10 Characters Marvel Is Setting Up To Lead The MCU | Screen Rant
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been undergoing major changes ever since the conclusion of the celebrated Infinity Saga in 2019. Now that the franchise has entered Phase 4, many founding heroes have taken their leave, creating space for new blood to fill the void.
Phase 4 has already introduced dozens of characters that will doubtlessly be integral to the MCU moving forward, but some have been clear stand-outs in this area, indicating that the company might be aiming to make these heroes the centerpieces of the franchise's future.
One of the more exciting arrivals of Marvel's Phase 4 will undoubtedly be that of the Hulk's female counterpart, She-Hulk. Though little is still known about the She-Hulk Disney+ series, it seems inevitable that Tatiana Maslany's character will be an integral part of the MCU moving forward.
The comic book counterpart of She-Hulk certainly played a major role in the Marvel Universe, acting as an Avenger throughout much of her history, and eventually even starting her own female-centric team known as A-Force, a title which many fans have theorized could be imminent in the MCU.
Brie Larson's Carol Danvers is a relatively new addition to the MCU, debuting in 2019's Captain Marvel before returning just a few months later in Avengers: Endgame. Danvers has already become one of the most powerful Avengers of all time, and will certainly be doing her part in leading the franchise moving forward.
Captain Marvel is one of the few established Avengers to have made an appearance in the post-Endgame MCU, indicating that her affiliation with the superteam has only grown in recent years. Moreover, she appears to be heading up her own team of "Marvels" that will include Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan in the near future.
Hailee Steinfeld was introduced as Kate Bishop in the Disney+ series Hawkeye at the end of last year, striking a chord with fans. Over the course of the series, Kate learned the art of superheroics from Clint Barton himself and is hinted at having a greater superhero career in the future, leaving fans to wonder where Kate Bishop might show up next in the MCU.
While nothing has yet been confirmed in terms of Kate's return to the MCU, it has long been rumored that she will be a founding member of the Young Avengers, a group that seems more and more likely to make its debut with each Marvel project. If this is the case, then Kate will surely become an integral piece of the juvenile team, and thereby an irreplaceable facet in the MCU as a whole.
Many fans were delighted, though perhaps not surprised, by Harry Styles's appearance as Eros, the brother of Thanos, in the mid-credits scene of Eternals. Eros, like the rest of the film's cast, is an Eternal otherwise known as Starfox with a long history in Marvel Comics.
After the release of Eternals, it was widely reported that Styles had signed a five-picture deal with Marvel Studios, indicating that there are major plans for his character moving forward. Longtime comics fans know that Starfox is indeed one of the more important Eternals, a trait that the films seem to be following.
Sophia di Martino made her MCU debut as the female variant of the Norse god of mischief Sylvie in the Loki Disney+ series last summer. Sylvie proved to be a scene-stealer during her time on the show, eventually becoming the primary force behind the splitting of the multiverse, a choice with grave consequences that the MCU has yet to explore.
Loki makes it quite clear that Sylvie will be an incredibly important figure moving forward in the franchise. Not only is she expected to reappear in the show's second season, but it has also been hotly rumored that she and her male counterpart will cameo in the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is perhaps the most crucial entry of the MCU's Phase 4.
Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson has been a part of the MCU for eight years now, first appearing in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Acting as Captain America's wingman, Sam has served the Avengers well so far as the Falcon, but the time has come for him to take a more prominent role on the team and in the franchise.
Now that he has officially taken over the mantle of Captain America from Steve Rogers, fans can expect to see a lot more of Sam Wilson in the future of the MCU. The character will no doubt take a leading role in the Avengers and the nation, now its new heroic symbol.
Spider-Man: No Way Home ended with plenty of major implications for the titular hero, not the least of which being that his career as a superhero has only just begun. Despite the tragedy for Peter Parker's personal life, Spider-Man's life has now been opened up to a whole world of responsibilities.
Spider-Man has long been one of the most popular comic book characters of all time, and that adoration has carried over to his cinematic appearances. As such, fans expect big things from the Webhead, who has been all but confirmed to be appearing in another trilogy produced by the Sony-Disney partnership that created the Homecoming trilogy.
Doctor Strange has had a busy few months, appearing for the first time in Phase 4 with Spider-Man: No Way Home, and now gearing up to face mysterious antagonistic forces in Multiverse of Madness in just a few months. The upcoming Doctor Strange sequel has been touted as an "event" film that will change the MCU forever.
Benedict Cumberbatch's Master of the Mystic Arts is the MCU's door to strange new worlds, as audiences will see in his upcoming appearance. This makes him a monumentally important character to the franchise moving forward, with the Sorcerer Supreme even being called the "anchor" of the MCU by Kevin Feige himself.
In the summer of 2021, Simu Liu starred in the massively successful Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which introduced the eponymous hero in a way that made him distinct and memorable in an otherwise already very crowded franchise. The film's mid-credits scene also hinted that it won't be long before Shang-Chi is made an official member of the Avengers.
Given the wild success of Shang-Chi and fans' rampant adoration of the film's main stars, it wouldn't be surprising if Marvel opted to expand the characters' roles in the franchise moving forward. Shang-Chi can be expected to become a major member of the Avengers in the near future and may prove to be one of the leading figures of the MCU itself before too long.
Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff may have begun her time in the MCU as a relatively minor side character whose arc never seemed to be explored quite enough in her early appearances, but she has quickly become one of the most important players in the entire franchise, and quite possibly the most important character of Phase 4.
The Disney+ series WandaVision expanded Wanda's role immensely, finally causing the character to realize her potential as the Scarlet Witch. As a result, she may prove to be a formidable force against Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange in Multiverse of Madness, where Wanda is expected to cause events that will have rippling effects throughout the entire MCU. As such, Wanda may prove to outshine all other characters in impact on the superhero franchise.