MCU Theory Unites The 1970s Avengers – Every Member Explained

One new theory imagines what the Avengers could have looked like had they formed in the 1970s, decades before the official Avengers team formed in the MCU Phase 1. Tony Stark’s Iron Man may have been the first on-screen superhero in the MCU, but there were several superpowered individuals who existed prior to his first adventure as the armored hero. While this includes Steve Rogers’ Captain America and Carol Danvers’ Captain Marvel, a new theory imagines what an Avengers team could have looked like had they been brought together in the 1970s, after Rogers had been put on ice and before Danvers had gained her abilities.

Playing off a rumor that Marvel Studios’ What If…? season 2 would be exploring this concept, Reddit user HansenTheMan posed a theory that several of the MCU’s historical heroes could have been brought together to form the Avengers in the 1970s. This idea was expanded upon by several other Reddit users, with many names appearing of heroes who existed prior to 2008’s Iron Man that could have realistically joined the avenging cause. These six primary heroes seem to perfectly slot into roles filled by many of the MCU’s official Avengers members, so this would perhaps be a great story to explore in the MCU’s What If…? or a live-action project.

5 Isaiah Bradley

Carl Lumbly debuted as Isaiah Bradley in Phase 4’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, a Korean War veteran who was tested with a super-soldier serum in the 1950s that granted him abilities similar to Steve Rogers. However, as the government feared the ramifications of an African-American super soldier, Bradley was imprisoned, released in the 1980s after his death was faked. Isaiah Bradley would have been the perfect candidate to fill the Captain America position on an Avengers team in the 1970s, as he was the only survivor of these super-soldier serum trials, meaning he was the United States’ only super soldier until Captain America reawoke in the 21st Century.

4 Howard Stark

Tony Stark’s father was portrayed by John Slattery in his later years, but Dominic Cooper in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, which showed that Howard Stark had worked closely with the SSR to develop the technology capable of transforming Steve Rogers into Captain America. Howard went on to found SHIELD, so if a 1970s Avengers team was brought together by the organization, Stark certainly would have had a part to play. It’s unlikely Stark would have become Iron Man like his son – though he did create the HYDRA Stomper in What If…? using the Tesseract – but his technical prowess and engineering mind would have benefited the team.

3 King T’Chaka

Although it’s unclear exactly when King T’Chaka, T’Challa’s father, became the Black Panther, it’s very likely he was operating as the masked Protector of Wakanda in the 1970s, meaning he would have made an excellent addition to the Avengers team. As the Black Panther, T’Chaka displayed many of the same abilities as his son, though his vibranium suit was decorated with traditional African garments as well as the sleek, black costume. As the time of T’Chaka’s reign as King and Black Panther, Wakanda was still very much in the shadows, but it’s possible he could have joined the Avengers if his nation had been under attack, perhaps by Ulysses Klaue.

2 Hank Pym & Janet Van Dyne

Avengers: Endgame proved that Hank Pym was operating as Ant-Man and working for SHIELD in 1970, meaning that he would have been a clear candidate to join an Avengers team, and he probably would have brought his wife, Janet Van Dyne, along, as she was then operating as the Wasp. Janet Van Dyne became trapped in the Quantum Realm after a mission in 1987, meaning the pair had been operating as heroes around the time a 1970s Avengers team would have formed. Since Ant-Man and the Wasp were founding members of the Avengers in Marvel Comics, this would have provided a fun callback for fans of the comics.

1 Peggy Carter

While the MCU’s main version of Peggy Carter never had any superpowers to speak of, she was the Director of SHIELD in the 1970s, meaning she would have likely been the driving force behind bringing a team of superheroes together. This would mean that Carter would have assumed the role of Nick Fury in the modern-day Avengers team, acting as the team’s benefactor and support behind-the-scenes. It’s very likely that Peggy would have made the decision to bring these heroes together after her experience with Steve Rogers, and with Hank Pym, Janet Van Dyne, and Howard Stark already on the SHIELD payroll, it would have been a fairly straightforward task.

Other MCU Heroes Who Could’ve Been In A 1970s Avengers Team

As well as these six primary heroes being suggested to flesh out the core of a 1970s Avengers team, there are also several other heroes who could potentially have joined the team, though they may seem a little less likely. Each of these superpowered individuals would certainly have their reasons for not joining an Avengers team, particularly if it was still under the watchful eye of SHIELD – even if it was led by Peggy Carter instead of Nick Fury. However, had these other five heroes joined the 1970s Avengers team, the group would have been incredibly powerful and a force to be reckoned with for any potential villain.

Odin

Thor would have been alive during the 1970s, but this would have been the version of the God of Thunder before his reality check in 2011’s Thor, so instead of the egotistical future-King joining the Avengers, his father may have taken his place. Odin would have been a formidable addition to the 1970s Avengers team, as the King of Asgard and Ruler of the Nine Realms, and having proved his power in dozens of wars over his life. It’s unlikely Odin would have joined the Avengers, having an apathy towards humanity and being busy ruling Asgard, but he would have been a massive advantage to the team in any battle.

Melina Vostokoff

Much like her surrogate daughters, Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova, Melina Vostokoff was trained in the Red Room from a young age to become a Black Widow assassin. Vostokoff underwent four rounds of training prior to 1984, which means that she may have been primed to join an Avengers team in the 1970s if she had defected from Russia, much like Romanoff. Natasha Romanoff’s Black Widow was a huge asset to the modern-day Avengers team, bringing an excellent level of hand-to-hand combat skills and intuition to the team, which Melina Vostokoff could have replicated perfectly, had she turned her back on General Dreykov and the Red Room.

Elliot Randolph

Although the canonicity of Marvel Television’s Agents of SHIELD is still a hot topic of discussion, the series introduced yet another Asgardian who could have taken a position on the 1970s Avengers team. Elliot Randolph was revealed to be an Asgardian Beserker in Agents of SHIELD season 1, episode 8, “The Well,” which revealed that he had stayed on Earth after a battle centuries ago, posing as a human professor of Norse mythology. While all Asgardians are strong, Randolph would have brought a brutality to the 1970s Avengers team, though his desire to keep his true nature hidden perhaps would have meant he would be reluctant to join the team.

The Ancient One

Supposedly born in the 14th Century, Tilda Swinton’s Ancient One would have certainly been around in the 1970s to join an Avengers team, having acquired a form of immortality from her taking of power from the Dark Dimension. The Ancient One acted as the Sorcerer Supreme for centuries, which would have made her an incredibly powerful and valuable asset, though her responsibilities as the Sorcerer Supreme and her leading the training of new Masters of the Mystic Arts in Kamar-Taj may have made her unavailable. Doctor Strange is one of the strongest Avengers, and the Ancient One could have taken this position long before he gained his abilities.

Bill Foster

Much like Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, Bill Foster also worked for SHIELD around the time that a 1970s Avengers team would form and had worked on Project GOLIATH with Pym, which involved him wearing a suit that allowed him to grow in size. Goliath is set to appear in What If…? season 2, suggesting that Foster did operate as this hero in the MCU’s history, so he may have been a valuable addition to the Avengers, much like Scott Lang’s Ant-Man is currently. Any or all of these historical heroes on the roster would have made an Avengers team in the MCU’s 1970s an incredibly powerful force.