Support Us
Sign Up
We know the upcoming Avengers movies, Doomsday and Secret Wars, will be worth waiting for. During the 2024 Marvel Comic-Con in San Diego, the team behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) unveiled new titles for the movies and new stars and directors.
During Comic-Con, the Russo brothers, directors of Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), were confirmed to direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. However, the event’s biggest surprise was the unexpected return of Iron Man’s Robert Downey Jr. to the MCU, albeit in a new role as the villain Doctor Doom.
MCU fans have been buzzing with excitement and speculation about the upcoming releases since the 2024 Marvel Comic-Con. While we know the next Avengers film will be on our movie screens in May 2025, the MCU has kept other filming details and locations under wraps, adding an element of intrigue to the mix. Here are Nerdspin’s predictions— some expected and some wildcard— of who may lead the Avengers in the next two hotly anticipated movies.
Captain America (Sam Wilson)
Sam Wilson as Captain America is one of the most iconic all-American heroes. He has the approval from General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, played by Harrison Ford. Ross tells Wilson in the 2024 trailer for Captain America: Brave New World that he wants “Captain America to rebuild The Avengers.”
Sam Wilson first became a superhero under the alias’ the Falcon’. When he inherited Captain America’s mantle, a keen sense of justice, was essential to anchoring the Avengers. He is equipped to follow Ross’ orders to lead the Avengers, having wielded the iconic Captain America shield against various villains. In Captain America: Civil War (2016), he was also the first Avenger to oppose the Sokovia Accords, which required the Avengers to answer to the United Nations. Wilson’s leadership qualities were demonstrated in his ability to guide the team through the events of the Secret Wars, making him the natural choice as a leader for the future Avengers.
Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)
Captain Marvel is one of the MCU’s newest heroes. Brie Larson has always delivered a memorable turn as ever since MCU introduced Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel (2019). She might not be the most likable character in the MCU, but she may be the most qualified. A former Air Force pilot and NASA security official, Captain Marvel has saved Earth from threats, including the alien shape-shifting villains The Skrulls. Her superhuman strength and ability to shoot photon blasts allow her to fight new and rapidly evolving threats. She demonstrated this skill in the final scenes of Avengers: Endgame, when she fought Thanos, as one of MCU’s most recognisable villains. She is dynamite when caught in the middle of a conflict or war, and she has powers that the Avengers would be able to deploy in any given situation.
Spider-Man (Peter Parker)
Spider-Man is an icon of American popular culture. However, the superhero has gained a new lease of life since he was introduced into the MCU eight years ago with Captain America: Civil War (2016). He teams up with Doctor Strange and Iron Man to fight Ebony Maw in Avengers: Infinity War and to retrieve the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos in The Guardians Of The Galaxy (2018).
Yet in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Tom Holland’s Spider-Man had to share the spotlight when Doctor Strange summons alternate versions of Spider-Man from the multiverse in the form of Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man (Peter-Two) and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man (Peter-Three). Spider-Man has become one of the most memorable heroes of Marvel Studios. The only drawback is working out which Spider-Man should lead the Avengers. If all three versions of Spider-Man were able to lead as a group, their shared powers could underpin a renewed vision for the MCU.
Black Panther (T’Challa)
Black Panther may be the wildest card for leading the Avengers. With the death of Chadwick Boseman in 2020, Marvel producers decided not to recast T’Challa with the belief that Boseman’s portrayal transcended any other potential portrayal of Black Panther. However, T’challa has been central to many storylines in the Marvel comics, and his legacy lives on in the MCU, as shown in the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).
This could be an opportunity for a new Black Panther in the form of T’Challa’s son, Prince T’Challa II, or “Toussaint” (only revealed in the final scenes of Wakanda Forever). Toussaint translates to T’Challa in Wakandan, potentially foreshadowing a new future for Black Panther as part of the Avengers.
Doctor Strange (Stephen Strange)
Doctor Strange rapidly rose to prominence in the MCU thanks to Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal, which began with Doctor Strange (2016). Doctor Strange’s magical powers and unique ability to foresee the future make him a strong contender for leading the Avengers. His powers have been indispensable for other Avengers. In Avengers: Infinity Wars, he demonstrated this power, using the Time Stone to peer into countless alternate futures to devise the best strategy against the formidable Thanos.
It was also his sling ring that Peter Parker used to conjure alternate versions of Spider-Man in Spider-Man: No Way Home. He would also be a solid counter to the mystical powers of Dr Doom in the forthcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Such powers will undoubtedly be crucial in future Avenger battles against the villains of the MCU.
Yelena Belova
Ever since Florence Pugh made her MCU debut as Yelena in MCU’s Black Widow (2021), she has injected some darkness into the MCU. She is the superhero sister of Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, and has taken on a leading role in Thunderbolts. Comic-Con 2024 showed Pugh lining up alongside David Harbour as the Red Guardian. Yelena personifies the saying that every hero has a bit of darkness in them. In contrast to the clean-cut Captain America, she is a dark and cynical hero with a cutting sense of humor who can bend the rules to her advantage. Yelena brings some unique abilities to the Avengers – including deadly hand-to-hand martial arts abilities – and an ability to incorporate acrobatics into her lethal moves and actions. With a hint of darkness, she could be the leader the Avengers need – one who can deflect threats and dark villains but never lead the team astray.
Captain America (Steve Rogers)
No Avengers list would be complete without referring to the first Captain America. Ever since he took a dose of Super Soldier serum in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), the World War II veteran Steve Rogers has made Captain America synonymous with American heroism.
We know that an elderly Rogers handed over his iconic shield to Wilson at the close of Avengers: Endgame (2019). But in the multiverse of MCU, this does not have to be the end, and the Avengers could find the seed of a possible return in the parallel realities of the multiverse. Rogers, as Captain America, is the familiar hero who, in an alternate reality, would evoke nostalgia for the glory days of the Avengers whilst still inspiring confidence for the future of the MCU. The return of Robert Downey Jr, once known as Tony Stark/Iron Man across multiple Marvel movies, in a new role as the supervillain Dr Victor von Doom shows anything is possible in the MCU.
Follow us on MSN for more of the content like this.
Also From Nerdspin – Scarlett Johansson’s 23 Best Movies, Ranked
Scarlett Johansson’s 23 Best Movies, Ranked
This list ranks our favorite Scarlett Johansson performances.
