Kevin Feige Says Avengers 5 And 6 Won't Have All Phase 4 Characters - So Who Should Be Left Out?

Right now, it's unclear what shape the next "Avengers" film is going to take. Once subtitled "The Kang Dynasty," Jonathan Majors was fired from his role as Kang The Conqueror in December 2023 after he was found guilty of harassment and assault.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton also exited "Avengers 5" in November 2023 (apparently he's more interested in super ninjas than superheroes). As of now, no replacement director for Cretton has been confirmed. The latest news suggests that brothers/directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo (who directed "Avengers" duology "Infinity War" and "Endgame") are in talks to return.

Part of Marvel Studios' problems here are foundational. Unlike the previous Marvel "phases," which were relatively tight with a mostly consistent sense of escalation, "Phase 4" (films and Disney+ shows from 2021) was scattered. The constant parade of new characters felt more like throwing darts at board to see which stuck.

It's not surprising then that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed, in an interview with io9, that "Avengers 5" will have to prioritize: "The truth is, you know, we're going to tell a story in these 'Avengers' movies, and there won't be room for 100,000 characters in it. So choices will have to be made, that's for sure. But that doesn't mean you won't ever see anybody ever again."

Which ones should appear? I'd say Captain America (Anthony Mackie) is a lock, depending on how "Brave New World" shakes out. "The Marvels" was a bust but Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) deserves another shot at stardom. Then there'll probably be some other familiar faces: Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, the Hulk, Shuri/Black Panther, etc. But who will have to be cut? Let's speculate. 

"Eternals" was the first blaring red flag the MCU was in trouble; the movie racked up unimpressive box office returns and reviews. Director Chloe Zhao brought an impressive sense of scale to the picture, but that can do only so much to redeem a film as plodding and dull as "Eternals." If you want to watch a story about superpowered beings trying to kill God, just watch any anime ever instead. (Tiamut, you've got nothing on Lilith or the Dwarf in the Flask.)

"Eternals" left its surviving heroes in limbo, so should their fates be tied up in "Avengers 5"? Nah. Aside from the shadow of their mediocre movie hanging over any future appearances, bringing in six new Avengers would go directly against Feige's concerns about needing to keep the cast at a manageable size. They may be called Eternal, but their reign as a cornerstone of the MCU sure wasn't. 

On that note, another "Eternals" loose end is Eros/Starfox (Harry Styles), the human-looking brother of Thanos, introduced in the movie's post-credit scene. A womanizer with the power to manipulate others' emotions, Eros' powers have been compared to psychic date rape, so it's probably not a bad idea to just forget all about the character. Plus, the 2022 thriller "Don't Worry, Darling" proved Styles is a performer of limited range.

I can understand why Marvel pivoted into supplementing their movies with Disney+ TV shows. Aside from the streaming FOMO that infected Hollywood, the shows were a chance to structure the MCU more like the comics, where not everything is a huge event. The TV shows could be the smaller-scale stories that $250+ million movies can't be. Despite all that, I think it's a gambit that largely didn't pay off because of the double-edged sword of Marvel Comics; the more series there are, the more catching up on all of them starts to feel like homework.

Throwing the Disney+ heroes into "Avengers 5"? That'll probably just reinforce the "homework" idea. Now, I send all the love in the world to Oscar Isaac (Moon Knight), one of the best movie stars we have working, and Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk), a super-talented character actor with enviable range. I'm just not sure their characters should be making the jump to a big team-up movie.

Besides, Moon Knight (like his fellow Batman analogue Daredevil) works better in smaller-scale stories. As for She-Hulk, she might be one Hulk too many.

Marvel's Phase 4 wrapped up with "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," a movie that tried its best but was nonetheless fatally compromised by the tragic passing of its intended star, Chadwick Boseman. The villain of the film was Namor The Sub-Mariner (Tenoch Huerta Mejía), reinvented as an ancient, near-immortal Mayan. (Indeed, his undersea kingdom is named Talokan, not Atlantis like in the comics.)

Namor was generally considered a highlight of "Wakanda Forever," but that doesn't mean he should be an Avenger. He worked well in the film precisely because the movie understood Namor is best when he's a pseudo-antagonist. He and his people embody the rage of the Earth at the imperial systems her children have built, systems that poison the planet we take for granted. Teaming him up with the Avengers, Earth's (read: America's) mightiest heroes? Not a good fit.

More troublingly, Huerta Mejía was accused of sexual assault in 2023. No legal action against him has been taken at this time but this should give pause to the thought of him (and Namor) returning.

"Avengers 5" is currently set for theatrical release on May 1, 2026.