Who Will Lead Phase 4's Avengers? Every Possible Hero

With both Tony Stark and Steve Rogers no longer active in the MCU, the Avengers need to decide who their next leader, or leaders, should be. On the heels of Thanos' defeat in Avengers: Endgame, several of the franchise's founding heroes ended their respective journeys such as Iron Man and Steve Rogers, with Sam Wilson becoming Captain America. This effectively leaves Earth's Mightiest Heroes without anyone to spearhead their operations moving forward.

The MCU took a break after the Infinity Saga's end, further extended by the coronavirus pandemic. Despite unforeseen events forcing Marvel Studios to re-evaluate its release schedule, Phase 4 finally kicked off with a series of Disney+ shows in WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Both projects spotlighted characters previously relegated to supporting players to the original Avengers — an indication of their elevated positions in this new universe. In the next several months, the MCU will also see the debut of brand new heroes with kung fu master, Shang-Chi through Destin Cretton's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, as well as, the Eternals in Chloe Zhao's Eternals. This will be Marvel Studios' release scheme for the next couple of years as no proper ensemble film has been announced like Avengers 5 just yet.

Since Endgame was the culmination of the Infinity Saga, it makes sense that the MCU focuses on standalone projects in the meantime while it rebuilds itself. But Earth's Mightiest Heroes eventually re-assembling is inevitable as new villains will expectedly threaten the world after Thanos, thus requiring powerful new heroes. This begs the question, who will now lead the Avengers? Eternals' Ikaris expressed his interest in the role, but there are five other more plausible candidates for the job.

Sam Wilson/Captain America

Sam as Captain America in Falcon and Winter Soldier Finale

Before fully retiring, Steve personally chose Sam Wilson to be the next Captain America. While it took Sam a little bit of time to realize that he's the perfect man for the job, he eventually assumed the position at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Now, as he embarks on a new chapter in the MCU as the wielder of the shield, it's also possible that he also inherits Steve's role in The Avengers as its co-leader. Granted that he isn't physically enhanced like his predecessor, Steve was effective as the head of the superhero team mainly because of his commanding presence and unwavering morality — two things that Sam was chosen for before Steve time-travelled. It's also worth noting that Sam being Earthbound makes him the perfect hero to lead the Avengers. As the MCU further expands with various pockets opening up, Earth's Mightiest Heroes needs someone who is fully committed to protecting Earth.

James Rhodes/War Machine

Don Cheadle as War Machine in Avengers Infinity War

If Sam can inherit Steve's role in The Avengers, Rhodey can do the same in terms of filling the void left by Tony Stark. War Machine isn't going to be the MCU's next Iron Man, but he's the closest ally that the genius, billionaire had. Of course, there's Peter Parker's Spider-Man, but he was more of a mentee to Tony than a partner like Rhodey was. Outside of his personal connection to Tony, Rhodey is also a capable military man; before becoming War Machine, he's an esteemed member of the U.S. Airforce as a colonel. Having previous battle experience could help make him an effective leader for this new team. He has a working relationship with the government, as well, which would be helpful in terms of maintaining the harmonious dynamic between the Avengers and the organization on the heels of the Sokovia Accords' introduction.

Perhaps like Iron Man and Captain Rogers, Sam and Rhodey, who Stark initially underestimated, can be co-leaders of the Avengers. The pair already has a bond as seen in their brief but impactful conversation at the start of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Further exploring their dynamic, especially as two Black men stepping up to become the face of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, could effectively be an indication of a more diverse MCU moving forward.

Smart Hulk

Aside from the newer MCU heroes, the Avengers can also choose Smart Hulk to be their next leader. Since Bruce Banner was able to successfully meld his consciousness with the Hulk, he's become a much more dependable hero. While he's not keen on exercising his dominating strength as seen in Endgame's time heist, the fact of the matter is, he remains physically strong. He survived wielding all six Infinity Stones for the reverse snap and even had the extra power to partake in the movie's final fight against Thanos and his minions. This means that if push comes to shove, Earth's Mightiest Heroes can still rely on him to be at the forefront of their battles. Having worked closely with Iron Man and Captain Rogers during their time helming the Avengers, Bruce has also learned a thing or two about how to effectively manage the team. Finally, considering how a standalone solo Hulk film is currently out of the question given the character rights complications, this will be the best way to involve him in the future of the MCU.

Captain Marvel

One of the most powerful heroes in the MCU, Captain Marvel is also a viable candidate to lead the Avengers. As the inspiration to Nick Fury's Avengers Initiative, it's thematically apt that Carol Danvers gets to be the head of Earth's Mightiest Heroes now that her existence is established in the franchise. While her adventures have been primarily set in the cosmos, that could change in The Marvels where Carol teams up with Monica Rambeau/Spectrum and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. Given this, it's not outside the realm of possibility that following her team-up with currently Earth-based heroes, she'll decide to stay in her home and deal with any new threat. At this point, she's already helped other planets in the aftermath of Thanos' snap, and even before that, it might be time for her to settle back on Earth.

Doctor Strange

The Master of the Mystic Arts has become integral to the franchise after his key involvement in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. And, he's about to get a lot more important to the MCU’s future as the multiverse becomes a central factor in its storytelling moving forward. Set to return on the big screen via Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the film is expected to tie WandaVision, Loki, and Spider-Man: No Way Home together, and at its center is the sorcerer. While Doctor Strange currently doesn't have the Eye of Agamotto as no Infinity Stone now exists in the prime MCU, he's expected to re-acquire one way or another in his upcoming sequel. This will effectively set him up to properly become the next Sorcerer Supreme — and according to the Ancient One, he's tipped to be the best of them. Having his unique set of powers, coupled with his genius makes him a potentially effective, albeit interesting, leader of the new generation of active Avengers. Lastly, despite his inter-dimensional travels and adventures, Doctor Strange remains Earth-based in Sanctum Sanctorum in New York. This makes it easier for him to convene with the Avengers in case another villain threatens the world.

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