according the the big bosses at marvel, only two of the original avengers will survive 2019’s Endgame. while most characters are definitely in danger, i’ve decided to rank each OG avenger from most to least likely to die. these are my own personal thoughts and may be subject to change.
1. Steve Rogers , aka , Captain America
Steve Rogers’ is the most likely candidate for death in Endgame. His entire character is based on the understanding of why sacrifice is important. After surviving the travesty that was Civil War, unlike his comic book counterpart, it’s possible his time is running out. From the trailer we know that he and Black Widow have come up with a plan to reverse what Thanos has done, though we aren’t given any details. Popular theories about his death are related to the idea that if time travel plays a part, the Avengers may attempt to retrieve the Infinity Stones before Thanos has the chance. If this is the case, a sacrifice will be required in order to obtain the Soul Stone. No-one will be more willing to be this sacrifice (except for Tony Stark) than Steve. A section of the trailer also shows Steve gazing down at his picture of Peggy, and if this scene feels familiar to some, that’s because it’s a callback to the first Captain America film in 2011. The last time we saw Steve looking at that photo he was on his way down into the ocean, where he was considered dead, until he was found, decades later.
2. Thor
After Steve, I was debating which character should go on number two of this list. While Tony Stark may be another highly-possible candidate for dying, I really doubt it. But I’ll tell you why later. For now, let me explain the reasons why I think Thor is likely to meet his maker in Endgame.
Thor has suffered a lot. He has lost his entire family, his best friend, his whole planet. In Endgame it seems he will struggle with guilt over his failure to kill Thanos in Infinity War. He truly has nothing left to lose at this point. Thinking back on previous Thor films, he faces certain death in Thor and Ragnarok. In Thor he survives due to his finally regaining the honour of being worthy to wied Mjiolner once again. In Ragnarok a vision of his father pushes him to find the strength he needs to fight back against Hela. With films, there is a rule of three. Meaning certain things will almost happen twice, and then actually happen the third time.
Considering all that has happened to Thor, it would be no surprise should he become consumed with revenge and put himself in the line of fire in the upcoming battle.
3. Natasha Romanoff, aka, Black Widow
Look, in fairness, Natasha is not that big a character in the MCU. But she’s smart, sneaky, and if anyone can devise a plan to figure out how to turn the tables on Thanos, it’s her. I cannot really think of any reason for her to survive, nor can I think of one for her death. Unless she sacrifices herself for someone else. If anyone has anything to add for Natasha please let me know.
4. Tony Stark, aka, Iron Man
When we last saw Tony he was stranded on Thanos’ home planet, Titan, after failing to secure the gauntlet from the Mad Titan. He is one of two on that planet who survive the snap - the second being Nebula. Whether or not they leave together seems to be rather up in the air right now, though a short clip from the trailer leads me to believe they are together in the ship.
Tony’s rescue will most likely come at the hands of Carol Danvers. How/why that will come about, I’m not entirely sure. Once he is returned to Earth and reunited with the Avengers, I believe that, though he may suffer, he will most likely survive. The reason he is number four, though, is due to what could be foreshadowing in the most recent marvel films. Tony has been shown to have pain in his left arm a lot. This could be a reference to Tony possibly using the Gauntlet in order to stop Thanos once and for all. It’s heavily implied thag Thanos was severely injured by use of the Gauntlet, after all, true power comes at a terrible cost. It’s not a far leap to make to think that the cost of a human using the Gauntlet would be their life.
5. Bruce Banner, aka, The Hulk
Bruce and Tony are interchangable on this list. Due to The Hulk, I think Bruce’s chances of dying are rather slim. Then again, the Hulk has become afraid, is sick of being used as a weapon. If Hulk doesn’t make an appearance when Bruce needs him to most, it may be the end for our favourite nerdy scientist.
6. Clint Barton, aka, Hawkeye/Ronin
Before the trailer even dropped, we knew about Clint’s transformation into Ronin. It seems to be widely thought that Clint’s family, his wife and children, all were victims of the Snap, leading him to become cold, and ruthless. If/When the team manage to restore the dusted, his family would return and he could finally officially retire. Killing him off seems like it would make no sense and be just thrown in there for the sake of tragedy.