Avengers: Infinity War had a literally killer third act, as Thanos went ahead and did the unthinkable – with just a snap of his fingers, he used the powers of the Infinity Stones to wipe out half of all life in the universe. Those included in the massive causalities were many of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. In full, the list of the fallen consists of Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, Groot, Bucky, Falcon, Vision and Scarlet Witch.
But what about the many other familiar faces out there in the MCU that we didn’t see in either the film itself or those final scenes? Did they survive Thanos’ extreme act of balancing the universe? Well, Infinity War directors Joe and Anthony Russo have now clarified the fate of a selection of characters, and it’s quite interesting.
First up, let’s look at those they confirmed were still alive.
Safe
Howard the Duck – “He’s survived,” Joe Russo said of the humanoid duck who appeared in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies.
Aunt May – Peter Parker may have met his end at the hands of Thanos, but his aunt apparently survived. “Safe,” confirmed Anthony Russo. Actually, now that we think about it, that might be even sadder…
Nakia – Black Panther’s love interest Nakia probably lived through The Snap. “She’s on missions,” Anthony explained about her absence from Infinity War. “Yeah, deep undercover,” said his brother.
On the other hand, this trio of characters are 100% dead, according to the Russos:
Dead
Matt Damon’s Asgardian Actor – The Bourne star cameod in Thor: Ragnarok, but don’t expect to see him again. “Did not survive,” says Joe.
Betty Ross – The original love of Bruce Banner’s life hasn’t been seen since The Incredible Hulk. Joe suggested we’ll never see her again, either, as he revealed that she’s “gone.”
Sif – Fans were crushed when Sif didn’t appear in Thor: Ragnarok, so we don’t know how they’ll take the news that she’s now “gone,” as Joe Russo revealed.
Finally, the brothers wouldn’t be budged on the fates of the following characters, which suggests that we might see some of them in Avengers 4.
Unknown
Jane Foster – The Russos can’t reveal what happened to Natalie Portman’s character as it might be too spoiler-y. “When we say spoiler, [we mean] potential spoiler,” Anthony explained.
Shuri – Fans expect T’Challa’s sister to have survived, so that she can become the next Black Panther, but Joe Russo could only say “spoiler” when it comes to her future.
Korg and Miek – Thor: Ragnarok‘s fan favourites may or may not be alive. “Spoiler,” teased Joe, once again.
Ned – Peter Parker’s best friend’s fate is also a mystery, as Joe could only comment, yet again, “spoiler” when asked about his future.
These last characters, in particular, are intriguing. The Russos’ lack of commitment to some of them could speak louder than the answers they did give. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what exactly the fallout of Avengers: Infinity War is when its sequel arrives next May.