SPOILER Returns in 'Avengers: Infinity War'

The latest film from Marvel Studios defies expectations and drags audiences at a neck-breaking pace to the end of the universe, with many surprises along the way.

But Avengers: Infinity War features one shocking return of a character that hasn't been seen in years, and it's all but guaranteed to take viewers off guard.

Warning: Spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War below.

During his quest to obtain the Infinity Stones, Thanos and his daughter Gamora end up coming across a mysterious guide on an otherwise lifeless planet. The guide reveals himself to be the Red Skull, who last appeared in the climax of Captain America: The First Avenger after the power of the Tesseract zapped him away.

We have since learned that the Tesseract actually housed the Space Stone, which enables teleportation, and that the Red Skull was transported to the planet Vormir. He is doomed to live out the rest of his days on the mysterious planet, guarding an object that he himself would never be able to obtain: the Soul Stone.

The Red Skull was first played by Hugo Weaving in the first Cap film, but in his second MCU appearance the character is portrayed by Ross Marquand. The actor is likely most known for his role as Aaron on The Walking Dead, but he's also a talented at making impressions. So he's a great choice to replace the talented Weaving, and it might be difficult to even tell the difference between the two at first.

The former leader of HYDRA explains to Thanos that in order to obtain the Soul Stone, he much sacrifice a life — specifically, that of the person he loves most.

When he sheds a tear, Gamora can't help but laugh at her adopted father, whom she hates for what he did to her and her people. She tells him that she's wished he'd get what he deserves for some time, and now that he's there, he's unable to get the Soul Stone because there's nothing that he loves more than himself. 

But Thanos is actually crying for her, as the Red Skull explains. The Mad Titan does truly love his daughter, and it is her murder that enables him to retrieve the Soul Stone.

The tower on Vormir where the Red Skull resides erupts in a beam of light before Thanos wakes up in a shallow pool of water nearby, though we don't see what happens to Cap's arch enemy after that moment. Is he still doomed to stay on Vormir, or has Thanos' achievement freed him from the purgatory where he was trapped for nearly a century?

Maybe we'll find out in a future installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Avengers: Infinity War is now playing in theaters.

Did the Red Skull's return shock you? Tell us your reaction in the comments!