Everything is changing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as the catastrophic events of Avengers: Endgame is still being felt. While Iron Man, played by Robert Downey Jr., led the way in the early days of the series (mainly due to his obscene riches), his selfless sacrifice in Endgame necessitates the appointment of a new captain. If RDJ’s decision to retire his armor wasn’t terrible enough, other superheroes like Chris Evans’ Captain America and Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow have also stood down, fueling speculation of a “New Avengers” roster. Who will lead the MCU Avengers next, from long-time favorites to newcomers? So, who will be the next leader of the Avengers in the MCU?
A list for the next leader of the Avengers
Ikaris
A seemingly little line in Chloé Zhao’s Eternals trailer inspired the notion of a new leader for the Avengers. Ikaris is played by Richard Madden. He has thrown his hat into the ring to succeed Tony Stark, and it’s not a terrible idea. He had previously held the position of Prime Eternal in the comics. That indicates that he has before commanded a band of eternal deities.
Ikaris’ Stark-Esque charm makes him a beefed-up Iron Man, with superhuman strength, flying, and the ability to fire cosmic energy from his thoughts. Let’s not forget that the Eternals are home to a slew of other possible Avengers. In addition to Angelina Jolie’s Thena appearing to be a senior member of the team, the film deviates from the source material in gender-bending ways. Salma Hayek’s Ajak is flipped and she becomes the leader of the Eternals in the MCU.
Sam Wilson
A new Captain America is taking flight, fresh off the triumph of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Fans had been expecting Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson to take up Captain America’s vibranium shield. But the series introduced a new version of the star-spangled hero. Evans’ Captain America may have been a founding member of the original Avengers. But he always seemed to exist in the shadows of Iron Man.
Wilson has the backing of more than just the Avengers, with the globe behind him and eager to accept a new Captain America who isn’t John Walker. Captain America 4 has already been announced. Fans are excited to see what’s next for the hero who’s been – ready for this? — waiting in the wings.
Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel, starring Brie Larson, is the most probable contender to stand up to the plate. Carol Danvers may have embraced the Eternals’ motto of “leaving them to it”. But it hasn’t stopped her from establishing herself as a possible MCU leader. Carol, as one of the most formidable Avengers, has previously proven that she could have easily defeated Thanos on her own.
Those in charge have pledged a female-first focus in Phase 4 and beyond, and Captain Marvel, apart from leading the rumored all-female Avengers film, is a good choice to bring the Avengers’ males into line as well. Carol may have vanished after Endgame. But with her reunion with Monica Rambeau planned in WandaVision and The Marvels, this is one spandex-clad superhero who isn’t going anywhere.
Spider-Man
Although it may appear as unlikely as Star-Lord defeating Thor in arm wrestling. But there are several reasons why Peter Parker should head the New Avengers. For starters, recall that Tony Stark chose the brainbox vigilante as his successor. When the world needed rescue from the Elementals, who did Nick Fury turn to?
Although Spider-Guy was not Fury’s first pick, he proved to be the right man for the task. If it hadn’t been for Mysterio sewing Parker up for his death and revealing his identity to the world after Spider-Man: Far From Home, Web-Head would have been in the driver’s seat.
When it comes to Spider-Man, all bets are off, and with each of his solo films introducing a more mature version of Spider-Man. We think he’d make a worthy leader of the Avengers. Even if the wall-crawler isn’t the leader (yet), he should work closely with whoever is in charge.
Doctor Strange
Peter Parker’s favorite wizard also has an outstanding resume for leading the Avengers after they dissolved. Doctor Strange, who began as an arrogant Tony Stark wannabe, gradually abandoned his boozy ways and embraced the mentorship of the Ancient One. The Master of the Mystic Skills may lack the sheer might of Captain Marvel. But he makes up for it with his intelligence and dark arts.
Strange is also responsible for the complicated plot to dethrone Thanos. Thus the rest of the Avengers owe him a debt of gratitude. But another white man in his forties as the boss? Guys, the year is 2021. We have great expectations for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness since Kevin Feige has stated that Benedict Cumberbatch’s absence from WandaVision was for the best. Even if Strange does not lead the Avengers, he’s a strong contender to lead the nefarious Illuminati.
Professor Hulk
In Avengers: Endgame, Mark Ruffalo’s Professor Hulk became more than simply a nasty, green fighting machine. The movie finally portrayed a coherent version of the long-standing Avenger who wasn’t going to cut everyone’s head off without notice, combining the finest elements of the Emerald Giant and Bruce Banner. Hulk is one of only three original Avengers still likely to remain on the team, along with Hawkeye and Thor.
When we last saw Hulk, he was battered and bruised. But if he could get his mind off his troubles, he’d be a fantastic mentor to the team’s younger members. Due to complicated licensing difficulties, we still don’t know where the Hulk standalone project stands. So for the time being, he’ll be trapped in ensembles like the next Avengers 5. It’s about time Hulk got to show off his strength and his brainpower as the leader of the Avengers.