Just as we're coming to terms with the colossal success of Captain Marvel, the latest trailer for Avengers: Endgame is unleashed. But before that, here's the new poster.
The entire future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) hinges on the no-doubt-monumental events of the latest Avengers movie. It's the final movie in phase three of the franchise, picking up in the wake of the destruction wrought by Thanos (Josh Brolin) in Avengers: Infinity War.
With 11 years of franchise history weighing upon the movie, it's little wonder the new Endgame trailer goes heavy on the nostalgia. (This is also a nifty way of withholding any footage that may act as a spoiler – reportedly, we're only getting to see shots from the first 20 minutes of the movie.)
We begin with flashbacks to the formative beginnings of Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth). The grayscale visuals that are occasionally littered with striking splashes of colour create a suitably melancholy atmosphere, reinforcing the mood of gloom that now hangs over the Avengers initiative.
Of course, redemption may be at hand – there is still the presence of rogue element Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), who has somehow emerged from the Quantum Realm as, possibly, the Avengers' secret weapon. Then there's the previously absent Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), whose emergent Ronin persona is yet to be teased out. And Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) is honing her sharp-shooting skills.
Of course, the show is set to be stolen by Captain Marvel herself (Brie Larson), whose unflinching attitude towards Asgardian god Thor gets her a seal of approval. It's a neat dab of characteristic Marvel humour in what will surely be the most dramatic and emotionally-charged MCU movie so far.
And what of Tony, drifting in space recording a message for love interest Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow)? Is he destined to return to Earth? We don't know at this stage, but there's a poignant symmetry in the way that the trailer begins and ends with him – it potentially mirrors the development of the MCU itself, which was birthed with 2008's Iron Man and could now reach a new phase with Stark's death.
And what of those new uniforms at the end? Note how the grey and red attire matches the visual aesthetic of the earlier flashback sequences in the trailer. We get the feeling we're on the cusp of great change...
Avengers: Endgame is released on 25th April, so tweet us your reactions @Cineworld.