10 Harsh Realities Facing The MCU’s New Avengers

Ever since Avengers: Endgame, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
has been in desperate need of a new Avengers team, but there are a lot of obstacles ahead of a new team being formed. Back in the MCU’s earliest Phase, the team of heroes was introduced one by one. Iron Man had his story told, and despite being a challenging fit, he was taken on by SHIELD as a consultant to help bring the Avengers Initiative to life.

Then, when Captain America was found in the ice, he was restored to health, and assigned a new mission as the leader for the team. The others joined in quick succession, or had already been working with SHIELD for some time, and thus, the Avengers were formed. But with more than half of the original team retired, dead, or lost in space, there is a vacancy open for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. And the MCU is going to have to do something about this quickly, because the Multiverse Saga is nearing its end.

10

There’s No Billionaire Backer

Tony Stark revealing he is Iron Man in Iron Man

Money isn’t everything, but when it comes to getting dedicated space for heroes to train in, building the most high-tech and elaborate equipment, and sending the heroes around the world in privately owned vehicles, it certainly helps. Tony Stark was a huge benefactor to the Avengers, not just because of his wealth, but his technical engineering background, and the fact he owned a weapons manufacturing company. But for the new team, there is no clear financial backing.

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The Avengers Compound is likely to be available, but who is now running the show, and can they afford to keep the lights on? But Stark Tower was sold to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and it is set to appear in the Thunderbolts* movie. Unfortunately, it appears that Valentina and her benefactors appear more interested in a team of anti-heroes than superheroes. With no clear income, it would be tough to operate as a super team.

9

There May Be Too Many Recruitment Options

Cassie Lang, Kate Bishop, Ms Marvel, and America Chavez Assemble the Young Avengers in the MCU

Custom Image by Nicolas Ayala

On top of this, the Avengers now have way too many options on the table for whom to recruit next, and for the most part, they appear ill-prepared. Since Endgame, heroes have been introduced in several different areas. From young teens unlocking powers, to a man who possesses the power of ancient Egyptian gods, these powered individuals are scattered everywhere.

Despite the variety of options, it’s difficult to say who could join the team, and actually create a formidable and symmetrical group of heroes. And on top of that, who is watching and maintaining records of these people after the fall of SHIELD? It seems like putting a team together will be a lot more challenging this time around, and it’s not for lack of choices.

8

Team-Up Experience Is Surprisingly Low

Kamala Khan, Carol Danvers and Monica Rambeau looking up in The Marvels

Instead, it comes down to the quality of the candidates involved. Out of every new hero introduced, painfully few have had any team-up experience. Yes, Ms. Marvel was able to work with Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau, but even their outing in The Marvels proves how an untested team can create more problems. Thanks to a training montage, these heroes got their act together, but how will a larger number of heroes, with powers that don’t obviously compliment each other, fare?

3:09

Kang the conqueror from Quantumania and Victor Timely from Loki season two

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Instead, many of these new heroes have only got experience working alone, and they have negative encounters with people they thought they could trust. Shang-Chi, for example, is betrayed by his own father, so making sure he trusts a whole team of strangers will likely be a challenge. For others, like the Eternals, they already have a team, but even their group is splintered and broken after the film Eternals saw them part ways.

7

Doctor Doom Threatens To Be More Charismatic Than Any Avenger

Robert Downey Jr. holding a microphone during his Doctor Doom announcement at San Diego Comic-Con

Custom image by Andy Behbakht

The charm of Robert Downey Jr. knows no bounds. As Tony Stark, he won over the world and launched the MCU. Yes, he played a hero, but part of the arc in his story was how he began as a deeply unfeeling and selfish man who was not fit to be a hero. In one movie, he made this into a beautiful and engaging persona, which only improved with each subsequent entry.

Now, RDJ is set to return to the MCU as Doctor Doom. Victor Von Doom may well be a villain, but he is not without his charms. The long-term rival of Reed Richards and The Fantastic Four is a genius, with a big personality, and an even bigger ego. But that is not all that dissimilar to Tony Stark. With RDJ taking on the role, he will likely dominate the scenes he appears in, and if the new Avengers aren’t sturdy enough to hold their own, they’ll blend into the background.

6

Spider-Man Is A Stranger Again

Peter Parker in his new red and blue costume in Spider-Man No Way Home

Spider-Man had a lot of potential to become a new leader for the Avengers. Whether another team was formed under that same title, or the Young Avengers were brought together, Spidey has spectacular power and strength, genius-level intellect, and the heart of a leader. And it appears that Stark saw his potential too, gifting him with the EDITH glasses after his death.

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But now, Peter Parker is a stranger to everyone, while Spider-Man’s position as a famous hero is less clear. Parker could lead from the front without revealing his identity, but that feels like holding back a lot of trust from a team of heroes that are supposed to work together. On the other hand, he gave up a lot to have a fresh start, so will he be ready or willing to jump into the spotlight so soon after clearing his name?

5

Hulk’s Greatest Weapon Has Been Nerfed

Smart Hulk at lunch in Avengers Endgame

Smart Hulk is a cool idea, and he certainly helped Stark to get the time machine up and running in Endgame, but there are major drawbacks to the character. While the Hulk and Banner initially operated as two seperate beings with limited communication between themselves, Smart Hulk is a blending of both that appears to benefit Banner more than Hulk. Now, Banner has his thoughts, he has his brain, and he has the brawn of the Hulk.

However, the thing that is desperately missing is the rage. Hulk was a beast born out of anger. And as such, he was able to do nearly impossible things, leaping incredible distances, smashing down gods, and saving the world. Now, Banner struggles to switch on that rage after years of trying to subdue it, and his gamma-powered body is next to useless. If a major threat comes along, Banner needs to get out of the way and let the Hulk out.

4

There Is No Clear Leader Lined Up To Take Over

Iron Man, Captain America, Sam Wilson, and Doctor Strange

There is a lot of speculation about who could lead the Avengers going forward. In the past, there were two strong candidates that operated as two team leaders, Captain America, and Iron Man. Cap ran strategy and ensured the team were positioned in the right place at the right time, while Tony did a lot more to lead the team in the peace times, training, building special equipment, and ensuring needs were met. But a new team will need a clear and strong leader to take charge.

Tom Holland's Spider-Man crying and Peter Parker looking sad in Spider-Man No Way Home

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Sam Wilson took on the role of Captain America, but it’s not clear if he is ready to lead other heroes just yet. Spider-Man is now a stranger to everyone he knew, Doctor Strange is reckless and no longer stands as the Sorcerer Supreme, and it appears that most of the options already laid out are not ready to take over.

3

The World Has A Bar That They Will Judge The New Heroes Against

Black Widow, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye, Iron Man and the Hulk as the original Avengers team in the MCU

And this is especially unfortunate, because the world already had the Avengers. The team that stood up and saved them from utter destruction on several occasions. There were disputes about their efficacy and methods, but after their incredible triumph, bringing the missing half of the universe back from the dust established them as heroes in everyone’s eyes.

Now, whoever tries to step up and save the world is likely to be compared to the heroes that came before, and those are enormous shoes to fill. This could be enough to make a lot of potential heroes turn down the opportunity, and more still could be deflated because the world doesn’t praise them, or regard them with happiness and hope. Instead, people could complain that things were better when Cap was around. Or that Tony Stark saved the world several times thanks to his genius mind. This will be a huge challenge for the next heroes to overcome.

2

They Will Likely Face Stricter Government Oversight

President Ross talking about adamantium in Captain America Brave New World

The Sokovia Accords were signed off by the United Nations, as the world’s most powerful governments decided it was time that the heroes were held accountable. This led to a huge divide in the team, but when the world was in the most trouble, the heroes were able to operate without government approval, and thank goodness they did. But the same is unlikely to be the reality for a new group of heroes.

Chris Evans and Doctor Doom from the comics

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Yes, Banner and Thor could return, which would instill some confidence in a new team, but the majority will be newcomers, and that is likely to cause leaders to be ill at ease. It is possible that something similar to the Sokovia Accords, but possibly even stricter, could be implemented. And if this happens, the heroes will have rigorous protocols and red tape that they have to work through to get anything done.

1

There Is No SHIELD To Bring Heroes Together

Nick Fury with the agents of SWORD as SABER base is destroyed in The Marvels

SHIELD was an organization with a primary directive to keep the world safe from paranormal and extraterrestrial threats. SHIELD played a major role in locating heroes, and recruiting them to the initiative, but SHIELD does not exist in the MCU anymore. When the company was dismantled from the inside as HYDRA sleeper agents revealed themselves, the entire government agency fell apart. Now, the government has created a new division, but its clear SWORD is on the offensive, rather than defensive.

But SWORD’s existence is a clear sign of how much distrust exists towards heroes now. And with invasions of Skrulls infiltrating high level government positions, trust towards people that are anything but ordinary humans is at an all-time low. As a result, the new Avengers team is unlikely to be brought together by SWORD, so how, who, and why will they be gathered together in the MCU?

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