"We wish we were that smart" – The Avengers: Endgame writers have shut down some of the movie’s best fan theories

Avengers: Endgame
Image credit: Disney/Marvel Studios

If you poke around the edges of Avengers: Endgame, you might just find some interesting fan theories and unusual goings-on hiding in the background of certain scenes. However, the Endgame writers, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, want to set the record straight on some of the stranger potential Marvel Phase 4 set-ups supposedly hiding in the movie. That includes the likes of Namor and that Ben Mendelsohn Skrull sighting. Prepare for disappointment, folks.

While chatting to The Hollywood Reporter, the Avengers: Endgame scribes had the chance to turn spoilsport and debunk some of the best fan theories and possible Avengers: Endgame Easter eggs that you might have seen floating around the internet.

One of the best (and most plausible) is definitely the Talos Skrull apparently hiding in the background during the scene where Peter Parker returns to school. It sure does look like Ben Mendelsohn’s character and would certainly be one of the most audacious twists to set up a Secret Invasion or another Spidey movie after Spider-Man: Far From Home.

However, the writers say that they don’t believe Talos is in the movie. That’s not to say they’re lying, because even the likes of Kevin Feige might be trying to pull a fast one on even the writers, but it’s the first they’ve heard of it.

As Markus puts it, “There are things people have told me about these movies, which we have worked on for nearly five years, that I've never seen, so I should probably watch it again.”

That’s not a no… but this next one definitely is. Namor isn’t referenced in the movie, guys. Sorry about that. Okoye’s pointed reference to an underwater earthquake – just reading it aloud makes it sound like an origin story, right? – isn’t to do with Namor. “I wish we were that smart,” admits Markus.

Finally, on the slate of fascinating theories is the idea that the big non-snap deaths across Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame could be reversed. Not a chance, as Markus explains: “The Gauntlet, as of yet, has not brought back anybody to life that wasn't removed by the Gauntlet. Tony was physically killed.”

So, there you have it. No Namor (yet), no Skrulls (we think), and no Iron Man revival. You can put those theories to bed – but who knows what other secrets are lurking, just waiting to be uncovered?

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.