The death of Tony Stark/Iron Man and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in Avengers: Endgame was not only sad and emotionally jolting enough, but news from Marvel Studios was that the original plan was to kill off all six of the original Avengers.
According to a new book out, The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, penned by Tara Bennett and Paul Terry, it was the head of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, who initially offered the idea that the film kills off all six of the original members of the Avengers by the time the movie ended.
Thankfully, as it turns out, the Russo brothers pushed back on the idea, and fans lost only two members. In an except, offered by Joe Russo, and taken from the tell-all book:
“Kevin’s initial pitch was that it was Toy Story 3—a they’re all gonna jump into the furnace together concept.”
Image: Mashable India
The Russo brothers chose to push back on the idea because they didn’t feel there would be enough time at the end of the film, or the storyline, to be able to celebrate their lives adequately. There was also the belief that the loss of the original six would put a somewhat bleak tone on the ending of the Avengers franchise, as they had all been there from day one.
When the dust cleared, only four of the original six survived the events that played out in Avengers: Endgame. Captain America, according to rumors, will be popping up in another MCU project soon; Thor is slated to appear in Thor: Love and Thunder: the Hulk is to be seen next in She-Hulk, and Hawkeye will be seen in his a limited series to stream on Disney+.
Even though Black Widow met her end in Avengers: End Game, fans got one last look at her in her solo film, which hit theaters and HBO Max this past July.
There has been no recent news or announcement about a fifth Avengers film, but earlier reports stated that Marvel Studios intends to make one down the line at some point.