As Captain America: Brave New World concluded, one thing that was clear was that the Avengers would be recreated by Sam Wilson aka Captain America. As exciting as this sounds, the nagging question for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is who will be the new Avengers? How many superheroes will Sam recruit? Will it be made up of the OG Avengers minus those that retired or died, or will the roster be entirely new? These questions are quite confounding given that filming for Avengers: Doomsday begins next month, and the film will be released next year. Let’s consider the following candidates:

The Core Avengers

These six candidates will most likely be the main team featured in Avengers: Doomsday, but don’t be surprised if the lineup changes by the end of the film. In fact, it’s entirely possible that one or two of the Avengers will die to raise the stakes for Avengers: Secret Wars.

Captain America

This is one is set in stone since Sam Wilson was asked by President Ross to reform the team in Captain America: Brave New World and by the end of the film he was talking to his partner, Joaquin Torres about being on the team (more on him in a bit). Sam will be the leader of the team and a good subplot is him being thrown for a loop if he encounters an evil variant of the OG Captain America.

Ant-Man

Every superhero team needs a relatable everyman type and a natural clown to provide some comic relief. Scott Lang and Sam Wilson have some history together and Sam recruited him before in Captain America: Civil War. Plus, Ant-Man has a unique power set that can be either seen as weak or strong. Beware: it’s possible that Ant-Man could be one of those heroes who does not survive, which would earn Doctor Doom a lot of hatred by fans.

The Hulk

The new Avengers team will need someone who literally brings a lot of muscle to the team and be a holdover from the original Avengers team. Out of all the remaining original Avengers, the Hulk is the most available and he has Bruce Banner’s intellect which adds a lot of scientific know-how that will be needed to match Doctor Doom’s genius.

War Machine

As much as we all want to forget about Secret Invasion, the dangling plot thread about James “Rhodey” Rhodes being replaced by a Skrull has to be addressed. We’ll probably never get a War Machine solo project to answer this thread and Rhodey’s inclusion in the team will add some critical firepower to the team. War Machine will also serve as a legacy to Iron Man thanks to his armored suit.

Captain Marvel

Yes, Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel is not popular with MCU fans, but she would be the most powerful member of the team and add a cosmic angle. However, she is a bit too powerful and one interesting subplot for the film is to have her nerfed dramatically by Doctor Doom. The power loss would be an interesting story for Danvers and make her more relatable to viewers.

Star-Lord

Hey, the end of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 promised us that the Legendary Star-Lord would return. Where else can Peter Quill show up? The lovable goofball would be a great character to team up with the equally goofy Scott Lang and the interactions between the two would be hilarious. Then again, in case Captain Marvel is not on the roster, Quill can add the cosmic connection to the team.

The Adjacent Avengers

The following people may not necessarily be on the Avengers or only be supporting players who add some needed back up. For all we know, we will find out that they are actually part of the official team. In any event, even if they are not on the roster, it is very likely that they will show up in Avengers: Doomsday.

Spider-Man

His appearance in the film is nearly certain as he is one of the most popular MCU characters. Spidey may even be part of the team, just don’t expect any significant character development with him. That’s for his upcoming solo film.

The Falcon

Torres definitely wants to be part of the Avengers, but the problem is that his flying abilities in an armored suit are too similar to Captain America. He’ll probably appear, but will be sidelined by some injury early on or even killed.

She-Hulk

Despite the faults with her TV show, She-Hulk was a great character who deserves a second shot and a bigger FX budget to render her right. Only thing is that she didn’t set out to be a superhero in her TV show; maybe she’ll change her mind.

The Wasp

The Wasp’s powers are too similar to Ant-Man’s, though the two were part of the original Avengers roster in the comic books. Also, we have to account for the fact that Evangeline Lilly, the actress who played her has retired from acting.

Shang-Chi

After a strong debut in his film back in 2021, the martial arts fighter disappeared in the MCU. With his mystical ten rings, he is entitled to come back to the MCU via an appearance in Avengers: Doomsday, maybe even recruited by Sam Wilson.

Wong

The current sorcerer supreme has appeared in numerous MCU projects and his magical powers would benefit the team and be used to counter Doctor Doom, since it’s been revealed that Doctor Strange won’t appear in Avengers: Doomsday.

Thor

The only other viable OG Avenger was last seen running around the galaxy with his adopted daughter. Still, it’s possible that the God of Thunder will make an appearance, especially if Loki, the God of Stories appears in the film, as well.

Shuri/Black Panther

As the current Black Panther, her genius intellect and ties to Wakanda, Shuri would be a solid MVP for the Avengers. But we do not know if she would be a team player. At the very least she could provide vital support as she and the Wakandans did during the last two Avengers films.

Miscellaneous Members and Appearances

While the following may not be ready for the Avengers or be in their own teams, it is a good possibility that they will appear in Avengers: Doomsday.

Ms. Marvel and the Young Avengers

Ms. Marvel was last seen trying to put together her own team at the end of The Marvels. The team so far included Kate Bishop and possibly Stature. We could see this new team show up if only in a post-credits teaser.

The Fantastic Four

Doctor Doom is the team’s arch nemesis. They would have to make an appearance in Avengers: Doomsday to help set up the villain and provide crucial information about Doom to the Avengers.

Thunderbolts

This team of anti-heroes will supposedly appear in Avengers: Doomsday, but in what capacity? Most likely, members like Bucky will be recruited into the Avengers by Captain America. We’ll find out if this pans out.

And finally…,

The Defenders!

Hey, why not? Everyone deserves a second chance! They could at least be cannon fodder, except for Daredevil!