Avengers: Endgame was a terrific but heartbreaking conclusion to the Infinity Saga for some fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) sacrificed their lives to defeat the mad titan, Thanos, and audiences said goodbye to members of the original Avengers whom they’ve been watching since 2008.

However, the epic conclusion nearly had an even higher death toll if Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige had his way. During an interview with MTV’s Josh Horowitz, Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo revealed Feige’s initial plans for the film.

The Russo Brothers are correct with their take, and the death of all six OG avengers would likely have been too much for an audience to think about while still enjoying the movie. Watch the Russo Bros’ answer for yourself below.

“Without question. That was the stakes of the movie, right? If you don’t feel like, you know… We knew the audience felt that way and we were acutely aware coming off of Infinity War that we had put them in a position where they felt like nobody was safe. And there were lots of rumors swirling about who was going to die. Kevin [Feige] did actually pitch at one point, taking all the OG’s off the board. We thought it was way too aggressive and that the audience wouldn’t be able to process it and in fact, picking one or two characters to make sacrifices throughout the movie might give you moments throughout the film where the action could stop, and you could have emotional catharsis and then continue with the narrative and then add more emotional catharsis.”

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Who Will Be The Next Big Death in the MCU?

Following Tony Stark and Black Widow’s death, along with Captain America’s exit from the MCU, only three of the original six Avengers are left in the franchise. The Hulk, Hawkeye, and Thor have all had a presence at some point throughout Phase 4, however, any three of them could be the next central character to exit the long-running cinematic universe.

Sam Wilson only recently took over the shield as the new Captain America, so he will likely be involved in future projects for some time, and the Scarlet Witch has been a prominent figure through Phase 4, leading fans to believe she will have a significant role in the future of the MCU. In addition, Spider-Man is set up for another trilogy, and Kevin Feige confirmed Tom Holland’s character is leading the charge for street-level stories alongside Daredevil in the future.

Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, could very likely be nearing the end of his MCU run after completing Thor: Love and Thunder, and his death would play a significant part in the plot of the current Multiverse Saga. The Hulk will remain in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, however, his presence after the series is complete is still up in the air, and his death is certainly a possibility. Doctor Strange will undoubtedly play a huge part in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and possibly Avengers: Secret Wars, however, he may play a sacrificial role as Tony Stark did when Phase 6 concludes.

Unfortunately, longtime fans will begin to see more and more of their favorite heroes exit the Marvel franchise, however, if Kevin Feige can continue to adapt more beloved comic characters to screen, the MCU may just be getting started.