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.