After Endgame: 7 characters we could see in the next MCU phase

Avengers: Endgame is over, but that won’t stop us from formulating theories on who be might see in the future MCU phases.

Warning: There are some moderate spoilers for Avengers: Endgame ahead.

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Avengers: Endgame wrapped up the extended arc on Thanos’ obsession with shiny rocks. We know they have an official name or whatever, but we’re still bitter that the mechanical Titan started all this in the first place, especially since he never had to dust half of all life in the universe. (The gauntlet has nearly endless features.)

Regardless of how you’re feeling, Endgame is over and Phase 3 is almost over as well, seeing as Spider-Man: Far From Home will be the last of Phase 3. Now, we have to look toward the future of the MCU, and we have a vague idea of which characters we might see in Phase 4.

Thanks to confirmations about MCU films and the upcoming Disney+ streaming service, we already have an idea of which heroes we’ll see in the next phase. Most of the original Avengers will reprise their roles. At the minimum, certain notable superheroes will reprise their monikers… just under the guise of different characters. Of course, Shang-Chi, Eternals, and Black Widow will join the movie slate for Phase 4.

Considering Black Widow is currently dead in the current 2023 timeline, Phase 4 might not feature a linear storyline. (RIP Natasha, you deserved better, but we never deserved you.) That just means, we can expect a varying degree of fan theories and dream character wish lists.

Some theories suggest we might see some villains who we definitely weren’t even considering. Granted, that’s the fun part of fan theories: We have nothing to lose except for our time and dignity. So, even if our own theory or character wish lists for Phase 4 are wrong, we don’t lose much. (We wish we could say the same for the outcome of Endgame because we sure lost a lot.)

So what’s next for the MCU? And which characters are our prime candidates for the next MCU phase?

1. Time Guardians

Uh, there were some questionable things going on with time. Because of all the time hops and extended stays in different eras, some new realities arose in the aftermath of Endgame. On its own, the alternate realities all but confirm the multiverse in the MCU, which is a Juggernaut-sized deal when it comes to new characters, new versions of characters, and time itself.

More importantly, time doesn’t like being messed with, and there are pseudo-guardians that oversee time. Sure, Time Guardians and Time-Keepers alike are selfish because they look after the timeline to assure their continued existence. But depending on how and if the MCU introduces them, they could easily be the next overarching villain.

2. Death

Death was conveniently absent from both Infinity War and Endgame. Well, there was plenty of death, dying, and dusting. We’re referring to the omission of Lady Death (sometimes known as Mistress Death).

Thanos’ comic counterpart had a much different motive for his weird Infinity Gauntlet quest, and somehow it was more understandable than snapping away half the population to allegedly stop famine. After all, that’s not how solving intergalactic resource issues works, and that doesn’t even touch on the obvious WTFery of his universe-wide genocide.

Instead, Lady Death convinced Thanos to kill half the universe. He was in love. She wanted more souls to torment. It was a match made in Hel. Not going to lie, we have to admire Death’s hustle for getting good ol’ grimace to do her dirty work for her.

We could imagine Lady Death might take issue with her lost souls in the MCU now that the snap was reversed. Heck, she might even resurrect a villain or two to enlist in her dirty work to re-consume those that died in Infinity War.

3. Celestials

The Eternals film will feature a species of aliens that predate even the Asgardians. Now that time doesn’t matter too much in MCU for a lot of reasons, we could see the MCU push back the clock to give us a Celestial origin story. Granted, we’d even settle for more Celestial cameos, with a focus on their villainous side proceeding forward in the timeline.

The MCU has already introduced a formidable Celestial already (Ego), and we’re ready to see them in full display. Following the Fox acquisition, the Celestials would also give rise to the X-Men (even if that is much farther in the future).

After all, the Celestials did create almost everything in the universe… besides time itself and an assortment of creatures. Still, they created the Eternals, Deviants, mutants, and a host of other lifeforms. Introducing the Celestials would just fortify the unfolding MCU mythos.

4. Kamala Khan

Everything Captain Marvel and Carol-adjacent is just now starting to unravel on the big screen. Given our vastly conflicting theories and subsequent wish lists for the recent changes on Kree and Skrulls, we’re focusing solely on Kamala’s future in Captain Marvel mythos and in the MCU.

Ms. Marvel, i.e. Kamala Khan deserves her own trilogy, teams, and an ample amount of screen time. Seeing as she’s a nerdy, kindhearted hero who looks up to Carol and a bunch of other heroes, we can’t imagine a Phase 4 without Kamala.

Seriously, it’s been long enough already, Marvel. Plus, it’s 2023 now in the MCU. So, the wait has technically been even longer in Marvel years.

5. Adam Warlock

Before the whole directorial fiasco in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, the credits of GoTG 2 heavily foreshadowed Adam Warlock. Plus, the credits even name dropped him on a familiar level. Unless the MCU decides to redo Thanos’ reign with his colorful stones (Feige if you’re reading this: please don’t), Adam won’t have a role in the Infinity Gauntlet shenanigans.

We thankfully won’t see Adam contribute to another Infinity event in the MCU, but there are a lot of opportunities for his character. Especially since he hasn’t even been properly introduced yet.

6. Nova

Avengers: Endgame took place on four separate planets. Space is the next frontier for the MCU. While more heroes are stationed on Earth, we’re ready to see more of the universe, and the Nova Corp. is the perfect way to guide us through the divergent solar systems.

Since Kevin Feige mentioned that a Nova movie is in development, we could see a certain Nova and the iconic star-shaped ships soon take flight in the MCU.

7. Monica Rambeau

We’re horrible at math, and our lack of mathematic instructions over the last five years or so isn’t helping. But based on our horrible math skills, Monica Rambeau would be in her mid-twenties by now (give or take a few years), which means her superhero backstory is just kicking up.

The MCU changed Monica Rambeau origin story by omitting her role in Captain Marvel lore (seeing as she was the first woman to helm the moniker and suit in the comics). Now that Monica is an adult, she deserves her own trilogy. Like any Captain Marvel, Monica has a powerful origin tale and an even longer road to her superhero identity.

Because Marvel Comics has a somewhat problematic history of swapping out Monica’s titles in favor of other characters, the MCU could do her character right but giving her a definitive alias. Sure, she would probably go on a personal journey that would also pay homage to all her heroic titles like any hero, but we’d love to see her create a name for herself without having to give it up every other arc. (BTW Marvel, we’re biased to Photon or Captain Marvel, for obvious reasons).

It goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway: We just want the MCU to expand, expand, and expand. There are hundreds of important and interesting Marvel characters who have yet to make it on-screen in any form.

The future of the MCU could act as an extension of the Marvel Comics division to supplements comic arcs. It’s time that the cinematic universe takes advantage of its growing fanbase by introducing a lot of new faces. After all, no list can summarize the number of characters that should debut in the MCU.

Who do you want to see in Phase 4 of the MCU? Let us know who your picks are in the comments!