The MCU Has 5 Superhero Teams With Uncertain Futures (& Only 1 Confirmed)

When the Marvel Cinematic Universe began, even the six-member original team-up of the Avengers was a daunting feat, but in a post-Infinity Saga world, the studio seems to be moving toward not one expanded team of heroes, but a whole host of separate super teams. Between pre-existing teams, recently established ones, and teased superhero team-ups, the studio is juggling a lot of moving parts. As such, Phases 4 and 5 have begun developing narratives for the MCU’s teams that have yet to be paid off onscreen.

Even the established teams are in a state of limbo, with the Avengers in desperate need of a new roster, and the Guardians of the Galaxy’s future left open as the team basically disbanded in their last outing. Meanwhile, the MCU timeline continues to tease and build toward establishing more teams with equally uncertain futures. So far, most of the MCU’s future superhero team-ups remain unconfirmed, save for the upcoming 2025 release, Marvel’s Thunderbolts.

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5 MCU Superhero Teams With No Confirmed Future… Yet

The Young Avengers

The Young Avengers team-up is still in the early stages of development, with no confirmed projects featuring them, although the heroes are expected to come together in Phase 6. In fact, their line-up is still up in the air, with the only confirmed members Kamala Khan’s (Iman Vellani) Ms. Marvel and her first recruit, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), as teased in The Marvels. Nevertheless, there are several young contenders to join this youthful team of heroes.

The Eternals

In Phase 4, the MCU introduced the Eternals, a group of superpowered beings that have rarely interfered in the affairs of Earth. The film, Eternals ends with several cliffhangers, in spite of which a sequel is unlikely. The movie’s mixed to negative reactions seem to have cooled the studio’s desire to bring this team to the forefront in the near future, although there is a chance the characters’ impacts will be felt in future projects that may revisit the birth of the Celestial, Tiamut.

The Defenders

The MCU has not always been the most clear on which projects fall under its canon, particularly experienced in the case of the previously ignored Netflix-Marvel shows. With the recent return of the villain Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) and the imminent return of flagship hero, Daredevil (Charlie Cox), among other characters from this corner of Marvel television, there remains uncertainty around the resurgence of the street-level team, The Defenders. If these shows are indeed canon, it should be only a matter of time before the heroes return, but for now, this is a team whose future remains in question.

The Guardians Of The Galaxy

Based on the ending of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and the departure of the trilogy’s director, James Gunn, it would make sense for this team’s journey to have concluded. The post-credits promise for a return of the Guardians, however, says otherwise. The original roster has basically disbanded, with a new team led by Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) taking over, leaving the future of both the team and its original characters in the air.

The Main Avengers’ New Roster

With the focus on introducing new heroes and developing new teams, the team to begin it all, the Avengers, seem to be on the backburner. After Avengers: Endgame, the only remaining members of the original team are the Hulk, Thor, and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), all of whom were last seen in the capacity of mentors to possible future Young Avengers. The upcoming Captain America: Brave New World led by Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) wielding the shield may provide some desperately needed leadership, but the rest remains to be seen.

Only Thunderbolts Have A Real MCU Future Now

The only confirmed and directly impending project featuring a prominent super team is antihero and reformed villain-led title team in Marvel’s Thunderbolts, led by antiheroes and reformed villains. The upcoming film will be an interesting twist on the Avengers-style team, partly due to the characters’ dark pasts, but also due to hints that the Thunderbolts will be a government-backed group. The reveal of Contessa Valentina Allegra De Fontaine (Julia-Louis Dreyfuss) as Director of the CIA certainly suggests this, as does the inclusion of Harrison Ford in the role of President Thaddeus Ross in the film.

The team’s lineup includes fan-favorites like Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) as the Winter Solider and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) as the new Black Widow. The other members of the Thunderbolts include John Walker (Wyatt Russell), formerly the official Captain America, now titled U.S. Agent, Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) a.k.a. Red Guardian, father figure to Yelena, Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen) a.k.a. Ghost, and Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko) a.k.a. Taskmaster. Marvel’s Thunderbolts certainly marks the first proper team-up in the MCU since Endgame, which may well bode well for the movie as is shapes the future of the franchise.

Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)