‘Avengers: Endgame’: Here’s Who Will Likely Live and Who Will Likely Die

Avengers: Endgame is almost here, and about the only thing we can say for sure at this point is that not everyone will make it out of the final mission against Thanos alive while some of those who already died at Thanos’ hands may not return at all. With so much uncertainty in the air, and the tease of serious heartbreak on the table, fans have gone full Beautiful Mind in trying to calculate the odds of how Avengers: Endgame will play out.

Those predictions have gotten big enough that there are no legitimate odds as to which characters will die in Avengers: Endgame, and which will make it out alive. If you want to know what that looks like heading into release day, we’ve got you covered: here’s who will likely live and who will likely die!

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Captain America

Risk Factor: Very High

At this point, it would probably be more surprising if Chris Evans’ Captain America didn’t die in Avengers: Endgame. Evans has already expressed that he will be moving on from Marvel projects after the film, and his character arc has been defined by self-sacrifice ever since jumping on a grenade in boot camp during The First Avenger. If anyone is going to lay down his life for this cause, it’s Cap. 

Iron Man

Risk Factor: High

As the godfather of the entire MCU, Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark/Iron Man has about as big a target on his back as Captain America does. The only thing that makes Iron Man a “high” risk rather than a “very high” risk is the fact that a lot of fans believe that Iron Man could survive Endgame, albeit with significant change to his life and status quo that could retire him from Iron Man duty. That would leave Stark as a major MCU figure, alive and well, but just not one we see very often. 

Thor

Risk Factor: Low

If Avengers: Endgame was coming out before Thor: Ragnarok had arrived, then Chris Hemsworth’ Thor would’ve been a prime candidate for a high risk of death. However, after Ragnarok, Thor is pretty much locked for a new solo film installment, so Hemsworth is not likely get dead (or at least stay dead) during Avengers: Endgame‘s run. 

Hawkeye

Risk Factor: Very Low

We may have counted Hawkeye out at one point, but like Thor, the larger behind-the-scenes workings of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have changed the odds. We now know that a Hawkeye TV series is reportedly coming to Disney+, which will see Renner’s Clint Barton pass the torch to Kate Bishop, his successor from the comics. That has set up Hawkeye’s ending to soon come,- but it looks like in Endgame, his arc will seemingly be all about getting back the family he lost in The Snap.

Black Widow

Risk Factor: Moderate

Black Widow’s arc since Avengers has repeatedly come back to the idea of debts owed and paid. In her famous monologue to Loki, Natasha revealed that it was Clint Barton/Hawkeye that saved her from a life of being a ruthless and morally corrupt assassin by not killing her when he had been ordered to. That’s a level of debt where Widow literally owes Hawkeye the price of a life, which means her “whatever it takes” play in Endgame could be sacrificing herself to ensure Hawkeye’s family survive. Sure, Marvel has already announced that a Black Widow solo movie is on the way, but it hasn’t been confirmed whether it’s a prequel or chronologically set after Endgame, so there’s a possibility that Widow could both die and still get a solo movie return.

Hulk

Risk Factor: Moderate

Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk is a major X-factor in all this: he has no solo film series and no guaranteed pathway into Phase 4. Marvel Studios has found great ways to make Hulk a recurring supporting player in MCU movies, which could easily continue, but it would also be a major twist to see the green guy get taken out during Endgame. 

Rocket Raccoon

Risk Factor: Very Low

Now that James Gunn is back for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it’s almost impossible to imagine the franchise continuing without Rocket. The little “rabbit” seems pretty secure.

Ant-Man

Risk Factor: Moderate

Scott Lang/Ant-Man still has a moderately successful solo film franchise, but it’s one he’s increasingly sharing with his supporting characters. Hope van Dyne’s Wasp, Hank Pym, and now Janet van Dyne are all around (assuming they’re un-dusted by the time Endgame concludes) to continue the franchise, and Marvel Comics have seen several characters wear the Ant-Man suit. If Scott dies, Ant-Man 3 could still introduce corrupt SHIELD agent Eric O’Grady, who had his own mid-2000s run as an anti-hero/thief version of Ant-Man. 

War Machine

Risk Factor: Moderate

Rhodey is a lot like Hulk: he’s been a major supporting player in the MCU for quite some time, but has no solo series or film to bolster his presence in the MCU’s future. He could be killed off as a way of inflicting a major blow to fans, or could be needed to fill the void left behind by Tony Stark’s departure. It’s really 50/50.

Captain Marvel

Risk Factor: Low

On the one hand, Captain Marvel’s story doesn’t have to continue after Avengers: Endgame; her solo film series still has decades of ’90s and ’00s-era interstellar storyline to fill in. However, Captain Marvel is now a billion-dollar earner, and Kevin Feige is already teasing how she’ll “lead” the MCU in Phase 4. That sounds like more of a promotion than death sentence. 

Nebula

Risk Factor: Moderate

Nebula has had a pretty redemptive arc taking shape in the MCU, but she also has a pivotal legacy from the original Infinity Gauntlet comic book storyline left hanging. That legacy involves Nebula wrestling control of the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos and undoing The Snap. However, Nebula proves woefully inexperienced at godhood, and eventually ends up being tricked into giving up the Gauntlet, ultimately turning herself into a living corpse. If a similar storyline plays out in the film, it’s possible the MCU Nebula doesn’t survive her fall from being a goddess.

Thanos

Risk Factor: High*

The original Infinity Gauntlet story ended with Thanos losing the Gauntlet and the Infinity Stones being separated, deemed never to be used in unison again. Thanos is taken into custody, but decides to sacrifice himself using a bomb rather than accepting imprisonment. Given the work that Avengers: Infinity War put into building Thanos’ psyche and backstory, it wouldn’t be surprising if the MCU version of the Mad Titan does the same. 

…of course, there is an asterisk to this: the epilogue of Infinity Gauntlet reveals that Adam Warlock has hidden Thanos away on a strange planet where he’s resigned to live a quiet farmer’s life. In the sequel series, Infinity War, it’s revealed that Warlock also hid one of the disbanded Infinity Stones with Thanos. So, Avengers: Endgame could see Thanos “die” only to later reveal in a post-credits epilogue that he’s still out there in the universe.