Warning: Major SPOILERS for Avengers: Infinity War

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Thanos sent a finger-snapping shockwave through the Marvel Cinematic Universe at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. It’s the biggest moment in the MCU’s history, and one that Ant-Man & The Wasp and Captain Marvel should address.

After all of the build-up to Infinity War, Marvel Studios left audiences on their biggest cliffhanger yet. Thanos successfully acquired all six of the Infinity Stones, allowing him to execute his plan to rebalance the universe; with just the snap of his finger, the Mad Titan wiped out half of the population across the universe. The act resulted in high-profile heroes from the MCU like Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and most of the Guardians of the Galaxy all disappearing into thin air. Those vanishings were just a few of the ones audiences saw, but the devastation took place throughout the entire of the cosmos.

It is a moment that will absolutely be central to the story of Avengers 4, and may even be tied to why some characters get involved. Hawkeye, for instance, is set to become Ronin, possibly because of the death of his family. Marvel’s slate, however, has allowed them to not have to deal with the repercussions of these disappearances for a full year; two movies come before Avengers 4, but both have a simple get out.

  • Page 1: Marvel’s Timeline Protects Infinity War’s Ending

Ant-Man 2 and Captain Marvel Take Place Before Infinity War

Marvel Studios has made it very clear that their next two movies take place prior to Infinity War, but just how far in the past they each take place is where the projects differ. Ant-Man & the Wasp explores the fallout of Captain America: Civil War; Scott Lang is under house arrest thanks to a plea deal with the government and Hope van Dyne is all-in on trying to rescue her mother, the original Wasp, from the Quantum Realm. Neither of the heroes are involved in Infinity War, something the marketing is already having fun with, and the indication is this will be filling the gap between Civil War and Infinity War ahead of the titular duo joining the Avengers in the next film.

Captain Marvel, on the other hand, is set back in the 1990s, with Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers the very first superhero Nick Fury ever meets. Set photos have so far focused primarily on Captain Marvel’s time being a hero on Earth, but the movie will also tackle the Kree-Skrull war. Naturally, the placement in the MCU’s timeline frees up director Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck to tell the origin of Captain Marvel without dealing with major MCU continuity, but the post-credits scene for Avengers: Infinity War showed Fury reaching out to Carol. This connects Captain Marvel more directly to the present, with it being Thanos’ conquest that brings her to the Avengers.

Both these films, then, may be set before Infinity War, yet have an intrinsic link with the future. Their placement in the slate is no accident, and so we must ask why? Will they address Thanos’ cull?

How Ant-Man 2 Could Address Infinity War’s Ending

If Ant-Man & the Wasp is going to tackle Avengers: Infinity War’s ending, then the immediate suggestion would be something of a repeat; Peyton Reed’s sequel is a simple, linear narrative (from what we’ve seen) so if the movie goes all the way to the snap, we’re sure to see heroes simply disappear. Losing Hope or Hank would definitely be a way to get the San Francisco hero back alongside the Avengers, and indeed Paul Rudd seems to be part of Avengers 4’s time travel mission. However, even on paper that sounds a bit abrupt and outside of Ant-Man’s more knockabout tone.

Indeed, a connection doesn’t mean the heroes would have to vanish to tie in. It’s been said Ant-Man & the Wasp is the most linked film to Infinity War, but that needn’t mean anything direct. The film will deal heavily in the Quantum Realm, with the team trying to rescue Janet van Dyne. However, should they wind up there for an extended period and during the end of Infinity War, they may all survive Thanos’ wrath, re-emerging in a world ravaged by population loss. Again, this may be too much for the movie, but it would make narrative sense as a way to bring the small heroes onto the big stage.

How Captain Marvel Could Address Infinity War’s Ending

As far as we know, Captain Marvel will be the only character from her solo movie to be included in Avengers 4. It isn’t clear when exactly the Kree-Skrull war will end, but it’s certainly finished years before Guardians of the Galaxy (which takes place in 2014). Even if it only lasts a few years at the most, it feels safe that Captain Marvel will play into Avengers: Infinity War’s ending in some form; the movie will surely see her give Fury the pager he has in the post-credits scene. The question is whether or not it will show Carol receiving the message; unless that moment is shown in Avengers 4, it would make sense for Captain Marvel’s actual ending or its own post-credits scene to show Carol receiving the beacon that something is wrong.

Of course, this hinges as much on where and when Carol is when she receives that message. If she’s getting it in the present day, then she’s surely felt the impact of Thanos bringing balance herself. However, given the necessary time jump (unless Larson is playing someone twenty-five years older in Avengers 4), something more abstract is likely; the Quantum Realm may also factor in here, with Carol completely out of our dimension awaiting help. We can’t speculate much more until the status of Captain Marvel is clearer, but her solo movie endpoint feels intrinsically linked to Avengers 4.

There’s certainly a possibility neither Ant-Man & the Wasp or Captain Marvel address Infinity War’s ending and leave all connectivity for Avengers 4. However, given the success of Avengers 3 and the final stages of the MCU’s current arc, this is an opportunity for Marvel Studios to really tie everything together leading into the finale.

Next: Why Nick Fury Didn’t Call Captain Marvel Before

  • Ant-Man 2 Release Date: 2018-07-06 captain marvel Release Date: 2019-03-08 The Avengers 4 Release Date: 2019-04-26 spider-man homecoming 2 Release Date: 2019-07-02