Which Characters Will (And Won't) Appear In 'Avengers: Infinity War'

When Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige announced Avengers: Infinity War, it was positioned as a two-film epic crossover event that would be the culmination of everything Marvel had planned up to that point. So with both films about to start shooting concurrently, I thought it might be fun to take a look at all the characters confirmed or rumored to be part of Avengers: Infinity War, and theorize how they may play into this story.

The Avengers: Infinity WarAnthony Russo has said that "[Captain America:Civil War was a good warm up for us in terms of the storytelling for Infinity War because we were dealing with such a large number of characters." In one interview they mentioned having 67 characters up on the board for the two films but later clarified that the number was non-specific. Infinity War screenwriter Christopher Markus told us that almost every living MCU character is up for consideration for the movies:

When we lock ourselves in a room with the Russo brothers and a couple of execs from Marvel, one wall has cards for movie one and the other wall has cards for movie two and another wall has little baseball cards of every character still alive in the Marvel universe — Down to Darcy's boyfriend in Thor 2 – literally, anybody who did not die and has been established as alive. And then we looked at that began to shuffle the cards around. So basically, the big scene is when Darcy's boyfriend and Galactus get together and....[Laughs].

And Russo has teased what we might expect from the film:

Those movies are intended to be the culmination of everything that's happened in the MCU from the very first Iron Man movie years ago. So they will end up changing the MCU more profoundly than any movie has yet, and there will be some things that come to an end in those movies, dimensions of the MCU will end in those film, dimensions will change forever in those films, dimensions will find new life in those films. They're a real threshold for what we've come to know as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I think that dimension can be a little intimidating but also exciting.

So which heroes might we expect to see on the big screen? What will the Avengers Infinity War cast list look like? Let's take a look.

The Avengers - Shawarma Scene

The Avengers

Everyone involved in the project has said that the ending of Captain America: Civil War directly connects with Infinity War, so we can expect that the Avengers team will be shattered entering into this new story. The team will obviously have to come together to try to prevent Thanos from getting the last Infinity Gems.

Iron Man/Tony Stark: CONFIRMED Robert Downey Jr.'s contract with Marvel Studios supposedly runs through the next two Avengers films, with the actor projected to make up to $200 million for both. Feige's Infinity War announcement was originally planned for Comic-Con, but supposedly Downey was not ready to sign on the dotted line in quick order, which resulted in Marvel making the Civil War/Infinity War announcements a few months later at the El Capitan Theatre. Downey is also scheduled to make an appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming which could help tee up his storyline heading into Infinity War.Steve Rogers: CONFIRMED The Russo brothers have told us that the Steve Rogers/Tony Stark relationship is "central" to the film: "Can those guys ever repair their relationship? What is their relationship ever going to be like moving forward from this? Should they repair it?" As for Captain America, the Russo brothers had revealed that when Chris Evans dropped the shield at the end of Captain America: Civil War, that was him "letting go of that identity." What does that mean for the future of his character? In the comics books, Captain America became disillusioned with the United States (mostly due to President Richard Nixon and the Watergate scandal) leaving behind his shield to become "Nomad," a superhero without a country.Bruce Banner / Hulk: CONFIRMED Mark Ruffalo has said that his character will have "a really interesting arc into Thor 3, Avengers 3 and 4" and "that I think will – when it's all added up – will feel like a Hulk movie, a standalone movie." At the end of Age of Ultron, Banner took himself off planet to isolate himself from this world. We will see him again in Thor: Ragnarok in what is expected to be a quasi-adaptation of the Planet Hulk storyline. Infinity War and Avengers 4 will likely bring Hulk back to Earth to help his friends — or will the big green guy perhaps be used by Thanos for a larger end game?Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow:  VERY LIKELY Scarlett Johansson has not said much about her future Marvel Cinematic Universe appearances, but I don't think anyone expects to see an Avengers movie without her.Clint Barton / Hawkeye CONFIRMED It had been reported that Jeremy Renner reprising his role as Hawkeye would likely keep the star from returning for the next Mission: Impossible film. Renner himself confirmed that he will be returning for the long haul of the next two Avengers movies, saying "Avengers is going to eat up a lot of the next year. I certainly hope it doesn't ultimately get in the way of Tom [Cruise] and I and the gang getting back together for [Mission: Impossible] because I'd love to."Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes / Iron Patriot: VERY LIKELY Don Cheadle is keeping mum on Infinity War, which probably means he will be involved. The airport battle in Civil War left Rhodes paralyzed in his legs, but Tony Stark built him a new Stark Industries device that could help him walk again. While it will take Rhodes sometime to adapt to his new cyborg-like situation, I'm sure he will be part of this upcoming war.Thor: CONFIRMED Joe Russo has confirmed that Chris Hemsworth will be in the film, giving us a tease of how Thor: Ragnarok will impact the character: "I'm excited to work with Thor. They're doing some really interesting stuff with Ragnarok and where he's gonna be at the beginning of Infinity War is gonna be a very interesting place, and I think very profound. I think he's gonna have a real emotional motivation after that."The Vision: CONFIRMED The Vision has one of the Infinity Stones in his head: the mind stone. So chances are Thanos will be after the Vision to complete his Infinity Gauntlet and things don't look so great for Paul Bettany's character.Scarlet Witch: CONFIRMED The Russo brothers have told us that the relationship between Scarlet Witch and the Vision is something they want to explore in the movie: "It's a very compelling story. Obviously, it's one ripped from the comics that, for many years, there was some very interesting storytelling and characters. One character is searching for how to identify with humanity, another who is on a journey away from her humanity towards becoming a very powerful being." So expect to see Elizabeth Olsen reprising her role as Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch in the film.Thanos: CONFIRMED Josh Brolin will be reprising his role as Thanos, who is the main villain of Infinity War. We have already seen a set photo of Brolin in the performance-capture gear on set. Brolin claims to be blown away by the story, which will probably feature the character's struggle to get the last remaining Infinity Stones for his gauntlet. The Mind Stone is in the Vision's head, the Space Stone (Tesseract) is in Odin's vault, and the Power Stone is in the Nova Corps vault, leaving only the Soul and Time Stones unaccounted for.  If the Avengers can't stop him, it will likely mean epic consequences to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Anthony Russo has said that Infinity War "will end up changing the MCU more profoundly than any movie has yet, and there will be some things that come to an end in those movies, dimensions of the MCU will end in those film, dimensions will change forever in those films, dimensions will find new life in those films."Nick Fury: VERY LIKELY Last time we heard from Samuel L. Jackson, the actor said he "thinks" he will appear in Avengers: Infinity War and the yet-to-be-titled Avengers sequel. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Fury walked away from the public life under the guise of a fake death. But he appeared in Avengers: Age of Ultron leaving the Avengers with a brand new team.Maria Hill: VERY LIKELY Cobie Smulders teased that she would be appearing in Avengers: Infinity War while appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live.Guardians of the Galaxy

The Guardians of the Galaxy

Screenwriter Christopher Markus has pointed out the obvious about how the Guardians of the Galaxy may fit into Infinity War: "Let's put it this way: you know who owns that [Infinity] Gauntlet, right? And you know who's in another movie, and his kids are in that film...you do the math!"

Star-Lord/Peter Quill: CONFIRMED The Russo brothers have confirmed that Chris Pratt will have a role in Infinity War.Gamora: CONFIRMED Zoe Saldana will be reprising her role as Thanos' adopted daughter, which will likely lead to some family struggle at the core of this battle. The actress confirmed at the Golden Globes that she would be donning the green make-up once again.Nebula: CONFIRMED Karen Gillan will also return, as Thanos' other adopted daughter. The star confirmed Nebula will appear in both of the upcoming Avengers movies.Drax the Destroyer: VERY LIKELY While not officially confirmed, Drax's entire purpose in life is to avenge his family and take Thanos down, so I would anticipate Dave Bautista being a big part of Infinity War.Rocket Raccoon: CONFIRMED Screenwriter Christopher Marcus seemingly confirmed that the Bradley Cooper-voiced raccoon would appear.Groot: CONFIRMED It's pretty much confirmed that the whole Guardians team would be making an appearance in Infinity War. After the events of Guardians of the Galaxy, Groot is now a one-foot tall baby Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. This makes us wonder what form Groot will take in Infinity War. Will he be back to his original size or might he become an adolescent-aged Groot no longer voiced by Vin Diesel?Yondu Udonta: MAYBE Michael Rooker will neither confirm or deny that he will appear in Infinity War, but it's clear that he will have an increased presence in Vol 2. We don't know if he will make it out of that film alive, but if he does his role in the galactic MCU might make him a good fit for this story.Irani Rael/Nova Prime and Rhomann Dey: VERY LIKELY The Power Stone, which was the Orb MacGuffin of Guardians of the Galaxy, was recovered by the Guardians and given to Nova Corps for safe keeping in their vaults on Xandar. Considering Thanos needs this gem to start the Infinity War, it's very likely that Glenn Close and/or John C. Reilly will appear in the new film reprising their Nova Corps roles.The Collector: VERY LIKELY  The Reality Stone, better known as the Aether from Thor: The Dark World, is currently in possession of the Collector. And we've been told the character won't appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which probably means he will still have the stone at the start of Infinity War. We don't know the Collector's motivations yet — when he gets the Aether, he says "one down, four to go." Is he working with Thanos or is he also after all the Infinity Stones for himself? Also, did the Aether escape his collection after his museum was destroyed in Guardians? Either way, I would expect Benicio Del Toro to reprise his role as the Collector.Mantis: MAYBE Fans have speculated that Pom Klementieff is keeping in shape to bring Mantis to the aid of the Avengers against Thanos in Infinity War after the actress posted a video on Instagram of herself working out with world champion martial artist and stuntman Jessen Noviello where she included the hashtag "pomantis." Of course, we don't know what will come of Mantis in Vol. 2, but if she ends up joining the team at the end of the movie, as some fans speculate, then an appearance in Infinity War would be very likely.Ego: NOT LIKELY We know that Kurt Russell is playing Ego the Living Planet in Vol. 2, who might be Star-Lord's biological father. But we really don't know much else about the character's involvement in the sequel. If he turns out to be the villain of the movie, then his fate may not allow an appearance in Infinity War. I would think that an actor like Kurt Russell wouldn't be too interested in signing up for a multi-picture contract, but who knows?Doctor Strange - Benedict Cumberbatch

Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange: CONFIRMED Infinity War screenwriters and Benedict Cumberbatch himself have both confirmed that Doctor Strange will appear in the film as Stephen Strange. His amulet, the Eye of Agamotto, was revealed in Doctor Strange to be the Time Stone, one of the last remaining Infinity Stones. Feige told me about how this makes this a more personal struggle in Thanos' quest to get the Infinity Gauntlet. We also mentioned earlier a quote from the Russo brothers promising that "dimensions of the MCU will end in those film, dimensions will change forever in those movies, dimensions will find new life in those films." Obviously, Strange can access other dimensions. We still don't know why, but Thor and Loki go to New York to possibly confront Strange in Thor: Ragnarok, which could possibly tie into the larger Infinity War story. Cumberbatch has admitted that "To get us all together will be quite something" and early reports have claimed that the actor's body double is on set playing the Sorcerer Supreme for some of the early film shoot before Cumberbatch's schedule clears up.Wong:  VERY LIKELY Benedict Wong has confirmed that his character Wong will also appear alongside Stephen Strange in Infinity War:  "I'm thrilled I'm going to be in Infinity War. I'm looking forward to; I'll tell you that one first." Wong in the comics has been Strange's servant and sidekick, and while that role was somewhat modernized in the film, it's likely that he will again serve a sidekick role to Strange.Captain America The Winter Soldier

Captain America

Black Panther: CONFIRMED Kevin Feige has said that "T'Challa's story is very important to us as it links to the next Avengers films, which is why we brought it forward." Screenwriter Joe Robert Cole has told us that the standalone Black Panther movie will begin shortly after Civil War ends, with T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) taking command as king of his own nation which is "under threat from inside and out." And he's teased that as we see the technological nation of Wakanda's rise to prominence happen, "it will affect the MCU moving forward which is really exciting," which may provide some clues to Black Panther and Wakanda's role in Infinity War.Bucky Barnes: CONFIRMED The Russo brothers have told us that the relationship between Captain America and Bucky is one of the things they are most excited to explore in Infinity War: "Cap had a belief in him, that there's still a human being inside the Winter Soldier that he can save and that he can reach, and he's gone to incredible lengths now, with incredible faith, that that's waiting for him if he goes there. He's found that human being inside Bucky Barnes, but who is that guy going forward? Just because he's found and he's there, he's still this crazy, bastard hybrid of who he used to be in The First Avenger and this killing machine." ... "If he's not Bucky Barnes or The Winter Soldier, then who is he?" ... "He's somebody new now. What kind of relationship will him and Cap have moving forward?"Sam Wilson / Falcon: CONFIRMED Anthony Mackie has teased that he will be appearing in at least one of the upcoming Avengers films, claiming that "what Marvel has planned is going to change the scope of what superhero movies can be."Brock Rumlow / Crossbones: NOT LIKELY Frank Grillo has said that he thinks he is done with appearing in the Marvel movies. Who knows, a proper storyline could bring him back in. But for now, I wouldn't expect to see Crossbones in Infinity War.Sharon Carter / Agent 13: MAYBE Emily VanCamp hasn't said much about appearing in Infinity War aside from teasing that "obviously it would be amazing to be part of those films" and that saying she doesn't believe Sharon Carter's story is over yet. Her character could at the very least help up the stakes for Steve, or maybe lead the human side of the plan to fight Thanos.Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross: MAYBE You would think that if they show a piece of the government in Infinity War, then the Secretary of State played by William Hurt would make a perfect cameo/brief appearance. But I wouldn't expect Thunderbolt to be a big part of this story.Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark with Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts

Iron Man

Pepper Potts: MAYBE Gwyneth Paltrow's Marvel contract expired with her work in Iron Man 3, and Pepper Pots has not appeared in a film since. In Civil War, it was made clear that Tony Stark and Potts are "taking a break" because Iron Man took a toll on their relationship. In 2015, Paltrow said she would "be open to more Pepper because I love working with Robert and it's a great franchise." It would be a mistake to reduce a character like Potts to ground-level stakes. Iron Man 3 showed Potts putting on the Iron Man suit and kicking ass; perhaps she could be of assistance to the team using Tony's super tech?Happy Hogan: MAYBE Jon Favreau has reprised his role as Happy Hogan in Iron Man 3, upgraded from being Tony Stark's bodyguard to being Stark Industries' head of security. We know he will also be appearing in Sony's Spider-Man: Homecoming, acting as an intermediary between Stark and Peter Parker. It sounds like he is still a prominent figure in Tony's life, so why wouldn't he appear in Infinity War? Favreau is a credited executive producer on the film thanks to his involvement with the early Iron Man movies, but his work directing might mean he has limited schedule availability.Ant-Man - Hope Scott and Hank

Ant-Man

Ant-Man: VERY LIKELY We already saw Paul Rudd alongside the other Avengers in Civil War, so why wouldn't he return for Infinity War?Hope Van Dyne aka The Wasp: NOT LIKELY We know that Evangeline Lilly will reprise her role in Ant-Man and the Wasp, which doesn't hit theaters until a few months after Infinity War. But will she appear in the Avengers crossover? I remember chatting with Marvel's Kevin Feige for the release of Ant-Man, and he told me that the character was originally supposed to appear in costume in Civil War, but they decided ultimately that they "didn't want to do her a disservice, like she flies in, 'I've got the costume now', and she flies out." This comment makes me believe that the first time we'll see the Wasp in action, will be months later in the Ant-Man and the Wasp.Hank Pym: NOT LIKELY Michael Douglas' contract with Marvel was only for Ant-Man, but the actor is excited to return for more, and will very likely appear in Ant-Man and The Wasp. Besides, how else are they supposed to relay the exposition to the audience? As for whether he will make a small appearance alongside Ant-Man in Infinity War, that is yet to be confirmedLuis: NOT LIKELY Michael Peña has said that he signed up for three or five movies (he couldn't remember which) and we know he's confirmed to reprise his role as Luis in Ant-Man and the Wasp. But is there room for him in Infinity War?ranking marvel heroes spider-man

Spider-Man

Spider-man: CONFIRMED Tom Holland will reprise his role as Peter Parker for his Civil War directors. The actor is quoted as saying he is contracted to play Spider-Man three more times over the next four years, which includes an appearance in Infinity War.Michelle: MAYBE Peter Parker's love interest played by Zendaya may be seen on Earth in Spider-Man: Homecoming, but it's unlikely she would play a significant role in the film.May Parker: MAYBE We have no idea if Marisa Tomei will make an appearance as Peter's Aunt May in Infinity War, but it could again provide some ground-level stakes to the galactic battle.Thor The Dark World

Thor

Loki and Odin: VERY LIKELY Last time we saw Loki, he had taken over Asgard under the appearance of Odin. We know that Tom Hiddleston and Anthony Hopkins both appear in Thor: Ragnarok, as set photos have shown them in a New York setting (likely seeking out Doctor Strange). So it's unclear what Loki's motivations will be going into Infinity War, but we do know that the Space Stone (better known as the Tesseract from Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers) is now in Odin's vault after Thor used it to transport Loki back to Asgard at the end of The Avengers. So either Loki will be helping Thanos out in his scheme to destroy the world or he will be subject to attack when Thanos goes to retrieve the Space Stone. And I'm not sure if this will come into play, but Kevin Feige has confirmed that Odin's treasure room also has its own Gauntlet. Is that just the remnant explanation of an Easter egg that can't really be explained, or will that gauntlet come into play in Infinity War?Jane Foster: NOT LIKELY We know for sure she won't be in Thor: Ragnarok. I wouldn't expect to see Natalie Portman reprise her role as Thor's Earth love as the actress has said that as far as she knows, "I'm done." But she seems to leave the door open for a return, and I would think that Marvel would have to conclude her character's storyline at some point. And for a big epic event like Infinity War, there need to be some casualties. It would be a perfect way to write her character out of the universe.Dr. Erik Selvig: CONFIRMED Stellan Skarsgård revealed in February that he still has one film left in his five-picture contract, and that Thor: Ragnarok would not be that film as much of it is not set on Earth. The actor has said that he is likely to return for Avengers: Infinity War. , and it would make sense to involve him to ground the plot in some pseudo-science.Heimdall: VERY LIKELY We don't know if Idris Elba's character will appear in Infinity War, although fans have speculated that the Soul Stone might be in the hands of Heimdall. Remember, the character says he can see all the souls in the nine realms. Maybe it's due to the Soul Stone? Take that into account with the fact that in Thor's vision of the future in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Heimdall is blind. If that future is in a time where Thanos has obtained all the stones, then that could explain his blindness. Finally, though less convincing, is the fact that Heimdall's eyes are about the same color as the Soul Stone, a shade of orange. Who know if this theory adds up to anything. But if so, Elba would certainly make an appearance.The Warriors Three MAYBE It's unclear if the Warriors Three (Ray Stevenson as Volstagg, Tadanobu Asano as Hogun, Josh Dallas / Zachary Levi as Fandral) will appear in Infinity War at this time.Sif: MAYBE We know that Jaimie Alexander's character will have a major role in Thor: Ragnarok, but we don't know if she will make an appearance in the upcoming Avengers double feature.Darcy Lewis: NOT LIKELY It is unknown if Kat Dennings will make an appearance in Infinity War, but it's unlikely her character would be needed unless just to provide a fun cameo appearance alongside Dr. Erik Selvig or to be used as possible ground-level stakes.Ian Boothby: NOT LIKELY While it's unlikely we'll see Darcy or her boyfriend (played by Jonathan Howard) in the films, Infinity War screenwriter Christopher Markus did say that he was one of the cards of possibilities on the wall in the story room. Of course, his mention of this was to illustrate just how anyone who wasn't dead in the MCU could make it into the story. It is interesting that instead of just populating the world with extras, they could probably call back actors and characters like this to fill in the on-the-street level destruction and devastation of a film like this.Hela VERY LIKELY Cate Blanchett will portray Hela, the Asgardian Goddess of Death and one of Thor's classic comic book foes in Thor: Ragnarok. It is speculated that her character, who is known as the goddess of death, may be able to stand in as the physical embodiment of Death, a character who drives Thanos to all the destruction and chaos that he will unleash in Infinity War and beyond. Of course, Kevin Feige tap-danced around the theory successfully when asked about it at the Doctor Strange junket ("Anything is possible. but knowledge of the comics can be both beneficial to fans anticipating things, and also misleading. So you'll have to see.")Black Panther Plot Details

Black Panther

Not having seen Black Panther's standalone movie, it's hard to theorize on who might appear in Infinity War. Will Michael B. Jordan appear as Erik Killmonger? Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia? Danai Gurira as Okoye? It's all unclear at this point.

Kevin Feige, Brie Larson at Marvel Comic-Con 2016

Other

Captain Marvel: VERY LIKELY Captain Marvel's solo film won't hit theaters until March 2019, almost a year after Infinity War will be released, but the Russo brothers have hinted and hinted again that Brie Larson's character will make an appearance in Infinity War. It may seem weird to introduce a new character in this ensemble film, but remember that Captain Marvel hits theaters only a few months before The Avengers 4, which — while it's no longer titled Infinity War – Part II – is rumored to be a direct continuation of the storyline. If I were to guess, I would say that Captain Marvel's origin might come directly from the events in Infinity War.Stan Lee:  VERY LIKELY The legendary comic book creator has had cameo appearances in almost every Marvel movie to date, so I'd expect him to appear somewhere in Infinity War. Even if the 93-years-young Lee were to pass away before the filming of the movie, I'm sure Marvel would find a way to honor Stan the Man in the movie.X-Men: NOT LIKELY There have been rumors that members of the X-Men Universe could appear in Infinity War in a deal similar to the one that Marvel made with Sony for Spider-Man. However, the filmmakers behind Infinity War have not heard any rumblings of such and considering they are finalizing the script now, I think it's rather unlikely that we'll see any of the X-verse in Infinity War. While it would be a treat for fans, I don't think Fox is financially motivated like Sony was to make it happen. That said, Infinity War should bring some massive changes to the MCU and if a deal were to happen sometime, it would probably make more sense to bring them in after the expected shift in this universe.The Skrulls rights

 How About More Bad Guys?

Thanos is probably going to need some help in getting the last Infinity Stones to begin this Infinity War, but who might that involve? The answer is, we don't really know. I wouldn't expect Thanos to bring in another big name villain but maybe employ an army. Here are some vague guesses:

The Chitauri: MAYBE In The Avengers, Thanos was the mastermind behind an alien attack on earth. But from what we've seen, it looks like Iron Man was able to put an end to the cybernetically enhanced reptilian warrior's military by launching a bomb through a portal into their command center. But maybe they will come back with a vengeance? SHIELD and Hydra have used the remnants of some leftover Chitauri technology which could be employed against them if they were to return to Earth.The Skrulls: MAYBE A race of shapeshifting aliens who are similar to the Chitauri in the comics. While the cinematic ownership rights are complicated, it seems Marvel Studios owns the rights to some of the Skrulls but not all of them. Thanos could employ their shapeshifting abilities to further divide the Avengers and really mess things up.The Kree: MAYBE In Guardians of the Galaxy, we saw Ronan the Accuser allied with Thanos. Is it possible that Thanos might use the Kree to help achieve his objective.? The scientifically and technologically advanced militaristic race of blue-skinned aliens would fit in with the backstory that the MCU has been painting thus far.Pip The Troll or MODOK or ?????: MAYBE Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage is being eyed for a pivotal role in Avengers: Infinity War, although we don't know who he would play. Most assume that Dinklage is playing another antagonist in the film. Some are speculating that be may be playing Pip the Troll, a character who played a role in the 1991 Infinity Gauntlet crossover which Infinity War is loosely based upon, while other fans think he might be playing supervillain MODOK (Mental/Mobile/Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing). Right now we don't know anything for sure, including whether he will actually appear in the film.Daredevil Season 2 Easter Eggs

Could We See the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Defenders in Infinity War?

NOT LIKELY The Russo brothers have not ruled out the possibility of Netflix superheroes like Daredevil or Jessica Jones coming to the aid of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. ("We do consider everyone," said Anthony Russo. "We don't want to get too specific about what's going to happen with these movies. We want these movies to be a surprise for audiences.") However, everyone else involved at Marvel Studios has indicated that it isn't likely.

After Kevin Feige had announced Avengers: Infinity War, he answered questions from the press. One of the questions was if television superhero characters like Netflix's The Defenders (Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and Iron Fist) could appear alongside their theatrical brothers and sisters on the big screen. It makes sense that if a spider kid from Queens is going to be part of this fight that the other New York street-level heroes would also appear somewhere. Here is what Feige said:

The Netflix series are leading to a Defenders series, and ... asking about including them into the features at some point, because Infinity War is going to be big. There are a lot of people from the movies (chuckles) in Infinity War. A lot of it is about space, and a lot of it is about just what happens between now and then. But all of those things inhabit, however far on the outskirts, the same continuity. So certainly that opportunity exists.

While there is certainly an opportunity and fans would love to see it, the scheduling of such is just a logistical nightmare. Feige told me the following at an event for the Blu-ray release of The Avengers: Age of Ultron:

I think its inevitable as we're plotting the movies going forward and they're plotting the shows. The schedules do not always quite match up to make that possible. Its easier for them, because they are more nimble and faster to produce things, which is one of the reasons you see the repercussions of Winter Soldier or Age of Ultron in the shows. But going forward as there continues to be more shows and casting such great actors as they have, particularly with Daredevil, that may occur. But a lot of it is, by the time we start doing a movie they might be midway through (filming) a season and by the time the movie comes out they'll be done with their second season and starting a third season. So finding timing on that isn't always easy..

Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb has even admitted that it probably wouldn't happen. I've heard that behind the scenes, the Marvel film and television divisions just don't get along and don't want to work together. Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has not been involved in any of the TV productions (aside from Agent Carter) and even the casts of the TV shows are becoming frustrated that they are being shunned by the Marvel theatrical films. One thing is for sure, fans of these TV shows would love to see their characters in this bigger world.