In Avengers: Infinity War, the villain Thanos succeeded in assembling all six Infinity Stones and used their power to eliminate half of all life in the universe with a simple snap of his fingers. This devastating event became known as “The Snap” and had immense ramifications for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). But who exactly survived Thanos’ Snap, and who turned to dust?
The Original Avengers
The original Avengers team was fractured by the events of Captain America: Civil War, so they were split up when Thanos arrived on Earth. Here is who made it through the Snap:
- Tony Stark/Iron Man – Survived
- Steve Rogers/Captain America – Survived
- Thor – Survived
- Bruce Banner/Hulk – Survived
- Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow – Survived
- Clint Barton/Hawkeye – Unknown, as he took a deal after Civil War and was not seen in Infinity War
So most of the original Avengers who were actively involved in the fight against Thanos did survive. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, and Black Widow all made it through the Snap unharmed. Hawkeye’s status is unknown.
The Newer Avengers
There were also some newer and unofficial Avengers who played key roles in Infinity War. Here is who survived from that group:
- Peter Parker/Spider-Man – Dusted
- T’Challa/Black Panther – Dusted
- Bucky Barnes/White Wolf – Dusted
- Sam Wilson/Falcon – Dusted
- Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch – Dusted
- Vision – Killed by Thanos before the Snap
Most of the newer Avengers recruits did not fare so well. Spider-Man, Black Panther, White Wolf, Falcon, Scarlet Witch, and Vision were all among those who fell victim to the Snap, vanishing into dust. Only Scarlet Witch wasn’t actually eliminated by the Snap itself.
The Guardians of the Galaxy
Here is who survived from the Guardians of the Galaxy:
- Peter Quill/Star-Lord – Dusted
- Gamora – Sacrificed by Thanos to obtain the Soul Stone before Snap
- Drax – Dusted
- Groot – Dusted
- Rocket – Survived
- Mantis – Dusted
- Nebula – Survived
The Guardians had the worst luck of any Marvel group. Star-Lord, Drax, Groot, and Mantis all turned to dust. Gamora was sacrificed beforehand to unlock the Soul Stone. Rocket and Nebula were the only survivors from the team.
The Asgardians
Most of the remaining Asgardians, who were already decimated by Hela and Surtur in Thor: Ragnarok, were killed in the opening of Infinity War. Here is who was left after that initial attack:
- Thor – Survived Snap
- Loki – Killed by Thanos before the Snap
- Heimdall – Killed by Thanos before the Snap
- Valkyrie – Unknown, not seen in Infinity War
- Korg – Unknown, not seen in Infinity War
Thor was the sole known Asgardian survivor of the Snap. Loki and Heimdall were killed by Thanos prior to the Snap. The fates of Valkyrie and Korg were not revealed.
The Masters of the Mystic Arts
Most of the mystical heroes were also wiped out:
- Doctor Strange – Dusted
- Wong – Survived
Doctor Strange fell victim to the Snap after looking into millions of futures, while Wong managed to survive on Earth.
The Wakandans
T’Challa and many Wakandan warriors vanished in the Snap:
- T’Challa/Black Panther – Dusted
- Okoye – Survived
- Shuri – Dusted
T’Challa and Shuri were lost while Okoye survived. The fate of others like M’Baku is unknown.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nick Fury and Maria Hill were caught by the Snap, while other agents may have survived:
- Nick Fury – Dusted
- Maria Hill – Dusted
- Phil Coulson – Unknown, he was not seen in Infinity War
Fury and Hill were disintegrated, but whether Agent Coulson lived or died is unclear.
The Defenders
The street-level Defenders were not seen in Infinity War, so their fates are a mystery:
- Matt Murdock/Daredevil – Unknown
- Jessica Jones – Unknown
- Luke Cage – Unknown
- Danny Rand/Iron Fist – Unknown
Hopefully the Defenders survived, but there is no way to know for sure.
Other Heroes
A few other miscellaneous heroes had unrevealed fates:
- Pepper Potts – Unknown
- Betty Ross – Unknown
- Sif – Unknown
- Darcy Lewis – Unknown
- Erik Selvig – Unknown
- Sharon Carter – Unknown
Lots of side characters and allies had uncertain fates after the Snap. We can only hope some of them made it through.
Villains
Most Marvel villains were not seen. But some had hints about their survival:
- Thanos – Temporarily retired after the Snap
- Red Skull – Still guarding the Soul Stone
- Helmut Zemo – Unknown
- Abomination – Unknown
- Justin Hammer – Unknown
Thanos and Red Skull definitely lived, but other villains had unrevealed fates. The Snap likely took many of them too.
The Surviving Avengers
To summarize, the Avengers who definitively survived Thanos’ snap were:
- Tony Stark/Iron Man
- Steve Rogers/Captain America
- Thor
- Bruce Banner/Hulk
- Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
- Rocket Raccoon
- War Machine
- Okoye
- Wong
- Captain Marvel
These heroes lived to fight another day and seek a way to undo the Snap. They formed the core of the resistance against Thanos in the aftermath.
The Vanished Avengers
The Avengers and heroes who disintegrated in the Snap were:
- Peter Parker/Spider-Man
- T’Challa/Black Panther
- Bucky Barnes/White Wolf
- Sam Wilson/Falcon
- Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch
- Drax
- Groot
- Mantis
- Doctor Strange
- Nick Fury
- Maria Hill
These fallen heroes left a tremendous void, but hope remained that the Snap could someday be reversed.
The Unknown Fates
The heroes and characters who did not appear in Infinity War and had unrevealed fates after the Snap were:
- Clint Barton/Hawkeye
- Laura Barton
- Valkyrie
- Korg
- M’Baku
- Pepper Potts
- Betty Ross
- Sif
- Darcy Lewis
- Erik Selvig
- Sharon Carter
- Phil Coulson
- Matt Murdock/Daredevil
- Jessica Jones
- Luke Cage
- Danny Rand/Iron Fist
- Abomination
- Justin Hammer
The status of these characters remains a mystery. We can hope some of them also endured.
The Dead Before the Snap
The characters who died before the Snap occurred were:
- Loki
- Heimdall
- Gamora
- Vision
Their deaths paved the way for Thanos to complete the Infinity Gauntlet and enact the Snap. But they did not die from the Snap itself.
Conclusion
Thanos’ Snap wiped out half of all life with no prejudice. While the original Avengers mostly endured, many of the newest heroes and cosmic beings fell victim. Those who survived took up the task of somehow reversing the Snap and restoring those they had lost. The fate of many secondary characters remains unknown.
The Snap shook the Marvel Cinematic Universe to its core and set the stage for an epic conclusion in Avengers: Endgame. The survivors carry the hope that their fallen comrades can return and undo the great tragedy inflicted by Thanos and the Infinity Stones.