Warning: Contains major spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War.

It's finally coming: the turning point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Avengers: Endgame will complete the story that began in Avengers: Infinity War, centring around the machinations of the giant, purple space villain Thanos.

Infinity War made some earth-shattering changes to the MCU status quo that set the stage for everything that will happen in its sequel and, based on first reactions, the sequel lives up to expectations.

Consider this your final spoiler warning.

Avengers Endgame trailer: Watch them here!

The first trailer for Avengers: Endgame arrived on December 7 without any tease or official announcement, confirming the title.

preview for Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame - Official Trailer (Marvel)

While the trailer didn't give too much away, it did lead to another host of theories about what might happen in the movie, such as whether we'd see Captain America make a heroic sacrifice to save the day.

Tony Stark seems in a bit of trouble too, stranded in space after losing the battle against Thanos on Titan, but surely he'll be rescued by someone. Maybe his rescue has already been spoiled in the weirdest way too.

The first trailer made us worry that Shuri was dead and the character posters confirmed her fate.

Related: Does Captain Marvel solve this Avengers: Endgame trailer mystery?

Or maybe the trailer is just completely lying to us to mislead us like it did with Hulk on Wakanda in the Infinity War trailer.

A second look at the movie arrived with the Super Bowl, giving us a glimpse at the world following Thanos' Decimation. It's not looking good.

preview for Marvel Avengers Endgame - special clip (Marvel Studios)

But at least Rocket seems to have found a remote pub, according to some fans.

And while there's no new footage, the IMAX trailer did technically show us more of the movie, 26% more specifically.

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A new trailer surprisingly arrived on March 14, revisiting the past of our favourite heroes and giving us a better glimpse of the post-Infinity Snap world.

It ends with Captain Marvel meeting Thor for the first time and he approves of the new team member, while also potentially showing a new Hawkeye for the MCU.

preview for Marvel Avengers: Endgame official trailer (Marvel Studios)

Following the release of the trailer, we got a new poster and it was a bit controversial initially as Danai Gurira's name was left off it.

However, Marvel saw the error of their ways and quickly fixed it.

On March 21, we also got the first TV spot for the movie, although there's no new footage.

It reminded us of everyone who's currently dust in the MCU though.

preview for Avengers: Endgame 'Honor' TV trailer (Marvel Studios)

To mark the tickets going on sale for Avengers: Endgame (unsurprisingly, a lot of people bought tickets), we also got another special look – essentially a one-minute trailer – for the movie.

It was packed with new footage, including Captain America and Tony Stark properly reuniting, before going on to face off with Thanos along with Thor (or is that Doctor Strange in the cape)?

And it made everyone cry with Tony looking at a picture of Peter Parker.

preview for Avengers: Endgame special look (Marvel Studios)

We've also had a proper clip from the movie that sees Captain Marvel plot to take Thanos down,

There's been a series of TV spots too, including Cap giving a stirring speech, a look back at the entire MCU and one that showed who was missing in the Super Bowl trailer.

But maybe they've all been made up of fake footage.

Avengers Endgame release date: When's it coming?

Avengers: Infinity War Comic-Con poster revealed Sunday, July 24pinterest
Marvel Studios

The movie will be out on April 26 in the US, but has been moved forward one day for a Thursday, April 25 release in the UK.

That puts its release date almost exactly a year after Infinity War. The Russo Brothers confirmed that filming on the movie had wrapped on October 13 and they marked the 100-day countdown on Twitter.

But Karen Gillan and Zoe Saldana revealed that they were doing some mysterious reshoots for the movie in mid-January. What are Nebula and Gamora up to?!

As of March 8, the Russo Brothers confirmed that the movie is officially finished and ready to go.

And could the movie break Avatar's record as the biggest movie ever?

If you weren't already aware of just how big the movie will be, it was originally reported to be clocking in at three hours long, and that still seems to be the case as Joe Russo confirmed that it runs three hours and 58 seconds.

Related: Why has Avengers: Endgame's runtime become such a big deal?

The Russos have teased that there are "even more spoilers" to ruin about Endgame than Infinity War, and have also released a letter to fans asking them not to spoil the movie for anyone else.

Even Paul Rudd hasn't managed to get any spoilers from them.

Avengers Endgame cast: Who's coming back?

Black Widow, Captain America, Bruce Banner and War Machine in Avengers Endgame
Disney

Avengers: Infinity War had the biggest superhero movie cast ever, and even though a load of them are apparently dead, we still expect most of those actors will be back for part two.

The Infinity War survivors are sure be back – that's the somewhat ragged looking lineup of Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Don Cheadle (War Machine), Karen Gillan (Nebula), Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man), Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Chris Evans (Captain America), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and perhaps the unaccounted for Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts).

Avengers Endgame cast
Disney

Thor won't be in the best place at the start of the movie though as he apparently blames himself for Thanos winning.

A new report had confirmed that Pepper would be in Avengers: Endgame and she's getting "armour of her own".

Paul Rudd (Ant-Man) will make a return along with Evangeline Lilly (The Wasp), Michelle Pfeiffer (the other Wasp) and thus, presumably, Michael Douglas (Hank Pym). Jon Favreau (Happy Hogan) has also filmed scenes for the movie.

What's more, Lilly has been sporting a shorter hairdo that resembles the original Wasp/Janet van Dyne in the Marvel comics.

And don't forget Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye – or is it Ronin now? The trailer confirmed that he's in the movie in his new superhero guise.

Jeremy Renner as Ronin / Hawkeye in Avengers Endgame
Disney

It's likely that Tessa Thompson will return as Valkyrie after missing out on Infinity War as she's been spotted flying with Chris Hemsworth to Atlanta for reshoots. She later confirmed on Twitter that Valkyrie was in "one piece and THRIVING" after Thanos's Snap.

And Valkyrie got her own character poster, so she's officially back!

Could fellow Ragnarok fan favourite Korg also be returning? He's got his own official emoji after all.

Josh Brolin (Thanos) has been promised to return too, although he'll be in the market for some new sidekicks. Maybe he'll just kick back and relax though as Brolin reckons Thanos was "perfectly and totally satisfied" at the end of Infinity War.

And what of our fallen heroes – Sebastian Stan (Winter Soldier), Chris Pratt (Star-Lord), Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), Anthony Mackie (Falcon), Tom Holland (Spider-Man), Dave Bautista (Drax), Pom Klementieff (Mantis) and Groot (Vin Diesel)? Can they really be gone forever? Probably not.

But, surprisingly, Holland might not be the one to ask for spoilers as he kept the secret of Spidey's demise in Infinity War for two years. He hasn't even read the script anyway.

Cumberbatch has cheekily been suggesting that Doctor Strange is gone for good, despite there being a Doctor Strange 2 lined up. "I'm dust, baby. I'm just out there. I'm in the ether. I'm probably part of your food chain. I'm in your stomach somewhere," he teased.

Related: All the deceased characters who are coming back for Endgame

And he's not the only one, Stan has said that he's not sure he's in the sequel either. "When I was shooting anything, nobody ever told me what was part one or part two. The truth is, I don't even know if I'm in [Avengers: Endgame]," he explained.

preview for All the confirmed survivors of Avengers: Infinity War

Zoe Saldana has already been teasing a return for Gamora in Avengers: Endgame with a photo of her getting her Gamora make-up applied on set, but she sneakily hashtagged it "flashback" so maybe we're jumping to conclusions.

And sure, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) might look to have been killed by Thanos before the Infinity Snap, but Hiddleston has been seen on set and there's a fan theory that none other than Hela could be used to bring him back to life.

The theory states that Hela survived the destruction of Asgard in Thor: Ragnarok and once Thor finds her again, they'll head to the same cave that he visited with Erik Selvig in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

cate blanchett as hela in thor ragnarokpinterest
Disney

But don't expect Hiddleston to reveal whether Loki faked his death (AGAIN) as he responded to that theory with "your guess is as good as mine". Tease.

Brie Larson's Carol Danvers (aka Captain Marvel) – the MCU's most powerful superhero – was only hinted at in Infinity War. Her first appearance is in the '90s-set Captain Marvel, after which she can finally join the other MCU heroes in Avengers: Endgame (which she does in the post-credits scenes of her solo movie).

Feige explained that the reason Nick Fury called her during Infinity War's post-credits sequence was because he realised "they were up against something far bigger than they had ever been up against before".

preview for Spider-Man: Far from Home International trailer (Sony Pictures)

But maybe it was because she can time travel... (More on that in a bit.)

Related: How Avengers: Endgame solves a Captain Marvel continuity issue

Can she really time travel though? Brie Larson insists she can't and Jackson says he was only messing when he said it.

Talking of Fury, apparently he was on his way to meet SHIELD agent Cameron Klein when he was Snapped. Klein was played by Aaron Himelstein in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron, so could he help the Avengers save the world?

Cameron Klein in Captain America: The Winter Soldierpinterest
Disney

Ty Simpkins, who played the kid Harley Keener from Iron Man 3, is reported to be returning too. And there's a rumour that Natalie Portman could even make an unlooked-for return as Jane Foster, who were led to believe survived the Infinity Snap.

Talking of Thor characters who survived the Snap, Dr Erik Selvig and Darcy Lewis look to have avoided being turned to dust, so could we see Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings back? And maybe Natalie Portman as Jane Foster too?

According to Stellan Skarsgård though, he's not in the movie: "I've done four [MCU movies] and they have contracted for five, and they haven't called me yet."

After his surprise cameo in Infinity War, Ross Marquand is keeping tight-lipped about whether the Red Skull will be seen in the sequel. The Russo Brothers have also confirmed that original Red Skull, Hugo Weaving, was asked to come back.

One dead character who is returning is Crossbones as Frank Grillo confirmed that he will "make an appearance in the next Avengers movie", but insisted it would be for "a flashback". Executive producer Michael Grillo confirmed the return of Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One too.

frank grillo as crossbones in captain america civil warpinterest
Marvel Studios

13 Reasons Why's Katherine Langford is reported to be joining the cast in a mystery role.

Just don't expect Adam Warlock to make his debut. Or Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, despite what Google wants you to think.

Directors Anthony and Joe Russo are returning after Infinity War. Well, 'returning' isn't quite the right word, as they filmed the two movies back-to-back. And Brolin hinted that it might be their final project for Marvel.

Avengers Endgame plot: Hello time travel?

Infinity War dealt with the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy battling against Thanos, who (with his lieutenants/children the Black Order) was out to collect those superpowered MacGuffins the Infinity Stones for his Infinity Gauntlet in order to erase half the life in the universe.

Related: Everything you need to remember before Avengers: Endgame

And shock! Horror! He succeeded! What's more, it's even got an official name now: the Decimation.

The rumours of a time-travel plot feel more convincing than ever. How else to bring a load of superheroes back from the dead? The evidence for this includes various actors spotted in their old costumes, including Hemsworth holding Mjolnir and back in his wig.

letitia wright, shuri, avengers infinity warpinterest
Marvel Studios

Another possible time travel clue was spotted in Zoe Saldana sharing a behind-the-scenes snap of herself in costume during filming on Avengers: Endgame, with the key element being that she was in her costume from the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie.

Zoe Saldana, Gamora, Instagrampinterest
Zoe Saldana//Instagram

And another came from an on-set photo of Scarlett Johansson sporting Black Widow's classic red hair colour from earlier MCU movies.

Related: Captain Marvel might reveal who is key to defeating Thanos

Talking of Black Widow's hair, a new hairstyle in the trailer has had some fans thinking that we could be in store for a time jump in Avengers: Endgame, just in case all the time travel isn't enough.

Tony's BARF technology was thought to be an alternate explanation for their retro looks, but we're not sure how that could help undo Thanos's destruction.

Related: What major MCU moments will Avengers: Endgame revisit?

Maybe Nebula holds the key to it all? Karen Gillan has been teasing a massive showdown between Nebula and Thanos – and she could have a surprising ally in Mantis to help her out.

Or we might be worried over nothing and Doctor Strange has already set his plan to defeat Thanos in motion. Could these be the three ingredients needed for his plan to work?

Related: Did a Thanos teddy bear just spoil Avengers: Endgame?

One of those is making sure that Ant-Man is in the Quantum Realm when the Snap happened, and it's possible that we could have seen some of the victims' souls in the Realm with him during that mid-credits scene.

avengers infinity war, wong, doctor strange, bruce banner, iron manpinterest
Marvel Studios

What's more, Thor: The Dark World might have hinted at this very theory and its use of a "Soul Forge".

Michael Douglas seemed to agree with the theory as he said that the Quantum Realm is "the key" in Avengers: Endgame and beyond: "The Quantum Realm plays an important part in all the next chapters, I think, of the Marvel films."

Could the Quantum Realm actually be a bridge to an alternate reality? One theory suggests that our fallen heroes aren't dead, but have actually just been 'snapped' to a different reality.

Related: Avengers: Endgame posters rule out one major fan theory

But maybe we've all been worried about Thanos and missing the sequel's true villain which a fan theory states could be the Mind Stone. Or could it be the Celestials from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2?

Either way, it turns out that Thanos might have only been getting warmed up – and he's got a brand new weapon and the Outriders are potentially back.

Doesn't matter though, Hulk's got a new suit, but why is he in a suit? Talking of those white suits in the trailer, Feige has explained what they're all about.

Related: What's Hulk going to do in Avengers: Endgame?

We seem pretty convinced that our heroes will be back, right? Well, considering the two movies we know will follow Avengers: Endgame are a Spider-Man sequel and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, they'll be in for a hard time if most of their leads are still dead.

Then again, Olsen has been saying things are "only going to get worse" in Avengers: Endgame, so maybe everyone will die all over again. Or maybe everything will just be reset to before the Snap happened and everyone will live happily ever after.

According to Downey Jr though, nobody can "guess what's gonna happen" so we might as well give up theorising.

What we do know for certain is that Endgame will mark an ending to what will be an 11-year-old, 22-movie-long story at that point (kicked off in the distant past by 2008's Iron Man).

The official synopsis certainly has a finality to it: "With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos' actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store."

preview for 9 MASSIVE questions that we have after watching Avengers: Infinity War

All the Russo Brothers will say about Endgame is that it's told from a "different point of view" to Infinity War.

What form will this end take? It's a safe bet that some long-time MCU stars will take Avengers: Endgame as a good opportunity to bow out.

Evans previously hinted that this is his last outing as Cap and followed this up with a message on his last day of filming on Avengers: Endgame that seemed to confirm his exit, with a theory suggesting that Infinity War showed how Cap will die in Avengers: Endgame.

chris evans as captain america with beard in avengers infinity war wakanda battlepinterest
Disney

We're still hoping that there's a way Cap can exit with a happy ending and not his noble death. However, could we all be reading too much into Evans's message as he's now explained that he would have "tweeted the exact same thing" whatever his MCU future holds.

If it is his last time as Cap, Evans has joked that he had a "really dumb" final line during the movie's reshoots.

Serena Williams certainly thinks it is (yes, really) and the Russo brothers are having fun teasing fans over Cap's fate. Evans hasn't been taken rumours of his demise all that seriously either.

But he did admit it was a "surprisingly emotional" final day filming Endgame.

Will Downey Jr finally retire from the franchise too, as has been teased repeatedly over the last few years? Or maybe Hemsworth is on his way out?

Related: Avengers: Endgame has to give Iron Man more than a noble sacrifice

Talking of the OG Avengers, the Russo Brothers have teased that there is a "reason" they all survived the Snap.

Paltrow has said it is likely to be the last time playing Pepper, sharing an adorable goodbye message.

Chris Hemsworth as Thor in Avengers: Infinity War eyepatchpinterest
Disney

And how will these exits happen? It's a toss-up between walking off into the sunset for a well-earned retirement, being murdered brutally to spur on their allies, or the tried and tested Noble Sacrifice™.

Sacrifices are one of the only things we're currently sure about and could two major ones have already been hinted at in Avengers: Age of Ultron? Marvel fans are certainly worried about Iron Man's fate after the first Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer.

preview for Spider-Man: Far from Home International trailer (Sony Pictures)

When asked to describe the movie, Hemsworth called it "cathartic" – even though he doesn't know how it ends. Downey Jr has promised that the final moments of the movie are the "best eight minutes in the entire history" of the MCU.

Phase Four, we're promised, will mark a big change for the MCU. Whatever form those changes take, Avengers: Endgame is where it all starts.

Avengers: Endgame is released in UK cinemas on April 25 and US cinemas on April 26.

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Hugh Armitage
Hugh Armitage is Movies Editor at Digital Spy.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy  Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor.  Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world.   After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.