Every Confirmed Avenger In Phase 4

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings.

After the Infinity Saga, Marvel is slowly confirming the new Avengers lineup for the MCU Phase 4. Even as the MCU expands and ventures into brand-new storytelling territory, Earth's Mightiest Heroes are still expected to maintain their place as the franchise's premier superhero team. After the fight against Thanos'(Josh Brolin), however, it's unclear who is left on the roster, as half of the original members such as Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Captain America (Chris Evans) are no longer members, as well as what newcomers might officially join the team.

At this point, Marvel Studios remains mum about their plans for Avengers 5 — the film isn't even in the franchise's confirmed current roster, a mix of movies and shows set through 2023. Instead, the focus is on individual or team-up projects. Disney+ shows like WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki have put a spotlight on previous supporting characters as they take up leadership roles like Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as the new Captain America. Meanwhile, on the big screen, it's a mix of origin stories like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals, as well as sequels like Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Thor: Love and Thunder. This doesn't mean, however, that Earth's Mightiest Heroes will no longer factor in the MCU. It's just that it will take a little while before they headline another film.

One indication that the Avengers are still important in the universe is how Marvel Studios recently confirmed who's officially in the lineup. The MCU returned exclusively in theaters with Destin Daniel Cretton's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings led by Simu Liu. While the solo film has a mostly contained narrative, it also featured connections to the bigger franchise, including clues about the current active members of the Avengers during its mid-credits scene.

Doctor Strange

After starring in his own movie in 2017, Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) joined the rest of the MCU in Avengers: Infinity War as part of the fight against Thanos. At that point, it had been two years since he became a member of the Master of the Mystic Arts and the protector of the Eye of Agamotto. He played a massive part in the eventual defeat of the Mad Titan, setting the Avengers' plans in motion after peeking into the future and learning of the one way they could emerge as the winner. Following the Infinity Saga, he's about to be more important to the franchise as it deals with the multiverse, and although he Doctor Strange didn't physically appear in Shang-Chi, Wong's (Benedict Wong) involvement is an indication that he's in on what's happening with the Ten Rings. So, it makes sense that he's involved with this new version of the Avengers.

Wong

Introduced in Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange film, as well, Wong has been a loyal and extremely skilled fellow sorcerer for Strange since the beginning of his magical journey. The Master of the Mystic Arts is known for his no-nonsense approach to things; he's often the voice of reason when Strange is tempted to do something too dangerous or brash, as seen in the first Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer. As the sorcerers' role in the MCU expands after the multiverse is unleashed, Wong appears poised to take a more prominent role in the MCU–as he should, seeing as how he's also incredibly powerful. Currently, he's out doing his side adventures separate from Doctor Strange; in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, he's revealed to have an interesting partnership with Incredible Hulk villain Abomination (Tim Roth). He's also the one to summon Shang-Chi and Katy (Akwafina) to Kamar-Taj discuss the origins of the Ten Rings, as well.

Joining Wong, Shang-Chi, and Katy's huddle in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings mid-credits scene is Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo); this marks his first sighting in the MCU since Avengers: Endgame. Interestingly, however, Smart Hulk is back to his human form of Brue Banner, although it's worth noting that he's still nursing the arm injury he got from executing the reverse Snap. As one of the three remaining original Avengers still active in the franchise, it makes sense that he's part of the revamped team, keeping tabs on what's happening and being a contact point for Wong. After his appearance in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Banner will next appear in She-Hulk. The upcoming Disney+ series stars Tatiana Maslany, who will play the hero's cousin, Jennifer Walters. The show will likely explain how and why Smart Hulk is back to being Bruce Banner.

Captain Marvel

While Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) has only recently been introduced in the MCU, she's been around far longer, as Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's Captain Marvel revealed that she was actually the inspiration for the Avengers Initiative. Given that, it's only sensible that she's more involved with Earth's Mightiest Heroes' operation, even if her main focus is still the wider cosmos. Like Banner, Danvers joined the huddle about the Ten Rings in the Shang-Chi's mid-credits scene, confirming that the Wenwu's (Tony Leung) weapons are not Chituari tech. Although she abruptly left the discussion as she had another call, it would appear she's been keeping in regular touch with her Earth-based counterparts. Captain Marvel is slated to appear next in The Marvels, where she joins Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) for a new adventure.

Shang-Chi

The newest hero in the MCU turns out to also be its newest Avenger — Shang-Chi. Promo spots for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings teased this, but the movie itself made it official after the Master of Kung Fu is welcomed to the team. After the defeat of Wenwu, Wong summons Katy and Shang-Chi in the mid-credits scene to talk about the artifacts Shang-Chi inherited from his dad–and why they're sending out a beacon. Apparently, when he used the Ten Rings for the first time in Ta Lo, it was felt in Kamar-Taj. The Ten Rings are not in the sorcerers' codex and they're not vibranium or Chitauri tech, further deepening the mystery of their origins. This will likely be a major narrative arc for Shang-Chi now that he's been recruited to MCU Phase 4's new iteration of the Avengers. As Wong cautioned, he and Katy have a long road ahead of them; as Banner sardonically told them, "Welcome to the circus."

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