Avengers: Endgame characters: Who will die and who will survive?

Avengers: Endgame (2019) poster. Image: Marvel Studios

Janet Van Dyne

Do you know what’s a bad idea? Casting Michelle Pfeiffer in a role, having her turn up in the last ten minutes of a movie, and then killing her off in the next one.

It would be a crime and an injustice to her, her daughter Hope, and also, perhaps most importantly, to us. Unfortunately, that only puts her more at risk. Give us a glimpse and tear it away. Kevin Feige is off somewhere cackling.

Chance of survival: Medium to high (if there’s any justice)!

Rocket

He’s a raccoon with a harrowing backstory, and he’s had to lose his best tree friend not once but twice! What more do you want to put this poor rabbit through?

Let him be, let him live. Bring him home.

Chance of survival: Medium to high (soaring like a rocket, you might say…)

Wong

With Doctor Strange now Doctor Dust, it feels likely that his assistant Wong will be the key to the secrets of the Infinity Stones. That, and the fact he’s not quite a big enough character to make us declare a inevitably temporary and grossly ineffective Marvel boycott should he be killed, should be enough to see him through to the next Doctor Strange movie at the very least.

Chance of survival: Medium to high. 

Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange is a convenience to Marvel. If anyone asks about any of the logic, they can just have Benedict Cumberbatch explain it obnoxiously quickly in his disarming American accent, and we’ll all just go “okay” and move on.

However, despite this and the fact there’s a promised sequel in the works, we reckon Doctor Strange is a bit expendable. He could very well do a Luke Skywalker and drift off into the Force after serving his purpose.

But  he can easily return, armed with a mind-boggling explanation and an accent we still can’t get used to. So…simply put…he’ll probably be fine.

Chance of survival: Realistically meh but retcon-ably high.

Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch

Wanda’s a good woman to have on your side in a pickle, as she has so often proved. The Avengers would do well to keep her alive.

Also, given that her first movie kills her brother and the last one forces her to kill her beloved before turning her to dust regardless, we think she is due a well-deserved reprieve in Endgame. Give her a break and, again, perhaps time to come up with a better love nickname than “Vis.”

Chance of survival: Red, not dead.

Groot

Admittedly, right now, it’s not ideal. We’re not sure exactly what type of tree he was before Infinity War, but right now, he’s definitely ash.

Still, we’re not giving up on this little guy, not when there’s merch to be sold and tiny dancing shrubs to promote. For this tree of few words, we think the future looks bright, as does the Groot-shaped light-up toilet seat cover we assume is in the works. (Marvel, @ us, we have ideas).

Chance of survival: I Am Groot (high).

Maria Hill

If Nick Fury dies, SHIELD will need a new leader to come in and be mildly annoyed about things. Bureaucracy must have a champion or one in name at least, before they are inevitably turned away from it by the poor choices of their superiors.

Maria Hill, icon that she is, could be that person. Her fall would be a waste.

Chance of survival: How do you solve a problem like Maria? Not by killing her off. 

Pepper Potts

Please don’t kill Pepper.

Chance of survival: High? (Seriously. Please don’t.)