Across the span of 10 years and 19 movies, Marvel has amassed a fanbase far more powerful than any of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, one that often seems to possess levels of insight that could even outsmart the likes of Shuri or Tony Stark. Sometimes, the fan theories that revolve around each movie are so prescient that one has to wonder whether they were even leaked out by people secretly working at Marvel.

Among all of the Thanos beatdowns and bearded heroes, Avengers: Infinity War finally confirmed one of the most prevalent of them, and this could hold potentially serious ramifications for Captain America and the future of the MCU.

Warning: The rest of this article contains MAJOR spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War

At the end of Captain America: The First Avenger, our star-spangled hero finally defeated the Red Skull after he grabbed the Tesseract (aka the Space Stone) with his bare hands and seemingly disintegrated into nothing. With his arch nemesis out of the way, Steve Rogers could then focus on saving the day before he was trapped in ice for the next 70 years or so.

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Disney

Captain America and the rest of the world assumed that Johann Schmidt had died that day, but Marvel fans knew better. Given that the Tesseract possesses the power to transport people through space, many suspected that the Red Skull might have survived contact with the Infinity Stone and would later return in another Marvel movie.

A tie-in comic called Avengers: Infinity War Prelude lent credence to this idea recently as a panel from the comic added a "FOOSHHHH" sound effect to the scene, implying that Cap's arch nemesis had been sent somewhere instead of destroyed.

Last year, Samuel L Jackson also roused suspicion about the real fate of the Red Skull during an interview with Hot 97 where he accidentally mentioned a 'skull' before suddenly backtracking.

Even with these hints though, few could have predicted that the Red Skull would turn up in Avengers: Infinity War as a guardian of the Soul Stone. Stranded on the planet Vormir for decades, Schmidt is now tasked with guiding others to the stone's location, even though he himself cannot use it.

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Marvel Studios

"A lifetime ago, I too sought the stones. It banished me here."

It's a rather fitting punishment for the former head of Hydra, one that was probably the end goal from the beginning. Screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely penned the scripts for both Captain America: The First Avenger and Avengers: Infinity War, so we wouldn't be surprised if the Red Skull was always destined to end up here.

However, even the fans who predicted the return of the Red Skull might be surprised to learn that Hugo Weaving didn't return to reprise the role. Despite originally playing the villainous character in First Avenger, Weaving was replaced by The Walking Dead's Ross Marquand this time round. While no official reason has been given thus far, Weaving has openly criticised Marvel in the past and we can't help but wonder if studio head Kevin Feige still holds a grudge.

preview for Thanos threatens to destroy the Avengers with a click of his fingers in ominous new Infinity War TV spot

Now that Thanos has finally found the Soul Stone, the fate of the Red Skull remains unclear. Does Schmidt need to remain on the planet Vormir or is he now free to seek revenge against Captain America? Assuming that he survived the final moments of Avengers: Infinity War, don't be surprised if the Red Skull returns in Avengers 4 to try and shape the newly decimated world in his image.

Avengers: Infinity War is out now. Book tickets here.


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David Opie

After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival. 

In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.

David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.

Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends. 

As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound

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