2 Avengers Replacements Have The Potential To Fix A 9-Year-Old MCU Problem

Two upcoming superhero teams in the MCU could replace the Avengers by embarking on adventures closer to home. The Avengers first formed in 2012’s eponymous The Avengers to protect New York City from the Asgardian God of Mischief, Loki, and his Chitauri army. Initially comprising Tony Stark’s Iron Man, Steve Rogers’ Captain America, Thor, Natasha Romanoff’s Black Widow, Clint Barton’s Hawkeye and Bruce Banner’s Hulk, the Avengers quickly became worldwide celebrities. As the Avengers line-up has grown over the years, the team seems to have forgotten their roots, but new superhero groups may be primed to fill the Avenger’s shoes.

While the Avengers played a major role in the MCU’s Infinity Saga, battling villains such as Loki, Ultron, Zemo and Thanos, the team hasn’t been seen in the Multiverse Saga. A new team of Avengers is expected to form in 2026’s Avengers 5, but until then, Marvel Studios has set up several other teams that could take the Avengers’ place. Two of these upcoming MCU teams fill the role of the Avengers perfectly, particularly since the Avengers’ own jurisdiction expanded to cover the entire globe during the MCU’s Phase 2, but these new groups could battle villains closer to home.

The Avengers Have Been A Global Team Since 2015’s Age of Ultron

During their first MCU adventure as a team, the Avengers battled on the streets of New York City to protect civilians from the onslaught of Loki’s extraterrestrial army. This cemented the Avengers as a New York-based group, with the team even establishing their headquarters in the old Stark Tower, which takes the place of the MetLife Building in the real world. However, 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron changed the Avengers’ role, as the team was transformed into a global force for protection who were seen tracking down HYDRA outposts across the world, rather than simply being based in New York.

Since the Avengers’ move to a new headquarters in Upstate New York in Avengers: Age of Ultron, the team haven’t fought any adversaries in their home city. Age of Ultron primarily featured the Avengers’ battles against Ultron in Johannesburg, South Korea and Sokovia, Captain America: Civil War saw the team fighting in Lagos and Berlin, and Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame saw them battle Thanos and the Black Order across the world and throughout the galaxy. Luckily, however, two Avengers replacement teams could bring the MCU back to basics, with heroes fighting to protect the streets of New York again.

The Defenders Could Protect New York City In Lieu Of The Avengers

While the Avengers fought villains across the whole world throughout Phases 2 and 3, Marvel Television focused on smaller-scale, street-level heroes in Netflix’s Defenders Saga. Matt Murdock’s Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Danny Rand’s Iron Fist came together to form the Defenders in 2017, battling to take down the Hand, a huge criminal syndicate seeking the key to immortality beneath New York City. While the Defenders Saga was canceled prior to Marvel Studios developing its own TV shows for Disney+, this franchise was recently integrated into the MCU’s official timeline, suggesting the Defenders may now exist in the MCU.

Charlie Cox has already reprised his role of Daredevil in the MCU, and more Defenders members may follow suit, particularly since Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin is expanding his influence. Defenders members from Marvel Comics, such as Doctor Strange, Peter Parker’s Spider-Man and Rhodey’s War Machine, could join the team in the MCU, while Maya Lopez’s Echo is also a clear candidate for the team, solidifying the Defenders as a New York-based superhero team. The Defenders could perfectly fill the shoes of the Avengers, who may be off fighting multiversal foes while the Defenders battle to keep civilians safe from street-level threats.

The Young Avengers Are Predominantly NYC Area-Based

Another Avengers replacement team that Marvel Studios has been setting up for quite some time is the MCU’s Young Avengers. Featuring younger superheroes, primarily legacy characters of some of Marvel’s more classic heroes, the Young Avengers are predominantly New York City-based in the MCU, meaning they could easily help to protect the city while the Avengers are off fighting bigger-scale battles. 2023’s The Marvels provided the first official tease toward the Young Avengers, as Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel approached Kate Bishop’s Hawkeye with the prospect of forming a new team, inspired by her experiences with Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau.

Kamala Khan was introduced as a Jersey City hero in 2022’s Ms. Marvel, while Kate Bishop trained with Clint Barton in New York during 2021’s Hawkeye. There are, of course, outliers, such as Cassie Lang in San Francisco, Skaar in Los Angeles and perhaps Prince T’Challa in Haiti and Wakanda, but these heroes could easily convene in New York to form the Young Avengers. It’s currently unclear when or if the Young Avengers will form in the MCU’s future, but they could be the perfect street-level group to protect New York City while the more experienced Avengers team battles elsewhere.