‘Avengers: Endgame’ Theory Claims It’s Not Nebula’s Hand on Tony Stark’s Shoulder

Has there ever been a movie trailer that spawned as many fan theories as the first promo for Avengers: Endgame? You don’t need to think about that one, the answer is most definitely no. We’ve all spent entirely too much time dissecting the two minutes of footage and trying to figure out what possible secrets could be hiding in plain sight.

These efforts have led to some increasingly interesting theories, some of which are more plausible than others. One such idea recently appeared on Reddit, suggesting that the big trick being pulled in the Endgame trailer revolves around the shot in which Nebula puts her hand on Tony’s shoulder, and that maybe that hand belongs to a different MCU character entirely.

According to a Redditor named jackmico343, the hand actually belongs to Hela, from Thor: Ragnarok. There have been plenty of rumors regarding Hela’s potential return in Avengers: Endgame, but this theory suggests she finds Tony Stark while he’s floating in space.

What’s the evidence here? The original poster suggests that the shape of the sleeve leading to the hand it triangular in shape, just like Hela’s. They also state that the hand has black fingernails (which is true) and that Nebula most definitely does not, meaning that it would have to be Hela.

While it’s a great thought, and we’d all love to see Hela return in Endgame, this theory simply isn’t accurate. That’s not to say Hela won’t appear in the movie, but a quick image search will help prove that the hand indeed does belong to Nebula.

Look at the sleeve in this photo, and compare it to the one seen in the Endgame trailer. It’s almost a perfect match, but that’s not even the biggest evidence against the theory. As you can see, quite clearly, Nebula has black fingernails. That’s not a “well this looks really similar” kind of thing. It’s a fact. The image proves it, plain as day.

This photo is from Avengers: Infinity War, from the scene in which Nebula is on Titan with the Avengers. That takes place just before the events of Endgame, which means that it’s legitimately the most current look at Nebula before the trailer. The style here, both in her sleeve and her fingernails, perfectly matches the hand on Tony’s shoulder.

Theories are awesome, we get it. And despite Marvel’s long history of throwing fans off with trailer footage, not every shot used in advertising is meant to misdirect. Sometimes things are exactly as they seem.

Avengers: Endgame is set to hit theaters on April 26th.