The first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe build to one event. As soon as the Red Skull pulls the Tesseract out of its hiding place in Captain America: The First Avenger, the race to learn the truth about the Infinity Stones is on. The main player, of course, is Thanos, who sends Loki to retrieve the Space Stone in The Avengers and delegates his work again in Guardians of the Galaxy to Ronan the Accuser. Eventually, the Mad Titan grows tired of his lackeys screwing up, so he takes matters into his own hands. Attacking the God of Thunder’s ship in Thor: Ragnarok sets the stage for Avengers: Infinity War, which brings the entire MCU together for the first time.
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The build-up to Infinity War was memorable, to say the least. There was rampant speculation about which characters would interact and how the heroes would deal with facing off against Thanos. Well, the official trailer for the movie made it seem like they were going to have their work cut out for them. However, one moment in the video opened the door for a fan theory that claimed that an iconic Marvel hero was joining the fray to help save the day.
MCU Fans Believed Thanos Had Already Fought One of Marvel’s Biggest Heroes
It’s easy to forget, but very little was known about Thanos prior to Infinity War. While he had made vague threats to Ronan, he had yet to flex his muscles in a meaningful way. The trailers for Infinity War were one of Marvel Studios’ first opportunities to prove why the Mad Titan was a worthwhile Big Bad, and they didn’t drop the ball. The official trailer for the movie focused on heroes like Iron Man learning of Thanos’ existence, and while they were playing catch-up, the villain was finally letting loose. He threw a punch at Captain America and threatened the entire universe while wearing the Infinity Gauntlet. Fans couldn’t focus on any of that, though, because they were distracted by the markings on Thanos’ face.
The MCU hadn’t explored Thanos’ past, so it was easy to assume the marks came from an intense battle the villain was part of. Since it looked a bit like Thanos came into contact with a powerful set of claws, the Internet started spreading the idea that Wolverine was going to make his MCU debut in Infinity War. There was no evidence to support the claims, but that didn’t matter because, with a movie that big, anything was possible. Unfortunately, the Avengers lost, and Logan never showed his face. In fact, it took another seven years for him to join the franchise in Deadpool & Wolverine. Wolverine is unlikely to miss another major MCU event, though, as he’s sure to become one of the faces of the next couple of phases.
Wolverine Will Get a Chance to Throw Down With the Rest of the MCU’s Big Bads
While Hugh Jackman has yet to be confirmed for the cast of Avengers: Doomsday, it’s hard to imagine a world where members of the original X-Men cast and Ryan Reynolds are part of the proceedings, and he isn’t. The most likely scenario is that Marvel Studios is keeping Wolverine’s role a secret to ensure that there’s at least one surprise when Doomsday hits theaters in 2026. After that movie and Secret Wars, it’s hard to imagine Jackman sticking around for much longer, as the X-Men are getting recast in the reboot film from Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier. However, Logan doesn’t have to fade into the background, with there being plenty of avenues for the MCU to explore a new version of the character, whether it’s on Disney+ or the big screen.
With the X-Men fully in the fold, fans won’t have to speculate about a villain having damage from Wolverine’s adamantium claws any longer. They will get to head to the theaters and watch their favorite mutant battle the likes of Doctor Doom, Magneto, and Apocalypse. A variant of the Mad Titan might even show up down the line and confirm that he has beef with Weapon X. The multiverse really is the MCU’s oyster.
Avengers: Infinity War is streaming on Disney+.
Did you think Wolverine was going to appear in Avengers: Infinity War? Are you glad the character is part of the MCU now? Let us know in the comments below!
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