Avengers 3: Everything We Know About Infinity War

Between the movies, the one shots, the limited-series and the television shows, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is constantly growing bigger and bigger week to week - and it's all headed in a rather epic direction. As confirmed by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, everything we've seen so far in the comic book movie world has been building towards an epic big screen battle against the alien warlord known as Thanos, and that huge event will unfold in 2018's The Avengers: Infinity War.

But who amongst the established heroes and villains in the MCU can we expect to see pop up in the movie? Who are the filmmakers responsible for making it? Well, to organize all of that key information we have put together this handy guide, which we'll keep updating to let you know the latest info about the giant blockbuster. Read on!

What Is The Infinity War Release Date?

As was announced in October 2014, Avengers: Infinity War will be released on May 4, 2018. Originally, this story was believed to unfold across two movies, as the fourth Avengers movie was titled Infinity War: Part 2. However, directors Joe and Anthony Russo (more on them in a bit) later said that the titles were "misleading," and that eventually they would be changed. That eventually proved true, as in late August 2016, Marvel dropped the Part 1 from the third Avengers movie, thus resulting in Avengers: Infinity War. Avengers 4 still doesn't have an official title. There will still be some "cross pollination" between the two movies, but look at them now as separate and distinct movies.

What Is The Infinity War Rating?

No official rating has been announced yet, but it's a good bet that Avengers: Infinity War will follow in the footsteps of the other MCU movies and be rated PG-13. Granted, the violence will almost assuredly be the most intense we've seen yet in this franchise, but it won't surpass the R rating in case some younger fans are the the theater. Throw in a few curse words and some suggestive material, and you have the usual content you'll find in a Marvel movie.

The Writers And The Directors

Marvel Studios seems to have a lot of trust in the abilities of the directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo and writing pair Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus. The four men first worked together on Captain America: The Winter Soldier; they re-teamed for Captain America: Civil War; and now have been locked in to orchestrate things behind the scenes for Avengers: Infinity War. The 2018 film should definitely be a different kind of beast then the second and third Captain America movies, but given how great both Winter Soldier and Civil War turned out, it's pretty damn hard to doubt their abilities.

Avengers: Infinity War Cast List

Iron Man

Iron Man served as the semi-antagonist in Captain America: Civil War, enforcing the new legislation requiring that enhanced beings be regulated and fighting against Captain America and the other anti-registration heroes with War Machine, Black Widow, Vision, Black Panther and Spider-Man. The end of that movie saw him emotionally hurt after discovering that Winter Soldier killed his parents and dealing with Steve Rogers' perceived betrayal, so he's in a vulnerable spot. It's since been confirmed that Robert Downey Jr. will reprise Tony Stark for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4 (and before that, he will appear in Spider-Man: Homecoming), so we'll see him and the other Avengers reunite, regardless of their ideological differences, to battle Thanos.

Captain America

Following the battle against A.I. gone mad in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America returned to the big screen in May 2016 for Captain America: Civil War, where he led the charge against superhero registration. Despite rumors that he would die at the end of the conflict (similar to what happened in the comics), Steve Rogers made it out alive, though he and his allies are now considered criminals by the world's governments. However, they're continuing to protect the innocent on their own terms, and fighting Thanos will be no different. Chris Evans will appear as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4, serving as the last two movies on his contract. Whether Chris Evans sticks around for Phase Four remains to be seen.

Thor

Like Captain America, Thor is going to have a hell of a lot to deal with when Phase Three rolls around. This is apparent just by looking at the official title of Thor 3, which will be heading into theaters on November 3, 2017, called Thor: Ragnarok. That movie will see Thor trying to prevent Hela from unleashing the Ragnarok event to destroy Asgardian civilization, as well as survive on the gladiator planet Sakaar, which is ruled by Grandmaster. We don't know yet specifically what will go down in Thor: Ragnarok, but since Chris Hemsworth has signed on to Avengers: Infinity War, we know that the God of Thunder will make it out of his third movie relatively unscathed, and join forces with his Earth allies again.

The Hulk

At the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Hulk flew away from his fellow Avengers in the Quinjet, and his whereabouts afterwards were a mystery. Moviegoers will see Bruce Banner and his monstrous counterpart return in November 2017 for Thor: Ragnarok, where we'll see the Green Goliath fighting Thor on Sakaar and later traveling with his Avengers teammate across the Nine Realms. It's been mentioned that we may see Hulk grow smarter in this movie, though the exact details for this haven't been ironed out. Still, it would be cool to see a Hulk in action on the big screen that isn't just pure rage with brief moments of calmness, but one who can reason out problems. Following that, Mark Ruffalo is confirmed to appear in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4, which, according to the actor, work with Thor: Ragnarok to form a "standalone Hulk story."

Black Widow

Since making her debut in Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow has grown to become a fan favorite, and that level of appreciation has led to an expanded role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In addition to being a full-fledged Avenger, she has also become a key character in Captain America's adventures, appearing in his latter two solo movies. Black Widow's in the wind following Captain America: Civil War, but, not to worry, because it's been confirmed that she will be involved in Avengers: Infinity War, though the exact role she'll have to play has not yet been confirmed.

Hawkeye

Hawkeye has made steady appearances in the MCU over the last several years, first cameoing in Thor and playing integral roles in The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War. Given his status as an original Avenger, it makes all the sense in the world to bring him back for Avengers: Infinity War - if not only because Earth will need as many superheroes as possible in the fight against Thanos. Well, that's just what'll happen, as Jeremy Renner is signed on for both movies.

Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver

With their introduction in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch and Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Quicksilver became the two newest superpowered individuals making their way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe... but only one was given a future in this franchise. Well, as we saw in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Quicksilver was killed in action, and there are no plans (or at least ones publicly disclosed) to bring him back. As for Scarlet Witch, she recently returned in Captain America: Civil War, and the Russo brothers confirmed she'll appear for Avengers: Infinity War, so we'll see her gain better control of her powers.

Thanos

While he's not expected to be the only villain featured in Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos will certainly be the main antagonist of the film. We've officially known about the character's presence in the universe since the mid-credits sequence of The Avengers, which revealed him as having a desire to conquer Earth, and we got to know him a bit better in Guardians of the Galaxy through his interactions with Ronan The Accuser. The last time we saw him in Avengers: Age of Ultron, he finally decided to hunt for the Infinity Stones himself. In the third Avengers adventure, we will see Thanos finally pursuing all of the Stones in the hopes of assembling them in the Infinity Gauntlet, which will see him effectively gain the powers of a god and gain control over all time and space. Naturally, it will be up to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's greatest heroes to stop him and his minions.

Ant-Man

Ant-Man made his big Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in summer 2015 in his very own solo film, and he returned in May 2016 for Captain America: Civil War as one of Steve Rogers' allies. Paul Rudd's Scott Lang is returning for 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp, but beyond that his future in the MCU hasn't been revealed yet. Presumably Marvel will be interested in keeping a character as historically important as Ant-Man and an actor as popular as Rudd in the mix with other players, but for right now, it doesn't appear like he'll be taking part in the craziness that is Avengers: Infinity War.

Wasp

In the Ant-Man mid-credits scene, Evangeline Lilly's Hope van Dyne was finally given her own Wasp suit by her father, Hank Pym. The suit was originally intended for her mother, but with Janet gone and Hope skilled with the shrinking technology, it's finally time for her to become a superhero. Moviegoers won't see Hope become the Wasp until 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp, but once that happens, she'll be the newest player among the MCU's growing cast of heroes. Unfortunately for Wasp fans, Evangeline Lilly confirmed that Hope won't appear in Infinity War since she won't have achieved full superhero status yet, but the plan is for her to jump into Avengers 4's conflict.

Spider-Man

Thanks to a landmark deal between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures, Spider-Man debuted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in May 2016 for Captain America: Civil War, where he was played by Tom Holland. Holland's Peter Parker will then star in Spider-Man: Homecoming in summer 2017, but nobody expects Marvel will stop there. Avengers: Infinity War has plans to bring every corner of the big screen comic book world together, which you would think means they plan to throw everyone's favorite web-slinger into the mix. And you would be correct, because Peter Parker will return for the third Avengers movie. Spidey's next solo movie will see him becoming more experienced as a superhero (with some help from Tony Stark), and that, combined with his experiences in Captain America: Civil War, will make him an important asset when he's drawn into the battle against Thanos.

The Defenders

Marvel's superhero work isn't being limited to the big screen these days. They've also broken into the world of online streaming content, and they're using that format -- and a deal with Netflix - to bring together the likes of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist to form the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of The Defenders. Being that they are heroes of the MCU, that obviously makes them candidates to be a part of Avengers: Infinity War - but whether or not that will actually happen is unclear right now. There were rumors in 2015 saying that the New York-based characters won't show up in the movies until the fourth Avengers movie in 2019, but since then, various comments from folks in both the movie and TV divisions have suggested it would be difficult to include them. Things could obviously change at some point, but right now, the chances of them appearing are slim.

Doctor Strange

After a brief mention in Captain America: Civil War, Stephen Strange finally debuted in the MCU when Doctor Strange hit theaters. Shortly before the movie was released, Benedict Cumberbatch confirmed that the benevolent spell-caster will appear in Avengers: Infinity War, and not only is the character expected to become an important and influential figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- as he is in the comics -- but he also serves as the gatekeeper for a very important aspect of the big screen world. He will be the audience's access point to the world of magic and alternate dimensions in the Marvel films, and that area should definitely be explored in the battle against Thanos. That said, don't expect Strange to be all powerful in the battle, as he'll be facing forces he's never dealt with before. On a brighter note, Cumberbatch believes that Strange may also prove integral in mediating between the fractured Avengers sides following Civil War.

Black Panther

Chadwick Boseman debuted as T'Challa, a.k.a. Black Panther, in Captain America: Civil War as one of its many participants (though he served as the movie's third party), and his solo movie, directed by Creed's Ryan Coogler, will hit theaters in February 2018. Once his conflict with Erik Killmonger and Ulysses Klaue is concluded in the Black Panther movie, T'Challa will jump back into action for Avengers: Infinity War. Not only that, but Black Panther characters M'Baku and Okoye are also confirmed to return, implying that we may see something go down in Wakanda.

Vision

After years of voicing Tony Stark's digital butler J.A.R.V.I.S. in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Paul Bettany finally joined the live-action ensemble of the gigantic comic book world by playing Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Following his "birth," he returned for Captain America: Civil War, fighting for Team Iron Man. Given the character's incredible abilities -- from flight to phasing in and out of density to energy projection -- he would certainly be an asset in the fight against Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, so you can look forward to seeing him in the upcoming film. Unfortunately, the very thing that gives him power, i.e. the Mind Stone embedded in his forehead, will make him a target for Thanos.

Guardians of the Galaxy

And these guys, Of all the established heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Guardians of the Galaxy definitely sit in the oddest position where Avengers: Infinity War is concerned. It would definitely make sense for the likes of Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket and Groot to join the battle against Thanos, given that the Mad Titan got his first chance to actually speak in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Director James Gunn said multiple times that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 wasn't a project being used to move towards Avengers: Infinity War, but instead towards future films set in the cosmos. However, more recently we've heard that Chris Pratt will reprise Star-Lord in at least one of the movies, and then Rocket was also alluded to. Then in August 2016, Vin Diesel, who voices Groot, said that all the Guardians will appear in Infinity War, so get ready to see these intergalactic a-holes join forces with Earth's Mightiest Heroes. This includes the latest additions to the team, Nebula and Mantis.

Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel is the last MCU movie to come out before Avengers 4, but we still don't know what Carol Danvers' debut will be about. However, the Russo brothers accidentally let slip that she could appear in Infinity War. Since it's already been confirmed numerous times that Captain Marvel will be an origin story, that means that even if Brie Larson's Carol shows up, she won't be a superhero yet. Once she gains abilities in her solo movie, then maybe she'll pop back in during Avengers 4 to aid the other heroes. Her energy powers will certainly come in handy when fighting a world-threatening antagonist.

Other Characters

Writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely mentioned that there are around 75 major MCU characters available for them to use in Avengers: Infinity War, so despite all the people we've already mentioned, there's a lot more room for additions. So far, Bucky Barnes (a.k.a. Winter Soldier), Maria Hill, Sam Wilson (a.k.a. Falcon) and Wong are all confirmed to return. Samuel L. Jackson mentioned that he'll probably reprise Nick Fury then, and Stellan Skarsgård expressed interest in coming back to play Erik Selvig. At one time, it was unclear whether Loki was expected to appear, although now it's been confirmed. Then there's Taneleer Tivan, a.k.a. The Collector, who, like Thanos, is hoping to gather all of the Infinity Stones. As for newcomers, Peter Dinklage has reportedly joined the cast and is rumored to be playing Pip the Troll, while Terry Notary is portraying one of Thanos' henchmen. Rest assured, there will be even more castings announced over the next year.

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