Avengers: Infinity War - What Does The Ending Really Mean?

8. All These Heroes Are Dead (For Now)

Avengers Infinity War Spider-Man
Marvel Studios

Heading into Infinity War, the ultimate question was... that of where's Hawkeye. But after that, it was who would die, if anyone, with Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man among the most likely.

Instead it flips the script by having those characters survive, and just about everyone else die instead. With Thanos snapping his fingers, we see Bucky, T'Challa, Groot, Falcon, Scarlet Witch, Star-Lord, Doctor Strange, Mantis, Drax, and Peter Parker (in a scene that will absolutely ruin anyone with the ability to feel emotions) all turn to ash, followed by Maria Hill and Nick Fury in the post-credits stinger.

The moments carry the weight they need to while watching, and it's a shocking, almost traumatic experience to see them vanish one-by-one. However, those stakes are ever so slightly diminished by the fact that they're all going to return. Assuming Gamora stays dead, the already confirmed Guardians 3 can't be without the other members, and you can't very well have Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 without Spider-Man. And since they've got to come back, it'd be weird if there was some reason the others COULDN'T return as well.

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NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.