Avengers: Endgame saw us bid farewell to a number of characters, with Captain America, Iron Man, and Black Widow being the most noteworthy examples. Now, a huge void has been left in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it's going to be down to Marvel Studios to fill that.
Ever since
Iron Man proved to be a huge success, Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark has very much been the priority when it comes to marketing the films he's appeared in, and that's because the actor proved himself a massive box office draw from the very start.
So, with that in mind, who can take his place?
In this feature, we take a look at the ten most likely candidates to become the new face of the MCU moving into Phase 4. From familiar faces to unexpected newcomers, we think you'll find this interesting reading, so hit the "View List" button below to check out the list in its entirety.
Captain America
No, not
that Captain America.
Based on the way
Avengers: Endgame ended, it's pretty obvious that
Falcon & The Winter Soldier (soon to be renamed
Captain America & The Winter Soldier?) will deal with the aftermath of Steve Rogers' decision to grow old and pass the mantle and shield to Sam Wilson. Once that's addressed over the course of these six episodes, the new Captain America can return to the big screen.
As Anthony Mackie himself has said, it's a very big deal for a black man in modern America to be Captain America and it would be amazing to see this version of the hero take centre stage in whatever comes next for
The Avengers franchise, especially now that Steve and Iron Man are both gone.
Doctor Strange
Benedict Cumberbatch's busy schedule resulted in stand-ins being present for many of his
Avengers: Infinity War and
Avengers: Endgame scenes, but if he's ready to full commit to the MCU, then there's every chance the Sorcerer Supreme can lead the charge moving forward.
We've had a cosmic villain, but a magic-based big bad in Phase 4 would be right up Strange's alley and he could definitely assemble a brand new team capable of taking on that mysterious foe.
Strange has already played an integral role in the MCU since his introduction in 2016, so there's no reason to think that can't grow larger from here, and Cumberbatch's popularity makes him an extremely likely candidate to develop an Iron Man-sized fanbase.
Spider-Man
Based on the latest trailer for
Spider-Man: Far From Home, the sequel will spend a lot of time dealing with Peter Parker trying to fill the void left by Iron Man, and it's definitely time for the wall-crawler to be more than just a Friendly, Neighbourhood superhero.
He's already had a taste of tackling threats to the entire planet thanks to the last two
Avengers movies, and while he may be young, there's no reason why Peter can't suit up and become as important to the MCU as his comic book counterpart is to the 616 universe.
Ultimately, this hinges on whether Sony Pictures is able to continue to play nice with Marvel Studios...
Black Panther
We've already spent quite a bit of time with T'Challa across
Captain America: Civil War and
Black Panther, but he definitely took something of a back seat in
Infinity War and
Endgame.
While Ryan Coogler's sequel will more than likely delve into his and Wakanda's new place in the MCU, it's vital that he also establishes Black Panther as a character who is willing and able to protect the entire world and not just his home country. We've had a taste of that, of course, and his first solo film set the stage for the hero to set-up a base on the West Coast.
That's right, West Coast Avengers led by T'Challa...
Captain Marvel
Man, some fanboys out there are going to hate this one. Regardless of their irrational hatred for Brie Larson, though,
Captain Marvel's first movie made over $1 billion at the worldwide box office and she has a huge fan base capable of ensuring that the HERo sticks around for a long time to come.
While making her the face of the MCU will be somewhat difficult if the sequel takes place in the past, the biggest pitfall here is the fact that Carol Danvers is so powerful. Ultimately, Marvel Studios may decide to keep her off Earth because she could take down pretty much everyone and anyone, but providing they use strong enough villains, there's no reason she can't lead The Avengers.
It could just boil down to whether she chooses to prioritise Earth or other planets!
Ikaris
Marvel Studios seemingly has big plans for
The Eternals and while it's believed that the movie will take place thousands of years in the past, the immortal nature of these characters means they can easily start getting involved in present day adventures.
We've seen that happen in the comic books, and seeing as Marvel Television dropped the ball on The Inhumans, Kevin Feige may have big plans for this group of heroes. The casting process would seem to back this up, and with big names like Richard Madden and Angelina Jolie leading the ensemble, any one of the Eternals could prove to be a major player across the entire MCU.
Madden is red hot after
The Bodyguard and
Rocketman, so it's hard to think of anyone better than him to fill that role, while Ikaris could easily end up being this shared world's Superman.
Shang-Chi
The first Asian superhero in the MCU will be introduced in
Shang-Chi, a solo movie for its titular hero which will reportedly pit the expert martial artist against The Mandarin and Fing Fang Foom.
That immediately establishes him as a major player in this shared world, and it will be very interesting to see how he interacts with his fellow heroes and whether he ends up being a team player.
His comic book counterpart has assembled alongside The Avengers, and providing Marvel Studios gets this one right, it's not hard to imagine Shang-Chi having a very bright future moving forward.
Thor
The last of Marvel's original Trinity left standing, it already seems pretty obvious that they have big plans for the God of Thunder.
Thor: Ragnarok was a huge success at the box office and the hero was put front and centre in the last two Avengers movies; now, it looks like he'll make his way into the
Guardians of the Galaxy franchise with James Gunn at the helm.
That obviously bodes well for Thor's future and with New Asgard now on Earth, he can easily make his return a few years from now in order to be Earth's #1 protector and the leader of whatever incarnation of The Avengers comes next.
After all, he's been there from the start and has tackled all manner of threats alongside Captain America and Iron Man, so who better to square off with the likes of Galactus and Annihilus than one of the MCU's most powerful heroes?
Valkyrie
If Thor does decide to stay away from Earth for the entirety of Phase 4 (and that is looking pretty likely right now), why not put the focus on Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie, instead?
The character has developed a pretty sizeable fanbase and may end up being the MCU's first openly gay superhero. Putting the spotlight on her makes perfect sense regardless of her sexuality, though, especially now that she's been named the leader of New Asgard and its sizeable army.
Personally, I would love to see Taika Waititi take the helm of a fourth "Thor" movie that actually puts the spotlight on Valkyrie, and it would be even better for her to join The Avengers.
Wolverine
This may seem a little optimistic, but now that the rights to the
X-Men and
Fantastic Four franchises have returned to Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige can finally start using heroes and villains from that corner of the Marvel Universe. We know that it's unlikely we'll see a new
X-Men movie until Phase 5, but Wolverine could definitely start showing up here and there to lay the groundwork for that.
Despite how much of a focus Fox put on the character, it's hard to believe Feige doesn't want to introduce a new Wolverine and it would make no sense at all for him to develop his mutant powers now, especially as the most interesting thing about Logan is the fact that he's been alive for well over a century. With that in mind, why not start having him make the odd appearance in a teasing manner?
You could have a series of after-credits scenes focusing on his introduction, regardless of whether he's tracking down powered youngsters, or simply on the run from a nefarious organisation.
Continue reading below for a recap of Avengers: Endgame's most shocking death scenes!
10. Ebony Maw
The Black Order returns in
Avengers: Endgame thanks to the 2014 era version of Thanos, but if you were hoping they would get more to do than the last time we saw them, expect to be disappointed!
Ebony Maw is present in the final battle and very nearly gets his hands on the Infinity Gauntlet to give to Thanos, but by the time all is said and done, he simply turns to ash alongside the rest of the Mad Titan's forces. It wasn't the worst death scene in fairness as he can be seen stumbling towards his master, no doubt looking for help or comfort in his final moments.
The rest of The Black Order fare a little better, but we'll get to that a little later.
9. Akihiko
Westworld's Hiroyuki Sanada plays Akihiko in the movie, a mysterious Yakuza leader who Clint Barton (now known as Ronin) tracks down in Japan.
While his role is minor, his exchange with the man formerly known as Hawkeye sheds a lot of light on Ronin's mission and why he's intent on now killing those he doesn't believe should have survived the snap. This is really cool and unexpected fight sequence for a Marvel movie, and the way he's taken out by the Avenger is downright badass - not to mention shockingly brutal.
Because of that, he definitely deserves a place on this list.
8. Proxima Midnight And Corvus Glaive
These two barely get a couple of lines between them in
Avengers: Endgame and they don't get a huge amount to do in the final battle. Glaive ends up being skewered through the chest by Okoye but seemingly survives that, because if you look closely in the distance when Thanos' forces are being dusted you'll see Midnight cradling him (presumably as he lays dying from his fight with the Wakandan).
In the comics, they were a married couple, but that's not something we've ever seen explored in the MCU. As a result, this allusion to that relationship should definitely be appreciated by fans.
7. Cull Obsidian
Cull Obsidian went out like a chump in
Avengers: Infinity War when Bruce Banner (decked out in the Hulkbuster armour) sent him rocketing into Wakanda's shield where he quickly blew up.
Things are a little cooler here, though, because not only does he get stabbed in the back multiple times by Drax during the course of the final battle but just as he's about to attack Spider-Man and Iron Man, Giant-Man comes out of nowhere and completely squishes him into the ground.
It's a satisfying and funny moment which deserves to live on forever as a reaction GIF.
6. Nebula (2014)
The villainous version of Nebula is extremely interesting to follow and the Russos do a great job of showing just how conflicted she is as she serves her father Thanos, despite knowing that her future self turns on him. While it appears as if Nebula toys with the idea of helping Gamora and her future self, she can't quite escape Thanos' grasp at this point and turns the gun on her sister.
This leads to the present day version of Nebula gunning her down and ensures that we won't see two versions of the same character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward. There's also something poetic about the Nebula we've grown to love putting an end to her dark past once and for all.
5. Thanos (2014)
After Iron Man uses the Infinity Stones to wipe out Thanos' forces, it seems as if the Mad Titan finally accepts that he's been defeated. While he knows that his future self wins, he also knows that he fails in a way, hence why he wants to create a lush new universe where no one will remember him wiping out half of all life (making himself a God in the process).
Tony Stark bests him, of course, so all that's left is for this past version of Thanos to remove his armour, sit down in the battlefield and turn to ash. He's now dead and gone and defeated by Earth's Mightiest Heroes in what serves as a poetic ending, especially after what he did in
Infinity War.
4. Clint Barton's Family
Marvel chooses a very unique way to kick off
Avengers: Endgame, as Clint Barton (wearing an ankle monitor because he remains under house arrest) spends the day with his family.
However, things head in a horrifying direction when Clint turns around for a second only to then look back and see that his daughter has vanished. As he then goes to see if she's with her mother and brothers, they too have gone and we just see ash floating in the air knowing all too well what it means.
It's a horrible moment, as the sheer panic the character must feel in this moment is easy to relate to.
3. Black Widow
Considering a
Black Widow movie is being released next year, none of us could have predicted that Scarlett Johansson's stint as the character (in the present day, at least) would wrap up with
Avengers: Endgame.
While on Vormir alongside Hawkeye, they quickly realise that one of them must leap off the cliff so the other can get the Soul Stone and while Clint tries to take the figurative bullet, Natasha won't let him and instead sacrifices herself in a hearbreaking and genuinely quite shocking moment.
The fact that the Russo Brothers show her body (with blood coming from her head) and it's later confirmed that the nature of the Soul Stone closes the door on her return means she's officially done, and that's beyond upsetting.
2. Thanos (2019)
The present day version of Thanos really doesn't last long in Avengers: Endgame and his death comes as a genuine shock during the first fifteen minutes or so of the movie. Confronted by Earth's Mightiest Heroes in "The Garden," he admits to having destroyed the Infinity Stones and is clearly weakened by the toll that took on his body.
While he gloats about his victory over the team and how he managed to succeed in his mission to wipe out half of all life in the universe, Thor takes his advice from
Infinity War and goes for the head.
Using Stormbreaker to slice the Mad Titan's head clean off, the broken down God of Thunder doesn't take much time to enjoy his victory as The Avengers have failed and this moment won't be forgotten.
1. Iron Man
Heading into
Avengers: Endgame, Iron Man and Captain America were the most likely candidates to die and it's the former who ends up making the ultimate sacrifice in a bid to put an end to Thanos.
After successfully getting the Infinity Stones from the Mad Titan, Tony Stark declares "I am Iron Man" in response to the villain's line about being inevitable, and snaps his fingers to unleash their power and wipe out Thanos and his forces once and for all. It's a kick-ass way to go and makes sense for the hero, especially after his interaction with Doctor Strange a little earlier on.
What follows is a touching and tear-inducing sequence in which the broken Tony barely manages to bid farewell to War Machine, Spider-Man, and Pepper Potts before passing away in her arms.