. The key to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, both from a wholesome fan perspective and from a getting your rocks off perspective, is that there are so many different heroes to choose from. Everyone has his or her favorite, and that extends to the bedroom too.

Fortunately, we now have some hard data to prove who people are lusting after the most. Pornhub shot us over the 14 characters who have been searched for the most, and we're going to present them in order. Ready? Then like a superhero suit in a porn parody, we're off...

#14 Loki

Tom Hiddleston is an incredibly attractive guy. Taylor Swift thought so. A lot of fans think so. There's just something about Loki's scheming and whining though that holds him back here. No one dreams of the scrawny little brother. Or apparently less people dream of the scrawny little brother.

#13 Nebula

Weird. Weird. Weird. I don't want to be judgy and people can be into whatever they want. It's not even the blue thing. She just has so much weirdness going on with her basic appearance, but I guess some people would prefer the maladjusted sister. To each their own.

#12 Falcon

Honestly, I would have expected a little higher. Anthony Mackie is a good looking dude. Falcon doesn't have profound personal problems. Maybe he's just not a major enough character for people to think about?

#11 Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange would be way higher if he were a more established character. Benedict Cumberbatch has really obsessive fans, and a lot of them are really into whatever he's got going on. Plus, his character has the whole aloof and mystical vibe going on. I expect him to be way higher on a list like this in a few years.

#10 Thanos

Yesssssss. I can't imagine what type of ridiculous filth would be involved in a Thanos porn. You know he's got really upsetting sexual preferences. I bet the people searching for him are really well-traveled porn users, the type who just keep going further and further into sub-genres when the vanilla stuff stops working.

#9 Iron Man

Wow. Poor Tony Stark. This might be the worst thing that's ever happened to him. Outranked on porn searches by all of the other major Avengers characters? You know he would have bet on himself to be in the top three, minimum.

#8 Gamora

I get it. The green thing doesn't bother me, and if she's good enough for Star Lord, she's good enough for the rest of us. Besides, if a relatively normal looking woman painted green is the weirdest thing about the porn you're looking at, you're definitely still in the reasonably normal bubble.

#7 Thor

WTF, people? I'm so outraged right now. As Drax says in Infinity War, this is a man. Fun fact: when Pornhub first sent me this list, I asked three women around the office who they thought would be the highest ranking male and all three guessed Thor. No idea how that's not translating to real world searches.

#6 Scarlet Witch

What's not to like here? Honestly, this seems a little low. She's a beautiful woman with all kinds of weird powers I don't even begin to understand. She also has a little bit of a darkness inside her and wears a costume that has led to complaints about it showing too much cleavage. FYI, she could wear an orange rain poncho and she'd still be hot.

#5 Black Panther

Let's put aside the fact that he's a King and a superhero and literally fights people to maintain his throne. He's also got all kinds of bizarre and fascinating gadgets his sister makes, and I'm not saying his sister would intentionally make things he could use in the bedroom but he's a resourceful guy. Use your imagination.

#4 Hulk

You're playing with fire here people. Hulk might be a muscular beast, but he's also uncontrollable when he's in Hulk mode. I'm not saying don't go there. Just be careful. There's no way he hasn't accidentally put a woman in the hospital through a sexual encounter gone wrong. Play safe.

#3 Captain America

I can't even imagine how many people he's saved in his life. You know some of them wanted to reward him, and he's too good of a person to accept money. If people want to repay him in other ways though? That's ultimately their decision. Plus, you just know he's a generous lover.

#2 Spider-Man

Seriously? Seriously? Is awkward high school guy a fantasy for some people? Are you hoping he delivers some weird pop culture references mid-fooling around in the bedroom? I mean, if you're into this, let your freak flag fly. He can tie you up with his web shooter things, I guess, and then afterwards, you can watch videos of people playing video games on YouTube or whatever the hell it is high schoolers do nowadays.

#1 Black Widow

Yup. She's got it all. Model looks. Vicious roundhouse kicks. A tight black suit. I'm so many levels of in, and I'm extremely jealous of Bruce Banner that there's kinda sorta something going on there. I can't imagine any scenario in which she's isn't number one on this list every single time a new Avengers movie (or her solo movie) comes out until she leaves the universe.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War. If you have not yet seen the film, please bookmark this page, and save the read until after your screening!

Going into Avengers: Infinity War, one of the most important franchise questions repeatedly asked by fans was about the location of the Soul Stone. The Marvel Cinematic Universe spent 10 years introducing five of the six Infinity Stones, but the last one was long maintained as a mystery. There was endless speculation, some believing it to be located in Wakanda among other places, but all mainstream guesses turned out to be wrong. Instead, the blockbuster brought us to a whole new world to reveal the site of the missing ingot -- and in doing so crafted what is ultimately the best sequence in the entire film.

Avengers: Infinity War is filled brim with moments that are shocking and hilarious, but nothing operates quite like Thanos and Gamora's trip to Vormir to acquire the Soul Stone. Not only does it contain one of the darkest twists to ever unfold in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as the movie's best cameo, it most importantly features a level of emotion that is both devastating and beautifully confusing. The scene only runs a few minutes, but has a lasting effect that stays with you until the end credits and beyond.

The sequence begins shortly after Gamora reveals the location of the Soul Stone, with Thanos transporting himself and his favorite daughter to the desolate planet Vormir. After a treacherous climb up a steep mountain, they find themselves on a cliff face-to-face with a mysterious figure in a tattered shroud. It's revealed that this is none other than Johann Schmidt a.k.a. Red Skull - who has been the keeper of the Soul Stone ever since handling the Tesseract in the 1940s -- and he explains that the only way to possess the power of the orange Infinity Stone is to sacrifice the soul of a loved one. In this moment Gamora thinks she has won, as she truly believes that her tyrannical adoptive father is filled with nothing but hate and purpose... but she is wrong. Despite her feelings towards him, Thanos actually cares for Gamora more than anything, and because he's not willing to forsake what he sees as his destiny, he grabs her by the arm and tosses her off the precipice to her death.

Beyond featuring the murder of a beloved character, what makes this scene so remarkable is an extension of the key quality that makes Avengers: Infinity War special on the whole: the immense and surprising emotional depth built into Thanos' character and narrative. The worst version of the Mad Titan to depict on screen would have been the version seen through the eyes of Gamora -- one who craves nothing but death and dominance over the universe. But the Soul Stone sequence in particular reveals him as so much more than that. His ultimate goal may be horrific and nightmarish, but he's also brimming with conflict, captured in the tears he sheds as he kills his daughter. Listening to him philosophize throughout the film, you understand that he perceives his "destiny" to eliminate half of life in the universe as a burden; he has no desire at all to kill Gamora, and instead sees each of his steps towards completing the Infinity Gauntlet as necessary sacrifices. It's what makes him a very special and very different kind of comic book villain, and while it feels immensely strange to feel empathy for such a monster, the movie makes it happen.

Going further in demonstrating its significance, the Soul Stone sequence is also the point in the blockbuster where the tone morphs into an entirely different beast. While there are significant deaths prior to Gamora's, including Heimdall and Loki in the very first scene, everything is shaded differently after the Guardian's fall. It's the moment when you begin to feel the potential for a classic Hollywood ending slipping away -- and then the film just brings down the emotional hammer with its final 30 minutes. Because of its placement in the narrative, it's arguably the most crucial scene in Avengers: Infinity War, and it's perfect in every way.

Not to be undersold in anyway is the presence of Red Skull -- who is easily the most surprising character to appear in the massive blockbuster stuffed with Marvel heroes and villains. Fans have spent seven years speculating about the whereabouts of the Hydra leader following the end of Captain America: The First Avenger, but for the longest time it looked like there was no answer coming. But then Avengers: Infinity War delivered. It's true that it's not the original actor, as Hugo Weaving was recast with Walking Dead actor/master impressionist Ross Marquand, but it's hard to notice in the moment because you're just so blown away by his presence and genius utilization.

With its emotional wrecking ball of a twist, profoundly emotional characters, and deep ties to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Soul Stone sequence essentially encapsulates everything that is impressive about Avengers: Infinity War -- and is the crown jewel moment in the work done by directors Joe and Anthony Russo and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. It's classically rare to find a sequence this dark and this impactful in a mainstream blockbuster, but in the end it's a major part of what makes the 19th film from Marvel Studios such a unique experience.

There's no denying it: Avengers: Infinity War will feature the largest cast for a Marvel movie yet. Building off everything that's happened in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since it launched in 2008, the movie will see the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and more to fight the threat this franchise has been teasing for half a decade: Thanos. He's one of the greatest villains in the Marvel comics, and he'll finally prove why he's so formidable on the silver screen.

There's still a lot that hasn't been revealed yet about Avengers: Infinity War, including how it connects to 2019's Avengers 4. Fortunately, one area where there's plenty of information is castings. While Marvel is remaining tight-lipped on the new characters who will appear (including who Peter Dinklage and Terry Notary are playing), there have been numerous confirmations about characters who will be returning. Let's take a look at all the MCU heroes and villains who will definitely be back for Avengers: Infinity War.

Thanos

Thanos stayed on the sidelines for five years now, but in 2018, he'll finally prove why he's the overarching antagonist of the MCU. After several of his minions failed to retrieve the Infinity Stones on his behalf, the Mad Titan decided at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron to take his Infinity Gauntlet out of the vault and secure them himself. If he succeeds, Thanos will be able rewrite all of reality, and like his comic book counterpart, he may be doing this to court Death.

Iron Man

Iron Man has been part of the MCU since the beginning, so it would be weird if he didn't participate in Avengers: Infinity War. Tony Stark has been through a lot over nearly a decade, from becoming a superhero and walking away from war profiteering to working with the government on registering enhanced individuals. Tony is still continuing his Iron Man duties and trying to keep the world safe, so bet on him being at the front lines and breaking out his best tech yet to fight Thanos.

Captain America

Captain America has been one of the MCU's most cherished heroes for decades, but as of Captain America: Civil War, Steve Rogers has abandoned his patriotic mantle and is on the run due to his anti-registration activities. Despite his current predicament, Steve is still someone who will do the right thing no matter what. So when Thanos comes to Earth, he'll jump back into action to keep the innocent safe, which hopefully means picking up his vibranium shield again.

Thor

Even though he hasn't been involved with the Avengers for a while, Thor's been keeping himself busy. Along with departing Earth at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron to learn about the Infinity Stones, he also has to deal with what's coming up in Thor: Ragnarok, which includes finding Odin, surviving Sakaar and preventing Hela from destroying all of Asgardian civilization. The God of Thunder will be put through the ringer this fall, but rest assured, he'll be ready for battle during Avengers: Infinity War.

Hulk

Like Thor, Hulk's been out of the game for a little bit, but moviegoers will reunite with him in Thor: Ragnarok, where he'll battle Thor on Sakaar and then team up with the God of Thunder. Then he'll take part in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4, which, according to Mark Ruffalo, form with Ragnarok to make a standalone Hulk story. That's fine and dandy, but no doubt what many Marvel fans want most from the Green Goliath in this tale is for him to go mano a mano with Thanos.

Spider-Man

Spider-Man is a still new to the MCU, but his decades-long popularity has ensured that he's already a major player in the MCU. After being recruited by Tony Stark in Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker is returning in Spider-Man: Homecoming to put his technologically-enhanced Spider-suit to good use and a gang of thieves with their own special tech, led by The Vulture. We don't know yet how that story will play out, but it certainly looks like it will strengthen Peter's character, making him a more effective superhero for when Avengers: Infinity War rolls around.

Star-Lord

Peter Quill was taken from Earth almost 30 years ago, and although he's led a life of excitement since then, he still hasn't returned to home. With two adventures under his belt with the other Guardians of the Galaxy, the self-named Star-Lord will finally have to head back to Earth in Avengers: Infinity War when Thanos starts wreaking havoc. Since he's been gone for so long, it will be interesting to see how Peter reacts to modern day pop culture, like learning how the Zune isn't the most popular music player like he was led to believe.

Gamora

Gamora was the first of Thanos' "children" to leave his side, and it's a good thing she did, because now she's putting her skills to good use as a Guardian of the Galaxy. Because of her time with the Mad Titan, Gamora will prove invaluable in fighting him and his forces during Avengers: Infinity War. Of course, since she was also Thanos' favorite daughter, that makes her betrayal sting even more for him, so if they cross paths, you can bet that "daddy" is going to have some words for Gamora, to put it as lightly as possible.

Drax

Drax the Destroyer helped with destroying Ronan, the Kree fanatic who killed his wife and daughter. However, Drax told Gamora at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy that Ronan was just a pawn, and for his vengeance to truly be carried out, he would need to kill Thanos. Drax's desire for revenge wasn't mentioned in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but you can bet that if sees Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, he'll try his hardest to eliminate the intergalactic warlord.

Nebula

It took Nebula a little longer to leave Thanos' side, and even longer for her to work out her issues with Gamora. Fortunately the sisters were on good terms by the time Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 concluded, but rather than stick with the Guardians, Nebula departed to begin her quest to kill Thanos. She'll have to contend with Drax trying to fulfill that same objective, but at least we can count on Nebula being an ally during Avengers: Infinity War rather than trying to hurt the other Guardians.

Rocket

Rocket is arguably the biggest smart-ass in the MCU. Yes, dare I say it, even more so than Tony Stark. But after two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, he finally seems to realize that his connections to his fellow Guardians aren't easily broken. Now that his relationship fears have been dealt with, we can count on him providing his weaponry expertise in the showdown against Thanos. There's also concept art of Rocket fighting alongside Thor, so expect him to insult the God of Thunder's hair, or something along those lines.

Groot

It was fun seeing Baby Groot in action during Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but one of the sequel's mid-credits scenes showed that the walking and talking tree is still growing and currently in his teenage phase. Groot will still be in his adolescent phase during Avengers: Infinity War, though perhaps something in either this movie or Avengers 4 will trigger a growth spurt. In any case, if we're lucky, maybe we can see him and Hulk battling some of Thanos' goons side by side, though so far the only other Marvel hero seen alongside the Guardians of the Galaxy in this movie is Thor.

Mantis

Mantis spent most of her life being forced to serve Ego, but now that Peter Quill's father is no more, she has joined the Guardians of the Galaxy. It's unclear if her empathic abilities will come in handy during Avengers: Infinity War, but at least she can now help other with her power rather than serve a sinister Celestial. We also don't have to worry about her being killed off, as she'll be back with the other Guardians in Guardians of the Galaxy 3.

The Collector

Thanos isn't the only one who wants to gather the six Infinity Stones together. Taneleer Tivan, a.k.a. The Collector, has also been eagerly seeking those powerful artifacts, and even though he lost the Orb, a.k.a. Power Stone, when his collection was destroyed, he presumably still has the Aether, a.k.a. the Reality Stone, which he received in Thor: The Dark World. So far, we've only seen The Collector as an eccentric alien who enjoys gathering things for his museum, but maybe we'll see him show off some of his incredible powers in Avengers: Infinity War.

Vision

Vision is one of the newer superheroes in the MCU, but as far as Thanos is concerned, he's arguably the most important Avenger. Vision was born in Avengers: Age of Ultron when the Mind Stone was implanted in the synthetic body that contained J.A.R.V.I.S.'s programming. It's thanks to the Mind Stone that he's so powerful, but it also means that Thanos will immediately seek Vision out to rip the Stone from his forehead. One would assume this would kill Vision, but we won't know for sure until next year.

Loki

Loki struck an alliance with Thanos in The Avengers to secure the Tesseract, a.k.a. the Space Stone, in exchange for the Chitauri army conquering Earth for him. Not only did the Asgardian God of Mischief fail to deliver the Tesseract to the Mad Titan, his invasion was vanquished and he lost the Mind Stone in the process. Since then, Loki has taken over the Asgardian throne in Thor: The Dark World and will play an integral role in Thor: Ragnarok, but we don't know yet how he'll fit into Avengers: Infinity War.

Doctor Strange

Most of the special abilities in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have stemmed from science or cosmic forces, but Doctor Strange fully pulled back the curtain on magic and mysticism. Now that he's the master of New York's Sanctum Sanctorum, Stephen Strange has been keeping track of individuals who could threaten Earth, and Thanos is likely at the top of the list. The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy certainly aren't lacking for brute force, but maybe Doctor Strange's magic could be integral to defeating the Mad Titan.

Black Panther

T'Challa inherited the Black Panther mantle after his father was killed in Captain America: Civil War, and now that T'Chaka's murderer (Helmut Zemo) is in prison, the prince has gone back to his homeland, Wakanda. The Black Panther movie will follow T'Challa as he battles sinister forces aiming to bring down the Wakandan kingdom, but he won't have long to rest after afterwards, because he'll be participating in Avengers: Infinity War only a few months later.

Black Widow

Black Widow has been one of the MCU's most popular superheroes since being introduced in Iron Man 2, and while she still hasn't been given her own solo movie yet, she remains an important character in these ensemble pieces. When we last saw Natasha Romanoff, she'd gone on the run after helping Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes escape. Black Widow is skilled at staying hidden, but we suspect that when Thanos arrives on Earth, she'll return to help her comrades.

Scarlet Witch

Scarlet Witch is one of the most powerful humans on Earth, but she was still captured during Captain America: Civil War's airport battle. Thankfully, Steve Rogers freed her and the other anti-registration supporters from The Raft. It's unclear whether Wanda Maximoff accompanied Steve and Bucky Barnes to Wakanda, or decided to avoid the authorities solo, but when Avengers: Infinity War unfolds, hopefully her psionic abilities will help even the playing field in this epic battle.

Falcon

Falcon has been loyal to Steve Rogers ever since they met in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, so it was no surprise to see the winged hero fight by the Star Spangled Avenger's side in Captain America: Civil War. Now that Sam Wilson is no longer imprisoned on The Raft, it's likely he's continuing to fight the good fight with Captain America in secret, but you can count on Sam busting out his wings and Redwing drone to battle Thanos' minions.

Winter Soldier

At the end of Captain America: Civil War, Bucky Barnes was still on the run from the world's governments for his past crimes as the brainwashed Winter Soldier. Seeking refuge in Wakanda with Steve Rogers, Bucky decided to go back into cold storage until the Wakandan scientists could figure out how to overwrite HYDRA's lingering programming. While there's been some fan speculation that Bucky could reawaken during the Black Panther movie, it's more likely he'll be thawed sometime during Avengers: Infinity War.

Nick Fury

Even though he's no longer S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director, Nick Fury has been continuing his spy activities following Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He reemerged in Avengers: Age of Ultron to help evacuate Sokovia, but his whereabout since then haven't been revealed. Hopefully Avengers: Infinity War will shed light on what he's been up to, but at the very least, it will be good to see him reunited with the superhero group he recruited years ago.

Maria Hill

After S.H.I.E.L.D. fell apart (well, on the big screen, at least), Maria Hill went to work for Tony Stark, and she was seen aiding Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Despite helping set up the team's new base in New York, Maria was nowhere to be see in Captain America: Civil War, so it's unclear if she's still working with them, focusing solely on Stark Industries business or is operating elsewhere. In any case, her secret agent skills may prove valuable during the big event.

Wong

Wong was one of Stephen Strange's three mentors in Doctor Strange, and with The Ancient One dead and Karl Mordo taking power away from sorcerers, Kamar-Taj's librarian is now the former surgeon's closest magical ally. Wong is also familiar with the Infinity Stones, as he identified the Eye of Agamotto as being one of them (the Time Stone) to Stephen. With the Eye back in its resting place, perhaps Wong will be the one defending it when Thanos tries to steal it.

M'Baku

In the comics, M'Baku, better known as Man-Ape, is one of Black Panther's chief villains. All that's been revealed about the MCU's M'Baku is that he's the leader of a rival Wakandan tribe, so it remains to be seen if he'll be an antagonist in the Black Panther movie (like Erik Killmonger and Ulysses Klaue) or merely have differing views from the hero. In any case, we can expect him back for Avengers: Infinity War, and if we're lucky, he'll put aside his differences with T'Challa and defend Wakanda from Thanos' army.

Okoye

We learned a little bit about the Dora Milaje in Captain America: Civil War, and all indications are that we'll learn even more about them when Ryan Coogler opens the doors to Wakanda in his Black Panther movie. As that happens, we'll get closer to Okoye, the leader of this military group and a fiercely loyal supporter of King T'Challa. If the battle against Thanos works its way to Wakanda (as is expected), then Okoye will fight alongside Black Panther and the rest of the Avengers -- as it has recently been confirmed that actress Danai Gurira will, in fact, be part of the Avengers: Infinity War cast.

Proxima Midnight

Thanos is the ultimate big bad that the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy will have to face-off against in The Avengers: Infinity War - but the Mad Titan isn't totally alone in his quest to assemble the Infinity Gauntlet. Rather, he actually has a group known as the Black Order that is dedicated to helping him take over the universe. Proxima Midnight is one member of this four-person team and is not only an immensely skilled warrior, but can do some serious damage with the powerful spear that she likes to chuck around.

Corvus Glaive

Corvus Glaive is the second member of Thanos' Black Order, and is actually the husband of Proxima Midnight. He is considered the leader of the Mad Titan's subordinates, and serves as the purple alien's right-hand man. His name actually comes from the weapon he wields - a glaive - and just by itself it makes him a seriously scary threat. As you can see in the image above, it has the power to cut through anything, including Vision's head, presumably allowing him access to the precious Mind Stone.

Ebony Maw

Another member of the Black Order, Ebony Maw is admittedly not much of a physical threat, As you can see, he's not exactly super ripped. That, however, should not make you underestimate just how powerful he is. He may not have giant muscles, but what he does possess is a special power of persuasion - able to whisper in ears and get things done. So while Iron Man or Captain America could just punch him in the face to knock him out, they are in serious trouble if he successfully sneaks up on them and starts telling them what to do.

Black Dwarf

Also known as Cull Obsidian, Black Dwarf is the fourth and final member of the Black Order - and kind of the opposite of Ebony Maw. He is by far the biggest of Thanos' minions, and able to throw a seriously hefty punch that even Hulk would be affected by. With his might combined with his teammates' combined strength, the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy are definitely in trouble.

Between the movies, the one shots, the limited-series and the television shows, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is constantly growing bigger and bigger week to week - and it's all headed in a rather epic direction. As confirmed by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, everything we've seen so far in the comic book movie world has been building towards a massive big screen battle against the alien warlord known as Thanos, and that huge event will unfold in 2018's The Avengers: Infinity War.

But who amongst the established heroes and villains in the MCU can we expect to see pop up in the movie? Who are the filmmakers responsible for making it? Well, to organize all of that key information we have put together this handy guide which we'll keep updating to let you know the latest info about the giant blockbuster. So read on - but first, give the ridiculously fantastic debut trailer for The Avengers: Infinity War a watch!

What Is The Infinity War Release Date?

As was announced in October 2014, Avengers: Infinity War will be released on April 27, 2018. Originally, the movie was expected to come out on May 4, but following the success of Black Panther, Marvel is keeping the momentum going by pushing up Infinity War a little earlier. Initially, this story was believed to unfold across two movies, as the fourth Avengers movie was titled Infinity War: Part 2. However, directors Joe and Anthony Russo (more on them in a bit) later said that the titles were "misleading," and that eventually they would be changed. That eventually proved true, as in late August 2016 Marvel dropped the Part 1 from the third Avengers movie, thus resulting in Avengers: Infinity War. Avengers 4 still doesn't have an official title. There will still be some "cross pollination" between the two movies, but look at them now as separate and distinct movies.

What Is The Infinity War Rating?

No official rating has been announced yet, but it's a good bet that Avengers: Infinity War will follow in the footsteps of the other MCU movies and be rated PG-13. Granted, the violence will almost assuredly be the most intense we've seen yet in this franchise, but it won't be worthy of being slapped with an R-rating, just to ensure that younger fans can enjoy the experience as well. They'll throw in a few curse words and some suggestive material, but probably no more than the usual content found in a Marvel movie.

The Writers And The Directors

Marvel Studios seems to have a lot of trust in the abilities of the directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo and writing pair Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus. After the latter duo wrote the much-praised script for Captain America: The First Avenger, the four men first worked together on Captain America: The Winter Soldier. That was such a massive success that they were re-teamed for Captain America: Civil War; and with that track record Marvel Studios trusted nobody else to make The Avengers: Infinity War. The 2018 film should definitely be a totally different beast than the previous works of the filmmakers, given that they are working with dozens and dozens of established characters, but there's little reason to doubt that they'll come up with something wildly impressive.

Avengers: Infinity War Cast List

Iron Man

Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) served as the antagonist of Captain America: Civil War, enforcing the new legislation requiring that all superhero folk be regulated. This led to him squaring off against Captain America and the other anti-registration heroes in a battle of ideological differences, an the ending him emotionally scarred after discovering that Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) killed his parents. He's dealing with Steve Rogers' betrayal, and was left in a vulnerable spot. Since then we have seen him get some of his mojo back, helping Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider-Man (Tom Holland) unlock his incredible potential, and it's even possible that when we next see him he will be married to Pepper Potts (Gwenyth Paltrow) - according to the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming. All the same, it's not exactly going to be easy for him to work with a lot of his fellow Avengers following their massive fallout, but they'll need to if they want to have any chance in the fight against Thanos (Josh Brolin)

Captain America

Following the battle against A.I. gone mad in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America (Chris Evans) returned to the big screen in May 2016 for Captain America: Civil War, where he led the charge against the Sokovia Accords and superhero registration. Despite rumors that he would die at the end of the conflict, similar to what happened in the comics, Steve Rogers made it out alive, though he and his allies through the skirmish are now considered criminals by the world's governments (thanks to the fact that Cap freed them all from The Raft prison where they were being held). Even though he's on the run, there's no reason to believe that Captain America has stopped protecting the innocent on their own terms, and fighting Thanos will certainly be a big part of that mission. He'll be sporting a very different look in The Avengers: Infinity War, complete with a full fugitive beard, but there's no doubt that his moral compass will point true north as always.

Chris Evans will appear as Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4 - which it's been said will complete the actor's contract with Marvel Studios. This leaves us wondering if the two big blockbusters could feature the end of the character's run on the big screen, but that's just speculation for now.

Thor

Like Captain America, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) will be carrying a lot of baggage going into The Avengers: Infinity War, but it is of a much different variety. In Thor: Ragnarok, the God of Thunder not only witnessed the death of his father, but also the titular apocalyptic event. Fortunately, Thor was able to save most of the Asgardians before the destruction, shepherding them onto a space ship, but that didn't result in them being totally out of the woods. Instead, the mid-credits sequence showed us that there is a very real threat lurking in the cosmos, and judging by the Infinity War footage that was shown at D23/San Diego Comic-Con 2017 (where Thor was shown floating out in space), it looks like the hero and his people are anything but safe.

Beyond that, the first Avengers: Infinity War trailer also showed us that Thor will be playing a part in one of the most significant moments in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: he will be the first Avenger to meet the Guardians of the Galaxy. At this point we don't really know what's going to happen with that relationship, or how the Asgardian will wind up bringing the intergalactic heroes to Earth, but new trailers may reveal that in the weeks ahead.

The Hulk

At the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) flew away from his fellow Avengers in a Quinjet, and his whereabouts afterwards were a mystery. It turns out, as revealed in Thor: Ragnarok, that he landed on the alien planet Sakaar and had a rather life changing experience becoming a champion gladiator and learning how to (somewhat) properly speak. Over all Bruce Banner spent nearly two full years in his green monster form, and the effect is a created imbalance in the relationship between the two personas. At the end of the third Thor movie, Banner is afraid that turning into Hulk once more could be permanent - though his appearances in the Avengers: Infinity War trailer suggest he found a way to change back.

Outside of the fact that he apparently at one point comes crashing down through the roof of Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum, Hulk info isn't exactly plentiful right now where the Joe and Anthony Russo film is concerned. That said, Mark Ruffalo did confirm to us that his parts in Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4 together form a three-act arc that operates as its own "standalone Hulk story."

Black Widow

Since making her live-action debut in Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow has grown to become a big screen fan favorite, and that level of appreciation has led to an expanded role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In addition to being a full-fledged Avenger, she has also become a key character in Captain America's adventures, appearing in his latter two solo movies. Black Widow's in the wind following Captain America: Civil War, but, not to worry, because it's been confirmed that she will be involved in Avengers: Infinity War.

While she was ultimately doing the right thing, Black Widow broke the law when she allowed Captain America and The Winter Soldier to steal a Quinjet, detaining Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther in the process. She had one final face to face with Tony Stark, but unlike Cap's other associates, was presumably never captured. One theory is that she's been staying in Wakanda, given that it looks as though the mysterious African nation is being established as a safe haven for anti-Sokovia Accords heroes, but one thing we know for certain she's done to keep her identity a secret is go blonde.

Hawkeye

Hawkeye has made steady appearances in the MCU over the last several years, first cameoing in Thor and playing integral roles in The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War. Given his status as an original Avenger, it makes all the sense in the world to bring him back for Avengers: Infinity War - if not only because Earth will need as many superheroes as possible in the fight against Thanos. Well, that's just what'll happen, as Jeremy Renner is signed on for both The Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4. Unfortunately, exactly what his role will be remains a total mystery - even more than most of the other heroes and villains we're discussing in this feature.

This is primarily because Hawkeye is one of the few lead Marvel characters who doesn't make at least a brief appearance in the first Avengers: Infinity War trailer. Last we saw him, Clint Barton was being freed from The Raft by Captain America, but where he went from there is a mystery. Like other characters that have been discussed, he's a fugitive from the law, but his situation is a tad different than most: he's a husband and father of two. It's possible that the events in Germany resulted in him not being able to see his family in the time since, so he may not be such a happy camper when we next catch up with him.

Scarlet Witch

With their introduction in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch and Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Quicksilver became the two newest superpowered individuals making their way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe... but only one was given a future in this franchise. The movie saw the untimely death of Quicksilver, who was killed in action protecting Hawkeye, and while there are no publicly discussed plans to bring him back, Scarlet Witch is a completely different story. She recently returned in Captain America: Civil War, and the Russo brothers confirmed she'll appear for Avengers: Infinity War.

Scarlet Witch was another member of Team Cap in Captain America: Civil War, meaning she did her fair share of lawbreaking. Still, it looks like her fugitive status isn't stopping her developing romantic life. While there were a few bumps in the road, Scarlet Witch and Vision (Paul Bettany) subtly started a more meaningful relationship during the Joe and Anthony Russo film, and it looks like it will further blossom in The Avengers: Infinity War. One of the few shots of her in the trailer had her alongside the incredible android, but there is something very different about his look (more on that in a bit).

Thanos

While he's won't be the only villain featured in Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos will certainly be the main antagonist of the film. We've officially known about the character's presence in the universe since the mid-credits sequence of The Avengers, which revealed him as having a desire to conquer Earth, and we got to know him a bit better in Guardians of the Galaxy through his interactions with Ronan The Accuser. The last time we saw him was in Avengers: Age of Ultron, when he finally decided to hunt for the Infinity Stones himself, though we did see what looked like his ship in the mid-credits sequence of Thor: Ragnarok. In the third Avengers adventure, we will see Thanos finally pursuing all of the Stones in the hopes of assembling them in the Infinity Gauntlet, which will see him effectively gain the powers of a god and gain control over all time and space. Naturally, it will be up to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's greatest heroes to stop him and his minions, known as the Black Order.

Ant-Man

Ant-Man made his big Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in summer 2015 in his very own solo film, and he returned in May 2016 for Captain America: Civil War as one of Steve Rogers' allies. Paul Rudd's Scott Lang is returning for 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp, but beyond that his future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn't been revealed yet. Presumably Marvel will be interested in keeping a character as historically important as Ant-Man and an actor as popular as Rudd in the mix with other players, but for right now, it doesn't appear like he'll be taking part in the craziness that is Avengers: Infinity War. Instead, it seems like he'll be featured in the sequel to his solo film next, and will then join up with everyone else in The Avengers 4.

Wasp

In the Ant-Man mid-credits scene, Evangeline Lilly's Hope van Dyne was finally given her own Wasp suit built by her father, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). The suit was originally intended for her mother, but with Janet gone and Hope skilled with the shrinking technology, it's finally time for her to become a superhero. It looks like moviegoers won't see Hope become the Wasp until 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp, but once that happens, she'll be the newest player among the Marvel Cinematic Universe's growing cast of heroes. Unfortunately for Wasp fans, Evangeline Lilly confirmed that Hope won't appear in Infinity War since she won't have achieved full superhero status yet, but the plan is for her to jump into Avengers 4's conflict - just like her male counterpart.

Spider-Man

Thanks to a landmark deal between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures, Spider-Man debuted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in May 2016 for Captain America: Civil War, where he was played by Tom Holland. That project was an introduction more than anything leading up to his first MCU solo film this past summer, Spider-Man: Homecoming. In the film, which is very much a coming-of-age story, the young Spider-Man had to learn to set boundaries for himself, and ultimately decided to not be an Avenger - instead remaining a "friendly neighborhood Spider-Man." Of course, that plan is going to totally go out the window once Thanos makes his way to town, a time when Earth is going to need all hands on deck.

Also worthy of discussion is the get-up that Spider-Man will be wearing in The Avengers: Infinity War. When Peter turned down membership in The Avengers at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming, he also rejected a specially designed suit that Tony Stark designed for him (which fans have come to call the Iron Spider suit, based on a particular costume from the comics). He was still left with the more traditional outfit that was introduced in Captain America: Civil War, but clearly declined a lot of bells and whistles. As seen in the trailer and the image above, however, it's clear that Peter Parker couldn't resist the Iron Spider armor for long, as it seems he will be putting it on when he joins Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Doctor Strange

After a brief mention in Captain America: Civil War, Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) finally debuted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe when Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange hit theaters in 2015. Shortly before the movie was released, Cumberbatch confirmed that the solo movie wasn't his only plan for the future with Marvel Studios, as the benevolent spell-caster will appear in Avengers: Infinity War as well. Not only is the character expected to become an important and influential figure in the MCU -- as he is in the comics -- but he also serves as the gatekeeper for a very important aspect of the big screen world: The Multiverse.

As teased in Derrickson's blockbuster, Doctor Strange will be the audience's access point to the world of magic and alternate dimensions in the Marvel films, and that area should definitely be explored in the battle against Thanos. After all, the very special relic that he likes to wear around his neck - a.k.a. the time-controlling Eye of Agamotto - is actually one of the six Infinity Stones for which the Mad Titan is hunting (specifically the Time Stone). That alone puts a major target on his back, and its a dangerous situation considering Strange will be dealing with threats unlike anything he's dealt with before. On a brighter note, the advancing manipulator of the mystic arts will have a close friend by his side during The Avengers: Infinity War in Wong (Benedict Wong), and Cumberbatch has said that Strange may also prove integral in mediating the fractured relationship between The Avengers that came about in Captain America: Civil War.

Black Panther

Most major heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are introduced via solo films that explore origin stories, but such was not the case for Black Panther. Instead, Chadwick Boseman debuted as T'Challa in Captain America: Civil War, and he immediately became a fan favorite. There is still much to learn about his character and where he comes from before the events of The Avengers: Infinity War, but that's why Ryan Coogler's Black Panther is arriving in theaters in February 2018.

Based on the trailer for The Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther should actually wind up being a key set-up film for the summer release, given that it looks like Wakanda is going to be a very important location in the blockbuster. Wakanda is, of course, the secretive African nation that calls T'Challa king, and, as mentioned earlier, the footage suggests that it's been a safe haven for heroes like Captain America who are technically fugitives everywhere else in the world. Furthermore, Danai Gurira's Okoye is slated to return in the Joe and Anthony Russo-directed blockbuster, and there have been reports that Winston Duke's M'Baku will be back as well.

Vision

After years of voicing Tony Stark's digital butler J.A.R.V.I.S. in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Paul Bettany finally joined the live-action ensemble of the gigantic comic book world by playing Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Following his "birth," he returned for Captain America: Civil War, fighting for Team Iron Man. Given the character's incredible abilities - including flight, density manipulation, energy projection, and apparently making himself look human - he will certainly be an asset in the fight against Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, so you can look forward to seeing him in the upcoming film. There is, however a... problem.

You see that yellow glowing thing in the middle of Vision's forehead in the image above? As any Marvel fan will tell you, that's the Mind Stone, and Doctor Strange's Eye of Agamotto, it's basically a giant target for Thanos. From the trailer we know that Black Order member Corvus Glaive is going to use his special bladed weapon to try and pry the Infinity Stone from Vision's head, but what we don't know is exactly what that's going to do to the Avenger. Is it going to kill him? Is it going to leave him comatose? Or can he just get on without it?

Guardians of the Galaxy

The Avengers: Infinity War is an exciting upcoming blockbuster for many reasons, but unquestionably one of the biggest is the opportunity to see the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy fight side-by-side. Per the request of writer/director James Gunn, the Guardians have thus far existed in a very different corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe than everyone else, but that all changes with the franchise's first capstone project. In the trailer we get to see Thor meet Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Mantis (Pom Klementieff), but that's only the tip of the iceberg.

And it's not just the Guardians of the Galaxy who will be appearing in The Avengers: Infinity War either. We expect a few supporting characters from that particular realm of the MCU to make appearances, but Karen Gillan's Nebula is confirmed to have a role in the blockbuster as well. We'll keep updating this space as new names pop up.

Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel will be the last Marvel Cinematic Universe movie to come out before Avengers 4, but there is some question as to whether or not its titular hero will be making her big screen debut in The Avengers: Infinity War. Some have questioned the super early casting of Brie Larson as Carol Danvers as evidence of this, and the Russo brothers have even gone so far as to hint that it is happening. Exactly how it could happen we don't really know - and that's partially because of what we know about her solo film.

Not only will Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's Captain Marvel be an origin story - explaining how Carol Danvers had her DNA fused with a alien's giving her superpowers - but the plan is to set the film in the 1990s. This not only raises the question asking where she's been for the last couple of decades, but also how the franchise will deal with her presumably not aging during that time. These are answers we have to just wait for.

Falcon

We can't really say at this point exactly what Sam Wilson a.k.a. Falcon (Anthony Mackie) did the moment he was freed from The Raft by Captain America, but we can take a guess: he probably just stuck with Captain America. The two men have been best friends ever since the events that went down in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and they always have each other's back in a time of crisis. And what's more of a crisis than being considered wanted men by almost every nation on Earth?

Just like Scarlet Witch, Black Widow, The Winter Soldier, Hawkeye, and Ant-Man, Falcon clearly finds some way to overcome his fugitive status when the world needs his help in The Avengers: Infinity War. He's not featured a lot in the first trailer, but we do know that he manages to get his specially-designed wing pack back, and is fighting alongside the titular team in Wakanda. We'll have to wait on more trailers and eventually the finished film to fill in the gaps.

War Machine

Nobody walked away from Captain America: Civil War totally unscathed, but James 'Rhodey' Rhodes (Don Cheadle) arguably got it the worst. Thanks to an errant energy blast from Vision, War Machine found his armor malfunctioning mid-flight, and crashed down to the ground without any kind of support system available. Rhodey hit the ground hard, and while the armor kept him from dying, the accident also left him paralyzed from the waist down. He thankfully has a friend in Tony Stark, who was able to build an exoskeleton to help him walk again, but he may never be 100% ever again.

This leads us to his part in The Avengers: Infinity War. We know that War Machine (at least the armor) appears in the film, as you can see him in the top left corner of the big money shot before the title card in the trailer. However, that was his only appearance in the footage, so we don't really know how he is or what he's been up to since we last saw him. Hopefully he's in good spirits and adjusting to his injury.

Other Characters

Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely mentioned that there are around 75 major MCU characters available for them to use in Avengers: Infinity War, so despite all the people we've already mentioned, there's a lot more room for additions. So far The Winter Soldier, Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), Pepper Potts and Wong are all confirmed to return - though there has been some question about the involvement of Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury (who is set to reprise the part in Captain Marvel). Stellan Skarsgård has expressed interest in coming back to play Erik Selvig, and while at one time it was unclear whether Loki was expected to appear, he has now been confirmed (seen handing the Tesseract a.k.a. The Space Stone to somebody in the screengrab above). Then there's Benicio Del Toro's Taneleer Tivan, a.k.a. The Collector, who, like Thanos, is hoping to gather all of the Infinity Stones, and is expected to appear because he's in possession of the Aether a.k.a. The Reality Stone

As for newcomers, Peter Dinklage has reportedly joined the cast, and while his specific role has not been identified, there are rumors that he will be playing the cosmic weirdo Pip the Troll. Terry Notary is portraying one of Thanos' henchmen (Black Dwarf) via performance capture, and Irish actor Tom Vaughan-Lawlor is portraying Ebony Maw. It has not yet been revealed who will be playing Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive, the other two members of the Black Order.

The Defenders

Marvel's superhero work isn't being limited to the big screen these days. They've also broken into the world of online streaming content, and they're using that format -- and a deal with Netflix - to bring together the likes of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist to form the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of The Defenders. Being that they are heroes of the MCU, that obviously makes them candidates to be a part of Avengers: Infinity War - but whether or not that will actually happen is unclear right now. There were rumors in 2015 saying that the New York-based characters won't show up in the movies until the fourth Avengers movie in 2019, but since then, various comments from folks in both the movie and TV divisions have suggested it would be difficult to include them even then. Things could obviously change at some point, and there could perhaps be a big surprise in store, but right now the chances of them appearing are slim.

Guardians of the Galaxy's Gamora is a skilled fighter and accomplished killer when we meet her in the original film. While the character has gone through significant changes over the course of two movies, some new art shows how the old Gamora could have informed her look in the new film. One Marvel artist has revealed some concepts he had for Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 that would have harkened back to the sort of person Gamora used to be. Check it out.

Marvel artist Andy Park, who has created some really remarkable concept art for several Marvel Studios films, recently revealed this look he put together for Gamora for the most recent movie. It puts her in a cloak and hood which gives her a slightly sinister and mysterious vibe which Park says was meant to evoke the sort of person she was prior to the first movie.

The outfit clearly has a sort of Assassin's Creed thing going on. One expects to see her perched on a rooftop at night dressed like this, waiting for her target to walk by so she can leap down and stab him in the throat. Needless to say, it's a pretty awesome look. Park had previously posed a similar design which saw Gamora without the cloak, but instead wearing a sort of armor, which we assume is still on underneath the cloak in this image. Park said it was the wrong direction for what James Gunn was looking for from Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Eventually, we saw Gamora looking less like a warrior or assassin, and wearing an outfit that was more functional.

As awesome as Andy Park's design looks, it certainly would have been out of place in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. From the way Park talks about it here, it sounds like this was less of a real possibility for Gamora's design and more just something the artist wanted to create because he just thought it would look good. He's certainly not wrong. Maybe if we ever get a prequel story that includes a younger Gamora we can go back and look at this. It's so good it's a shame not to use it somewhere.

Of course, since we don't really know what will happen with Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War or Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, maybe there's room for this look somewhere in the future as well.

For years Thanos has just been the guy hanging out on the sidelines in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, leaving others to do his dirty work. Next year, Avengers: Infinity War will finally show what the Mad Titan is capable of. It will take the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and more to stop him, and make no mistake, it will be the biggest conflict the MCU has ever seen, potentially extending into Avengers 4. That said, these are superhero tales, and even with the inevitable loss of life, Thanos will be defeat. The question is who will be the one to take him down.

Avengers: Infinity War will be packed with a lot of superheroes, but only a select few of them could successfully kill him. Keeping in mind Thanos' natural abilities, how he may successfully manipulate some or all of the Infinity Stones (hence why we can't include The Vision here) and who's been confirmed for the Marvel blockbuster, here's who we've ranked from least likely to most likely to get the job done, whether due to their power levels or for narrative reasons.

Warning: some spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 are ahead!

9. Iron Man

Let me preface this by saying that Tony Stark wouldn't stand a chance going toe to toe with Thanos while wearing one of his typical armored suits. Even without the Infinity Stones, Thanos is one of the strongest beings in the universe, and he could easily rip apart Tony's trademark weapons. The only reason Iron Man is being included on this list is if one of two scenarios happen in Avengers: Infinity War. The first is if during the movie, Tony comes across some kind of alien technology that's able to boost one of his suit's power to levels that couldn't have been reached even using cutting edge Earth technology. The second, and more preferred scenario, is if Tony is somehow able to control one of the Infinity Stones and use its power against Thanos. If neither of those things happen, then chances are extremely slim that Tony will be the one to kill the Mad Titan.

8. Doctor Strange

Unlike the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy, Stephen Strange harnesses magic to keep our reality safe, so maybe magic is the key to stopping Thanos once and for all. The Infinity Stones are arguably the most powerful cosmic forces in the galaxy, but with the right spells and strategy, Doctor Strange could conceivably overpower Thanos. Spell-casting is tricky, but given what Doctor Strange was able to accomplish in his first movie, and all the added experience he'll have gained between then and Infinity War, he could be up to the task. On the off chance that magic isn't enough, don't forget that Strange also has experience wielding the Time Stone. So even if Thanos gets his hands on some of the other Infinity Stones, maybe the sorcery/Time Stone combination could give Strange an advantage.

7. Thor

Thor is going to be put through the ringer later this year in Thor: Ragnarok, which will include losing his trusty hammer, Mjolnir. However, as revealed in concept art, the God of Thunder will be ready for battle again in Avengers: Infinity War, this time armed with a new weapon. While he may not be quite at Thanos' level of power, Thor does come close both through his natural Asgardians abilities and his own particular set of skills. That's not to say that his fight against Thanos wouldn't be the toughest of his life, but assuming that Thanos hasn't become invincible from the Infinity Stones and is relying on his natural might, Thor could find an opportunity to strike a mortal blow, even if it means having to sacrifice himself.

6. Loki

Loki struck an alliance with Thanos in The Avengers, but the God of Mischief failed to keep up his end of the bargain when he didn't return the Tesseract to the Mad Titan. It's not Loki's fault, a team of superheroes got in his way! Regardless, several years have passed since the Battle of New York, and we wouldn't be surprised if Loki still holds a grudge against Thanos for leaving him behind. It's unclear if Loki will change for the better in Thor: Ragnarok, but even if he doesn't, you can bet that if sees an opportunity to kill Thanos, he'll take it. Loki isn't physically imposing, so in a direct conflict with Thanos, he'd likely lose. However, the reason Loki is one of the MCU's most dangerous villains is because of his illusions and scheming mind. If he kills Thanos, it will be through one of his "tricks," and the Mad Titan may not even die realizing that Loki was the one who slayed him.

5. Hulk

As we've said several times already, Thanos is powerful without the Infinity Stones, and one of the few beings who can match him physically is The Hulk. Rest assured, Avengers: Infinity War will be packed with a lot of action, but few, if any, of those moments would measure up with seeing Hulk and Thanos engaged in fisticuffs. Whether he's on Earth or in the Sakaar gladiator ring, Hulk has built quite the reputation across the galaxy, so it's not unimaginable that Thanos would welcome the chance to deliver a beating to the Green Goliath. Admittedly, Thanos has defeated Hulk in the comics, but Infinity War doesn't have to follow suit. Just imagine seeing a Hulk vs. Thanos fight ending with the former beating the latter into a pulp. Now that's great superhero cinema.

4. Gamora

After killing her family when she was a child, Thanos claimed Gamora as his "daughter" and raised to be one of the galaxy's most proficient assassins. While she's not as hellbent on revenge against her "father" as Nebula (more on her later), Gamora certainly holds a grudge against Thanos, and if given the opportunity, we doubt that she'd pass up slicing his head off or obliterating him with a giant laser gun. Gamora is on the heroic path now that she's part of the Guardians of the Galaxy, but given her past with Thanos, as well as how all of existence could be destroyed should he succeed, she'll kill her "dad," though the aftermath of that decision would almost certainly be explored in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

3. Thanos Himself

There are two main ways this idea could be looked at with regard to Thanos. The first is the traditional approach where the villain is responsible for their own demise, usually through overconfidence or being deceived by the story's protagonist. But the second option is far more interesting, and it's focused on Thanos' obsession with Death. Like his comic book counterpart, it's implied that MCU's Thanos will try to court the personification of Death, although it's unclear whether this be an entity we haven't met yet or if this franchise is using Cate Blanchett's Hela (the Norse goddess of death) as a substitute. Regardless, if the Infinity Gauntlet story is being used for inspiration, then the Mad Titan will seek out the Infinity Stones to wipe out billions of beings so he can prove his love to Death. Maybe before he can do that, or after such changes to reality have been reverted, he'll be put in a situation where he willingly accepts Death's cold embrace, thus fulfilling his long-held desire and ending his reign of terror.

2. Nebula

Like Gamora, Nebula was raised as Thanos' daughter, but because she lost many of the challenges that he put his "kids" through, she endured more abuse and torture from. Following Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Nebula and Gamora seem to have repaired their relationship, but now all of Nebula's hatred is directed towards Thanos. The only reason she didn't permanently join the Guardians of the Galaxy is because she's determined to kill the Mad Titan. Having either of Thanos' daughters kill him would be fitting, but Nebula is more deserving of the opportunity given that Thanos not only abused her, but replaced most of her body parts to make her "better." Watching her dish out revenge would be immensely satisfying. It's also worth noting that in The Infinity Gauntlet, Nebula played an integral role in undoing all the damage Thanos caused. Maybe the movie can follow a similar path by having her be the one to eliminate him.

1. Drax

Nebula isn't the only one who wants to kill Thanos. In Guardians of the Galaxy, Drax the Destroyer aided in killing Ronan the Accuser, the Kree fanatic who killed his wife and daughter. However, realizing that Ronan was just a "pawn," Drax told Gamora that he needed to kill Thanos to truly avenge his family. Drax's didn't discuss his desire for vengeance in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but if/when he crosses paths with the Mad Titan in Avengers: Infinity War, you can be sure he'll pull out his blades and try to decapitate him. Of course, Drax has habit of charging into battle without thinking, so his first attempt at Thanos' life may not go well. But later on, when Thanos is weakened and can't rely on the Infinity Stones, Drax can finally fulfill his mission and eliminate the alien warlord responsible for so much of his pain.

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The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has kept us up to date on a regular basis with most of its heroes, it's been three years since we last touched base with The Guardians of the Galaxy. They've been an entirely separate entity up to this point, but we finally got to catch up with some of our favorite movie heroes when the sequel arrived this weekend.

The first movie left us with many questions, the sequel gave us a few answers. Many just filled in questions that we had about the backstory of numerous characters, while others have interesting implications about where the Guardians may go from here. Here are eight things we learned following Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Who Star-Lord's Father Is

Technically, this question was answered prior to the movie itself, as the reveal was in the trailers, but it was still a big question that we had after the first movie that officially saw its answer in the sequel. We knew that Peter Quill's father was somebody from outer space, but now we know that the specific spaceman was Ego, the Living Planet, played by Kurt Russell. It's a significant departure from the answer in the comics, though clearly, the reasons for the change were all based on the rest of the story.

Peter Quill Has, Or Had, Cosmic Powers

The Guardians of the Galaxy showed how powerful they were as a team at the end of the first movie when they successfully held back the power of an Infinity Stone. We knew that Peter Quill's ability to do that was due to his genetic makeup, but in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we learned that Peter's abilities went far beyond that. He actually had the same ability to create objects that his father Ego had. While the implication was that without the planet Ego created, Peter's powers are now gone, the truth is that Peter is still half-celestial, and thus we can't be sure that he doesn't still have some power inside.

Ego Killed Peter's Mom

While we learned that Ego did a lot of reproducing in an attempt to create somebody capable of helping him with his plan, Ego repeatedly tells Peter that he loved his mother. It's a really lovely thing to hear. However, we then discover that Ego apparently loved Meredith Quill so much, that he felt the only way to be sure he would stay focused on his task, was to give her a brain tumor so she would die. We're fairly certain the entire audience wanted to do the same thing to Ego that Peter did, unload a pair of blasters in his face without giving it a second thought.

Yondu's History With the Ravagers

Not every answer that we got in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 even came from a question that we actually had. Most people probably never wondered about the larger Ravager collective beyond Yondu and his group, or even wondered if such a thing existed. As it turns out, it does, and most of them didn't like Yondu much. Apparently, his decision to work as a de facto child trafficker for Ego put him on the opposing side of the Ravager code. While he realized later what he had done and regretted the decision, the Ravagers hold a grudge, and Yondu was still banished from all Ravager factions for his actions. Though in the end, amends were made.

Why Yondu Didn't Turn Over Peter As A Child

It's not until the very end of the original Guardians of the Galaxy that we learn that Yondu was actually hired by Peter Quill's father to bring the boy to him. Peter has always been of the understanding that Yondu found him useful, and that's why he decided to keep him around. Once we learn what Ego's true motives were, however, we also learn that Yondu discovered what was happening to the kids he was delivering, and then made the decision that he had to stop. It's the moment at which we truly see the man's heart.

Stan Lee Is A Watcher, Or At Least Works With Them

One of the more entertaining fan theories regarding Stan Lee's cameos in Marvel films has been that he is, in fact, playing the exact same character each time. In this theory, Lee is a Watcher, one of Marvel's collection of intergalactic observers who record the events of the Marvel Universe without ever getting involved. During Lee's expected cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we see the Marvel creator conversing with a group of these Watchers. He's telling him about the time he was a FedEx man, a reference to his cameo at the end of Captain America: Civil War. However, the statement also implies there have been other "times" for him as well. It's not clear if Lee is actually a Watcher, as he doesn't look like them, but clearly, there's a relationship.

Why Nebula Is A Cyborg

We know that Nebula, unlike Gamora, was the biological daughter of Thanos, but even before she lost her hand at the end of the first film, she seemed to have a lot more cybernetic parts than her father does. In the new film, we learned why that was. Thanos used to have his two daughters fight each other on a regular basis. Gamora would always win. Whenever this happened, Thanos would replace part of her body with robotics, in the belief that this would make her a better fighter, but it never seemed to work. It explains why Nebula was so willing to lose her arm previously. It also explains why she really wants to kill her dad and kick the crap out of her sister.

Ayesha Creates Adam Warlock

While nearly all of the post-credits sequences in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 were played for laughs, one of them was much more serious. One of the key characters that is incredibly important to the Infinity Gauntlet comic book storyline, but was so far unseen in the MCU was Adam Warlock. At the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we see Ayesha, despondent at the Sovereign's defeat by the Guardians, has a new plan to prevent such things from happening again. We see a sarcophagus-like device which is actually a Sovereign birthing pod. It's currently building the next generation of Sovereign citizen. Namely, a being Ayesha decides to call Adam. Whether Adam will become a key player in Avengers: Infinity War, or whether we won't see him until Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is unknown, but one way or another, he's coming.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is already playing in various international locations and is only two days away from opening in the U.S., but attention is already being turned to the future of the space-faring superhero team. And no, I'm not talking about their appearance in next year's Avengers: Infinity War. Last month, it was announced that James Gunn will return to write and direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which he has already started working on. It will be a long time until we learn specific details concerning the threequel, but apparently Gunn is already formulating how to give Gamora a bigger role.

Along with talking to Chris Pratt about what he's cooking up for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, James Gunn told USA Today that he's had "some pretty intense conversations" with Zoe Saldana about Gamora having a "significant" role in the movie. No elaboration was provided on what this will entail, and with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4 following after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, who knows what Gamora will be like? However, when our own Eric Eisenberg spoke with Saldana about Gamora's role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the actress expressed interest in exploring how Gamora's dark past affects her in a third movie. She stated:

Like Nebula, Gamora was taken by Thanos at a young age and raised to be one of the galaxy's deadliest assassins. It was only when she learned about her "dad's" deal with Ronan to help him destroy Xandar in exchange for the Power Orb that she turned her back on the Mad Titan, and upon befriending the other Guardians, she's now using her talents for good. Nevertheless, one doesn't simply get over the kind of things that Gamora went through under Thanos' upbringing, so even though she's on a better life path, there are still some issues she needs to work through.

Of course, we're a long ways away to seeing what's in store for Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. First we have to see what happens to her in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and after that, she and the other Guardians will need to help Earth's Mightiest Heroes battle Thanos and prevent him from obtaining unlimited power through the six Infinity Stones in Avengers: Infinity War. And let's not forget her involvement in Avengers 4, which we know nothing about plot-wise.

The next chapter of Gamora's life will unfold when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is released this Friday.

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, audiences are given the opportunity to reunite with some wonderful intergalactic characters, following them on a brand new adventure that takes them to fascinating new reaches of the cosmos and on a collision course with a number of fantastical new beings. Perhaps the best part about it, however, is the way in which it continues the individual arcs of the original heroes and gives them specific motivations -- and to fully grasp that element of the blockbuster, it helps to look back on where they have been.

Reflecting on what we've seen from Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot so far, and analyzing where the story of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 starts up, we've assembled this feature to lay out the primary obstacle that is facing the heroes going into their latest big screen chapter. Let's break it down!

Peter Quill: The Search Continues For His Dad

Peter Quill may walk like a human, and talk like a human, but the reality is that he isn't entirely human. As revealed by Nova Prime, Peter's father is a part of an ancient, uncategorized alien race, which is why he could handle the power of an Infinity Stone (albeit with the help of his friends). This bit of information in Guardians of the Galaxy launched a massive fan investigation into the identity of Peter's dad - and it's a mystery that is very much at the center of events in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Peter isn't specifically looking for his paternal figure when we catch up with him in the new James Gunn movie, but it doesn't take long for them to cross paths. It turns out that saving Xandar has finally made Star-Lord a popular name, and it winds up bringing his father a.k.a. Ego The Living Planet, to him. Not only is that an awkward introduction, but there is also the conflict that it creates between the heroic human and Yondu -- who kept the young Peter away from his dad for decades.

Gamora: She Doesn't Let Anyone Get Close... Especially Peter And Her Sister

Gamora comes across as a complete badass who earns her title from the comics -- The Deadliest Woman In The Universe -- but that personality and those skills comes as a result of a nightmarish life. As we learn in Guardians of the Galaxy, her parents were killed by Thanos when she was young, and rather than killing her as well, Thanos decided to adopt her and raised her as his daughter. She had an excessively cruel upbringing, and it stops her from really getting close with anybody.

As such, being a part of a unit as tight as the Guardians of the Galaxy requires a bit of an adjustment, and it's something that she's going through at the start of Guardians 2. Walls are raised up all around her -- but particularly around Peter, who very clearly has more than friendly feelings about her. Certainly not improving things is the presence of Nebula, a fellow daughter of Thanos who not only reminds Gamora of her terrible past, but also very much wants her dead.

Drax: Can Family Outweigh The Desire For Revenge?

When we meet Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, he is an individual with a great deal of anger within him -- which has motivated the nickname "The Destroyer." Following the death of his wife and daughter, his entire existence has been dedicated to revenge -- and even after he manages to be a part of killing the individual responsible (Ronan The Accuser), all that he claims changes is his target (with Thanos now in the crosshairs).

Drax brings this baggage into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but finds his thirst for vengeance run into conflict with being happy with the people in his life. He doesn't hesitate to express how much he loves Peter, Gamora, Rocket and Groot, but because of his nature, unfortunately it regularly presents itself in the form of reckless, foolish, and dangerous behavior. Of course, one big part of the sequel is Drax's bond with the innocent Mantis, and it's a relationship that has the potential for a great effect on him.

Rocket: Pushing People Away Before They Do It To Him

If you think back to the big action climax of Guardians of the Galaxy, you'll remember that Rocket wasn't present when the titular team had their emotional moment among Groot's glowing spores. And it's interesting to think about how he might have acted. While Gamora has been shown to occasionally let her guard down, the same can't be said for Rocket -- who deflects all feelings with jokes, callousness, or insults. He's part of something larger than himself at the start of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but the question is how long can he make that last?

Any psychiatrist would have a field day with the fluffy little alien, as he truly wears his psychosis on his sleeve: in fear of being pushed away by those closest to him, he preemptively pushes them away first. As a part of a team with Rocket, the rest of the Guardians certainly must show a level of tolerance and understanding of his broken nature, but still lingers the possibility that he could take one step too far while acting out and could lose the only people in his life who have demonstrated that they care about him.

Groot: Desperately In Need Of A Decent Parental Figure

Groot did an incredibly noble thing at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy -- using his body to shield his friends as they rode Ronan's ship, the Dark Aster, down to the surface of Xandar. Because of this, the tree-like creature restarted his life cycle, and when we catch up with him in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 he is the intellectual equivalent of a two-year-old (with only two months having passed since last appearing on the big screen). Unfortunately, his new-found family completely lacks anybody who can be called a decent parental figure.

While it's true that the group does care about Groot's safety, they hardly make it their first priority -- as they seemingly don't have a moment's hesitation about letting him walk/dance around during a dangerous battle. There's a balance of bad experience and ignorance that is ultimately to blame, but it also means that Groot must learn how to be self-sufficient to a certain degree.

There are no two ways about it: James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy turned out to be an absolutely massive hit. Not only did it earn some of the best reviews of 2014, it also turned out to be massively popular with movie-goers and was a box office smash. With all of the buzz going into opening weekend, it was barely a surprise when Marvel Studios announced, before the first film even opened, that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 would be out in 2017. Now it's easily one of our most anticipated future titles.

Marvel Studios is, of course, very good at keeping details about their in-development projects secret, but every so often a cool little bit of info sneaks out and tells us just a little bit more about the film. That's where we come in. Let's start by taking a look at what we've seen from the film so far by way of its first full trailer:

Below you'll find a compilation of every detail we know about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 so far, from the returning actors and filmmakers to the series newcomers we can expect to show up. Read on, and learn!

What Is The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Release Date?

Of the 10 movies that will be coming out in Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will be arriving third - following both Captain America: Civil War and Doctor Strange. The first movie to come out as part of Marvel Studios' first calendar year with three blockbusters, the James Gunn-directed sequel will be in theaters on May 5, 2017. The deep space story will kick things off for the year, and be followed by Jon Watts' Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 7, 2017) and Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok (November 3, 2017).

What Is The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Rating?

This is not going to blow anybody's minds. Despite the fact that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has not yet been fully assembled and brought before a ratings board, we can already guarantee you what the Marvel Studios film's rating is going to be: PG-13. How do we know this? Because every Marvel feature to this point has been rated PG-13, and it's been confirmed by the CEO of Disney that there are no plans to make an R-rated superhero title any time soon.

It's true that James Gunn's first few directorial efforts - including Slither and Super - were both blood-covered affairs that earned hard R-ratings, but we certainly don't expect that for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Even beyond the fact that Marvel has no interest in making R-rated movies, making the sequel only for audiences older than 18 would be a serious burn to the younger fans who fell in love with the first movie.

What Will Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Be About?

If you think back to the months before the release of the first Guardians of the Galaxy, you'll remember that not much was really revealed about the story. Sure, trailers established that Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot would be joining forces while in prison and that their adventure had something to do with a mysterious orb, but that was pretty much it. Such is the case for the sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

That being said, various interviews with those involved with the production have offered some hints regarding when the story picks up and the themes of his upcoming film, and they're quite interesting. Unlike most Marvel Studios sequels, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 won't use real time to caliber how much time has passed since the last movie, and instead will start approximately two months after the end of the 2014 hit. And while we don't know much about the plot other than the fact that it will see Peter Quill a.k.a. Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) reunited with his father (more on that later), we do know that James Gunn's script will hit on important subjects regarding family, where you come from, and how that affects who you are.

James Gunn

Prior to the first Guardians of the Galaxy, writer/director James Gunn never worked on a feature with a budget higher than $15 million, but any and all doubts about him as a blockbuster filmmaker were put to rest with the release of his first comic book movie. Throughout production, Gunn and Marvel got along famously, which is perhaps a big part of why he is back writing and directing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The news was made official at San Diego Comic-Con 2014 when the director paired up with star Chris Pratt on a video presentation to announce the project's official release date a few weeks prior to the movie's release.

James Gunn has been very open and accessible to fans throughout the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's development - writing heartfelt letters, doing live chats, and even sharing crudely drawn storyboards. He has said that he has known for a very long time where a sequel to the first film would go, and in May 2017 we'll finally learn the extent of those plans.

Peter Quill a.k.a. Star-Lord (Chris Pratt)

Peter Quill a.k.a. Star-Lord (played by Chris Pratt) was a womanizing, asshole thief when we first met him as an adult in Guardians of the Galaxy, but he undergoes an incredible arc in the movie that sees him really transform into a mature leader. As firmly established in Gamora's final lines in the first film, he is who the rest of the Guardians are now looking to for guidance as they go on further adventures. On that front, things may be a be difficult, both because of his inexperience and because he happens to be in love with Gamora.

Certainly another more personal conflict for Star-Lord that will be front and center will be his coming to terms with being half-alien. He learned about his special DNA at the end of the first movie, and in the sequel we learn that his dad is none other than Ego The Living Planet (we'll have more on him in a bit). The new film will certainly see Peter Quill not only dealing with the fact that he's not entirely human, but also question whether or not he can actually trust his newly-discovered father.

Gamora (Zoe Saldana)

Gamora (played by Zoe Saldana) has certainly had it rough for her entire life, with her parents being killed right in front of her by a psychotic alien who would wind up raising her as his own daughter. But those dark days seem to be behind her. She has found a new family in Peter Quill, Rocket, Drax and Groot, and she is pursuing her happiness. Of course, just because she may be trying to leave the past in the past doesn't mean that her enemies will do the same. Thanos will be incredibly displeased that his "favorite" daughter has betrayed him to become a hero, and let's also not forget that the dangerous and extremely pissed off Nebula is still around and fighting. We're not sure about the former, as Thanos has not been confirmed for the sequel yet, but we expect a serious showdown between Gamora and Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Drax The Destroyer (Dave Bautista)

In bringing Drax the Destroyer to life in Guardians of the Galaxy, Dave Bautista not only provided the movie with some of its best laughs, but also many of its most dramatic moments. The hatred and rage that Drax felt towards Ronan was extremely powerful and palpable, and while he ultimately wasn't the one who 100% directly killed his sworn foe (it was a team effort), he certainly got his revenge. The problem is that killing Ronan didn't give him the satisfaction he needed to get over the death of his wife and daughter (this is why revenge is no good, people!).

As Drax says at the very end of Guardians of the Galaxy, all of his attention has now been turned towards Thanos, who he knows has been pulling the strings all along anyway. Will he succeed? It's hard to say at this point, but the characters most certainly do have a history in the comics. It doesn't look like that will be the alien hero's main drive in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but James Gunn has at the very least promised that we will learn a bit about the alien warrior "that nobody knows." Right now we can't say specifically what he will be up to story-wise in the sequel, but at the very least the trailers suggest that he will be a close confident for Peter Quill regarding his feelings for Gamora (though it doesn't seem like it's a secret to which he holds on to for very long).

Rocket Raccoon (voice of Bradley Cooper)

We pretty much learn everything we need to know about Rocket's attitude and general outlook on life within the first few moments of meeting him in Guardians of the Galaxy. Making fun of various aliens who are doing nothing more than going on with their day, the diminutive, furry, gun-lover is the exact opposite of a people person, and is as surly as they come. By the end of the film he does even out a bit emotionally by understanding the importance of having other people in his life, but he is still far from a happy camper. He will be along for the ride in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, with Bradley Cooper returning to provide the voice (and Sean Gunn doing the motion capture work). While we don't know anything plot specific about his arc yet, one big thing will be the fact that he has to deal with some major changes in regards to his best friend, Groot, who has undergone an interesting change...

Groot (voice of Vin Diesel)

He can only say three words (okay, five words), but Groot, the alien tree voiced by Vin Diesel, was still able to create some of the most emotional moments in Guardians of the Galaxy - one of them being his incredible self-sacrifice to save his friends in the third act. Aboard the Dark Aster with the rest of the Guardians as it was crashing down to the surface of Xandar, Groot grew and morphed to become a protective shell for his teammates in order to save them, and he was shattered into a million pieces as a result.

The good news is that it's incredibly hard to kill a Groot thanks to their regenerative powers. At the end of Guardians of the Galaxy, Groot is nothing more than a sapling who enjoys grooving to the sound of the Jackson 5... and he won't actually be fully grown when we see him next. First confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con 2016, Baby Groot is going to be around for quite a while in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 -- with no memory of events before events on the Dark Aster. As a result of this, the entire universe around him is going to be quite new, requiring Rocket to show him the ropes in every area.

Nebula (Karen Gillan)

If there was any central supporting character in Guardians of the Galaxy that we really want to see more from, it was actress Karen Gillan's Nebula. The character's design and behavior were incredibly badass, but the movie having so much going on didn't allow her nearly enough screen time. Fortunately, we can expect Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 to fix that problem. Ronan and Korath may be dead, but Nebula managed to survive her fight with the Guardians of the Galaxy (albeit minus one cyborg hand), and took off in a spaceship to god knows where.

Will she reunite with Thanos? That question doesn't have an answer yet, but Marvel Studios President Kevin Fiege has made note of the character's importance in certain major comic book arcs that could someday wind up finding their way to the big screen (specifically in The Avengers: Infinity War). Nebula will definitely be back in action for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but it's worth noting that she may be having a change of heart evil/good-wise. Artwork for the film suggests that she will be a full-fledged member of the team before the end credits roll, which is an interesting development given what we know about her.

Yondu (Michael Rooker)

There's a seemingly endless number of shockingly entertaining characters in Guardians of the Galaxy, but perhaps the most surprising of them all is the performance given by Michael Rooker as Yondu. Part Boba Fett and part Jabba The Hutt, this blue, mohawked Ravager stole every scene he was in with his Kentucky fried accent and whistle-controlled arrow. Rooker's many years of working with director James Gunn basically insured that Yondu would be back for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and he absolutely will be.

So what will Yondu be doing in the blockbuster? Well, he'll actually be joining the ranks of the titular team as a full-fledged member. James Gunn promised early on that the Guardians of the Galaxy roster would change over time, and Yondu is one major addition in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. We don't know exactly how he winds up joining the team, but one thing we do know is that he will be sporting a brand new prototype head fin that allows him to use his whistle-controlled arrow better than ever.

The Ravagers

As portrayed in Guardians of the Galaxy, the Ravagers aren't exactly good people. Led by Yondu, they're a gang of space pirates who apparently aren't above eating human children. They wound up being allies to the titular team in James Gunn's first blockbuster, helping them and the Nova Corps take down Ronan and the Dark Aster, but it doesn't look as though they will be staying that way in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

The first footage from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 shown at San Diego Comic-Con didn't feature the Ravagers working with the Guardians of the Galaxy, but instead imprisoning Rocket and Yondu and threatening to destroy Groot. We can't say why exactly they wind up turning on their leader and former friends, but we do know that they wind up paying for this misdeed with their lives.

Mantis (Pom Klementieff)

One of the exciting new characters who will be introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is the hero Mantis, who will be played by actress Pom Klementieff. In the comics, Mantis was born in Vietnam and was left by her father at a young age at an alien temple to be cared for by Kree priests. They believed the young girl to be a messiah figure destined to be the most important being in the universe, and trained her as a warrior. She is one of the most gifted fighters in the Marvel Universe, as she is not only strong and agile, but has a knack for sensing weak points and exploiting them. As seen in the first full length trailer for the blockbuster, she has a special kind of emotional telepathy that lets her connect with the feelings of others.

Given how much certain characters were changed from the comics in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, we can't say exactly how precise the big screen adaptation of Mantis will be in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - but have high hopes for how she will be portrayed with James Gunn at the helm. Thus far we've only had a brief glimpse of her, but given the way she immediately manages to hilariously disrupt the harmony among the titular group, we're excited to see what else she's bringing to the table.

Ego The Living Planet (Kurt Russell)

James Gunn said very early on in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's development that it was never his plan to keep the identity of Star-Lord's father a secret. Darth Vader being Luke Skywalker's dad this isn't. This is why James Gunn was happy to make a big announcement at San Diego Comic-Con 2016 that the alien who helped spawn Peter Quill is none other than Ego The Living Planet.

In Marvel Comics, Ego is literally a planet with a face on it, but the character will be changed ever so slightly for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and will be played by the legendary Kurt Russell. Portrayed more as an ancient cosmic being, Ego apparently took a human-like form to be with Peter's mom, which is how she wound up giving birth to little Star-Lord. James Gunn has promised that his blockbuster will explain everything, which is actually driving the movie to be more sci-fi-heavy.

Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki)

Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki has only been acting on-screen for a few years, making her big screen debut in the Australian comedy A Few Best Men, but she has already managed to land herself some big roles in high-profile films. Thus far this includes The Great Gatsby, Macbeth, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Everest, but soon Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will stand as her biggest film to date.

Debicki will reportedly be playing Ayesha in the comic book movie sequel, which is a pretty big deal. In the comics, she is also known as Kismit, Her, or Paragon, but regardless of what you want to call her, the headline is that she is super powerful. Following the creation of Adam Warlock (who we will talk about more in a bit), Ayesha is the second attempt by a group known as the Enclave to create a super-powered lifeform. Obviously it was successful, and while she was born a man, time in her cocoon revealed her as female. Her powers include the manipulation of cosmic energy, flight, and regeneration abilities so incredible that she's basically an immortal.

Nova Prime (Glenn Close)

Nova Prime, as portrayed by Glenn Close, only had a small role in the first Guardians of the Galaxy, but she currently sits in an extremely important position within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only is she the head of the universe's most elite space police force, but she is also in possession of/guarding one of the six Infinity Stones -- specifically the Power Stone. This, unfortunately, will probably put her in harm's way when Thanos starts to get serious about outfitting his Infinity Gauntlet.

That's likely an Avengers: Infinity War issue, though, and we're here to talk about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2! Part of the reason why we deflect is because right now we really don't know anything about Nova Prime's part in the film -- beyond that she is in it and will probably continue to have a tenuous truce with Star-Lord and his gang of former criminals.

Awesome Mix Vol. 2

While Iron Man has made great use of tracks by AC/DC, no superhero movie has used pop music quite like Guardians of the Galaxy, and it's an element that James Gunn will be bringing back in the sequel. Both an emotional symbol for Star-Lord (the songs chosen by his mother before her death), and a tool to deepen themes from scene-to-scene, the soundtrack is easily one of the most anticipated features of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and we're all dying to know what tracks Gunn will be using for the blockbuster.

Thus far, three songs have been confirmed. Jay and the Americans' "Come A Little Bit Closer" will play in a key scene featuring Yondu, Rocket, Groot, and a bit of revenge; the San Diego Comic-Con 2016 footage was set to "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac; and the first official trailer featured "Fox On The Run" by Sweet. Those are some great hits to start, but we will surely be hearing at least 10 more titles when we watch the film in May 2017.

Taneleer Tivan a.k.a. The Collector (Benicio Del Toro)

The Collector, played by Benicio Del Toro, seemed to be set up as a villain when he was introduced in the post-credits sequence of Thor: The Dark World, but the reality is that he actually played more of a neutral role in Guardians of the Galaxy (unless his sinister intentions were just being well-hidden). He is identified simply as a buyer/museum curator interested in purchasing an Infinity Stone from Gamora. What's not laid out specifically in the film is the explicit danger present in an individual's attempt to collect all six Infinity Stones, however. When combined and put into a glove known as the Infinity Gauntlet, the stones provide the wearer god-like powers over all of existence. In the comics, Thanos is best known for accomplishing this task, but the fact that Taneleer Tivan is interested in completing the collection himself is seriously bad news for the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Unfortunately, if this is going to play out on the big screen, it looks like it's going to have to happen in The Avengers: Infinity War instead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. In January 2016, Benicio Del Toro was quoted saying that he hadn't heard anything from anyone from the production - suggesting that he may not have a role in the sequel. It's true that Zoe Saldana talked about working with Del Toro on the movie prior to production, but we don't know if she really knew he was going to be on set. We have our fingers crossed that the Guardians of the Galaxy post-credits scene won't be the last we've seen from the character.

Rhomann Dey (John C. Reilly)

Played by the always-lovable John C. Reilly, Rhomann Dey is one of the main faces of the Nova Corps in Guardians of the Galaxy, and is introduced as having a pre-existing relationship with Peter Quill (though he does mock the future hero for having a code name). By the end of the film, he plays a crucial role in getting the Nova Corps to unite with the Guardians and the Ravagers to help stop Ronan from destroying Xandar. He winds up creating a good friendship with Quill by the end of the movie, but it remains to be seen if that relationship will be strong enough to bring the character back for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Hopefully it will be.

Thanos (Josh Brolin)

Ever since the Mad Titan Thanos was first teased in the mid-credits sequence of The Avengers as the mastermind behind the Chitauri attack on New York, we've been aware of his presence. Our awareness grew further with Guardians of the Galaxy, as he was finally mentioned by name and shown to be an incredibly powerful figure in the intergalactic community. So does that mean that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will finally be his real time to shine? The answer is no. James Gunn has confirmed that Thanos will only play a part in the sequel if it is determined that he helps out the story, and if not, he won't appear at all. Given that both Gamora and Drax have serious bones to pick with him, it is possible that he could duck his head into the action, but he certainly won't be driving the plot. If he doesn't appear, we'll just have to wait until 2018 for him to take center stage in The Avengers: Infinity War - which will very likely feature Guardians of the Galaxy characters.

Adam Warlock

Those who watched the first Guardians of the Galaxy (and the first post-credits sequence in Thor: The Dark World, for that matter), know that the lair of The Collector included something that looked a hell of a lot like Adam Warlock's cocoon from Marvel Comics. Many took this as a suggestion that the character is going to make his live-action debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. James Gunn has said that the cocoon definitely looks a hell of a lot like Warlock's, but that its inclusion was merely based on the fact that he thought it looked cool. It's true this doesn't completely rule out Adam Warlock for the 2017 blockbuster, but considering that the film will be introducing Ayesha, he may not be deemed necessary in the sci-fi sequel.

The Avengers

As you may know, Marvel Studios has a bit of a history when it comes to bringing their various franchise characters together. They amazed the world when they did it with Joss Whedon's The Avengers back in 2012; then they did it again with Whedon's The Avengers: Age of Ultron; and most recently they did it a third time with Captain America: Civil War. As a result, it's long been expected that the company will eventually team up the earthbound heroes with those from Guardians of the Galaxy, but you shouldn't expect that to happen in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. James Gunn has gone on the record many times saying that he doesn't have a real desire to see the two worlds immediately start to collide, and has added that he doesn't see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as a roadmap to get his characters to meet up with Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and the rest of the Avengers in the forthcoming The Avengers: Infinity War.

Ronan The Accuser (Lee Pace)

Let's keep this one short and sweet: Ronan The Accuser, brought to life by Lee Pace in Guardians of the Galaxy, is dead as Dillinger. While he was certainly formidable (he honestly made Drax look like a toddler at times), and was basically invulnerable with the power of the Infinity Stone, the Guardians of the Galaxy used teamwork to turn him into purple dust at the end of the movie. It's true that some kind of weird comic book loophole could possibly bring him back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe somehow (maybe in The Avengers: Infinity War), but the reality is that you shouldn't expect him back for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. James Gunn has even gone on record confirming that it definitely isn't going to happen.

Most of the Marvel Cinematic Universe projects have taken place on Earth, but director/writer James Gunn has carved out his own play area with the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. This band of miscreants was introduced to the big screen in 2014, and their sequel adventure is only a few months away. Following that, the Guardians will return for Avengers: Infinity War, which is set to include almost every major MCU hero since the franchise's inception. It will be the first time these versions of the characters are in anyone's hands other than Gunn's, but Zoe Saldana, a.k.a. Gamora, has faith in directors Joe and Anthony Russo.

After joking about how Gamora and the other Guardians of the Galaxy will react to Earth's Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Infinity War, Zoe Saldana admitted to IGN that while she's curious to see how the Guardians will be used in the next Avengers movie, she's confident that the Russos will do a good job having seen their work on Captain America: Civil War and knowing about their reputation. Saldana said:

Although the Guardians of the Galaxy existed in the Marvel comics universe long before the movie came out (both in their classic and modern incarnations), James Gunn definitely popularized them for casual moviegoers and even some hardcore comic book fans, to the point that it's hard not to picture him when they're mentioned. Since the Guardians are just a few of the heavy hitters appearing in Avengers: Infinity War, they obviously won't be snagging the spotlight all to themselves, but it will be interesting to see what Joe and Anthony Russo do to make them stand out from the crowd. Plus, like Zoe Saldana said, Gunn will still be involved to make sure his "babies" are treated properly.

It was rumored for a long time that the Guardians of the Galaxy would appear in Avengers: Infinity War, and sure enough, Vin Diesel confirmed their inclusion last year. It remains to be seen how exactly they'll be thrown into the story, but given how Thanos is Gamora and Nebula's "father," it shouldn't be hard to come up with a plausible reason. This will also be Peter Quill's first time being back on Earth since he was taken away by Yondu and the Ravagers in 1988, so unless he's been keeping tabs via the space internet, seeing how his home world has changed over nearly 30 years should come as quite a shock.

Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters on May 4, 2018, but before that, you can reunite with Gamora and the gang when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is released on May 5.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe loves to revise certain characters and events in different movies, but that's easy to do when you're on Earth. When the action takes place elsewhere in the universe, revising is a harder task. It's been over two years since fans have seen the Guardians of the Galaxy, but fortunately, we're nearly half a year from reuniting with them in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. As such, Marvel finally decided to drop the first official preview for the sequel earlier today.

At a little under 90 seconds, this preview made sure not to reveal anything to juicy about what's coming in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but that doesn't mean it wasn't packed with cool moments. Here are the five biggest things we noticed, not including Drax awkwardly hugging Star-Lord. Okay, maybe that's not big in terms of plot, but we can't help but grin seeing those two share a weird bonding moment.

The Giant Energy Ball

Yeah, we don't really know what else to call that thing in the shot above other than a giant energy ball. Nevertheless, it looks menacing. At some point in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Gamora will find herself near that monstrosity and be forced to pull out her sword and charge toward an unseen adversary. At the moment, we're guessing that this energy ball is some kind of core that powers either an impressive machine. Maybe it's the doomsday weapon that frequently pops up in the third act of these kinds of movies. If that's the case, Gamora may be arriving to disable said weapon, but has to deal with an enemy beforehand. We have faith she can take care of that obstacle quickly.

Chaos Around Rocket And Yondu

The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 footage showed at San Diego Comic-Con revealed that Rocket and Yondu will be getting into some shenanigans together. After being captured by a band of rogue Ravagers, they'll be rescued be Baby Groot and wreak havoc against their jailers. It's hard to tell whether the scene above takes place during their escape or on another mission, but either way, they have nothing to worry about from the bad guys. Somehow their adversaries have been thrown into the air, which results in an insanely cool slo-mo shot of Rocket and Groot casually walking on a bridge as everyone around them drops to the ground. Now would be a good time for someone to start blasting "Let the Bodies Hit the Floor." Later in the preview, there's a shot of a some kind of blue energy knocking a group of creepy-looking dudes into the air, but that appears to take place in a different setting, so it's hard to tell what's going on in this particular scene.

Crash-Landing On A Strange Planet

Our main protagonists are guardians of an entire galaxy, which means the action can't be restricted to just one planet. Their adventures have taken them to many different worlds, but it looks like they won't arrive on one of those worlds with the smoothest of landings. In the scene above, Star-Lord, Gamora and Drax are departing from a ship that looks like its latter half has been ripped clean off. The planet itself is covered with trees, but the trailer didn't provide any hint about what's going on there. At least they have plenty of supplies on hand for the journey. So where exactly have the characters landed? That's hard to say, but we have one guess which we'll talk about later.

First Look At Baby Groot

How do you guarantee that your first Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 preview ends perfectly? Easy, you throw in Baby Groot. We've already seen concept art of Groot in his infant form, and the lucky folks who attended the movie's San Diego Comic-Con panel were able to see him in action. Now the rest of us finally have our first legitimate peek at him, even though it's literally only for two seconds. Rocket has smoothly blasted an enemy combatant, and as he smugly peers through that wall, Baby Groot pops up on his shoulder and squeaks. It's a short, but a wonderful tease of the cuteness in store for the tiny tree alien. What's even better is that Baby Groot is wearing a leather jacket. Guys, little Baby Groot has his own uniform. So adorable!

No Mantis Or Ego

A good first trailer/preview is careful to whet audience appetites, but not give away everything that's coming. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 accomplished that perfectly. It didn't spoil any plot points, but it still provided enough imagery and character moments to get us even more excited for the movie until the next trailer drops. That said, with the exception of those nameless goons, all of the characters were folks we already met in the first movie. We were hoping to at least see quick glimpses of Mantis or Ego, two of the major new players. The former will be one of the new Guardians, while the latter is Peter Quill's father in the MCU. Still, good things come to those who wait, so we're eager to find out when we'll see them in action for the first time. Oh, and before we forget, since Ego's full name is Ego the Living Planet, what are the chances that the world the Guardians have crashed on is actually him? He will have a humanoid form in the movie (hence why we'll see Kurt Russell in all his glory), but maybe before then, they'll get to explore a small portion of his "planetary body."