'Avengers: Infinity War': 7 Possible Characters That Would Surprise Us

Phil Coulson

Those involved with the MCU have made it abundantly clear that the television characters aren't going to show up in the final two Avengers movies. Period.

We understand that this is the case, but Phil Coulson has to be the sole exception, right?

Remember, long before he began leading the Agents of SHIELD series on ABC, Coulson was a staple of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The character, played by Clark Gregg, was the SHIELD agent who appeared in Iron Man, Iron Man 2, and Thor before meeting an untimely end at the hands of Loki in The Avengers.

His death was the event that really unified the Avengers in the film. Agents of SHIELD later revealed that he had been brought back to life, but none of the characters from the movie, save for Nick Fury, know that he's not actually dead.

An appearance from Coulson on Infinity War could be the boost that the original Avengers need to get themselves on the right track and lead the charge against Thanos.

Red Skull

If there is one villain from the MCU that fans would like to see return in Infinity War, it's the Red Skull, played by Hugo Weaving.

Not only was the villain from Captain America: The First Avenger one of the more dangerous bad guys in the history of the franchise, but audiences are still confused by his "death" that took place at the end of the movie. Many believed that he didn't actually die from his interaction with the Tesseract.

Marvel recently put out an Infinity War prequel comic that outlined where every single Infinity Stone was in the MCU. When it told the story of the Space Stone, it looked as though Red Skull was actually transported up into space, not destroyed by the Stone's power. This has led readers to believe that Marvel is hinting towards the Red Skull being alive after all.

Let's be honest: if Thanos is gathering together some extra villains for his war against the universe, Red Skull wouldn't be the worst ally to have at his side.

Lady Death

Infinity War is going to be putting Thanos at center stage, giving the ultimate villain a lot of backstory to help show fans how he became the evil force that we've seen building in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

We know that this comes with the destruction of Titan, Thanos' home world. But it could also include the entity that Thanos desires more than everything else.

In the comics, Lady Death is who Thanos is always craving to please. It's her destructive nature that often leads him to kill everything in its path. To many fans, the two characters really go hand-in-hand.

If Thanos is truly at the center of this movie, Lady Death should be right there beside him, pulling the strings of a big, purple puppet.

Pip the Troll

A lot has been said about Pip the Troll leading up to Avengers: Infinity War, but could the character actually surprise us with an appearance?

In the original Infinity Gauntlet comics, Pip is a key figure in the events taking place out in space. He works closely with Gamora to bring Adam Warlock into the fray, and even pairs up with Doctor Strange for a spell.

We've been told, time and again, that Adam Warlock isn't in Avengers: Infinity War, but both Gamora and Doctor Strange are heavily involved in the events of the film. Maybe Pip could work with them in some capacity, filling the whole left in fans wishing Warlock would've found a way to appear.

Nova

When Nova eventually appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you would expect the casting of the character to be a pretty big deal. This kind of news would be difficult for Marvel to keep locked down.

Still, there is certainly a way for Richard Rider to find his way to Infinity War.

Let's remember, Thanos gets the Power Stone in this movie. The trailer has already revealed that the purple Infinity Stone is nestled tightly in his gauntlet. This means that he has already paid Xandar a visit, and likely destroyed the entire Nova Corps.

Richard Rider, known best as simply Nova, is the last surviving member of the once great Nova Corps. The destruction of the planet at the hands of Thanos provides the perfect introduction for the character, even if it's just in the form of a small cameo.

Groot

Yes, Groot has never exactly left the MCU, and the adolescent version of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's Baby Groot is already confirmed to have a role in Infinity War.

But I'm talking about grown-up Groot here. I'm talking about the Groot that could take out armies on his own.

Groot can obviously grow and get bigger over time. However, on more than one occasion (most recently in Infinity Countdown #1), Marvel has shown that certain devices can cause Groot to grow at an exponential rate, bringing back his power and size in a matter of moments.

With all of the technology involved in this movie, and the inclusion of the powerful Infinity Stones, it wouldn't be a stretch to see the fully developed version of Groot back alongside the rest of the Guardians. After all, the Avengers could really use his strength in this war if they can find a way to unlock it.

Thane

While the appearances of all of these other characters may be a little surprising, this is the one that would truly shock Marvel fans.

Thane, the devastating son of Thanos, has a major role in Hickman's Infinity, which the movie is somewhat based on.

In Infinity War, the Black Order are said to be the children of Thanos, much like Gamora and Nebula. Wouldn't it make sense to include the actual, biological son of the Mad Titan?

Black Panther is currently playing in theaters with Avengers: Infinity War set to be released on April 27. Marvel will follow that up with Ant-Man and the Wasp on July 6.