Robert Downey Jr. Teases The Death Of A Hero In Avengers: Infinity War

We’ve heard a lot about how Avengers: Infinity War and the untitled Avengers 4 will be the “culmination” of everything that’s happened in the MCU to date, but just what does that mean exactly? It’s widely expected that at least one of the long-lasting Avengers will meet their end in the grand battle against Thanos, but the cast and crew have kept mum on the matter so far.

As part of EW’s Hulk-sized coverage of the movie, though, Robert Downey Jr. was pressed for info on the massive impact Infinity War will have on the Marvel universe. He didn’t give any specifics, obviously, but he did make clear that the film and its sequel will “pull out the stops” – even if it means making a very “definitive” change.

“We’re going to pull out the stops, and stop exploring conventions, and look to do stuff where we go, ‘Oh, but if we do that, that’s very, very definitive.’ Well, great, let’s get definitive for a change!”

As Downey Jr. says, it’s rare for the MCU to go for broke and bring something to a close. With the exception of Quicksilver, who fans didn’t even get much of a chance to know, no recurring hero of the franchise has bit the bullet to date. Famously, even Phil Coulson was resurrected from his death in The Avengers and has been headlining the cast of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for years.  

RDJ also re-iterated that the air of finality affected the core cast – those that have been there since the early days of the franchise – causing them to wonder who was going to get the boot. This heavily suggests that the doomed Avenger will be one of the six original members of the team: Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye or Black Widow.

“We’re like a family now. Ten years later, we’re hanging out and having lunch, and kind of wondering when the draft is going to come in. Which one of us bites it and when?”

Seeing as many Marvel stars’ contracts are officially up once Avengers 4 rolls around, it’s impossible to say for certain which of the heroes – whether it’s just the one or even several – is on their way out. Thankfully, though, the wait is almost over, as Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters on April 27th.