After what seems like an eternity of waiting, fans finally received the highly anticipated first trailer for the now titled Avengers: Endgame. As the most viewed trailer of all time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 3 Finale is set to be an emotional roller-coaster. Right off the bat, we see a stranded Tony Stark recording what he feels will be his final message as he floats aimlessly through space, no resources or life support available. All seems lost for Iron Man, but we all but know for certain that he will be rescued, as he will of course play a big part in the events of this film. So, with that being said, the question that remains now is; Who exactly saves Tony Stark?
Well, we have a few options, running from the obvious to the downright crazy. So, lets run the odds and see what you think!
Captain Marvel – Even
Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, is set to make her MCU debut in March of 2019 with her 90’s based origin film. But, thanks to the post credits scene in Infinity War, we know that the most powerful hero will be coming to help deal with the threat that is Thanos. We also can postulate that she is out in deep space, fighting in (most likely) the Kree/Skrull War, which is why she has been absent from the MCU until now.
And, if we take into consideration the hypothesis that Titan falls between the Kree homeworld and Earth (based on the trajectory of Thanos’ journey in retrieving the Infinity Stones), Danvers should pass by the adrift spacecraft carrying Stark. This makes her rescuing him the most likely choice. It would also allow Stark to fill in Danvers on the current situation as they race back to Earth.
Pepper Potts – 2 to 1 odds
This one is slightly more far fetched, but still entirely plausible. Thanks to a spoilerific Instagram post from Gwyneth Paltrow, who portrays Potts, it looks like she’ll be suiting up as Rescue, her comic book persona that dons her own Iron Man armor. She more than likely takes on the role of Rescue in the aftermath of the “Decimation” and the absence of Iron Man on Earth. With half of the Earth’s entire population wiped out instantly, it is almost certain that the world would fall into chaos.
Considering that all of Tony’s tech where interlinked, it is quite possible that Potts would receive Stark’s final recorded message, and could even triangulate his location from said message. The only kicker is her inability to traverse deep space. Unless something was developed in secret, either by Stark of S.H.I.E.L.D., her getting off earth to travel light years to rescue Stark seems a bit unlikely. However, the foreshadowing line from the trailer, “… with zero promise of rescue…” may hold more credence than we realize…
Valkyrie & Korg – 5 to 1 odds
This one is probably more of a fan favorite wish than a reality, but still has some deep validity. Having been perceived to survive Infinity War, it is speculated that Valkyrie, Korg, Miek, and the surviving half of the Asgardians escaped from Thanos and the Black Order during their attack on the ship (or, more likely, Thanos let them escape as part of his need for “balance”). If they did escape, they would most likely continue towards Earth, which is where they were headed in the first place, but they may hide out a bit first.
This could lead them to happening across Stark’s adrift spacecraft and thus they could rescue him. And, considering all the fun fans had with the interactions between Stark and Drax in Infinity War, we can assume fantastic moments between Korg and Stark on the way to Earth. Plus, who wouldn’t love more Korg?!
Ant-Man – 10 to 1 odds
This one is based on the imposed importance of the Quantum Realm that Marvel Studios Head, Kevin Feige, and the Russos. As apparent from the trailer, Scott Lang does indeed escape the Quantum Realm that he was trapped in after the Mid Credits Scene in Ant-Man and The Wasp. The Quantum Realm could be the gateway to not only the suspected time travel aspect if the film, but possibly could create a way for Lang to find Stark and subsequently save him.
Previous leaked behind the scenes photos show the two working together, seemingly going through time for whatever reason (acquiring the Infinity Stones in the past before Thanos?), so it could all start with Lang rescuing Stark from deep space.
Thor – 50 to 1 odds
This one is a unique option, but it is all based on Thor’s new weapon, Stormbreaker. Stormbreaker is more powerful than Mjolnir, having abilities that Thor’s original hammer that didn’t. The biggest one being it’s ability to access the Bifrost. The Bifrost is the Rainbow Bridge that is used to traverse the Nine Realms. Thor could, hypothetically, use the Bifrost to bring Stark back to Earth instantly. The biggest issue is that Thor would need to know Stark’s exact location. And, unlike Heimdell who could see every soul in the universe, Thor would most likely not even know if Stark was alive or not.
However, given that Thor didn’t even know about Wakanda, yet appeared right where the battle was, might mean that he has some ability to see where he needs to go. Whether that’s his ability, or another power of Stormbreaker, we’re unsure, but it could get him to Tony in time to save him.
Nebula – 100 to 1 odds
Okay, hear me out on this one. This one comes down to whether or not Nebula is on a separate ship than Stark. Fans and “experts” are divided on this one, with some saying she’s on the same ship, while others say she took the Milano (or the Benatar, there’s some confusion as to which ship she brought to Titan versus which one the Guardians brought). If she’s on the same ship, then obviously she can’t save Stark. But, if she is on a different ship (and if you look at the shot of the ship adrift that Tony is on, it looks different than the Milano style), she could save him. But why would she be on a different ship?
Well, Nebula is always one to go her own way, and follow her own mission. While Stark would want to get back to Earth, Nebula would seek immediate revenge against Thanos, and want to track him down on Titan 2. However, we have seen her growth as a character, and her conscious has matured over time. She could realize that Stark can’t survive on his own, and decide to save him. Lending some credence to this is her brief scene in the trailer where is seen sadly reminiscing in the ship, and running her hand across what looks to be either Peter Quill’s or Gamora’s jacket.
Howard the Duck – 1,000 to 1 odds
So, this one is definitely out there, but, considering he was confirmed by the Russos to have survived, and that he seemingly has no issue getting around the galaxy on a whim, its still a possibility. Albeit a very slim one. Howard the Duck hasn’t been much more than a fun Easter Egg in the two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, but fans would definitely get a kick out of the “fowled” mouth (Yay, puns!) character picking up Stark, almost like some trash on the side of the road. This one may be more of a fever dream, but you never know when it comes to Marvel and the Russos, right?
The Fantastic Four – 1,000,000 to 1 odds
Remember when I said the options run from the obvious to the downright crazy? Here’s the downright crazy. There are all kinds of issues with why this wouldn’t work, mainly legal ones, as the Disney/Fox merger has yet to be completed, but what if? Imagine, Stark’s ship floats through space, until a rift opens up, exposing the Negative Zone, and a ship rockets out before the rift closes. Nearly running into Stark’s ship, the new ship comes to an abrupt halt before the camera pans into the cockpit, showing four astronauts in matching slimline uniforms. While three seem like normal humans, the fourth one looks like a large orange rock creature. Scanning the adrift ship for life signs, the computer finds someone clinging to life.
Moving quickly, the four bring the near dead refugee aboard their ship. After some medical attention, Stark regains consciousness, and is met by a hand holding a scanner over him. As he sits up, he notices that said hand is attached to an elongated arm, stretched over several feet, connected to a man in a lab coat, running some test. Noticing his patient is awake, the man quickly retracts his arm, walks over, and introduces himself. “Hello, my name is Reed Richards, and we saved you from your ship.”
Now, this would blow the minds of every fan in the world, but it just isn’t going to happen. Marvel has not yet received back the rights to their properties that Fox currently owns, and a “deal” to use the characters just doesn’t make sense from a business standpoint. While I’m certain that Marvel Studios will do Marvel’s First Family justice once they have the rights, they will do so when the time is right, and when it’s legally possible. But, hey, never say never.
When it comes to any details as to the events in Avengers: Endgame, Disney and Marvel are continuing their tight lipped secrets. So, we’ll most likely have to wait until the movie debuts in April of 2019 to finally get the answers to how they save Tony and so much more.
Who is your odds on favorite to save Tony Stark? Let us know in the comments below!