A lot has changed in the MCU since the events of Avengers: Endgame, including the fact that there isn’t actually an Avengers team anymore. New heroes have been rising up to fill the void left by Iron Man and Captain America, but it’s going to be a while before we get a proper Avengers movie again.

Only at the end of Phase 6 in 2025, when Marvel delivers the one-two-punch of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, will we see Earth’s Mightiest Heroes reunited. Who will answer the call? Here’s the cast of characters you can (probably) expect to assemble in Phase 6.

Wong

In the absence of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, it’s fallen on Benedict Wong’s character Wong to become the glue that holds the MCU together in Phase 4. Wong has appeared in many Phase 4 projects so far, from Spider-Man: No Way Home to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to, of course, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

It makes sense that we’ve entered Phase Wong of the MCU, since he’s inherited the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme from Doctor Strange. It’s his job to proactively defend the world from these new, emerging threats. And when the time comes for the Avengers to assemble once again, you can bet Wong will be right there bringing everyone together again.

Shang-Chi

Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi is practically guaranteed to join the Avengers in Phase 6. For one thing, we already saw him summoned by Wong at the end of 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. For another, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is also directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. We doubt that’s just a coincidence.

Shang-Chi is certainly an asset to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, now that he controls the mystical Ten Rings. The mid-credits scene in The Legend of the Ten Rings hints at a deeper mystery surrounding these artifacts, one that could very well come into play in The Kang Dynasty.

Doctor Strange

Wong may be Sorcerer Supreme now, but that doesn’t mean Stephen Strange won’t continue to play an important role in whatever version of the Avengers exists in Phase 6. He’s a superhero veteran now, and the Avengers need his expertise in both magic and the multiverse.

It’s worth remembering that Doctor Strange is currently in another universe, helping Charlize Theron’s Clea deal with the Incursion problem. It’s unclear if we’re going to get another Doctor Strange sequel before The Kang Dynasty but, either way, that tease in Multiverse of Madness is sure to pay off when the Avengers assemble to battle Kang.

Captain America

Is any Avengers roster really complete without a Captain America? Fortunately, even though Steve Rogers retired to finally have his dance with Peggy Carter in the past, Sam Wilson has now taken up the shield as the new Cap. 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier showed Sam reluctantly accepting that burden, and 2024’s Captain America: New World Order will chronicle the next step in his superhero evolution.

Can Sam be the inspirational team leader and figurehead Steve was? That’s a question we suspect The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars will answer. We may even see Sam try to reform the Avengers in New World Order. But given that Marvel’s very next movie after Cap 4 is Thunderbolts, it seems the MCU won’t entirely be ready for an Avengers reunion.

War Machine

After playing a supporting role in the Iron Man and Avengers movies, Don Cheadle’s War Machine looks to be coming into his own as a solo hero in Phase 5. Cheadle will star in the Armor Wars series, a show that will likely deal with Rhodey trying to prevent Tony Stark’s tech from falling into the wrong hands.

From there, it seems only natural that War Machine will be one of the characters to fill that Iron Man-shaped hole in the Avengers. He’s an experienced soldier who brings a lot of firepower to the table. He may not be the brilliant inventor Tony was, but that’s where our next Avenger comes in.

Ironheart

If any character is poised to become the MCU’s new Iron Man in the Multiverse Saga, it’s probably Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams. Riri is set to make her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where it looks like she’ll be lending her considerable brainpower to Shuri and the Wakandans. From there, she’ll spin out into her own series in 2023’s Ironheart, where we’ll see Riri forge her own armor and costumed identity.

By the time Avengers: The Kang Dynasty rolls around in 2025, Ironheart should be a fully established hero ready to take her palace among Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. And with a villain like Kang, they’re going to need her brainpower even more than her fancy gadgets.

Spider-Man

Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is still arguably the flagship hero of the MCU, even if Peter consciously chose to leave celebrity behind and go back to being a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. We can’t imagine Spidey won’t play a key role in both The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars… unless Marvel Studios and Sony wind up having another falling-out.

There is one complication in the fact that the entire world was made to forget Spider-Man’s secret identity. The Avengers may still remember fighting alongside Spider-Man, but they don’t know who he is or how to contact him anymore.

Or do they? Some fans have pointed out that the last thing Wong says to Doctor Strange before the botched identity spell is cast in No Way Home is “Leave me out of it.” Is it possible that Strange subconsciously obeyed Wong’s order, and Wong is the one person in the world who still knows Spider-Man’s secret? That would be one way of bringing the wallcrawler back into the fold in The Kang Dynasty.

She-Hulk

Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk has been a fixture in the Avengers movies from the beginning. But while we expect Hulk will have some part to play in the new version of the team, Ruffalo’s post-Endgame appearances suggest Hulk is taking more of a supporting role going forward. Instead, Hulk’s cousin, Tatiana Maslany’s She-Hulk, is shaping up to be the new resident powerhouse on the Avengers.

The new She-Hulk trailer released during Comic-Con certainly backs up that theory. We see Bruce coaching Jen on using her new powers, and it quickly becomes apparent that She-Hulk is stronger and more capable than Hulk ever was. The Avengers can surely use that strength against an enemy like Kang.

The Marvels

The world may not have Avengers at the moment, but Captain Marvel is about to assemble a team of her own. 2023’s The Marvels will focus not just on Carol Danvers, but also Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan. We can only assume that some or all of this trio will be joining the Avengers in Phase 6.

As the one character strong enough to take on an Infinity Gauntlet-powered Thanos by herself, Captain Marvel is an undeniable asset to the Avengers. And whatever codename Monica eventually adopts in the MCU, she clearly has a lot to offer the team, as well. But we’re most excited at the prospect of Ms. Marvel joining the team. What happens when the world’s biggest superhero geek becomes an Avenger herself?

Kate Bishop

Hulks and wizards are great, but what the Avengers really need is someone who knows how to shoot a bow and arrow. Unfortunately for the team, Clint Barton seems ready to finally embrace retirement. Clint probably won’t be joining the new Avengers in Phase 6, but he’s not the only Hawkeye any longer.

Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop is another likely candidate for the next Avengers squad. She’s proven herself as Clint’s successor, and Marvel hasn’t given us any sign that they’re introducing the Young Avengers before the end of Phase 6.

Thor

With most of the original Avengers either dead or moving into the background in Phase 4, Thor may be the last hero carrying the torch for that era of the team. That’s reason enough to make him a member of the new team. Fortunately, Thor: Love and Thunder’s ending leaves Thor in a perfect position to pick up his hammers and fly to Earth’s defense. Maybe he’ll even bring his adopted daughter Love along for the ride.

We may see a whole lot of Thors in Avengers Secret Wars. In the 2015 Secret Wars comic, God Emperor Doom assembles a team called the Thor Corps, all of whom serve as Doom’s peacekeepers and personal police force. Chris Hemsworth may be one Thor among many.

The Ant-Man Family

Given that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be the first MCU movie to feature Jonathan Majors’ Kang, we have to assume these characters have an important part to play in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. The Quantum Realm is sure to remain a major plot point during the Multiverse Saga. It’s how the Avengers managed to reverse Thanos’ destruction, and it’s probably how Kang will bring a new level of destruction to the universe. Ant-Man got the chance to join the Avengers already, and now it’s time Wasp and Stature get to do the same.

Black Panther?

It’s debatable whether Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther ever technically qualified as an Avenger during the Infinity Saga. Still, he lent vital aid to Captain America’s team after the events of Captain America: Civil War, and Wakanda was the site of a major battleground in Avengers: Infinity War. Wakanda has the technology and resources the Avengers need to stand a fighting chance against all-powerful villains like Thanos and Kang.

Given that, we can see Black Panther continuing to play a part in the team going forward. The question is more which character will be wearing the suit. Will Shuri be the MCU’s new Black Panther after the events of Wakanda Forever? M’Baku? Okoye? That’s one of the bigger MCU mysteries at the moment, but hopefully we don’t have much longer to wait for an answer.

For more on the future of the MCU, learn why Phase 6 could be Marvel's biggest yet, and six ways Marvel could use Doctor Doom outside of the Fantastic Four movie.

Peter Moore is known for wearing many hats around the games (and sports) industry. One stop in his career was at Microsoft where he helped oversee Xbox during the 360-era. In a new interview, Moore spoke about his time at Xbox and how they encouraged the console wars, but not for reasons you’d expect.

Moore recently made an appearance on one of Front Office Sports’ podcast to discuss his time as Liverpool FC CEO, in the process touching on his time at Xbox. While the games industry has shifted towards a more unified tone, during Moore’s tenure the console wars were arguably an even bigger part of the games industry — something Moore says was encouraged at Xbox.

“We encouraged the console wars, not to create division, but to challenge each other,” Moore says. “And when I say each other I mean Microsoft and Sony. If Microsoft hadn’t of stuck the course after the Xbox, after the Red Rings of Death, gaming would be a poorer place for it, you wouldn’t have the competition you have today.”

Moore joined Xbox in 2003 after serving as president and COO of Sega America. Moore is best remembered for helping launch the Xbox 360 and Dreamcast as well as his penchant for announcing high-profile games with fake tattoos. Xbox’s early dominance in the 360-era was driven by games like Halo as well as the launch of Xbox Live.

But Moore also talked about the lows such as the Red Ring of Death controversy. “If we didn’t resolve Red Rings of Death the way that we did I know darn well there’d be no Xbox today.”

Nowadays, the console wars are a bit more downplayed, especially given the current landscape of cross-platform and cross-play titles. Even when Xbox and Sony acquire developers like Activision and Bungie, there are still talks of keeping their biggest games multiplatform, at least for now.

Moore would later join EA to lead its sports division before becoming the CEO of Liverpool Football Club. He has since returned to the tech space and is currently a vice president and GM at Unity.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Super Mario Sunshine recently celebrated its 20th anniversary and made news at this year's SGDQ. A speedrun rarity occurred, causing speedrunner SB-runs to reset their playthrough 46 minutes into the run. Super Mario Sunshine isn't the only Mario game favored in the speedrunning community, and it's not surprising. The franchise features and showcases its excellent level design, allowing players to get creative when tackling them.

Welcome back for another edition of Let's Talk About. Today's topic is Mario. What's your favorite Mario game? Are you a fan of Super Mario Sunshine? Which Mario character is your favorite? What level from the franchise do you consider to be the best or most memorable? Are you interested or excited about the upcoming Mario movie? What would you like to see Mario do next? Let us know in the comments.

Jada Griffin is IGN's Community Lead. If she's not engaging with users here, chances are she's developing her own games, maxing the Luck stat in her favorite games, or challenging her D&D players with Intense combat or masterful puzzles. You can follow her on Twitter @Jada_Rina.

The second annual Annapurna Interactive Showcase has just wrapped up, during which we got a look at a ton of new projects in development, updates, and a handful of upcoming releases from the publisher of Stray, Neon White, Sayonara Wild Hearts, and tons more.

In case you missed the show or want to remind yourself of that cool game you didn’t catch the name of, here’s everything we just saw at the showcase:

Thirsty Suitors

From Outerloop Games (Falcon Age), we got a new, deeper look at Thirsty Suitors, an upcoming RPG that mixes elements of dating sims, turn-based battles, and skateboarding mechanics. Play as Jala, a young woman who returns home for her sister’s wedding and is forced to confront and reconcile with her multiple exes, all while managing her family’s expectations and repairing relationships with friends and relatives. Though we didn’t get a release date this time around, we saw quite a bit of gameplay, and there’s a free demo out on Steam now. Thirsty Suitors will release for PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Game Pass.

Hindsight

From the creator of the elegant tree cultivation puzzler Prune, Hindsight got a brand new trailer today with a release date for the first time. Hindsight is a story-focused game going through a woman’s life, from birth to present day, where physical objects can become literal windows into the past. It’s out on August 4 for iOS, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.

A New Project from the Creators of Kentucky Route Zero

Cardboard Computer made an appearance at the showcase to reveal that following their near-decade-long work on Kentucky Route Zero, the studio is now working on a brand new project. Though we didn’t see a trailer, we did get a look at the team working on modeling a dog. And the team gave a handful of descriptions of the project, including that it’s the first project where Cardboard Computer is “really focusing on performance as a core part of the piece,” and that it has a “different tempo” from Kentucky Route Zero – it’s “faster” and “hopefully funnier.”

It might be a while before we get a proper look at whatever this new project is, but if it’s anything remotely like the beautiful, episodic Kentucky Route Zero, it’s sure to be worth watching.

Bounty Star: The Morose Tale of Graveyard Clem

Dinogod Studio revealed the game that it’s been working on at last, called Bounty Star: The Morose Tale of Graveyard Clem. It appears to be an Old West-styled shooter where the main character is a woman who pilots a cool mech, almost Titanfall-esque, and it’s all set to music by Brother Edge. Bounty Star will be out sometime next year for PlayStation, PC via Steam, and Xbox Game Pass.

Yarn Owl – Development Update

Texas and Georgia-based studio Yarn Owl popped in for a segment to talk about the studio’s founding, and its drawing inspiration from A Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past. We didn’t get a look at gameplay or any clear details about what the studio’s project is, but we did see some models of cute characters jumping around a world with an adventure, almost Wind Waker-like vibe.

Outer Wilds

Last year at the Annapurna showcase, Mobius Digital announced (among other things) that Outer Wilds was coming to the Nintendo Switch. That hasn’t happened yet, and Mobius appeared again this year to reassure us that yes, the Switch version is still in the works, though the studio doesn’t have a firm date yet. However, there’s another update with a more concrete release on it: Outer Wilds is getting a 60fps update for Xbox Series X and S and PS5. The update is free, and it lands on September 15.

The Pathless, Maquette, and Solar Ash

A montage including The Pathless, Maquette, and Solar Ash played that revealed some new platform releases for all three games. The Pathless is headed to Xbox and Switch this winter, Maquette will be on Game Pass and Switch also this winter, and Solar Ash is headed to Steam and Game Pass on December 6.

What Remains of Edith Finch

Concluding the above montage, we learned that What Remains of Edith Finch is getting a 4k and 60fps upgrade for Xbox Series x and S and PS5. The upgrade is free, and surprise, it’s out now.

Forever Ago

German studio Third Shift appeared to talk about its formation, and the creation of its upcoming game Forever Ago. It’s a story-driven road trip adventure about an elderly man who embarks on a journey in his van, traveling across the different landscapes in North America and taking photos as he goes. It’s unknown for now what platforms or when Forever Ago might release.

Flock: Gather Your Friends

Flock: Gathering Your Friends was up next, featuring colorful landscapes with cute little bugs and other animals fluttering around. We didn’t see a lot of gameplay, mostly just gorgeous vistas, but it appears to be a game about a person riding a colorful bird, flying around these landscapes and collecting little floaty bug dudes to follow you. It’s coming to Xbox Game Pass, PC via Steam, and PlayStation at a later date.

Hohokum

Hohokum looks like Ynglet and Kirby and the Rainbow Curse had an adorable child, and puts you in the control of a colorful little ribbon guy bouncing around stages, sometimes with a bunch of other colorful friends following you or riding on your back. Okay, it’s a bit hard to explain, and pretty open-ended if you’ve ever played it before. But it’s actually a 2014 game developed by Honeyslug for PlayStation 3, 4, and the Vita, and it’s out now on PC via Steam.

Uvula

Katamari Damacy and Wattam creator Keita Takahashi is back at it again, this time with a game called Uvula. Yes, the little dangly thing at the back of the throat. No, we have no idea what it’s actually about or what you do in it; all we saw was a cute Takahashi-style character gently snoring away, camera zoomed in on his uvula, and a dog licking his cheek. Looks cute, whatever it is!

Dreamfeel – Developer Update

The developers of If Found… appeared on the stream to talk about their inspirations wandering through ruins in Ireland, as well as tease their next project. Though we didn’t get a game title or any gameplay, we learned the next game will take place in a fantasy version of Ireland, and all the characters are cats. At the core of the idea is the phrase, “Everything drowned will someday rise from the deep.”

The Lost Wild

Finally, the show concluded with the reveal of a game from Great Ape Games, called The lost Wild. The Lost Wild appears to be some sort of survival horror game…featuring dinosaurs. Lots and lots of dinosaurs. We get a look at a first-person view of a dense jungle full of dinos, and a scared player character consulting a compass. There seem to be some serious Jurassic Park vibes though, too, as we see sections featuring modern technology, using a flare, lights, a white board, and more. No release date just yet, but you can wishlist now on Steam if you like.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Closing out today's Annapurna Interactive showcase, we got a first look at a new game from Great Ape Games that looks like a Jurassic Park survival horror. It's called The Lost Wild, and it's coming to PC…sometime.

The Lost Wild appears to be some kind of survival horror game in the first person perspective. We see a player exploring a dense jungle full of dinosaurs, some of which appear to be mostly harmless-ish (like a plant-eating stegosaurus) and others that are clearly full of teeth and ready to chomp down on a person.

There's some sneaking around the jungle trying to avoid these hungry dinos, and there are also some spooky looking interiors briefly shown that include whiteboard notes indicating science or research of some kind being done, and at one point the player tosses a flare to distract or confuse some threatening dinos. Though this isn't a Jurassic Park licensed game as far as we can tell, it's clearly playing off some of those vibes.

We're looking forward to seeing more of The Lost Wild as it gets closer to release. We don't have any detail on a release window or platforms yet, except that it has a page up on Steam as of today and you can wishlist it if you want. Hopefully we'll see more scary dinos soon.

You can get a full rundown of everything announced at today's Annapurna Interactive showcase in our roundup.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.