Marvel Phase 4 has brought out some of the most glorious heroes. If MCU were to possibly form a new Avengers team, it is likely to see some of these heroes join the lineup. But who among the mightiest would make it?
Marvel is long due for Avengers’ fifth instalment. And if the production wanted, they could effortlessly create a bold lineup of heroes from Phase 4. But who exactly would make the cut? We still have no information on whether MCU is planning to make a team, or if Avengers 5 is officially in the queue for production. However, Kevin Feige, head of Marvel Studios has mentioned earlier that brainstorming the next tale of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes has “already started.”
From what Kevin Feige has revealed so far, the movie will not be happening right now. This means that whoever joins the next Avengers team could be a part of the upcoming Phase 5. Since MCU Phase 4 already has its major lineup of heroes and scheduled upcoming movies, it is likely that Phase 5 would heavily be based on the established Phase 4 characters.
It would only make sense for the franchise to take in the remaining Avengers from the Infinity Saga and a few newer faces from Phase 4 to fit in perfectly to the next narrative. Which only means that Avengers 5 has a wide range of options to choose from, making this instalment the most anticipated one. Marvel Cinematic Universe is expanding its scale continuously with a long list of movies being made every year and other Marvel shows streaming online. This only broadens the variety of available heroes, currently including Shang-Chi, U.S. Agent, Red Guardian, Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, among many others.
The current ensemble of heroes might not be as powerful as the original Avengers, but the MCU still has a few dynamic characters who are strong enough to defeat Thanos by themselves. With that said, if Marvel assembled a team using the big guns who have already made their mark in the universe, it would definitely exceed fan expectations and beat the intensity carried by the original Avengers. While the comic arc of Avengers has sometimes been built off of only the best heroes, MCU might not choose to carry on with the same poise. However, if Marvel movies do follow the comics, the new Avengers lineup would probably consist of the following heroes.
Scarlet Witch
Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff is undoubtedly the first name on the list of Marvel’s strongest heroes. With her current standing in the MCU, and after her role in Avengers: Endgame, she clearly established that she can single-handedly stand against Mad Titan Thanos. While it still seems unnecessary, her Disney+ special WandaVision helped her channel her power to its full capacity. The season finale featured the expanse of her Chaos Magic abilities, which only unlatched her colossal strength as the Secret Witch. This upgrade also tallied her role with the original comic book arc. In the comics, Scarlet Witch is someone who can warp reality to suit herself, which makes her incredibly powerful. WandaVision parallels the characters original powers in the finale, making her equally terrifying. While the Scarlet Witch has not made another appearance since it is safe to say that she will be seen having gained complete control of her Chaos Magic by the time the Doctor Strange sequel happens. This would bring her closer to likely becoming one of the strongest Avengers remaining.
Captain Marvel
Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) was supposedly Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most powerful character so far. Scarlet Witch had yet not made her mark with VandaVision. While it looks like currently, Captain Marvel lacks the lustre to wear the power badge, there is no denying that no other hero can match the magnitude of her energy. We saw Captain Marvel fighting Thanos in Avengers: Endgame when she compelled the villain to use the Power Stone against her. If she makes it to the Avengers 5 lineup, we are sure to see her fiery courage and unmatchable power in the spectacle. Carol possesses Binary abilities, which makes her capable of taking on yet another Thanos-level threat in the form of a herculean villain.
Thor
Chris Hemsworth’s Thor is another hero from the original Avengers lineup who was seen fighting Thanos. While the scope of his power against the Mad Titan did not match that of Captain Marvel or Scarlet Witch, the God of Thunder is known for his resilience. Now newly armed with Stormbreaker, Thor is MCU’s most loved and most powerful extraterrestrial hero. After having lost Mjolnir, Thor did face some stumbles along his way. But with Thor: Ragnarok, the hero managed to gain control of his thunder and lighting powers, and he did so fashionably. Now all that is left to see for the hero to save his place in Avengers new team-up is his journey in Love and Thunder, and how he fares against the movie’s villain Gorr the God Butcher.
Doctor Strange
It might appear that Doctor Strange’s powers are less than that of the Scarlet Witch, but the sorcerer’s proficiency in the art is a class of its own, unparalleled by the strongest of MCU heroes. Strange is capable of casting some of the most baffling spells. Leaving the enemies confused and defenceless. He would make a great addition to Avengers 5. The last four movies have shown Doctor Strange to have his fair share of setbacks, but after five years in the Blip (also indirectly foreseen by him), it is safe to say that were he to join the lineup, we would see him having mastered his magical abilities. This can be confirmed with news about the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel which shows the sorcerer “at the height of his powers,” as said by the movie’s writer Michael Waldron, which could somehow be connected to the Eye of Agamotto.
Gilgamesh
MCU’s next installment Eternals is set to introduce new godly characters to the MCU. With their other worldly powers, the Eternals already surpass the current MCU heroes in numbers. And when it comes to strength, there is one name that stands tall against Marvel’s superheroes. Don Lee’s Gilgamesh is believed to be fierce enough to match The Mighty Thor and other characters like She-Hulk and Smart Hulk. This would be possible if Eternals would parallel the original comics arc where Gilgamesh has not one, but multiple powers. Gilgamesh is capable of channelling cosmic energy and using it to do cool stuff like shooting lasers from his eyes and hands. So far the Eternals’ trailers have teased Richard Madden’s Ikaris with his Superman-esque abilities making him the center of attention in the movie. However, Ikaris is still no match to Gilgamesh. While the movie may choose to neglect his amazing telekinetic powers and his ability to manipulate matter like the comics show, we know from the trailers that the hero will be seen harnessing his massive domineer and cosmic powers.
Namor The Sub-Mariner
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will introduce Namor the Sub-Mariner, who will apparently be more of a mischief maker than Eric Killmonger. Wakanda is set to face some serious disorder as the Avenging Son is known to be a buoyant and strong warrior. The comics say that he can withstand battles with some of the most dynamic characters including the Incredible Hulk, Hercules, and The Thing. In fact, as the name suggests, Namor has an advantage when fighting submerged as he draws his strength from the water body. Tenoch Huerta’s Namor will be seen in the Black Panther sequel and it is believed that no current MCU hero could win against the Savage Sub-Mariner if fought physically. He is a bestial fighter and has mastered ferocious combat skills, and is likely to cause problems for people in Wakanda. However, if the narrative allows Namor to make amends, he could be a great contender for the Avengers 5 lineup. Namor’s character in the comics is refashioned from bad cop to good cop, which means his journey in MCU could follow a similar lead.
