The only people who stay dead in comics are Jason Todd and Uncle Ben, as the old saying goes, but what about Yondu and the Ancient One?
Over the weekend, Disney erected the latest standee for Avengers: Infinity War, bringing together a small portion of the film’s gigantic lineup. Upon first glance, everything appeared to be in order, as the likes of Captain America and Doctor Strange were placed alongside Black Widow and Chris Hemsworth’s burly God of Thunder. Peer a little closer, though, and you’ll realize that Infinity War‘s standee also features two Marvel characters from beyond the grave: Yondu of Guardians of the Galaxy fame and the Ancient One, Tilda Swinton’s all-powerful sorcerer.
Is this a major story spoiler hiding in plain sight? Or an innocent PR blunder that’s now beginning to blow out of proportion? We’re inclined to believe it’s the latter, as Evangeline Lilly’s Wasp is also featured in the backdrop despite reports linking her with an appearance in the untitled Avengers 4, not Infinity War. Also, is that a teenage Groot in the front row? So many questions, so few answers, but for now, take a look at the standee in the gallery below and see what you think.
What’s more, there’s also the possibility that both Yondu and the Ancient One will feature via flashbacks, as James Gunn has already gone on record before to stress that Michael Rooker’s fan-favorite will remain dead, despite achieving immortality among Marvel fans for his Mary Poppins reference.
But as Twitter user Kinda Culty points out, this is an admittedly shoddy standee for a film that’s said to be the biggest and most groundbreaking entry into the MCU to date, so don’t take its alleged story clues as gospel. Besides, we’re still an awful long way away from the release of Avengers: Infinity War, so Marvel has ample time to roll out a smattering of carefully planned standee and promos. May 4th, 2018 is the date for your diaries.
