Avengers 4 will mark the end of an era for the MCU, meaning it could be the end for some of the original characters. But these familiar faces might be the next ones to take the lead going forward.
Whether we like it or not, things will be changing in the MCU after Avengers 4, as the movie will end a 20-plus movie arc, according to Kevin Feige. And we’ve already seen bits and pieces of that new dawn come together with the newer Avengers introduced into the movie franchise.
With Ant-Man, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and Captain Marvel all the newer heroes to get their own solo movies, it’s safe to say that these heroes will be the new face of the Avengers down the line. That means we may have to say goodbye to our original heroes — Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hulk, and Hawkeye. But it also means other side characters can get more attention now that the path has been cleared for them.
Without getting too emotional about the heroes we might lose, here are a few familiar faces we’ve seen before who may really get a chance to shine after Avengers 4.
Shuri and Okoye
In 2018 alone, Shuri and Okoye made their movie debut in Black Panther and appeared in Avengers: Infinity War. As long as T’Challa is around, these two likely won’t be far behind. Shuri is the brains behind everything, and the Avengers could use a bright mind like her if, say, science buddy Bruce Banner were no longer able to help out. Okoye is sworn to protect the king either way, so we know she’ll always have Black Panther’s back whenever there’s a fight.
Wong
We’ll have to forgive Wong for throwing up the peace sign in Infinity War and tapping out of the fight, but Doctor Strange and the Avengers will always need an extra hand when there’s a fight. From what we’ve seen in Doctor Strange and Infinity War, Wong isn’t just a librarian. He’s an equally powerful sorcerer who knows what he’s doing. Next time there’s a fight, we’re assuming Wong won’t be as eager to slip away like he did last time, because they’ll really need his help now that there’ll be a few Avengers vacancies.
Falcon and Bucky
One of these guys just might be the next Captain America. Or, at the least, they’ll have to avenge Captain America if he were to, say, die in Avengers 4. Both Bucky and Falcon have been great companions to Cap, but it seems like they never got the due screen time they deserved to become well-rounded characters in the MCU. So while it may be sad that Captain America could no longer be a part of the Avengers, this will at least give the two characters more time to become leaders of their own, and flesh out any details that weren’t fully developed over the last few movies.
The Wasp
In Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scott Lang asked if Hope Van Dyne would have joined him in the Civil War fight, if only he had told her. She might not have gotten her chance to fight back then, but she certainly will in the future. The Wasp might just appear in Avengers 4, and that will set the tone for how well she can team up with the others in the next set of group movies. Honestly, even if Scott Lang hadn’t become Ant-Man, she’d be perfectly fine joining the Avengers as the Wasp on her own.
Pepper Potts/Rescue
This one may or may not be what the actual future for Marvel holds, but it’s still a possibility. With rumors that Pepper Potts will appear as the hero Rescue in Avengers 4, we can’t discount that Rescue could appear again in other Marvel movies. With such a cool and unique looking suit, it’d be a shame if we only got to see it in one movie. But then again, the MCU version of Pepper Potts doesn’t seem to keen on being a superhero like Tony. She prefers to keep things within Stark Industries, and that’s about it.
Valkyrie
Speaking of being a shame if they only appeared in one movie, Valkyrie is definitely a Marvel character who really could and should return to the MCU in future movies. It’s also rumored that Valkyrie will appear in Avengers 4, as one of the Russo brothers confirmed she survived the snap. But the Avengers could use someone like her on their team permanently. Thor even expressed how much he looked up to the Valykerie in Ragnarok, and we saw just how powerful and bad to the bone she was when it came to the final fight. Unless there’s one more Thor movie in the works, Valkyrie should officially become an Avenger.
MJ and Ned
Spider-Man’s BFFs MJ and Ned don’t necessarily have any powers that could automatically put them into the Avengers, but they can still be a big help for Peter and the team. Hopefully, in Spider-Man: Far From Home, MJ will be more than just a damsel in distress — because we know she has the potential to be a hero in her own way. Ned, who made a brief appearance in Infinity War, has so much potential as well as the guy behind the computer. Of course, the Avengers could use someone who’s a little geeky and into tech because that’s how Iron Man got his start. So we can’t completely cut Ned or MJ out of the picture just yet.
Who are some other characters you’re looking forward to seeing step up after Avengers 4? We haven’t even scratched the surface of Marvel TV characters, the Eternals, or the X-Men who could make their way into the MCU. So the possibilities are really endless.