Avengers: Infinity War [1] is no ordinary ensemble cast movie. It's going to be a behemoth to reckon with (have you seen the trailer?! [2]), encompassing everyone from Captain America: Civil War to characters from movies like Doctor Strange, Thor: Ragnarok, and The Guardians of the Galaxy, Vols. 1 & 2.
With a handful of Marvel movies getting released each year [3], it can be hard to keep track of the different statuses of all the Marvel characters! Luckily, we've kept tabs on the key MCU players [4], just so you have an idea of what and how they're doing right before the superhero-packed movie hits theaters. We have some serious spoilers ahead for the last few Marvel movies, so read at your own discretion!
Black Panther
T'Challa organizes an outreach center for Wakanda in Oakland after an intense battle with Killmonger in Black Panther [5]. If we're going to get technical, we might as well consider the first postcredits scene in Black Panther [6], where T'Challa addresses the United Nations. He tells the UN that Wakanda is ready to share its technological advancements with the world. This is a pretty important set-up to Avengers: Infinity War, since wielding Wakanda's cutting-edge technology can put the Avengers at an advantage when Thanos threatens to, you know, destroy the universe.
Captain America
By the end of Captain America: Civil War, Steve Rogers brings his buddy Bucky Barnes (more on him later) to Wakanda to heal. He might be elsewhere by now because we definitely didn't see him when things went down between Killmonger and T'Challa in Black Panther [7]. Cap still disagrees with Iron Man [8] over the UN's Sokovia Accords but manages to write him a bittersweet yet supportive letter after everything goes down.
Iron Man
After Captain America: Civil War, we can assume that Tony Stark is working with the US government and the United Nations to iron out the Sokovia Accords. There's other stuff on his plate, too. Iron Man takes on a mentor role (er, or maybe acts like a full-time babysitter) for Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Throughout the movie, he's convinced that Spider-Man is too inexperienced to unlock the full potentials of the spider suit. Eventually, Stark turns around and even offers Parker a position with the Avengers. Parker declines, so, facing a room full of reporters, Iron Man [9] initiates an ad hoc (and sweet) proposal to Pepper Potts.
Thor
Things seemed OK for Thor for, like, five minutes after he loses an eye and his homeland of Asgard. Along with his brother Loki, he's bringing the Asgardians on a spaceship to Earth, assured that everything is going to be OK. If you stick around for the postcredits scene of Thor: Ragnarok [10], you'll know that everything is not going to be OK. Thor and Loki are intercepted by a mysterious spaceship, which is manned by none other than Thanos. We'll be on the edge of our seats waiting for what happens to Thor in Infinity Wars.
Black Widow
Black Widow [11] decides to trust and help Captain America track down the instigator of the Avengers' fight in Captain America: Civil War, despite initially siding with Tony Stark. Iron Man chalks her up to be a traitor, coldly telling her that it must be difficult to let go of her double-agent ways. (Ouch.) Since Thaddeus Ross knows about her involvement, she's now on the lam and possibly helping Captain America.
Doctor Strange
The former neurosurgeon now resides at the New York Sanctum, where he acts as its guardian and spends his time studying mystical texts. The last time we see him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he aids Thor in finding Odin in Thor: Ragnarok [12].
Loki
Albeit a trickster at heart, Loki ends up helping his brother Thor defeat their sister Hela by summoning the fire demon Surtur in Thor: Ragnarok. The downside to summoning a fire demon to defeat your big sister is that it effectively brings about doomsday. While managing to get the Asgardians on a spaceship to Earth, Thor and Loki confront a large spacecraft [13], which is Thanos's Sanctuary II.
Thanos
In the end credits of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thanos puts on a gauntlet and decides to find the Infinity Stones all by himself, annoyed with how Ronan the Accuser and Loki have failed him. We see his ship, the Sanctuary II, in the end credits of Thor: Ragnarok. It's basically a telltale sign that he's going to be appearing in a lot more than postcredits scenes in Avengers: Infinity War. Um, and it also looks like he'll be getting a makeover, too [14].
Bucky Barnes
As we mentioned earlier, Steve Rogers takes his old friend to Wakanda to be put in a cryogenic sleep until there's a cure for his brainwashing. Bucky Barnes makes another appearance in Black Panther [15]'s postcredits scene, in which a bunch of young Wakandan children yell that he, the "White Wolf," is awake. We now know that he's the other "broken white boy" that T'Challa's sister, Shuri, "fixes." [16]
Spider-Man
After proving his worth to Tony Stark by defeating his crush's villainous father, Peter Parker just wants to chill and do fun teenage things. He doesn't take up Tony Stark's offer to officially become a part of the Avengers. Unfortunately, he now has to deal with Aunt May (and possibly Gargan) [17] finding out the truth about his superhero alter ego after the events of Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Ant-Man
Captain America recruits Ant-Man, aka Scott Lang, to be a part of his team (much to Ant-Man's excitement) during his fallout with Iron Man. After an intense battle, Ant-Man was detained by Thaddeus Ross for destroying the Leipzig-Halle Airport and imprisoned in the Raft before Captain America rescues him. Right now, Lang's probably hanging out with his daughter, Cassie, in San Francisco before the events of Infinity War and Ant-Man and the Wasp [18] unfold.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Peter Quill and his ragtag superhero team manage to defeat Ego, Peter's biological father, by the end of the second installment of Guardians of the Galaxy. They hold a funeral for Yondu, who sacrifices his life to help the team take down Ego. After making up with and saving her sister, Gamora, from a fatal fall, Nebula leaves the Guardians and decides to go after her adoptive father Thanos all by herself. It'll be interesting to see how things pan out for her in Infinity War.
Hulk
Notably absent from all of the Captain America and Iron Man drama, Hulk last appears in Thor: Ragnarok, where he ends up on the alien planet of Sakaar and battles his friend Thor at the Grandmaster's behest [19]. His role in the latest Thor movie isn't all fun and games though — Bruce Banner eventually helps Thor defeat Hela's giant wolf, Fenris. By the end of the movie, he tags along with Loki and Thor on their trip to Earth.
Scarlet Witch
Still fortifying her telekinesis and energy manipulation skills, Scarlet Witch begins the last Avengers movie by accidentally destroying a building in Lagos while containing an explosion, which leads to the deaths of many innocent people. Scarlet Witch later finds herself in the Raft prison with Falcon, Hawkeye, and Ant-Man, but Steve Rogers eventually helps his friends get out. We wouldn't be surprised if she's helping out Cap before Infinity War.
Hawkeye
In Civil War, Hawkeye emerges out of retirement to help Captain America, feeling debt toward Scarlet Witch, whose brother, Quicksilver, sacrifices himself for the bow-wielding Avenger. After Captain America's breach at the Raft, Clint Barton is probably spending time with his wife and kids at his secret Homestead farm.
Falcon
You won't find a friend more loyal than Falcon, who, with almost no hesitation, helps Steve Rogers when he departs from the Avengers. In Captain America: Civil War, the war vet rounds up Steve's team with superheroes like Ant-Man, Scarlet Witch, and Hawkeye. After Cap rescues him from the Raft, Sam Wilson is most likely giving his old pal Steve a helping hand.
War Machine
The last time we see War Machine, he's pretty badly injured after Vision accidentally shoots him down. Iron Man helps him by giving him exoskeletal leg braces so that he can walk again. Here's to wishing him a speedy recovery!