'Avengers 4' Will Have Highest Stakes of Any Marvel Film to Date

As the countdown clock to Avengers 4 ticks towards May like molasses, Marvel fans everywhere are jonesing for any ounce of information or hint they can get about the new film. While we have plenty of guesses, no one really knows what trials and tribulations lay ahead for our favorite band of heroes. That is, no one except the Russo Brothers...

Earlier today, one-half of the Avengers 4 directing team, Joe Russo, greeted the Internet with a live Q&A on Instagram from Duello Bar in Los Angeles. While he didn't provide any groundbreaking Avengers 4 news, the Russo brother did manage to get our hearts racing with one definitive answer.

When asked if the stakes will be higher in the upcoming film, Russo didn't hesitate. "Absolutely. 100%. The highest of any of the films to date without question," he said.

While this isn't exactly a surprise, it's still unnerving to know that there could be stakes higher than half the universe's population getting snapped out of existence. With hints like Ant-Man's fatal journey into the Quantum Realm and Nick Fury's call to Captain Marvel in the Infinity War post-credit scene, there is a lot of speculation on how (or if) the heroes will take down Thanos.

It's safe to assume some of the dusted characters will make a comeback, especially since we know there's going to be Spider-Man: Homecoming and Black Panther sequels. However, in a universe where anything from time travel to alternate timelines is possible, there's no telling where the story could lead or just how high these high stakes can get.

While many of us can easily fathom the MCU reaching higher stakes, not everyone agrees with the sentiment. Alan Ritchson, who plays Hawk on the DC series, Titans, recently made a bold statement about the Marvel films not having any stakes. Ritchson believes the immense power given to Marvel characters makes them too hard to kill and therefore ruins the aforementioned stakes.

Whether or not you agree, it's safe to say Thanos has changed the game for the once-indestructible Avengers. The power provided by the Infinity Stones is like nothing the Marvel Cinematic Universe has ever seen and we can only hope they'll be used to the Avengers' advantage in the next film.

As the Russo Brothers continue toying with our emotions, we won't stop holding out hope that things will work out for our favorite characters in Avengers 4, which will finally grace our screens in May.