Marvel's Female Avengers Cast (As We Know It) | Screen Rant
An all-female Avengers movie has been rumored for a while, and speculation only grew after the “female Avengers” moment in Avengers: Endgame, but who could be part of the team? The Marvel Cinematic Universe as it’s now known began in 2008 with Jon Favreau’s Iron Man, which introduced Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark and set the basis for this connected universe of Marvel superheroes.
Since then, the MCU has brought various characters from Marvel Comics to the big screen, both male and female, but it’s the male superheroes who have been at the front and center of most projects, with the exceptions of Captain Marvel, WandaVision, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and Black Widow. The MCU has many female characters, both superheroes and regular humans (some of them with the potential of becoming something greater, as in Pepper Potts and Jane Foster’s cases), but so far, they have mostly been team members, assistants, and sidekicks. Captain Marvel arrived to prove that audiences are fully interested in seeing female superheroes taking the lead, and the audience witnessed a big “girl power” moment in Avengers: Endgame when all the female heroes present at the Battle of Earth teamed up to help Captain Marvel protect the Infinity Gauntlet.
Thor 4 Can Give The MCU Its Female Avengers Moment
While this was an exciting moment in Avengers: Endgame upon first viewing, fans have pointed out how forced it actually looks, being nothing more than a fan service moment for those pushing for A-Force to happen, made worse by the fact that few of them really knew each other. However, this scene re-sparked discussion over an all-female Avengers team, which should be easier to do now that more female heroes have been introduced and that the original Avengers team is over. Although a female Avengers movie hasn’t been confirmed, there’s interest in making it happen, with Letitia Wright sharing she’s confident it will happen. But who could be part of this team? These are the female superheroes who could form the MCU version of the all-female A-Force.
Updated Saturday, June 5, 2021 by Nicolas Ayala: New characters have been added based on how the MCU is developing, and the roles certain characters appear to be taking in upcoming movies or series.
Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel was the first female superhero in the MCU to get her own solo movie, so she would definitely be included in an all-female Avengers movie. Carol Danvers worked closely with the heroes who survived Thanos' snap, but Avengers: Endgame failed to show more of her by sending her on a separate mission in outer space while the Avengers, Rocket Raccoon, Nebula, and Scott Lang found a way to make the time heist happen. Carol Danvers showed up right on time during the Battle of Earth and was close to defeating Thanos, but the Mad Titan had some tricks up his sleeve. The last time viewers saw Captain Marvel was at Tony Stark’s funeral, and she will return for The Marvels, where she will team up with Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan.
One character who has truly won the audience over is Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, who contends with Captain Marvel for the title of the MCU’s most powerful hero. Wanda’s arc has been defined by tragedy, but she's slowly taking back the reins as she accepts her destiny as the legendary Scarlet Witch. After fighting Agatha Harkness in WandaVision, Scarlet Witch will appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. As she becomes wiser and more powerful, Wanda can lead the all-female Avengers as the team's expert in mystic matters.
Shuri is one of the brightest minds in the MCU and one destined for greatness within the universe thanks to her intelligence, experience, and being part of Wakanda’s royal family. The last time viewers saw Shuri, she joined the Battle of Earth along with her brother T’Challa/Black Panther, Okoye, M’Baku, and the rest of the Wakandan forces. Prior to that, she worked hard to find a way to safely remove the Mind Stone from Vision’s forehead, but Wakanda was attacked before she could finish. Shuri is set to return in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which could set the basis for her to become a proper superhero and thus join a female Avengers team in the near future. However, if Shuri chooses not to become an Avenger yet, Nakia could step up as the Black Panther and join either the Avengers or the A-Force.
The Thor movies are about to go through a major change with Jane Foster taking on the mantle of the God of Thunder in Thor: Love and Thunder, which would make it possible for her to join her fellow female MCU heroes in a new Avengers team. Although Jane Foster split up with Thor before the events of Avengers: Infinity War, she's set to be more involved with the Asgardians than ever before when she becomes worthy of Mjolnir. This also means she would be in contact with the Avengers when bigger threats affect the fate of Earth, so a spot among the A-Force is quite probable.
Tatiana Maslany stars as the Gamma-powered lawyer Jennifer Walters in the She-Hulk Disney+ series. Bruce Banner's cousin has been an important member of the Avengers for many years, and her appearance in the MCU is long due. Now that She-Hulk will be around to smash and destroy her puny opponents, the A-Force could recruit her as their own version of the Hulk. In fact, the all-female Avengers team wouldn't have to struggle with the "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" issues the Avengers had to face with Bruce Banner, as Jennifer Walters is still even smarter than average while in her Hulked-out form.
While the death of Scarlett Johannson's Natasha Romanoff is irreversible, the original Avenger will star in her own Black Widow movie alongside Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova. The two spies share a history, and they also have a similar set of skills that they developed in the Red Room. In the comics, Yelena replaces Natasha as the Black Widow, which also appears to be the case in the future of the MCU. Since Natasha Romanoff was a founding member of the original Avengers and played a crucial role in saving the universe during the events of Avengers: Endgame, viewers could expect Yelena Belova to continue her legacy either in a new Avengers team or in the A-Force.
Avengers: Endgame finally brought together all the current superheroes in the MCU, with the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy joining forces to defeat Thanos once and for all. Among those was Gamora, but not the one viewers met in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, as she was killed by Thanos so he could get the Soul Stone. The 2014 variant of Gamora was brought to the present day and joined the Battle of Earth, but she ran away and left her team behind. The Guardians will have to find her in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and, depending on what she does in it, she might be looking to change her path and join a new and different Avengers team led by women.
One of the most important events that happened in WandaVision was the origin story of Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau as a superhero. Monica, who befriended Carol Danvers during the first Captain Marvel movie, developed abilities such as spectral vision, intangibility, and flight after she entered Scarlet Witch's Hex a second time. As an incredibly powerful superhero, Monica Rambeau will star alongside Kamala Khan and Carol Danvers in The Marvels, where the three heroes team up for the first time. The Captain Marvel sequel could set up a bigger team of all-female heroes, setting the scene for the A-Force.
Eternals is introducing several MCU heroes capable of defeating Thanos. This race of godlike aliens includes Gemma Chan's Sersi, who can manipulate matter to her will. Despite remaining in the shadows for millennia, many of the Eternals can come out of retirement to team up with current teams of superheroes. It's unlikely that all of them will interfere in terrestrial matters after the events of their MCU movie, but one of the Eternals who could become an Avenger is Sersi. In the comics, she's the only female Eternal to fight alongside Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The dynamics between Sersi, Captain Marvel, Jane Foster, and Scarlet Witch would be great to see, as they could have the same tense relationship as Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and Hulk.
Evangeline Lilly's Hope van Dyne was introduced in Ant-Man, but it wasn’t until the sequel, appropriately titled Ant-Man and the Wasp, that she officially got into superhero mode. Wasp is not only skilled in combat but she’s also an expert in many fields of science, so she could make an interesting team-up with Shuri. Wasp will co-star alongside Paul Rudd's Scott Lang Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, where they will fight the time traveler Kang the Conqueror and will team up with Scott's daughter Cassie Lang, who's expected to become the giant-sized superhero Stature. Such an event could set up Hope van Dyne as a full-fledged Avenger, and she could take the initiative to take a break from the Ant-Man team to serve as a crucial member of the all-female Avengers.
Like her daughter Hope, Janet van Dyne will also return in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. The original wasp has been vastly underutilized, compared to her role as a founding member of the Avengers in the comics. In Ant-Man and The Wasp, she showcased the power to channel energy from the Quantum Realm to heal Ghost, which also set up new stories in the future. Having her as a founding member of the all-female Avengers would do justice to the character and would also help her stand out as a powerful hero of her own.
There's already a big MCU future for Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan. The teenage superhero will have her own Disney+ show, Ms. Marvel, after which she will team up with Carol Danvers and Monica Rambeau in The Marvels. Although Ms. Marvel is expected to form the Young Avengers with heroes such as Wiccan, Speed, Kate Bishop, and America Chavez, she could also become a member of the all-female Avengers in the future. Kamala Khan has often been depicted as a young recruit of the Avengers, so she's the most likely of the young heroes to team up with the A-Force.
Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie was one of the female heroes who teamed up to help Captain Marvel in Avengers: Endgame, and as she’s now king of New Asgard (crowned by Thor Odinson himself), this makes it easier for her to join a female Avengers team if she pleases. Valkyrie will return in Thor: Love and Thunder, which will hopefully explore her story a bit deeper, allowing the audience to truly get to know her before she joins a bigger team.
Another Young Avenger who will make her debut soon is America Chavez, set to appear for the first time in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. With the ability to kick the multiverse open, America Chavez is not only valuable for the Young Avengers but also for the whole MCU as a whole. Like Kamala Khan, America is expected to be a member of the Young Avengers first, but a spot in the A-Force would be a no-brainer if the all-female team arrives soon.
Sif has taken a long break since her last appearance in Thor: The Dark World. While this helped her survive the wrath of Hela and Thanos' attack on Thor's Asgardian ship, she may need to return to the MCU to fight alongside Valkyrie and Jane Foster. Being one of the MCU's first female warriors, a female Avengers team can't be complete without Sif having at least an honorary membership.
Riri Williams, a.k.a. Ironheart, is the most direct successor to Tony Stark in the comics. Played by Dominique Thorne in the upcoming Ironheart Disney+ show, Riri Williams is expected to take over the Iron Man armors and become the MCU's main armored hero in the future. Riri has a lot to live up to, considering the impact of Tony Stark in the MCU, but she has everything to become one of the universe's best protectors and potentially the main leader of the Avengers, whether the team is composed only of women or not.
Yet another female member of the Young Avengers is Kate Bishop, Clint Barton's successor. Played by Hailee Steinfeld in the Hawkeye Disney+ show, Kate Bishop will train to become an even better archer and fighter than Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye. One of the character's defining traits in the comics is her undying determination, which led her to convince Clint to be her mentor and earn her a spot in the Young Avengers. Once she has proven herself among the team of teenagers, a membership in the A-Force would be easy to obtain.
Okoye is the general of the Dora Milaje and has fought alongside T’Challa various times. Although she doesn’t have superpowers nor does she have a high-tech suit, she’s a very skilled combatant, as well as one of the most loyal people in the MCU. In the comics, she has been part of the Avengers, and depending on how her character develops in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, she could be a very important part of the MCU’s first female Avengers team.
If Okoye chooses to stay in Wakanda, however, Florence Kasumba's Ayo could take her place. Ayo demonstrated an interest in international affairs in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where she followed Bucky Barnes to oversee Baron Zemo. In Captain America: Civil War, she threatened Natasha Romanoff with a fight, but T'Challa prevented her threat from materializing, which suggests Ayo's skills are on par with the original Black Widow. Such talents would be more than welcome in a female Avengers team.
Another member of the Guardians of the Galaxy who could join a female Avengers team is Mantis. Pom Klementieff’s peculiar character was part of the “girl power” moment in Avengers: Endgame (where she was briefly shown taking out some of Thanos' strongest minions effortlessly), and though she has been part of the Guardians team since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, her character hasn’t been properly explored yet and has been mostly reduced to comic relief. A female Avengers team would be a great opportunity for her to show what she’s truly capable of, and seeing her interact with characters outside the Guardians squad would be very interesting and fun.
Like her sister Gamora, Nebula had a change of heart and joined the fight against Thanos before the events of Avengers: Endgame. She went through incredibly tough challenges, like being pulled apart by her adoptive father and witnessing (and killing) her variant self. Nebula has sided with the Avengers in the comics, and Endgame featured her as part of the female Avengers moment as part of the heroes. It's safe to say she wouldn't be turned down if she decided to team up with the rest of the A-Force.
The last remaining female member of the Young Avengers is Cassie Lang, Scott Lang's beloved daughter. Like with the rest of the previously mentioned female Young Avengers, Cassie isn't expected to become a full-fledged superhero as soon as she finishes making her debut. Instead, she's expected to get her Stature moniker in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and later team up with the rest of the teenage superheroes. After getting some experience fighting crime and defeating supervillains, Cassie Lang could join the A-Force.
Pepper Potts got a major upgrade when she put on the "Rescue" Iron Man armor in Avengers: Endgame, which allowed her to fight alongside Tony Stark and the rest of the MCU. Avengers: Endgame is the only time viewers have seen Rescue in action, and though it might be a one-time-only moment as Gwyneth Paltrow has said her time in the MCU is over, if the studio makes the right offer, it could be possible that Paltrow decides to return so Pepper Potts can be part of an all-female Avengers movie.
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