Avengers: Infinity War is out this month, but this isn’t a trilogy. Avengers 4 concludes the superhero film series next year, and the plot of Avengers 4 is already being discussed, The Independent reported.

A key is learning how Infinity War concludes. Given that Marvel is going to great lengths to keep the ending of the film from being leaked, the majority of enthusiasts have determined that one, if not more, of the protagonists will die, according to The Independent.

“There are therefore two realistic endings for Infinity War,” reporter Jack Shepherd wrote. “Either Thanos (the villain) will defeat the Avengers outright, making for a brutal finale. Or, the Avengers will just about beat Thanos, but not defeat the Mad King properly – the Avengers can’t win outright, otherwise what would happen in Avengers 4?”

If Thanos kills members of the Avengers (at least Captain America or Iron Man are rumored to die), it seems that Avengers 4 would show the protagonists who are left seeking how to defeat the antagonist. Or, if Thanos does not completely end the group, then they will work to defeat Thanos in turn, according to The Independent.

“Either way, we’re looking at the Avengers needing to put a final stop to Josh Brolin’s purple-faced character,” Shepherd wrote.

So it is worth inquiring as to how the Avengers beat Thanos fully in Avengers 4.

The leading theory concerns time travel. Members of the Avengers in costumes they have since replaced is a leading reason in Screen Rant’s piece “Avengers 4 Is Definitely A Time Travel Film.” It references set photos of Captain America in his costume from decades earlier, Thor before he cut his hair, Tony Stark donning items from S.H.I.E.L.D., which has closed shop, and others on the superhero team, The Independent reported.

“There are also multiple characters who have died beforehand who have been reportedly spotted on the Avengers set,” Shepherd wrote.

Films taking place between Infinity War and Avengers 4 also speak to the time-travel premise. There’s Ant-Man and the Wasp, where Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Pym (Evangeline Lilly), respectively, will seek to cross over the quantum realm to locate Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), who was believed to be dead, according to The Independent.

“The quantum realm has many implications, including the possible use of the Ant-Man technology to travel back in time,” Shepherd wrote.

Featured image credit: KGC-161 / STAR MAX / IPx AP Images

Then there’s Captain Marvel, a film set in the 80s that will show us the protagonist played by Brie Larson. It’s been said that individuals from other Marvel films, including Ronan the Accuser, Agent Coulson, and Nick Fury will be in it, as characters from the past, who could be visited in time travel, will be brought to the forefront of audiences’ consciousness, The Independent reported.

“Plus, a quantum physicist who worked on Ant-Man‘s quantum realm and Doctor Strange‘s multiverse has said he also worked (on) Captain Marvel,” Shepherd wrote.

So, if Avengers 4 is a time-travel film, audiences probably can witness the Avengers going back to moments in the past to figure out a method of defeating Thanos or possibly inform themselves danger to come, according to The Independent.

“The most obvious way they can travel back would be using the Time Stone from Doctor Strange,” Shepherd wrote. “However, considering Thanos likely has this, Ant-Man and the Wasp could very well save the day.”

Supporting this proposition is a revelation that Pfeiffer, besides Michael Douglas, who plays her husband Hank Pym, has been seen on the Avengers 4 set. That means that the Ant-Man protagonists may assist with Captain Marvel in defeating Thanos, The Independent reported.

Featured image credit: Richard Shotwell Invision / AP Images

“There’s only one reason for hesitance regarding the time-travel theory, and that’s because of select comments made by the Russos,” Shepherd wrote of the brother screenwriting team.

“It’s interesting because photos always leak, and there’s lots of conjecture about what those photos mean,” one of the brothers said. “Certainly, there is a five-minute sequence in Civil War around a piece of technology that was laid in for a very specific reason. If you go back and look at that film, you may get a hint as to the direction.”

“That piece of technology is almost certainly Binary Augmented Retro-Framing,” Shepherd wrote. “It’s basically a machine that allows people to augment their memories – could the Avengers be using this, rather than time travel, to discover the key to beating Thanos?”

“No doubt,” folks will have many more theories after they see Infinity War, The Independent reported. The film’s release date has been rescheduled from May 4 to April 27.