Captain America: Brave New World didn’t exactly usher in the courageous status quo shift its title promised — in fact, it hardly even nodded in that vague direction. Still, there was one intriguing moment that teased the next big MCU crossover event. No, not that truly awful post-credits tag, but the scene in which Harrison Ford’s President Ross tasks Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) with reassembling the Avengers.
Of course, Brave New World never gets anywhere near interesting enough to actually explore Sam bringing together a new Avengers team. And yet presumably we can take this as a promise that he will be the one to recruit his fellow heroes to battle Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom when the time comes in Avengers: Doomsday (and that time will come soon enough — it’s out in May 2026).
But with the MCU’s hall of heroes bigger than ever, it’s not so easy to guess who will be on Sam’s New Avengers team and who won’t. So let’s channel the Leader and consider the most statistically probable candidates.
Sure things:
Spider-Man
There’s no way Tom Holland isn’t going to play a big role in Avengers 5 and 6. Not just because of his own star power and Spidey’s popularity, but because the Russo brothers have always loved to mine Peter Parker and Tony Stark’s relationship for all its worth — and now that Downey is playing Doom, the dramatic potential is practically swinging off the walls.
Falcon
No, not Sam himself. Danny Ramirez’s Joaquin Torres officially received his promotion to Captain America’s sidekick in Brave New World and a running gag saw him eager to join the Avengers. After almost losing his life saving the day, Sam jokingly offers him a spot on the team at the end of the film. It’s not a binding contract, but it would be a mean move if he took the offer back.
Bucky Barnes
Given that he and Sam go way back, Bucky — or Congressman Barnes, as I guess we should now refer to him — is surely a safe bet for the new Cap’s new Avengers team. Especially as Bucky is very much in the limelight right now, with his leading role in this May’s Thunderbolts*. Speaking of which, expect many of that gang to have cameos in Doomsday, too.
Doctor Strange
Benedict Cumberbatch is trying his best to confuse us on whether he’s actually in Doomsday or not, but Doctor Strange has got to be too powerful a player to leave on the bench. Victor Von Doom is a sorcerer, too, remember, so the chance to have the two doctors engaging in a magic battle is too delicious to pass up.
Shang-Chi
When Shang-Chi‘s Destin Daniel Cretton was set to direct, Simu Liu’s master martial artist was expected to have a major role in Avengers 5. The Russos, meanwhile, are bound to want to sideline the new guys for their own favorites, but as one of the Multiverse Saga’s most popular fresh faces, Liu must still be a shoe-in for Avengers membership.
Captain Marvel
Brie Larson seems to be distancing herself from the MCU a little of late, but much like Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel is too big a gun to abandon. She totaled Thanos’ mothership single-handed, so she would be an invaluable asset in the fight against Doom.
Possible recruits:
She-Hulk
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law sadly suffered from some poisonous backlash, which casts doubt on whether Tatiana Maslany could return as Jennifer Walters (her outspoken dislike of Disney CEO Bob Iger probably isn’t a big help, either). And yet what’s an Avengers team without a Hulk? Speaking of whom, Mark Ruffalo’s OG Green Goliath is still around, don’t forget.
Hawkeye
Speaking of, Bruce Banner’s fellow original Avenger Clint Barton is still active in the MCU’s timeline. Jeremy Renner had his shocking injury a few years back, but now that he’s returned to acting there’s a decent chance of a Hawkeye comeback. I’d say Kate Bishop, too, but she might be reserved for the Young Avengers.
Star-Lord
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ended with the surprising development that Star-Lord had returned to Earth to reconnect with his grandfather. Although not heard from since, this does easily set him up for an alliance with the Avengers. And Chris Pratt did just team up with the Russos for Netflix’s The Electric State.
Ant-Man
Poor Ant-Man. Quantumania established him as Kang’s nemesis, no doubt teeing him up for a big role in Avengers 5. Now that Doom’s the big bad, however, his inclusion is far less assured (especially given how eager Marvel must be to let viewers forget Ant-Man 3 ever happened). That said, Hollywood is required to cast Paul Rudd in 57 movies per year, so…
Thor
On a similar note, Thor: Love and Thunder failed to replicate the success of Ragnarok and there’s a sense that audiences might be tiring of the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth might even feel the same way). Even so, it would be shocking if the Avengers got back together and didn’t give Thor a call.
Wild cards:
Daredevil
Charlie Cox’s trainer has already claimed Daredevil will turn up in Doomsday, but whether this is for a cameo or a major role on the Avengers team remains to be seen. He is another one in the zeitgeist right now thanks to Born Again, and it would be the perfect final evolution for the small-screen hero.
Moon Knight
Moon Knight is typically associated with the Midnight Sons, but seeing as Marvel is taking its sweet time in doing anything with its supernatural superheroes, there could be a place for Oscar Isaac’s avatar for an Egyptian god with the Avengers. Oscar Isaac definitely has the star power.
Steve Rogers
Yes, let’s ponder the question, what if… Steve Rogers came back to serve on Sam’s Avengers roster? We still don’t know what happened to Old Man Steve after Endgame, and Evans (and Hayley Atwell) has been reliably reported to have signed up for significant roles in Doomsday. Time travel? Variants? Either way, the probability is looking good that the Avengers may be big enough for two Captain Americas.
