After the cataclysmic events of Avengers: Endgame, the state of the Avengers roster is in flux in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While it seems that the Young Avengers are a team the MCU could be building to, the state of the primary team is uncertain. The many great Avengers rosters in the comics could provide some clues to the future.
The Avengers have had a constantly evolving membership since the very beginning of the team - with the Hulk leaving almost immediately - leading to many different iterations over the years. The best rosters defined their eras and provided inspiration for later teams in both the comics and the movies.
'80s Era
The '80s saw a lot of changes to the core Avengers lineup and included some members who may be future MCU Avengers as well. This period is notable for including She-Hulk, who has been a member of the team off and on for several decades now. The leader of the Avengers during this period was Monica Rambeau, who at the time went by the title of Captain Marvel.
The lineup also included several other heavy hitters like Black Knight, who will appear in the upcoming Eternals movie, Hercules, Wasp, Namor, Thor, Dr. Druid, and for a time, The Vision and Scarlet Witch before they left the squad to pursue a family life in their own mini-series, a major comic book storyline that informed WandaVision.
Classic Squad
For many comic book readers, the original line-up of the Avengers that debuted in Marvel Comics in 1963 remains the gold standard. The initial team consisted of Thor, Iron Man, Wasp, Ant-Man, and The Incredible Hulk. Captain America didn't join until issue #4, by which time the Hulk had already crashed out of the team.
The upheaval would continue unabated forever after, but this lineup was a major influence on the MCU version, and later teams in the comics that have followed in the years since.
A-Force
The A-Force is one of many great comic book storylines that could be adapted for the upcoming She-Hulk MCU series. With Jennifer Walters joining the franchise, a lot of possibilities open up, including this all-female roster of Avengers.
The squad spun out of the events of the 2015 major crossover Secret Wars and features several prominent and powerful Marvel heroines, like Captain Marvel, Medusa from the Inhumans, Dazzler, Nico Minoru, and the mysterious Singularity.
Mighty Avengers
Monica Rambeau was also part of another important Avengers team, the Mighty Avengers. At this time, she goes by the moniker Spectrum and is part of a group led by Luke Cage. The team also includes She-Hulk, Ronin, Power Man, and Spider-Man, but with Doctor Octopus inhabiting the body of Peter Parker.
This roster only held together for a year between 2013 and 2014 but is notable for its powerhouse members. The team operated essentially like a non-profit, accepting only donations, which answered a question about how superheroes pay their bills in the comics that the MCU didn't until The Falcon And The Winter Soldier.
West Coast Avengers
The West Coast Avengers is significant in team history for being the first official offshoot of the team. They debuted in 1984, borne out of a desire to expand the scope of the Avengers. Hawkeye put together a new squad in California, which consisted of some former Avengers like Wonder Man, The Vision, and the Scarlet Witch.
It included many new members like Tigra, Mockingbird, one of the most important Marvel spies, and eventually John Walker, the U.S. Agent. The team held together for the better part of a decade before morphing into Force Works and then disbanding altogether in the '90s.
Young Avengers
The Young Avengers come about after the disastrous events of Avengers: Disassembled, in which the Scarlet Witch lashes out at her teammates in the grief over her lost children. The Vision puts together a squad of young recruits to fill-in in case the main team goes down. Among this roster are many significant Marvel characters, many of who are in the MCU or are about to be.
Miss America, Kid Loki, Hulkling, and Kate Bishop as Hawkeye are among the members and most importantly so are Wiccan and Speed, who are eventually revealed to be Billy and Tommy Maximoff, the reincarnated twins of Wanda and Vision.
The All New, All-Different Team
A major roster from the comic books that is likely to have some influence on the immediate future of the MCU Avengers is the All-New, All-Different era from 2015. This iteration is notable for featuring Sam Wilson as Captain America and Jane Foster as Thor.
With these two characters being prominent in the MCU's Phase 4, there's a probability they will be Avengers on screen, especially with other members like Kamala Khan, Ms. Marvel, set to debut soon. Another key member was Miles Morales as Spider-Man.
Cap's Kooky Quartet
The first major change in the lineup for the Avengers occurred when the entire team, save for Captain America, stepped down in Avengers #16 in 1965. This led Steve Rogers to recruit new members and he ultimately put together a team that became to be known as 'Cap's Kooky Quartet.'
In addition to Hawkeye, two former villains from The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants joined. The Scarlet Witch and her brother Quicksilver rounded out the team. Both would go on to become major members of the team, off and on, over the next nearly sixty years.
New Avengers
One of the best rosters on the team finally brought in some major players fans had been demanding for decades. The New Avengers era from the early 2000s saw a new roster that combined classic Avengers like Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor with new members like Wolverine and Spider-Man. B
efore, those two iconic characters only generally helped out the team. By coming together in the period following Avengers: Disassembled, they created the true first Marvel super team.
Uncanny Avengers
The Avengers and X-Men have been enemies as often as they've been allies. After things come to a violent head in Avengers Vs. X-Men in 2008, Captain America sought to patch things up with the Unity Squad. This combination of Avengers and X-Men became the Uncanny Avengers and the best roster perhaps of them all.
This team included major players like Wolverine, Thor, and Sunfire. There was also Scarlet Witch and Rogue, who became unlikely friends after their initial encounter on the team ended with Rogue stabbing and killing Wanda. She was later resurrected by the other Avengers.