The New Avengers?

With all the excitement surrounding The X-Men and The Fantastic Four being part of the MCU, I think we all need to remember their are at least four actors with trilogies of films who deserve a chance to carry the big "A". So, what will The Avengers of the MCU look like next?

For those of you worried about Doctor Strange getting more movies or Ant-Man getting a third one: stop. With the exclusion of The Hulk, every Marvel movie will have three films. I know this may be off topic but everytime people seem to think their won't be sequels to the newest Marvel heroes I just roll my eyes and hang my head. Even if a movie doesn't make as much as a Cap movie or an Iron Man movie it will still get a sequel. It has to. The Marvel formula demands it. When they make a failure of a flick than you people can worry, but Marvel/Disney isn't going to let their brand named characters collect dust when their are plenty more stories to tell. Furthermore, you are not getting a fourth Iron Man movie. You are not getting a fourth Thor movie, either. The Avengers is a different subject because it's about a team, and teams have much more pull than single films. But when it comes to Tony and Thor those movies have hit the magic 3. The actors may not want to do them unless they get more money and Marvel/Disney has a line of other actors who have at least one or two more films in them. Benedict Cumberbatch is our new Robert Downey Junior, Brie Larson is gonna be our new Chris Evans, and Chadwick Boseman is our new Chris Hemsworth. And that's that!

So, let's actually answer my question: who will be the next group of Avengers? Well, we already know the third Avengers is called "Avengers: Infinity War". The fourth could easily be called "New Avengers" or some other variation that would technically be branded as a new series of films so we can keep that magic three thing alive. Here are some easy candidates: Ant-Man, The Wasp, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, and Captain Marvel. Each of those characters (except for The Wasp) lead their own movie franchises now and are taking the frontline for the MCU from the old Avengers. Granted Strange and Panther may be preoccupied with their responsibilities they could still be like Thor and/or The Hulk. Summoned when they are needed. And speaking of responsibility you'll notice a lack of red spandex on this team. Yes, Spider-Man has his own series of films now, but Sony is acting awfully shady with the movie rights. Besides, I personally think Spidey would be best kept as a leader for a "Young Avengers" type of movie series. And the Guardians? Well, they'll most likely stay cameo characters for their cosmic replacement (possibly Nova) so I don't see any of them on this Earth-based roster. What about past supporting characters like Scarlet Witch, The Vision, War Machine, The Falcon, and Valkyrie? It's entirely possible these characters could show up in other films and be part of other teams, but I think if this new Avengers team is supposed to focus on our new heroes you might want to keep the roster pretty small. That being said every new Avengers team need a veteran member, someone who was on the last team who could lead this new generation. In the comics both Cap and Tony have taken this role, movie-wise Hemsworth has stated he wants to stay part of this universe. But, if we think about it, Black Widow will most likely lead The New Avengers.

A Black Widow movie has been announced, much to my disappointment. If this movie is completed then we'll get two more down the road. Because that's what Marvel does, people who hate the number 3. So she's not going anywhere unless somewhere in these films she passes the mantle on or maybe becomes a shadowy secret hero or starts a new SHIELD team. Which is all a possibility. But imagine the surprise and pride Marvel would scoop up if they made the first lady of the MCU the leader of the New Avengers AND gave her three films. Make what once seemed like a simple secret agent character into the new Nick Fury or Captain America. Oh, God what if they actually made her Captain America? Nah, I'm pretty sure Bucky-who has a longer contract than most-will be the new Cap. Maybe he'll be the secret hero we were talking about. And, in case you didn't know, Widow led the Avengers in the comics before. It was the worst era of The Avengers, but still.

So we end up with an Avengers team led by Black Widow comprised of Ant-Man, The Wasp, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, and Captain Marvel. What interactions could we get? Ant-Man shrinking a Dr. Strange and Strange being like "oh, The Quantum Realm, I've been here before". The Wasp making bug puns about her, Ant-Man, and Widow. Cap and Panther arguing about the matters of politics and government. Everyone getting Vibranium weapons, visits from Valkyrie because people like that character. And what threats could they face? Kang The Conqueror who is upset with the effects of The Time Stone? Shuma-Gorath, an horror so powerful Doc needs a whole team to fight him? The shape-shifting aliens known as The Skrulls? There are options here for sure!

I look forward to seeing what The New Avengers end up being and I really hope Marvel doesn't take the chance of being A-Listers away from these actors just because of a shift of properties. All these Avengers have an opportunity to create new experiences and carry on the potential of their predecessors. No matter how the next ten or twenty years look, we can all hope The Avengers can Assemble in an all-new way!

Thanks for reading!