There is a specific reason that Marvel has been pursuing Sony to get Spider-Man involved in The Avengers franchise, because many of the franchise’s most popular members will be missing in action for the first Infinity War movie. The first part of the saga is rumored to be carried by the newer additions to the Marvel cinematic universe. Characters such as Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and Ant-Man are rumored to be the core members by the time 2018 rolls around. But that leaves a huge question. What happened to the original Avengers by that time?

(SPOILERS…POTENTIALLY SO BIG THAT IT COULD RUIN THE NEXT FEW YEARS OF YOUR LIFE.)

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As fans of Marvel Comics know, the Civil War story arc is one of the more hard-hitting stories in the company’s history. In the story, the entire Marvel universe is divided into two sides over a piece of legislation known as the Superhero Registration Act. The Act forces all super-powered beings to reveal their identity and register themselves for duty with the government. The Act is spearheaded by Tony Stark who comes into direct conflict with Captain America, who assembles his own faction, and they go to war. The story line in the comics culminates in the assassination of Steve Rogers.

So how will things play out in the Marvel cinematic universe? According to Latino Review’s Da7e, this will be the state of the MCU when The Avengers: Infinity War will be released.

Here’s what I understand: Steve Rogers is not in this movie. He is dead. Thor is not in this movie, he is imprisoned. Spider-Man IS in this movie, the Sony deal went through.

Whoa! Actually most of this is not all that shocking if it turns out to be true. Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans should both only have one more film on their contract by that time, which it looks like Marvel is saving for Infinity War Pt 2. In addition, the MCU will be growing faster than ever over the next few years and giving an entire Avengers film to a newer cast should allow for more screen time and better written stories. Consequently the writers won’t be forced to shove 20 lead characters into one two-hour movie. 

Thor is rumored to be jailed by the end of Thor: Ragnarok. Which is a logical way to shelve the omnipotent Thor, until he is needed in the final war. However, what happens to Iron Man? And what is the source of his conflict with Steve Rogers in Captain America: Civil War? The report goes on to explain.

Captain America: Civil War exposes that Bucky killed Howard Stark, Iron Man and Captain America fight, Tony Stark is discouraged (I’m vague on how he ends up at the moment), Black Panther is introduced, Crossbones kills Steve Rogers at the end of the film, giving us a nice big cliffhanger from Marvel Studios’ two most profitable characters (Iron Man and Captain America). Since I’m so vague on what happens to Iron Man, but I’m pretty sure he can’t be flitting in and out of other Phase 3 movies without reducing the impact of his future return, let’s just say he’ll also be in space. 

The involvement of the Winter Soldier in Howard Stark’s “car crash” was slyly alluded to in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. With Agent Carter in its second week, it is possible that we may get some more foreshadowing of Howard Stark’s ominous future since he is a recurring character on the show. In addition, Ant-Man is rumored to have some scenes of Howard Stark as well. It is clear that Marvel is carefully plotting how the Stark family has affected various areas of the Marvel cinematic universe over the years. 

The scooper was unsure about exactly where Stark will end up by the end of Captain America: Civil War, but thinks that he may wind up literally in space. Now is a good time to take a look at Downey Jr’s extended Marvel contract. If he added an extra film to it, things could get really crazy. Hold on tight, here comes a bit of logical speculation.

If Stark does take off for the stars, there is a huge possibility that we could either see him pop up in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 or even have him hitch a ride home with the Guardians for Infinity War 2. The latter is the far more likely scenario. In the comics, Marvel has been hyping Iron Man as an honorary member of the Guardians for years and if you are going to add one Avenger into their quirky world, Stark’s gift of gab would be the perfect contrast to the overall absurdity. Stark doesn’t have many intellectual equals on Earth, so it being in an environment where they have already figured out space travel and light speed would be a perfect place for him to wind up, even out of simple disillusionment and curiosity. Director James Gunn has mentioned that there aren’t any planned crossovers with the Avengers in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, but things could always change.

In addition, Josh Brolin has mentioned his excitement about coming face to face with Stark at last year’s Comic Con. The logical place for that to occur is in space and somehow intertwined with the Guardians story, which is directly linked to Thanos. It almost makes too much sense to not happen. Time will tell.

What do you think about the future of the MCU? What will be Iron Man’s fate and how do you see it playing out? Let us know on the comment boards, , , and !

Source: Latino Review