The Marvel Cinematic Universe will finally get its first female-led solo movie next year in the form of Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel – and there’s no way we’re letting them stop there.
Indeed, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has promised that “we’re getting to the point soon” where “more than half” of the MCU’s heroes will be women, and in a separate interview said that he’s “anxious for the time where [female-led movies are] not a novelty”.
But which characters will lead this charge into Marvel’s Phase Four? Here are the likeliest candidates – from already-established stars to heroes rumoured to make the jump to the big screen – who could stand at the forefront of the MCU after the anticipated departures of Captain America and Iron Man.
1. Captain Marvel
Brie Larson’s superpowered warrior is the MCU messiah, sent to lead us out of the dark ages where all solo Marvel movies starred men called Chris. Not only is her movie on the way as mentioned, but after the Infinity War mid-credits scene, she’s widely expected to help save the day when she eventually links up with the other (surviving) heroes in Avengers 4.
With a comic-book history as a member of both the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, she seems a prime candidate for stepping up as a leader when/if Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans retire as Iron Man and Captain America.
2. The Wasp
It doesn’t do to forget Evangeline Lilly’s Wasp, who has already made history as the first female hero to get a mention in an MCU film’s title (even if she had to share it with Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man).
Lilly has said that she doesn’t even want a solo movie, but she has also hinted that she’ll be joining the Avengers. That might just be for the climax of the Infinity War sequel, but as one of the founding members of the original comic-book version of the team, she’d be a natural fit for the Avengers or whatever team they choose to replace them.
3. Shuri
Yes, we all loved Okoye, but there’s no doubt that the breakout hero of Black Panther was Letitia Wright’s genius scientist princess Shuri, who – if her own assessment is to be believed – is smarter than Tony Stark.
Perhaps not fully predicting her popularity in Black Panther, Shuri’s Infinity War role was left disappointingly small, but Marvel would be fools not to take full advantage of Wright’s talents in Phase Four.
4. Black Widow
Having first appeared way back in 2010’s Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow is a bit of a venerable old lady in Marvel terms. In our humble opinion she’s consistently been relegated to supporting roles in the Avengers and Captain America movies, so we expected that she might have been getting ready to hang up her catsuit alongside the other Marvel veterans.
But with reports that the long-awaited Black Widow solo movie is actually in the works, Phase Four could finally give her the chance to take charge instead.
5. Valkyrie
Another fan-favourite supporting character with a lot of potential is Tessa Thompson’s tough, hard-drinking Thor: Ragnarok character Valkyrie.
She’ll have her second appearance in the MCU in Avengers 4, and judging by Thompson’s enthusiasm for her role as Asgardian warrior – she’s spoken about an all-female Marvel team on several occasions – it definitely sounds like she’s up for more adventures beyond Phase Three.
6. Ms Marvel
The characters we’ve mentioned so far are already established in the MCU, but when it comes to potential fresh blood, Ms Marvel seems like a good bet – and Feige has made it clear that the character has been discussed.
“Ms Marvel… is definitely sort of in the works,” he said. “We have plans for that once we’ve introduced Captain Marvel to the world.”
Ms Marvel was originally the superhero name that Carol Danvers went by before becoming Captain Marvel. The version we’re talking about is the latest, Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American Muslim girl from New Jersey who developed shapeshifting powers (in the comics she’s an Inhuman, but that name is surely mud at Marvel by now).
Ms Marvel has a vocal fanbase among fans, and her addition to the MCU would be another score for representation after the era of a thousand Chrisses.
7. Stature
The MCU is packed with Easter eggs hinting at the existence of other superheroes from the comics, but arguably no one has been so heavily seeded as the size-changing hero Stature. In fact, she already exists in the movies – she’s Ant-Man’s daughter, Cassie.
While we don’t think that 10-year-old Abby Ryder Fortson is about to suit up and fight alongside her dad, there have been rumours that she will appear in an older incarnation in Avengers 4. Whether that’s the case or not, there are plenty of ways the folks at Marvel could age-up the character and add her to their roster.
8. She-Hulk
She-Hulk has not been reported to be coming to the MCU as of yet, but there’s no doubt that the popular character is on Marvel’s radar. Bruce Banner’s cousin Jennifer Walters may be green and incredibly strong, but that’s where her similarities with the Hulk end. She’s neither monosyllabic nor uncontrollable, and on top of her membership of various superhero teams, she has a successful career as a lawyer.
While Universal technically controls the film rights to the Hulk and his associated characters, that only seems to apply to solo movies. She-Hulk could feature as part of the Avengers or another ensemble, and her typically light-hearted nature would make her a perfect fit for the MCU – and she’s more than qualified to take charge.
BONUS: Fantastic Four and X-Men
With Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox looking close to a done deal, we are suddenly looking at the likely possibility that the X-Men and Fantastic Four will be joining the MCU.
Contrary to examples in the movies so far, the Invisible Woman is a great character when done right, and we would hope that Marvel will use its magic to do justice to its oldest team, the Fantastic Four. It also opens the door for Sue and Reed Richard’s brilliantly smug, genius daughter Valeria to make her MCU debut.
As for the X-Men, the team has long been the home of some of Marvel most beloved female characters, including Storm, Rogue, Jean Grey and Kitty Pryde – so they can take their pick, really. And they’d assure our love for eternity if they could finally get Emma Frost right.
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