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Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to tear down the tracks of the theater (Thor: Love and Thunder) and streaming (Ms. Marvel). Disney and Marvel’s 14-year streak of superhero outings makes as much noise as ever, but one project is notably silent; a new Avengers movie. It’s been three years since Avengers: Endgame and news on a fifth Avengers film is scant, especially with lingering, teasing logos for heavy hitters like Fantastic Four and Deadpool hogging up all the hype.
Like the first four Avengers films revolved around the Infinity Stones, the next team-up will likely address the newly introduced abstract antagonist, the multiverse. Phases 1-4 pulled from the Infinity Gauntlet comics line, and next up could be Secret Wars. This storyline featured the multiverse as its background, pitting heroes against each other in order to save their respective worlds. At the center of it all might be Kang the Conqueror, tentatively introduced in season one of Loki.
We presumably have our setting and big bad, but what about our team? Whoever they are, they have a huge shield and suit of armor to fill. The leaders and heart and soul of the Avengers and the MCU at large hung it up with Avengers: Endgame when Steve Rogers grew old, and Tony Stark sacrificed himself for the universe. The Avengers have been left leaderless but still have plenty of candidates to step in for Cap and Iron Man. The MCU has exhausted many of the best and most known characters, and now they’re working with what they have left. Will that be enough to keep it interesting? We say yes.
There are still some big players left on the board and a few misfits to keep it light and interesting. Here’s who we think should join the Avengers from the existing slate of characters.
Who Will Lead the Avengers?
With the departure of Rogers and Stark, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is all that remains of the big three, leaving him with Avengers seniority. Love and Thunder emphasized the God of Thunder’s lack of direction, so heading back to the Avengers to lead the new team could be another notch in his legacy.
Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) helped open the door to the multiverse and knows more about it than most, so it only makes sense for him to help helm the Avengers in the potential coming battle. Stark was the genius who brainstormed the Avengers’ way through everything in the Infinity Saga. This was in a battle of space and, to a degree, science. In Secret Wars and the multiverse, they’ll be dealing with multidimensional magic and Celestials, so Strange is an ideal leader for the new team.
The MCU needs a straight-up dominant, unstoppable force to flesh out the Avengers. That’s where Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) comes in. She’s earned her stripes in Avengers: Endgame, laying waste to Thanos’ warship with a few shots and then smacking around the Mad Titan himself before he was able to snag the Power Stone.
There’s been a Cap-sized hole in the MCU since Steve Rogers traded in the shield for the quiet life, but he turned it over to a worthy successor. Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, seen briefly in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, has evolved from a trusty number two side-kick into a leader to be reckoned with. The evolution of the character of Sam Wilson has been cool to watch, from humble civil servant to elite Avenger.
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is just a 17-year-old kid, but he’s been through the wringer in his time in the MCU. He’s gone toe to toe with Thanos, was dusted, took on a good chunk of the Sinister Six, and lost everyone he loves. He’s battle tested and still spinning webs.
Filling Out the New Avengers Roster
The original Avengers were composed of six members, but that was in the early days of the MCU. Well into Phase 4, we have a sprawling list of heroes to choose from to fill out the back end of the team.
You have to have the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). He can take up the mantle of the big brain on the team left behind by Iron Man. With his transition to Professor Hulk, he’s also the muscle of the group. Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) has proven he’s still a viable and interesting character with his Disney+ series. Plus, it needs the guy with no powers to bring some humanity and a sense of vulnerability to the crew.
He’s earned his way with three seasons on Netflix and a new one coming to Disney+, so Daredevil (Charlie Cox) needs to get a spot on the Avengers. He could fill the moral compass void left by Rogers's departure and bring some of that street-level grit to the bigger fight.
The quality writing of the MCU has managed to infuse every film and character with great humor, even though none of the characters are inherent comics themselves. That’s, of course, where Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) would come in. Sure, we don’t even have a solo MCU outing for the Merc with a Mouth, but we all know and love him, and it would be a great watch seeing him annoy his fellow Avengers en masse right out of the gate.
A more accidentally funny character comes in with Red Guardian (David Harbour). He stole his scenes in Black Widow with his obliviousness and charm, and his raw goon strength would add something to the mix we haven’t seen before. Red Guardian would be kind of like a hockey team enforcer; he’s just there to bust skulls. His countrywoman Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) will be taking over the Black Widow title going forward and is an exceptionally worthy replacement for Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson). Rounding out the new Avengers nicely would be War Machine (Don Cheadle), Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), and Ant-Man (Paul Rudd).
Of course, this list leaves many heroes out, all of whom could contribute to a great Avengers movie. No matter who joins and in what capacity, the next Avengers cast is going to be a pretty stacked team built from the ground up with older stones and new ones.