Avengers Who Could Save The Day In Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame is one of the largest crossover events in the history of cinema. Rarely has such a star-studded cast come together in one crossover film, all with the express purpose of taking down one villain. While the roll call for Endgame is about as long as it gets, it's going to be difficult to have every single one of the characters manage to take front and center in the desperate bid to undo Thanos' snap of doom.

While the six original Avengers still remain standing along with a smattering of supporting characters and a Guardian of the Galaxy or two to back them up, who's going to be the key player (or players) that manages to finally save the day? Who'll deal the decisive blow? Assuming they do manage to undo Thanos' Decimation before the end credits roll, here are a few of the prime candidates who could save the day as Avengers: Endgame unfolds.

Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark has been one of the movers and shakers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since day one. Over time, Stark's personality has been tempered by challenge and tragedy. Remember, even if Doctor Strange said it in Infinity War, it was Stark who first uttered "endgame" back in Age of Ultron as he strove to head off his deepest fears. Even Thanos holds a special bond with Iron Man, as was made evident by his line about not being the only one "cursed with knowledge."

While the first Endgame teaser showed Stark out in space, we know the Iron Avenger finds his way home one way or another, and from there he'll likely lead the charge against the Mad Titan when the time comes. From his connection with Thanos to his scientific prowess and ever-improving armor, not to mention the incredible guilt that's clearly on his shoulders after everything that's happened, it's completely reasonable to expect Mr. Stark to be the one to save the day — no matter the cost.

Steve Rogers emerged from exile in Infinity War to take part in the most devastating setback the Avengers have faced. While his one-on-one Thanos experience might be limited to a quick encounter in Wakanda before being tossed aside, Rogers has always had a true team player, as the look of abject horror on his face showed after the finger snap.

The trailers for Endgame have showed us a Cap who is devastated, upset, and ready to do anything to turn things around again. His strength has always lain in leadership and organization, which could make him the perfect lightning rod of discontent for the surviving heroes to rally around as they prepare for an avenging stroke. In addition to his obvious intra-story potential, there's the added fact that actor Chris Evans has dropped hints that this could be the end for Captain America. While we don't know exactly what that "end" could entail, and co-director Joe Russo even came right out and said "he's not done yet," Cap could still end up sacrificing himself for the team in a final, desperate attempt to save the day.

In many ways, Hulk is primed to be the ultimate hero in Endgame. His conspicuous near-total absence from Infinity War was clearly building to something, and the fact that Endgame is going to be the "third act" of his story arc, which has been woven through Ragnarok, Infinity War, and now Endgame, adds fuel to the fire that something climactic is about to take place within Hulk's storyline. There's also rampant speculation that the film will herald the arrival of Professor Hulk, a combo of the Hulk and Banner personalities combined into one character.

There have also been rumors that Hulk could end up fighting Thanos with a second Infinity Gauntlet, which could end with the Green Machine losing an arm. While rumors and speculation are always risky business, it does seem fairly certain that the Russos have something big in store for the Hulk, and it might not be very pleasant.

It's worth bearing in mind that Universal still holds the distribution rights for the character, and the execs at Disney may find Hulk's future in the MCU hardly profitable, which could open the doors for an epic, day-saving ending that could even end in the big guy's — dare we say it — death. We'd hate to see it happen, but that could pave the way for Hulk to be a bigger player in Endgame than anyone expected.

One of the clearest candidates to save the day in Endgame has to be Thor. The God of Thunder has gone through a heck of a character arc since Thor: Ragnarok, and he's come out of the other end more determined than ever. Thor's torturous experience at the hands of Marvel's writers over the course of his MCU career has certainly left Odin's Son ready to dish out some bitter vengeance against any villain who crosses him — especially one who strangled his brother and stabbed his best friend, both to death, right in front of his eyes.

Thor's odds of saving the day in Endgame are further increased by his other experiences in Infinity War. He forged Stormbreaker, became capable of summoning the Bifrost, and was the only one able to deal Thanos a serious injury even when the latter was fully wielding the Infinity Stones. The man — er, god — is clearly capable of swooping in to the rescue if the occasion arises. The question is, can he find Thanos — and will the Mad Titan be as vulnerable to an attack from the Asgardian the second time around?

Vision was among those who perished before Thanos' Decimation, but if he were recreated somehow — perhaps building off Shuri's last-ditch efforts to separate him from the Mind Stone — another of the most powerful Avengers could return to face Thanos head on. However, if Vision were to actually save the day in Endgame, it might end up being through something a bit more complicated than a head-to-head duel.

Vision's role in Infinity War had much more to do with self-awareness and personal sacrifice, both of which require a great deal more bravery than a desire to simply defeat and destroy. Early on, Vision recognized the danger caused by his presence and saw the need to destroy his stone long before Wanda could be convinced to do anything about it. Even if he was fully functional and ready to rumble, if Vision were to have a major impact on saving the day in Endgame, chances are that it would end up being through a deeper level of logic rather than brute Infinity Stone-powered strength.

Of course, one can't bring up Vision without considering Wanda as well. Not only were the two lovebirds attached at the hip throughout Infinity War, but the Maximoff twin also ended up being powerful enough to literally destroy an Infinity Stone. While the specifics of her history haven't been fully fleshed out within the MCU, it's known that her powers came about through HYDRA's experiments on Wanda and her brother, some of which involved Loki's Scepter — a device that contained the Mind Stone.

Her connection to the Stone, as Vision so aptly pointed out, gave her power a similar signature to the gem, which allowed her to destroy it as a last-ditch effort during the fight in Wakanda. While that gambit ended in defeat, it doesn't change the fact that she could do it again. Even if her destructive ability were contained to the Mind Stone alone, it could be a game changer against Thanos. Of course, they'd have to do something about the Time Stone as well, or the Mad Titan could repeat the trick he played in Infinity War and simply rewind the clock.

Infinity War already saw Spider-Man play an instrumental role in nearly toppling the Mad Titan. He first popped in to help in the battle with the Black Order in New York City, then hitched a ride with Iron Man on the space donut headed for Titan. He was also the one who came up with the plan that led to Ebony Maw's demise and was front and center when they nearly got the gauntlet off Thanos' oversized purple paw. (Thanks for nothing, Star-Lord!)

While he may be new to the Avengers, and just a kid besides, Peter Parker is a heck of a candidate to save the day — in more ways than one. There are the obvious factors like his Spidey senses and web shooters, but there's more where that came from. He's also surprisingly strong — in the comics, he can typically lift roughly 25 tons — and he's a wiz kid too. He's got a lot going for him and could certainly end up swinging in to save the day. The only question is how he'll be brought back from Thanos' Decimation in time for his second solo film, which comes out not long after Endgame arrives in theaters.

Captain Marvel is a latecomer to the game, but with her solo film set in the '90s, she's been hanging around on the edges of the MCU all along. In addition, Marvel has clearly been setting up its first female lead to be a key player in the future of the Avengers franchise. It's a move that makes sense, as her comics past has featured her as a high-profile Avenger and her uniquely powerful set of skills make her an indispensable weapon in the fight against Thanos.

More importantly, when it comes to Endgame in particular, Carol Danvers is poised to be the quintessential character to save the day. Her presence in the MCU was virtually unknown until the mid-credits scene from Infinity War revealed her imminent arrival, but from flying to photon blasts, her power set is virtually unrivaled, and it's difficult to imagine a scenario in which she doesn't save the day.

Gamora was one of the most important characters in Infinity War, if only because of her knowledge of the Soul Stone — and her being sacrificed in order for Thanos to obtain it. But her mark on the story is bigger than her tragic demise — Star-Lord's reaction to her death ruined a carefully laid plan to separate Thanos from his gauntlet, and don't forget Thanos' vision of Gamora's younger self toward the end of the movie.

Gamora's complex history with her adopted father makes her a compelling character who could inadvertently save the day in Endgame when we least expect it. It's already been confirmed by actress Zoe Saldana that Gamora will play some part in Endgame, even if the specifics are unknown at this point. Whether she figures in a flashback sequence or comes back from the dead, her potential as a sleeper savior is fairly high. Even if she's stuck in the Soul Stone, her connection to Thanos could mean she's in the perfect position to deliver a few well-placed words at just the right moment. We know Thanos listens to her, after all. Maybe words will be all that's needed.

Nebula's horrifyingly tragic past is deeply entwined with both the Mad Titan and Gamora. It was Thanos himself who turned half of his adopted daughter into a machine in the name of trying to make her Gamora's "equal," a fact that left a scarring desire for revenge deeply burned into the cyborg. While she may have buried the hatchet with Gamora, the desire to kill her father has only grown over time. She remains among the living after Thanos' Decimation, which makes Nebula yet another prime character to swoop in and save the day.

Interestingly enough, it was none other than Nebula who featured prominently in the original Infinity Gauntlet comics series. She was once again horrifically tortured by Thanos, this time literally being left in a state of living death, and her critical role in helping steal the gauntlet and reversing the finger snap are huge elements of the story. With Nebula's survival after Infinity War, it's completely within the bounds of reason to see her comics storyline finding its way into the Russo brothers' film.

One more Guardian of the Galaxy that could bring salvation in Endgame is none other than the new addition to the team, Mantis. While she, once again, would need to be brought back from her snapped demise, the empath showed herself to have a uniquely powerful edge over Thanos in the fight on Titan. In the same way that she was able to temporarily stop a being as powerful as Ego from swallowing up the universe, Mantis was able to shut down the Mad Titan mid-battle, giving the team their best shot at getting the gauntlet.

While Mantis lost control after Star-Lord lost his temper, the fact still stands that she stopped Thanos dead in his tracks, which is more than pretty much everyone else can boast at this point. If the team can resurrect Mantis and she can get her hands on the Dark Lord again, that could be all they need.

Scott Lang has had a couple of significant run-ins with the Avengers by now. He raided their upstate HQ in his first solo adventure and joined in the fun at the airport in Civil War, but he hasn't been able to fight with the Avengers against the bad guys... until now. The Endgame trailer revealed Lang showing up again at Avengers HQ, this time at the front gates and with his Quantum van in tow.

The impact that Lang could have on Endgame could be diametrically inverse to his shrinking abilities, as he may be the key not just to winning, but to the entire storyline. Tom Holland has already hinted that the Quantum Realm will be involved in Endgame. In addition, Hank Pym actor Michael Douglas drove the point home when he told Ryan Seacrest that the Realm would be "the key" to the storyline. That revelation could position Lang as "the key to the key," so to speak, putting him in prime position to save everyone's hides going into the last chapter of Phase 3.

Last yet absolutely not least, we have Doctor Stephen Strange. Every time Strange has appeared in the MCU he's had the air of a person who knows exactly what's going on. In Infinity War, he took matters into his own hands when he gave up the Time Stone in order to give our heroes that one in 14 million chance to beat Thanos. Even before that, he gave the villain a run for his money in straight up, one-on-one combat. There's no doubt that Strange stood tall among the universe's greatest defenders... until he joined them in an ashy grave.

If Strange manages to come back, which is a distinct possibility for a fellow who can time travel, he could end up being the crux of the entire Endgame scenario, if only because he's clearly been one of the chief architects in setting things up so far. In fact, even if he doesn't physically appear, ultimately his decision to save Stark and surrender the Stone could end up being the move that saved the day before anyone even knew it.