‘Avengers: Endgame’ refresher: Where are all the Marvel characters right now?

Published: 
Listen to this article

Who, what, where, and when? Before you head to cinemas for the epic finale to Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, here’s our recap of where we last saw the superheroes

Jamie Lam |
Published: 
Comment

Latest Articles

UN World Food Program director rings the alarm about food shortage in Haiti

Hong Kong Ocean Park to be the new home for Passion, 2-metre-long crocodile

EU not ready to fight climate change dangers, warns environment agency

Local commute goes green: Hong Kong launches first hydrogen-powered bus

The remaining Avengers will band together to take down Thanos in 'Endgame'.

The climactic final battle against Thanos is almost upon us, with Avengers: Endgame hitting Hong Kong cinemas next week. But even the biggest Marvel fan in the world might need a quick refresher on what has happened to who, and exactly where everyone is right now, especially after Infinity War’s infamous “snap”.

Here is our comprehensive list of every good guy’s whereabouts before Avengers: Endgame.

Iron Man

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) was last seen severely wounded after losing a fierce battle against Thanos (Josh Brolin) on the Mad Titan’s home planet of … Titan. After his life is spared in return for the Time Stone, Stark sprays some of his nano tech over his wound and presumably survives. In the early trailers for Endgame, Stark appeared to be recording a bleak farewell message to Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow). However in more recent ones, he is alive and well and rocks a new white Quantum Realm suit and is ready to head back into the fight.

Iron Man is seen in a white and red suit that can probably take him into the Quantum Realm.
Photo: Marvel Studios

Thor

After losing his mighty hammer Mjolnir in Thor: Ragnarok in a fight with sister Hela (talk about sibling rivalry), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) spent most of Infinity War trying to find another weapon. He successfully forges the Stormbreaker axe and receives an overall bump in power as well. Though he rushes back to Earth for the final battle in Wakanda and comes within inches of killing Thanos before the “snap”, he ultimately fails. He is currently alive and with the surviving heroes at the Avengers compound.

The Hulk

The Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) looked less than incredible in his brief melee fight with Thanos at the beginning of Infinity War, where he was handily defeated before being transported to Earth via the Bifrost rainbow bridge by a dying Heimdall (Idris Elba). For the rest of the film, Hulk refuses to come out and the Bruce Banner persona is in control. Though he pilots the Hulkbuster armour for the battle in Wakanda fairly successfully (even taking out Thanos henchman Black Dwarf), the Avengers lose. Hulk is alive and will work with the team to try and defeat Thanos in Endgame.

Black Widow

Natasha Romanova (Scarlett Johansson) was quite active in Infinity War, and teamed up with Okoye (Danai Gurira) to take down Proxima Midnight, one of the Children of Thanos. She survives the culling of half of Earth’s population, and is seen brushing up on her marksmanship skills and also meeting up with Hawkeye in a Japanese city in an Endgame trailer. She will return as an important part of the team in the finale.

War Machine

James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) has recovered well from his injury in Civil War and provides crucial air support in the Wakanda battle against Thanos’ forces. He survives the “snap” and is seen scowling grimly in a couple of scenes in the Endgame trailers. His full War Machine armour is also decked out in the new Quantum Realm Pym-tech suits, so he will add much needed raw firepower in the upcoming fight.

War Machine (Don Cheadle) will provide much needed firepower in 'Endgame'.
Photo: Marvel Studios

Captain America

Though he is not the most powerful Avenger in terms of raw fighting ability, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is the heart and soul of the team. He was able to hold Thanos back for a brief moment by grasping the incomplete Infinity Gauntlet in Wakanda, but sees his best friend Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) melt away into ashes only moments later. For Endgame, he drops the manly rugged full beard for a classic clean-shaven look, and he also gets his vibranium shield back. Cue inspiring music here.

Loki

Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has come a long way since his evil machinations in Thor and the first Avengers. In Infinity War, he is brutally killed after attempting a last-ditch gamble to gain Thanos’ trust. Thor swears to avenge his adopted brother, but the Asgardian God of Mischief has been known to cheat death before - so could he make a triumphant appearance in Endgame?

Hawkeye/Ronin

If you’ve been avoiding social media, SPOILER: Perhaps the worst-kept secret of all the Endgame leaks so far, the (not-so) superhero Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) is slated to transition from bow-wielding marksman to expert swordsman Ronin. 

Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) will take up the mantle of Ronin in 'Endgame'.
Photo: Marvel Studios

Completing missing from the previous Avengers, Clint Barton is sporting an edgier hairstyle and a deadly looking katana in early Endgame trailers. Hawkeye is also seen teaching his daughter how to use a bow in a flashback scene, so perhaps Marvel is setting up the story for a new crop of superheroes in Phase Four.

Winter Soldier

Bucky Barnes took part in the Wakanda battle with the help of a new vibranium prosthetic left arm courtesy of Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). He defeated many of Thanos’ outriders but was turned to dust during the “snap”. The ill effects of his brainwashing by HYDRA appears to have all been negated in Infinity War, so if he returns in Endgame, he will be firmly in the good guy camp.

Falcon

Sam Wilson is currently disintegrated, after using his mechanised wings and drones to great effect against Thanos’ army. Another one of the Avengers that doesn’t have innate enhanced physical abilities, Falcon’s loyalty and combat experience are what make him a valuable ally.

Star-Lord

Let’s face it: the battle against Thanos could have ended with an early victory for the home team if not for the brash, goofy, self-styled Star-Lord and his ill-timed temper tantrum. The son of Celestial being Ego and human being Meredith, Peter Quill was turned to dust after losing a team battle against Thanos on Titan. Let’s hope the next time we see Quill, he’s learned to chill.

Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) calls himself Star-Lord but no one else does.
Photo: Marvel Studios

Gamora

The adopted daughter of the Mad Titan was sacrificed by Thanos as a pre-condition for receiving the Soul stone on the planet of Vormir. We see Gamora (Zoe Saldana) again briefly right after the “snap” as a child, seemingly as a construct of Thanos’ mind where she asks him, “Did you do it? What did it cost?” A genuinely distraught Thanos answers “Everything” and it will probably take everything the remaining Avengers have to bring back their friends.

Gamora (Zoe Saldana) was killed by Thanos in 'Infinity War' but will she return?
Photo: Marvel Studios

Drax the Destroyer

The comically literal Drax (Dave Bautista) shone in Infinity War with some hilarious moments, such as when he explained how he could basically become “invisible to the human eye” if he stood really, really still (uhhhh, not quite). He fought valiantly against Thanos on Titan but was sadly turned to dust after the “snap”.

Rocket Raccoon

The wise-cracking genetically enhanced raccoon Rocket (Bradley Cooper) made a few new friends in Infinity War, as he travelled with Thor to get a new legendary weapon and struck up a brief but effective partnership with Winter Soldier as they fought side by side against the monsters in the Battle of Wakanda. He is currently alive and working with the Avengers on a plan to bring everyone back. Also, he looks adorable in his Quantum Realm suit (and in general).

Groot

We watched Groot (Vin Diesel) go through an adorable baby Groot phase in Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 and a rebellious teenage phase in Infinity War, but he finally showed us a more mature side when he fought through the pain and used part of his own body to form the handle for Thor’s new Stormbreaker weapon. Unfortunately even with his regenerative healing powers, he is turned to dust after the “snap” and is currently inactive.

Nebula

Another adopted daughter of Thanos, Nebula (Karen Gillan) spent the first part of her time in the MCU as a baddie intent on killing her sister Gamora. After working out their issues in Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2, Nebula fought against Thanos on Titan and survived the “snap”. She is seen in an Endgame trailer building something on a spaceship with Iron Man, probably as they work to escape Titan and return to Earth.

Scarlet Witch

Scarlet Witch (Elizabett Olsen) made the heartrending decision to kill Vision, her partner and wielder of the Mind Stone, near the end of Infinity War. However, even that wasn’t enough to stop Thanos, as he used the Time Stone to rewind reality and take the Mind Stone himself. Wanda Maximoff was disintegrated while mourning over Vision’s lifeless body.

Vision

Formerly Tony Stark’s artificial intelligence system for his Iron Man suit and computer network, Vision (Paul Bettany) became an Avenger in his own right after melding with the Mind Stone in Age of Ultron. He died twice in Infinity War, but interestingly enough, his corpse remains intact after the “snap”. Though there is no hint of him yet in the Endgame trailers, can fans expect to see the synthetic android that was once deemed worthy by Thor’s Mjolnir hammer rise again?

Vision (Paul Bettany) had the Mind stone ripped from his head by Thanos in 'Infinity War'.
Photo: Marvel Pictures

Ant-Man

In the post-credits scene of Ant-Man and the Wasp, our miniature hero was collecting “quantum healing particles” from the Quantum Realm when the “snap” occurred at that exact moment. Doctor Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), Hope van Dyne/the Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) were instantly turned to dust, leaving Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) trapped in the Quantum Realm. Luckily Lang appears to be alive and well in Endgame, as he rolls up to the Avengers compound asking to be let in. It’s probable that he brought his tech with him as well, as evidenced by the new white Quantum Suits so let’s look forward to more colourful trips to sub-atomic space.

Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) escaped the Quantum Realm and comes to help the rest of the Avengers.
Photo: Marvel Studios

The Wasp

Hope van Dyne got her own suit (and wings) in Ant-Man and the Wasp, when she teamed up with Scott Lang to take on phase-shifting “villain” Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen). She does not survive the “snap” but fans loved her in both Ant-Man movies, so here’s hoping that our heroes find a way to bring everyone back.

Spider-Man

Our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man (Tom Holland) died in Iron Man’s arms during the “snap” and the world cried. But have no fear as Spider-Man is slated to return in his own film Far From Home, which will see him fight giant elemental beings with the help of Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). For now, Peter Parker can only wait patiently to be revived.

Doctor Strange

Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is the Sorcerer Supreme but even he was no match for Thanos’ power. After sifting through multiple possible futures using the Time Stone, he came up with a plan to defeat the Mad Titan. Unfortunately, Star-Lord messes up that plan epically and the Doctor is “dusted”. However some fan theories suggest that everything that has happened so far is within Strange’s predicted plan of action, and he has a master strategy to turn the tables in Endgame. We’ll find out soon.

Does Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) has a master plan to defeat Thanos.
Photo: Marvel Studios

Mantis

Not much is known about Mantis (Pom Klementieff), an alien that has strong empathic powers who was raised by the Celestial Ego on his planet. Deemed “Gross Bug Lady” by Drax, her powers helped the Titan team of Avengers almost defeat Thanos. Mantis is currently deceased after the “snap”.

Black Panther

Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) reclaimed his rightful place as King of Wakanda after fending off his cousin Killmonger’s (Michael B. Jordan) challenge for the throne in Black Panther. Infinity War saw T’Challa muster the full military might of his nation to fend off Thanos’ armies while trying to buy time for his sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), who was attempting to distil Vision’s personality from the Mind Stone. They unfortunately fail, and he is turned to dust by the “snap”.  

The king of Wakanda is also the warrior Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman).
Photo: Marvel Studios

Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) made a triumphant debut in her own origin story film earlier this year, and she looks like the most powerful superhero introduced so far in the MCU. With the power of flight, the ability to shoot photon blasts out of her bare hands, and general awesomeness, she answers the plea of help from her home planet of Earth after being away for more than a decade. Look for her to play an important part of the counter-offensive in Endgame.

Nick Fury

The director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Samuel L. Jackson) has seen his fair share of battles, but we most recently saw Fury in action during Captain Marvel, and we even learned how he lost his eye (hint: never trust a Flerken completely). Fury did not participate in the fight against Thanos in Infinity War, but he did one of the most important things in the entire film: call for backup. Carol Danvers warned him that the inter-galactic pager was “only for emergencies” and this is certainly an emergency.

Are we missing an important character that you want to know more about? Leave us a comment here or our Instagram or Facebook page.

Avengers: Endgame hits Hong Kong cinemas on Wednesday, April 24. Be sure to check out our full review next week.

All gifs via GIPHY

Edited by Karly Cox

You might also like:

10 Marvel movies you can stream on Netflix before Avengers: Endgame opens

The 5 best Avengers: Endgame fan theories so far

Avengers: Endgame Vox Pop: What do Hong Kong teens think of Marvel superheroes?

Sign up for the YP Teachers Newsletter
Get updates for teachers sent directly to your inbox
By registering, you agree to our T&C and Privacy Policy
Comment