“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” pretty much won the Super Bowl with both its in-game spot, and the extended trailer released online. But with new footage comes new questions: specifically, who is lying dead under a sheet two minutes and eight seconds into the trailer?
In the blink-and-you-miss-it shot, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) backs up a clearly emotional Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), as Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) stands guard in the background. The three are gathered around a body lying under a white sheet on a table. Assuming this isn’t them practicing their magic routine, who is dying in “Cap 2?” Here are our best guesses:
Nick Fury
Why He’s Gonna Die: We already know from the footage that Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) gets attacked by the villainous Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), and it certainly looks like he ends up in surgery at the 55 second mark. Perhaps the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t pull through?
Why He Won’t: Because at 1:58, we see Fury banged up, but still alive. Plus, Jackson has three movies left on his Marvel contract, so unless he’s playing a ghost in “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” we expect he’ll leave to see what the secret post-credits scene is all about. Actually, we hope he’s playing a ghost. That would be cool.
Odds: 100 to 1
The Falcon
Why He’s Gonna Die: Aside from Fury, Anthony Mackie‘s new hero Falcon is the only good guy not pictured in that shot. Plus things look pretty bad for him in the helicarrier-set action scene halfway through the trailer.
Why He Won’t: Sorry, but killing the African-American best friend to give the hero motivation is just crass and won’t happen. Mackie has also just signed a multi-picture deal with Marvel, so we don’t think he’ll kick the bucket quite yet.
Odds: 50 to 1
Jasper Sitwell
Why He’s Gonna Die: Because we’re running out of name characters people will recognize and be affected by if they die, and Maximiliano Hernandez‘s Sitwell is a recurring S.H.I.EL.D. agent who has appeared almost as much as Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson.
Why He Won’t: With Agent Coulson “dead,” Sitwell is the closest thing every aspect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to connective fiber. He’s shown up in movies, TV, and direct to DVD one-shots. We can’t imagine he’s a goner, though Coulson’s fate does prove no one is safe (for at least a little while).
Odds: 30 to 1
Peggy Carter
Why She’s Gonna Die: It’s rumored that Hayley Atwell‘s Agent Carter will make an appearance in the modern day. In a scene reminiscent to one cut from “The Avengers,” Cap goes to reconnect with Peggy, only to find she’s very, very old now. Old people, sorry to say, often die.
Why She Won’t: Well, she might die eventually, but we doubt Black Widow would be more emotional over her body than Cap.
Odds: 25 to 1
Jack Rollins
Why He’s Gonna Die: Wait, who? The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent played by Callan Mulvey in the film is far from a comic book fan favorite, let alone a household name. But he’s too big a name now to play a bit part in the movie. Perhaps he’s a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who worked closely with Widow, and gets caught in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Why He Won’t: He might, actually. There’s far too much we don’t know about this movie to assume anything about Mulvey’s character.
Odds: 10 to 1
The Winter Soldier
Why He’s Gonna Die: While he’s not going to die, we think there’s a very good chance he’s lying “dead” under that sheet, particularly as scenes show Cap chasing someone out of the same hospital, crashing through a window, and then confronting The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan). Is he pulling the old, “villain playing possum to get inside” trick?
Why He Won’t: Winter Soldier is far too important a character to die, even at the end of this movie. But we feel pretty confident he’s under that sheet, and Widow is emotional because she had a relationship with him in the past… Something that comes right out of the comics.
Odds: 2 to 1
Hawkeye
Why He’s Gonna Die: Because he’s everyone’s least favorite Avenger, and it would be kind of hilarious to just have him dead under a sheet. “Hawkeye died,” says Black Widow in the opening scene. “It was horrible, and we can’t look at the body, ever, but trust me he’s totally dead.” “Okay,” continues Cap. “Let’s go do something else.”
Why He Won’t: That’s just mean. Poor Jeremy Renner. Shame on all of you.
Odds: 1000 to 1
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” hits theaters April 4.
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