With Iron Man kicking off Phase 1 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008, countless superheroes began finding a whole new life when they were plucked from print and brought to life on the big screen. For over ten years, die-hard comic book fans, along with casual movie-goers, would be in awe as they witnessed heroic characters achieve enormous feats in movie theaters all around the world. An exhilarating conclusion then came to pass in Phase 3 with Avengers: Endgame, which was released in April 2019.
As a result of the penultimate battle between Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and Thanos, Phase 4 of the MCU was packed with plenty of emotional aftermaths. Certain characters like Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow were gone, while characters like Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and Captain Marvel took more prominent roles. In addition, the universe started to expand even more, introducing a whole new host of characters. Shang-Chi, Eternals, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, and Ms. Marvel emerged, as well as young heroes like American Chavez, Ironheart, and Kate Bishop, which hinted at the Young Avengers.
Update August 1, 2023: This article has been updated following recent developments in the MCU as well as the release of Secret Invasion.
Phase 5 of the MCU has gotten off to an interesting start. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania kicked things off but was seen as a disappointment by fans and critics. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was a major rebound, but Secret Invasion has left fans disappointed. Now Loki season 2, Echo, and The Marvels will close out the year and the first half of Phase 5. With that in mind, which heroes will be front and center for Phase 5 and define the era? These are some ideas of who could be major players in Phase 5 of the MCU.
Kate Bishop
Disney
The first name that comes to mind is Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop. Bishop was trained by Clint Barton himself when she debuted in the Disney Plus miniseries Hawkeye. Already being in battles with the likes of Echo, Kingpin, and Black Widow’s younger sister, Yelena Belova, it comes as no surprise that she will inevitably be in a more prominent place in the upcoming phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While currently there are no set plans, Kate Bishop is a major player in The Young Avengers and could show up across various projects to start recruiting young heroes.
Echo
A deaf martial artist who made her premiere in the latter half of Hawkeye, Echo is also on the short list of characters that supposedly will have a more urgent position as the MCU evolves. Maya Lopez will stop at nothing to get revenge on Kingpin, the man who orchestrated the murder of her father.
Echo will premiere on Disney+ on November 29, 2023. As opposed to other MCU Disney+ series, the entire six episodes will drop all at once. Echo was an interesting character to get her own spin-off series but given her connection to Daredevil and Kingpin, as well as wearing the Ronin armor in the comics, she might be an important character as a street-level hero for the franchise moving forward.
Daredevil
The much beloved Daredevil is also in this prestigious ranking. Previously the star of his own Netflix series, Murdock was later brought fully into the MCU with a cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home and a year later with an episode in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law. Daredevil appears to be an important player in Phase 5 as he will not only star in his own series, Daredevil: Born Again, but he will also appear in Echo. In addition, Charlie Cox will reprise his role and voice the character in the animated series Spider-Man: Freshman Year, which will be part of the MCU multiverse. Marvel is going all in on Daredevil.
Captain America
The Marvel Universe needs a Captain America, and even though Steve Rogers is gone, he has given the title to Sam Wilson. Sam Wilson already led the series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and will soon get his own feature film with Captain America: Brave New World. With no stable roster of Avengers, Sam Wilson might step into the role of leader and being recruiting various characters to become the New Avengers.
She-Hulk
Jennifer Walters, aka She-Hulk, broke out with her Disney+ series, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. While the series has not been renewed for a second season, the character could be a major player in the MCU moving forward. Captain America: Brave New World will also bring back many Hulk-supporting villains like General Ross and The Leader, so it would be the perfect chance for her to make the leap to the big screen. We also wouldn't be surprised if she showed up in Daredevil: Born Again. She-Hulk provides a great character to appear as a supporting player or cameo in other projects, as she provides a great source of levity to scenes or can be utilized for fun action scenes.
Thunderbolts
Phase 5 will culminate in a team-up film, but not of heroes. Instead, it will be the Thunderbolts, a group of anti-heroes that are recruited by the government. Similar to DC's Suicide Squad, Thunderbolts will feature plenty of past MCU favorites like Yelena Belova and Bucky Barnes. The team could be assembled following the political turmoil happening in the MCU, from fights of Wakandan Vibranium in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to the declaration of war on alien life in Secret Invasion. The Thunderbolts might be the team the world turns to, but one that is corrupted in nature and will stand in sharp contrast to The Avengers.
Deadpool
A wild card, for sure. Deadpool, as played by Ryan Reynolds, will be making the leap from the Fox X-Men Universe into the MCU. Deadpool 3 rumored plot involves the destruction of the Fox Marvel multiverse, as supported by bringing back Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Jennifer Garner as Elektra. Deadpool might end up breaking the multiverse, getting the Time Variance Authority (TVA) involved, and setting the stage for Kang the Conqueror.
Ms. Marvel
At first glance, 16-year-old Kamala Khan is like any teenager who idolizes a polarizing public figure. For Khan, Captain Marvel is that singular inspiration. She suddenly becomes just like her idol when she finds familial bangles, which give her superhuman-like abilities. Being the first Pakistani hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Khan ends up fighting not only djinns from another world but an agency that suppresses superhumans called Damage Control.
Given the fact that Ms. Marvel is the show in which the concept of mutants is introduced to the MCU, there is no second-guessing as to why she is going to have a more significant role going forward. Ms. Marvel will next be seen in The Marvels, making her one of the first characters to headline her own series before making the leap to the big screen. In many ways, Ms. Marvel is the heart and center of the MCU right now and could be the central character of the franchise.