)Note: Very minor spoilers are peppered throughout this post. If you aren’t somewhat caught up to what’s going on in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as of the start of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law on Disney+, proceed at your own risk!)
In my last post, I went over who I’d pick to be on a modern day MCU Avengers team.
While today’s entry was supposed to be included, I instead wrote way too much and it had to be split in half. As a result, this post will focus on alternate members who can be rotated in as others depart. I’m also realizing now that my Avengers would actually work a lot better if they were on a Disney+ series that could truly explore the dynamics that would exist within my team.
With that in mind, to explain what influenced these choices, here’s the criteria I included with Monday’s post. It’s kind of the blueprint for how I approached constructing my Avengers.
- I limited the team down to seven members. I know the team grew out to include more in the proceeding films, but the first line-up had six with Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye. I figured that adding one extra member was fair since there are so many more to choose from now.
- I didn’t want this to be a sausagefest again. This meant the team would be made up of four men and three women. If it had been an even number, I would’ve divided it in half.
- I tried to take the status of where heroes are currently at into consideration. That’s why you don’t see someone like Scarlet Witch or Doctor Strange on my main roster. Right now, Wanda is presumed dead and Strange is in another dimension. So to make a long story short: If there isn’t a feasible way for someone to be on the team after their last official MCU appearance, they weren’t considered. When it comes to the future however… well, read on for more about that.
- Finally, the idea of my team was to create the most interesting pairing and not necessarily the most powerful group. I know that the Avengers are created to deal with the MCU’s biggest threats, but so much of the fun is about how members interact with one another. With that being said though, I did try to balance personalities with power sets and experience. While I love Kate Bishop for example, she’s a character who needs to be built up some more before becoming an Avenger.
So without further delay, here are the members on my alternates list.
Marc’s Mighty MCU Avengers Alternates
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange is said to be the Tony Stark of the multiverse saga, so this only makes sense.
I originally thought of putting him in my group instead of Moon Knight. To be honest, I most likely would’ve if he wasn’t currently off-world. As such, he’d probably be my first choice to rotate in when the former eventually takes his leave. I’d also entertain the thought of him replacing Thor or Vision because of how much it would shake up the team. Imagine Sam’s supportive shoulder to lean on being replaced by the decisive (and mostly unforgiving) doctor.
That friction is what makes him a unique fit for the Avengers. Strange’s inability to follow orders from someone else makes him interesting to me. As Christine Palmer put it in his last film, Doctor Strange always needs to be the one holding the knife. This would result in two scenarios.
- Doctor Strange would become team leader with Sam Wilson taking a backseat.
- Doctor Strange would constantly be at odds with Sam and routinely disobey orders.
Both options create a lot of great storytelling potential. Having Doctor Strange take over as team leader, especially if Sam steps down due to his own insecurities, could show exactly why this Cap has to be the leader. Going into missions with a decisive course of action is necessary, but not if you’re pissing everyone off in the process. I can’t imagine a world where Steven doesn’t end up rubbing everyone the wrong way as he commands the Avengers into battle (dude is not exactly a people person.) This would eventually lead the team into a huge defeat where Sam’s leadership ultimately bails them out and saves the day. It would showcase why his personal qualities are what make him the right leader for the Avengers… and humble Doctor Strange a bit in the process.
Alternatively, having Doctor Strange undermine Cap’s leadership would make him a different kind of wildcard. You’d never know if he was going to follow orders or not and it could lead to either positive or negative scenarios when he goes rogue. In the cases where it pays off though, Sam’s self-doubt would be triggered and create turmoil.
So maybe after Strange gets back from the dark dimension, he can fly over to Avengers mansion.
Clea
Speaking of which, my next alternate is simply out of this world! (Get it?)
If Clea had been in the MCU long enough to get fleshed out, this would be a no-brainer. Even so, I’d definitely rotate her onto the team once she’s had more time to percolate on screen. For one, being the only member from a different universe would automatically set her apart. I imagine she will also have a strong connection to the mystic arts moving forward (she’s the Sorceress Supreme in current day Marvel comics.)
Another unique aspect of Clea’s backstory is that she comes from the dark dimension: A demon/Doctor Strange villain named Nightmare is her father. Dormamu (the main villain from Doctor Strange) is also her uncle. (I really hope the two don’t end up dating… that could get awkward.)
Beyond that however, not being from earth 616 would instantly make for some unique interactions with every member. Imagine Clea trying to blend in on an Avengers girls night. What conversations and observations would her and Vision have to share? How about dealing with Moon Knight or trying to relate to a normal human like Sam?
Finally, it’s Charlize Theron. Are you really going to exclude her from your biggest franchise?
Colleen Wing
This is one pick that packs a punch… an iron punch that is!
I strongly considered including Colleen Wing before settling on Quake. Although she has only been a street level hero on the Netflix Iron Fist series, she was the last person to hold the mantle before the show got cancelled. With that power and a unique connection to The Hand, I think she would bring something to the team that no other character could.
Having to prove herself as both Iron Fist and a superhero on a larger scale would be a really interesting character arc to tell. How does she remain centred and use her powers in a meaningful way? Especially when facing cosmic threats she’s never even imagined. Colleen could also be a calming force for someone like Moon Knight or Clea if she were on the team. Having her try to explain the spiritual side of the MCU to a character as logic-based as Vision would also create an interesting contrast. Plus, who wouldn’t want to see her become bffs with She-Hulk?
Jessica Henwick also loves the character: She turned down an offer to play Shang-Chi’s sister so the role of Colleen could still be revisited one day. Now that’s dedication!
Wong
You have now entered the Wong Cinematic Universe, bitches!
Wongers represent! I thought about including Wong instead of Moon Knight but as much as I love his character, I almost feel like he would lose his charm on this team. It’s as if he’s too confident and level-headed to create a lot of conflict here. Still, it might be necessary to hold them together though. At least it would give Sam someone stable to rely upon as the core of the team. If Thor ever left, Wong could slide into that role pretty easily and provide some comedic relief when needed. It would also be interesting to hear him speak of his early days in the mystic arts and give advice to Sam. As an unlikely leader in his own right, I’m sure Wong would have lots of wisdom to impart as the Sorcerer Supreme.
And hey, we all know he’d be in charge of Avengers movie night along with DJ’ing their parties!
The Wasp
Buzz buzz, mother f*&^er!
I actually had The Wasp on my team instead of Photon until remembering Monica from Wandavision. Still, I think Hope would bring a much needed scientific perspective to the group because of her knowledge of quantum gobbledygook. There’s also a part of me that would find it really funny if she became an official member after Scott Lang was the one who acted as if he was tight with Captain America.
I think The Wasp’s most interesting interactions would be with Vision, getting close to She-Hulk and Quake but would also be curious to see how she responds to Thor and Moon Knight especially. I think Vision would fascinate her from a scientific perspective, Moon Knight would really throw her for a loop and the ladies would give her some much needed superheroine friendship. I also think she’d add a lot of fun to the team while being ready to get serious when it counts.
And man, Scott would just be so jealous!
In Conclusion: The MCU And Beyond
Well, that wraps things up for my MCU Avengers.
If I had to put a team together for Marvel Comics proper, it would probably include Captain America (a.k.a. Steve Rogers,) Thor, Hawkeye (a.k.a. Clint Barton,) Blade, Clea, Kitty Pryde and She-Hulk. Kitty Pryde would play the role of Quake and provide mutant representation. Clea would be an expert on the mystic arts while Blade plays the wildcard and helps the team in unexpected ways. As for She-Hulk and Clint, they would bring some fun to the team. Even though he wasn’t a founding member in the comics, I still can’t have an Avengers team without Captain America here either. When it comes to Thor, he’s just a solid presence all around.
So with that out of the way, there’s just one more thing to do. Here’s my team of bootleg MCU Avengers!
Mark’s Merry Avongers Team!
- Colonel Ameurica
- Thore
- Vizion
- Moon Bright (or Moon Night)
- Hulkette (or Lady-Hulk)
- Shake
- Proton
Any opinions or picks of your own? Drop a comment below or come share on my Discord server! (opens in new tab)