Every Active MCU Hero At The Start Of Phase 5

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe prepares to enter Phase 5, there is a large and robust cast of active heroes to carry out their next phase. The MCU officially concluded Phase 4 with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and kicks off Phase 5 with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania. Phase 4 has been the most packed MCU Phase so far as the introduction of Disney+ MCU TV Shows has allowed more room for character development and long-form storytelling.

This has led to a blend of old and new heroes as Marvel revamps its roster of heroes. Following the Infinity Saga, many heroes have either retired or died, despite some reappearing in Phase 4. However, there are still lots of heroes in the MCU that are prepared to defend the multiverse in Phase 5 and beyond.

Spider-Man

Following the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the in-universe world has forgotten who Spider-Man is and his connection to Tony Stark has been severed, serving as a soft reboot for the character. Even though Peter Parker is trying to cope with losing Aunt May and his friends, the ending of the film shows him swinging around New York. He is still the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and while no new Spider-Man films have been announced, he is still an active hero meaning he will likely appear in a future MCU project soon.

Shang-Chi

Shang-Chi made his superhero debut in 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. By the end of the film, he knew how to control the rings and had claimed his place as a powerful hero in the MCU. A sequel to Shang-Chi has yet to be announced, but he is an active hero meaning that he will likely appear in a new movie before his sequel is announced or even join the Avengers in the upcoming Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Avengers: Secret Wars.

Kate Bishop

While Hawkeye's story was basically wrapped up, and he seems to have retired by the conclusion of Hawkeye, the show introduced another archer to the MCU. Kate Bishop will likely officially assume the mantel of Hawkeye soon and her spunky personality will be a wonderful addition to the (yet-to-be-announced) Young Avengers. In the comics, Kate and Cassie Lang, who becomes Stature, are friends and are the founding members of the Young Avengers, so Kate could even make some sort of cameo in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Doctor Strange

The magical sorcerer is still creating chaos in the MCU with not just Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but it was also his spell that sparked the chain of events that led to the multiverse fiasco in Spider-Man: No Way Home. After breaking the sacred rules and using the Dark Hold in the Multiverse of Madness, Doctor Strange has begun to suffer the consequences. The ending credits showed him gaining a third eye but not much more, so it is likely that his next appearance in the MCU will explore how his character has changed since using the Dark Hold's magic.

Wong

Wong is still the Sorcerer Supreme since Doctor Strange got blipped when they needed a new one. He has made so many cameos throughout the MCU's Phase 4 that it is hard to believe they aren't setting him up for something bigger, such as his own show or possibly even a movie. In Phase 4, he appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

America Chavez

Multiverse of Madness also helped to establish another new hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Another likely member, if not leader, of the Young Avengers, Doctor Strange 2 formally introduced America Chavez. She has the ability to travel across the multiverse and her rich backstory was teased in the movie, providing lots of setup for future movies or even her own spin-off show. America was well received by audiences, so she will likely be coming back to the MCU sooner rather than later.

Bucky

Bucky Barnes is something of an anti-hero in the MCU with his history as the Winter Soldier. His confirmed appearance in the upcoming Thunderbolts movie shows that Bucky is active and well within the MCU and the Thunderbolts are a team of anti-heroes, which is a perfect fit for him. When he was last seen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Bucky developed his friendship with the Falcon and helped Sam Wilson to embrace his role as the new Captain America.

Sam Wilson

Sam Wilson is definitely still active at the end of Phase 4, since he will be headlining one of the major Phase 5 MCU movies, Captain America: New World Order. The other half of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam is no longer the Falcon but has become the MCU's new Captain America. It remains to be seen whether Sam will receive a dose of the Super Solider Serum in New World Order and what his continued story arc will be in Phase 5 and beyond, but he will more than likely remain in the MCU for a while.

Thor

Thor: Love and Thunder is the fourth Thor movie in the MCU and left the God of Thunder in a significant new role. But Chris Hemsworth's final MCU movie might be coming sooner than planned. While his character is still active, Chris Hemsworth has recently stated he wants to take a break from acting following a recent health diagnosis so the future of Thor's character in the MCU is unknown.

Star-Lord and The Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians Of The Galaxy standing together

Star-Lord, and the rest of the Guardians (except for Gamora), are set to appear again in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in May 2023. Star-Lord has been a crucial part of the MCU since his debut in 2014 and the Guardians crossover in Avengers: Infinity War, it is hard to imagine a time when the Guardians were separate from the rest of the MCU. While traditionally trilogies have marked the end of a particular storyline in the MCU, that doesn't mean the Guardians will be exiting the MCU come May. There are still plenty of opportunities for them to appear in future projects, likely with a new formation of the team.

Shuri

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever established Shuri as the new Black Panther and protector of Wakanda. While she left Wakanda at the end of the film to go stay with her sister-in-law in Haiti, Shuri is still an active hero. Her future appearances have yet to be confirmed, but The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars are safe bets for when audiences can expect to see the Black Panther on screen again.

Ironheart

An image of Riri Williams using contraptions in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Introduced in Wakanda Forever, Riri Williams has been confirmed to be Iron Man's replacement in the MCU. The super-smart MIT student built a suit similar to Iron Man's and helped the Wakandans during their final battle at the climax of the battle. Riri will be getting her own MCU show, Ironheart, so her MCU story is only just starting.

Loki

Another anti-hero, Loki is famous in the MCU for cheating death. He may not be a hero of the traditional sort, but he is no longer the villain that was introduced in The Avengers. While Loki from the sacred timeline died at the hands of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, the spinoff Loki shows a variant Loki from 2012 escaping with the tesseract after the Avengers go back to New York during the Time Heist. Loki has gotten a confirmed season 2, so the lovable trickster will be coming back to Disney+ soon.

Agatha

Agatha is a complicated character, especially following Wanda's villain arc in Multiverse of Magic. While it appeared that the witch simply wanted to take Wanda's powers for herself, she also told Wanda that she wanted to help her learn to control her chaos magic. Agatha: Coven of Chaos has no release date as of yet, but hopefully it will explore more of Agatha's character and motives, establishing her as either a hero, villain, or anti-hero.

Ant-Man & the Wasp

Scott and Hope in their suits in Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania

Both Ant-Man and the Wasp will lead in the movie that will kick off Phase 5, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Both heroes use Pym technology to power their super suits and were vital in helping save the world against Thanos. However, they haven't been seen since so seeing them on the big screen again will be exciting and the journey to the Quantum Realm is sure to provide unexpected twists and turns.

Yelena

Yelena made her MCU debut in the 2021 Black Widow stand-alone film. She quickly became a fan favorite and her character arc is far from over in the MCU as she is set to be the next Black Widow. She made an appearance in Hawkeye as she believed Clint to be responsible for Natasha's death and wanted to avenge her. She ultimately came to terms with her grief and befriended both Clint and Kate Bishop. Her next set appearance is in Thunderbolts but given her popularity, it won't be her last.

Smart Hulk

Hulk is one of the longest-lasting MCU characters as he first debuted in the MCU back in 2008. Thanks to some off-screen transformation, he is no longer just the Hulk anymore, but instead, he has become Smart Hulk, a combination of the powerful Hulk and the genius Bruce Banner. While it appears he lives in a remote hideout in Mexico, Smart Hulk is not a retired hero just yet. The debut of Hulk's son, Skaar, shows that another Hulk storyline is in the works and Smart Hulk will be making another appearance in Phase 5 and beyond.

She-Hulk

Hulk's cousin, Jen Walters, also gained Hulk powers after a car accident when she accidentally got some of his blood into her bloodstream making her the second Marvel Hulk. Despite the mixed reviews on the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Disney+ show, She-Hulk is still an active MCU hero. Similar to Smart Hulk, she is likely to appear again in a new Hulk project as the MCU explores Hulk's son further and possibly even a World War Hulk storyline.

The Eternals

The Eternals introduced the world to a new team of super-powered individuals that had been hiding in plain sight in the MCU, and the Eternals' MCU future will likely extend beyond Phase 5. The Eternals haven't been mentioned since their movie debut in 2021, but it is likely they are still active in the MCU similar to how the Guardians of the Galaxy operated separately from the rest of the MCU until the perfect time for a cross-over. While a sequel isn't confirmed, the heroes will likely team up with the larger MCU in Phase 5 or beyond to fight another Thanos-level threat.

Ms. Marvel

Another young hero, Ms. Marvel brought Kamala Khan to the MCU. Kamala is a high schooler that fangirled over the Avengers, especially Captain Marvel, the way many teenagers fan girl over boy bands. When Kamala gets powers of her own, it is a dream come true, until she learned that maybe being a hero is harder than she thought. The conclusion of the series showed her magically switching places with her favorite hero, Captain Marvel. Both are set to return in 2023's The Marvels so the MCU is not done with Kamala Khan just yet.

Captain Marvel

The first female lead in an MCU movie, Captain Marvel is still an active hero that many can't wait to see again. She appeared in the post-credits scene of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and again with the body switch with Kamala Khan at the end of Ms. Marvel. As both characters return in The Marvels, it will be interesting to see their future in the MCU.

Monica Rambeau

In the first Captain Marvel, set in the 1990s, it was revealed that Carol Danvers had a close friendship with Maria Rambeau and her daughter, Monica. Now twenty-plus years later, Monica has grown up and Maria has unfortunately passed away from cancer. In WandaVision, Monica gained superpowers by going through Wanda's Hex unprotected to try and reason with Wanda. Monica is set to return in The Marvels and since it is unclear if Carol knows about Maria's death, it will probably add some weight and drama to the otherwise action-packed story.

White Vision

While Vision sacrificed himself to help save the world in Infinity War, he may reappear. In WandaVision, White Vision was nothing but a robot sent into the Hex to kill Wanda but Wanda's version of Vision transferred his memories to White Vision. Audiences haven't seen White Vision since he flew off in the season finale, but it is assumed that White Vision will return. He may make a reappearance in Phase 5 or beyond, especially given the popularity of Wanda's character.

Rhodey

Rhodey has been something of a background character thus far in the MCU, although his character has been a steady presence in the MCU since Iron Man. The upcoming Disney+ show Secret Invasion has promised to give his character a larger role that will set him up for his own show, Armor Wars. It appears that Rhodey is finally coming into his own as a hero in the MCU and seeing him learn to operate without Tony Stark will be a new take for the character.

Nick Fury

Nick Fury actually was supposed to have a movie before the MCU was established that got canceled, but he will be getting his time to shine soon. While Nick Fury is not a hero, and many have even considered him an anti-hero considering his questionable past, he is still an active member of the MCU. He has been off-world for a while but audiences haven't gotten a lot of context as to what he has been up to. He will be getting his own show in the MCU thanks to Secret Invasion, and it will hopefully explain his character further and flesh out the Skrull storyline the MCU has been teasing since 2019.

Blade

While he hasn't made an on-screen appearance yet, Blade's voice appeared in the Eternals post-credits scene. Marvel has a long history of using its post-credits scenes to tease new heroes and set up new projects, so the post-credits scenes solidified that Blade is an active hero in the MCU. The announcement of Blade at D23 confirmed that Blade will be appearing in the MCU in Phase 5/6 and likely in the future, as well.

Moon Knight

While his story may have seemed disconnected from the larger MCU, there is definitely a possibility that Moon Knight will return to the MCU. The miniseries Moon Knight introduced viewers to Marc Spector and Steven Grant, two alters of a man who has Dissociative Identity Disorder. In 2019, Kevin Feige stated that the character would cross over to the larger MCU after his introduction, so although it is unknown which project or projects he may appear in, Moon Knight will return.

Black Knight

Also in the end credits of Eternals was the character of Black Knight/Dane Whitman, portrayed by Kit Harrington. While he hasn't been established as a hero quite yet, Black Knight's MCU future projects are likely in the works. Dane discovers the Ebony Blade which could easily set up his origin story to become the Black Knight. With Blade speaking in the background, he could be making his next appearance as soon as Blade.

Werewolf by Night

The special Werewolf by Night that introduced viewers to Werewolf by Night was actually a long time coming. Originally planned for a 2001 feature film, the Halloween special is likely just the beginning for the character in the larger MCU. While it had a darker tone than many Marvel projects and leaned heavily into the supernatural, Werewolf could make a reappearance in a project such as Blade.

Elsa Bloodstone

Also debuting in Werewolf by Night, it is likely that Elsa Bloodstone isn't gone from the MCU quite yet. While it is yet to be announced, Marvel could be setting up the Midnight Sons, a team of heroes that focused on the supernatural. Elsa is a monster hunter so the MCU could be leaning into the spookier side of things by introducing more monster-type creatures to the universe. Elsa certainly has the potential to be a member of the Midnight Sons alongside other supernatural characters such as Blade, Man-Thing, and Moon Knight.

Man-Thing

Man-Thing's introduction to the MCU was exciting as he is a powerful character that is likely to become a steady presence in the MCU. Man-Thing has been connected to both the Midnight Sons and Thunderbolts in the comics, so his return is likely to occur soon. While he didn't formally appear until Werewolf by Night, the MCU set up his debut long before the special so the MCU likely has big things in store for his character.

Echo

Echo, also known as Maya Lopez, made her debut in Hawkeye and will be getting her own show titled simply Echo. Echo (and the actress who portrays her Alaqua Cox) is deaf, which makes her the first deaf hero to appear in the MCU and to be getting her own show. In the comics, Echo is a supporting character to Daredevil, so it's possible that she will appear again before her own show hits Disney+ in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil

Daredevil made his MCU debut as Peter Parker's lawyer in No Way Home and a larger appearance in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. His return made waves among MCU viewers who were thrilled to see Daredevil again after his Netflix show got canceled. He then had a greater role in the final episodes of She-Hulk opposite the titular character as a romantic interest. With an incredible 18-episode series planned for release in Spring of 2024, Daredevil: Born Again is sure to see Matt Murdock become a big part of the MCU for the future.

The cast of the MCU has certainly changed and grown after Avengers: Endgame. While some heroes, such as Iron Man and Black Widow, will always live on in the MCU and their contributions to the storyline will continue to ripple throughout the universe, it is exciting to see the new cast form. The Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon and their lineup of heroes certainly seems ready to take down any multiverse threats that will be thrown their way as they enter Phase 5.

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