By now, most everyone has seen the proposed promo art for Avengers 4 that has leaked online. Whilst it needs to be taken with a grain of salt until confirmed, the fact that Marvel has yet to deny its credibility leaves many to believe it is the real deal. If so, there are many interesting things to be taken from this picture, so let’s break it down here.
The Issues From Civil War Are Seemingly Resolved
Captain America: Civil War saw Baron Zemo and the Sokovia Accords effectively drive a mortal wedge between Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, ending the Avengers as we know it. With half the team refusing to sign the Accords and becoming war criminals, topped with the massive fallout between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, it seemed like these two would never work together again.
Even as the events of Avengers: Infinity War began to unfold, Stark was visibly reluctant to use Roger’s olive branch of a cell phone for assistance. The attack kept him from dialing after his hesitation, leaving it to Banner to make the call.
But, as seen in the promo art, Iron Man and Captain America are fighting side by side. It would seem that the obliteration of half the known universe is enough to bury the hatchet, and the realization that they need each other to defeat Thanos mends all apparent wounds. Top that off with Rhodey effectively telling the Accords Council to “shove it” and the threat of Thanos being far too much for even them to fathom, it has become obvious that the Avengers work best when not governed by politicians in suits.
Many Changes
From the leaked picture we can see that several heroes seem to be sporting a new look, compared to their Infinity War garb. Captain America has shaved off the beard (to the dismay of many who fell in love with a bearded Rogers) as well as returning to the more traditional uniform of the red, white, and blue from days gone by. Steve Rogers has been disenfranchised as of late, due to the mounting issues from even before the Accords.
This is of course a parallel to the comics, when Rogers gave up the mantle of Captain America due to a corrupt government and became Nomad. However, with all the death and destruction at the hands of Thanos, now more than ever it would seem the world needs a symbol like Captain America, and Rogers would understand and comply with that need. He knows that he is more than a soldier in this war, so it would make sense for him to don the symbol once again.
Black Widow has gone back to her traditional red hair and what is seemingly her old outfit. It would seem strange that during this tumultuous time that she would take the time to dye her hair, but it could be along the same lines as Rogers in that Black Widow was an Avenger, and a symbol. There is also the possibility of the time travel scenario (possible with Cap as well), so this may be a “younger” Romanoff. The picture isn’t the best quality, so it may actually be a new uniform as well.
War Machine looks to have been upgraded in this pic as well. His armor is more in line with Iron Man’s new nanotech armor, but still larger and more aggressive than Stark’s. After the Battle of Wakanda at the end of Infinity War, Rhodey could have very well needed some major repairs, and Tony being Tony, he upgraded it rather than just fixed it.
The Hulk is also sporting a new look, wearing a full uniform, but we’ll discuss later in the article.
Hawkeye and Ant-Man are finally making their appearances, and it looks like Clint may be sporting an outfit closer to his Ronin days in the comics. It seems darker and with more coverage, so maybe this is a transitional period for him. Some, if not all, of his family may have been effected by Thanos snap, so now he’s in a darker place, and is looking for revenge, thus the Ronin persona is born in the MCU.
As far as Ant-Man goes, it’s hard to tell if his uniform is any different than what’s to come in his next solo film, Ant-Man and the Wasp.
A Particular Character Is Missing
It would seem that Ant-Man’s partner, the Wasp, is omitted from the promo art. This has led to mass speculation that she does not survive the snap and is dead at the beginning of the film. With the Ant-Man sequel supposedly taking place just before the events of Infinity War, there is a chance that see dissolved with the other heroes.
However, Evangeline Lily has already confirmed that the Wasp has filmed scenes for Avengers 4, so it’s more than likely that she survived the snap and was just left off of the promo art.
The Suit Maketh The Hulk?
So, as mentioned before, The Hulk has also seemingly gotten a costume upgrade. And by upgrade, we mean a full body suit. It also seems to be made similar to the Black Panther uniform, leading many to believe it’s Wakandan in nature and made of vibranium. This would make sense, as that would allow for Banner to transform without losing his clothing.
But what if it serves another purpose?
After the events of Infinity War, we became painfully aware of the diverse conflict between the personalities of Banner and the Hulk, as the latter refused to come out and fight in the battle. Maybe the new suit allows the amalgamation of the two personalities leading to a new version of Big Green, known from the comics as “Professor Hulk”. We have a detailed theory on that.
Professor Hulk saw Banner stuck as the green goliath, but with all the mental capacities of the brainy multiple PhDed Bruce. The suit may allow for a balance between the polar personalities, so we may see a new iteration in what is supposed to be the final arc in an Incredible Hulk sub story that started in Thor: Ragnarok.
A Cosmic Addition…
In the end credits scene of Infinity War, Nick Fury sends a distress call (or, more accurately, a distress page) to none other than Captain Marvel. Touted as the most powerful hero in the MCU, her addition is a welcome asset in the fight against Thanos. And, with her solo film coming out before Avengers 4, fans are salivating to see more of the superheroine.
What Does This All Mean?
Well, until the promo art is confirmed, these are all just theories. More than likely, this is actually very early promo art from before they even finished Infinity War, meaning that some, if not all, of this picture could be changed in the actual film. We’ll just have to wait and see what comes of it. In the meantime, we can continue to have fun speculating over what is to come in the Phase 3 finale of the MCU.
What do you think of this leaked promo art? Let us know all of your thoughts in the comments below!