The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has quickly expanded since 2019's "Avengers: Endgame," where audiences were left with--SPOILER ALERT--the death of Natasha Romanoff's Black Widow and Tony Stark's Iron Man, as well as the retirement of Steve Rogers as Captain America. The MCU post-Endgame has quickly begun introducing new and interesting characters, which means it is also time for a brand new Avengers team. Who will make the cut?
1. Captain America (Sam Wilson)
Sam Wilson is the new Captain America, having been handpicked by Steve Rogers himself. Rogers led the Avengers as Captain America, so I feel it is only right for the current Captain America to also lead the team. Wilson has proven to be great in battles, great with people and he has a good heart, so I know he can lead the Avengers to greatness.
2. Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)
Carol Danvers has proven several times how incredibly strong and powerful she is. She led the de facto team, The Marvels, wonderfully in "The Marvels," which I think makes her a great candidate to co-lead the next Avengers team alongside Sam Wilson. Plus, now that she is on Earth full time, having moved into what was previously the home of her best friend, Maria Rambeau, she can help more on the team, even taking on a leadership role.
3. Spider Man (Peter Parker)
Everyone loves Peter Parker's Spider Man, and he is already a member of the Avengers from the previous films. Plus, he's a pretty strong fighter, which would make him a great continuing member. And what else is he going to do now that his previous girlfriend, MJ, and best friend, Ned, have forgotten him?
4. Yelena Belova
Yelena Belova never got to say goodbye to her sister, Natasha, who was also a member of the Avengers, after she tragically died in "Avengers: Endgame." Belova, like many of my previous choices, has proven how capable she is at fighting, and her humor would also be a great addition to the team. Plus, most importantly, I feel like it would be great to see her carry on the legacy of Black Widow.
5. Billy Maximoff
At the end of "Agatha All Along," which introduced the mysterious character of Billy Maximoff, formerly Billy Kaplan, Maximoff proved how powerful he truly is as the spiritual son of The Scarlet Witch, a.k.a. Wanda Maximoff. I feel like we need a Wanda-equivalent level of magic on the team, and I feel like Billy would be a great choice.
Fans of the Marvel comics may be aware that Billy was a member of the Young Avengers, taking on the codename Wiccan, and the Young Avengers team was hinted at at the end of "The Marvels." However, I feel like he could be jumped right up to the big team, considering how powerful and interesting of a character he already is.
6. She-Hulk (Jennifer Walters)
The Avengers could use some super-strength, and Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner has already been everywhere in the MCU. So, for sake of some change, I think it would be great to see Jennifer Walters take the stage. She was absolutely charming in her introductory show, "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law," and I feel she should get another shot at being a Hulk for the Avengers. And her fourth-wall-breaking is a fun addition for some comedy during a massive battle.
7. Shang Chi
Shang Chi is an expert fighter, and his fighting was so much fun to watch in his solo movie. I think we were automatically introduced to a fascinating new character in that movie, and the Ten Rings were an extremely interesting tool that immediately were able to stand in the likes of Captain America's shield and Thor's hammer.
8. Black Panther (Shuri)
I feel like we need the beautiful kingdom of Wakanda to represent on the Avengers, and what better way of doing that than having the current Black Panther on the team. Shuri was great as the new Black Panther in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," and I think she deserves at least one run as Black Panther for the Avengers. Plus, after the tragic death of T'Challa, it feels only right for her to carry on his legacy.
9. Thor
Thor is a god. Period. He is extremely strong and powerful, and has already proven how capable he is at fighting for the Avengers. He was one of the original members of the 2012 film, and I think we need at least one original member from that team to tie into this new team. And sure, he is not as popular as Spider Man, but I think people generally love seeing Chris Hemsworth bring the character to life, so we should bring him back!
10. Ironheart (Riri Williams)
Finally, rounding out the team, Riri Williams. She was first introduced in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," and immediately demonstrated her spunk. She is also easily up there along the likes of Tony Stark in smarts, having built her own "Iron Man" suit. I think she would also be a great way of tying back and honoring the legacy of Stark in a new, modern way.
The next Avengers film is titled, "Avengers: Doomsday," with Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU to play the next big villain, Doctor Doom. It releases in theaters on May 1, 2026, but hopefully we get sprinklings before then of who will be going against Doom on the Avengers.
