Avengers 4: Five Marvel heroes that can be introduced

5. Captain Universe

Captain Universe both is and isn’t a character. Captain Universe is the wielder of the Uni-Power, an extension of a power called the Enigma Force and a defense mechanism of sorts for Eternity itself. It selects a worthy host in times of great need and grants them immense cosmic powers. It’s a power that’s found Sue Richards, Spider-Man, the Hulk, and many, many more over the years.

Introducing Captain Universe and the Uni-Power could be an interesting twist to Avengers 4. It would represent existence itself rising to oppose Thanos; even if the Uni-Power isn’t as powerful as the Infinity Gauntlet, it would still be a tremendous asset for our heroes.

It would also be easy to explain why we’ve never seen the Uni-Power until now. That’s because nothing has threatened the universe writ large until Thanos completed the Infinity Gauntlet.

The next big question is who should wield the Uni-Power in Avengers 4. Steve Rogers or Tony Stark would be obvious candidates, as main characters and righteous heroes, but they’re also far from the weakest Avengers. Choosing Black Widow or Hawkeye would show some love to the underdogs, while giving it to Rocket Raccoon would just be hilarious.

While the Uni-Power would be fun, and offer some story options down the road, it comes with downsides. It takes away from what makes a character distinctive, for one. For another, it is pure deus ex machina. “Oh, this character is having a bad day? Have some Uni-Power out of nowhere!” If the MCU does introduce it, it would need to make it something a character earns. Obtaining it would probably work best as a quest some heroes undertake before confronting Thanos, much like Thor obtaining Stormbreaker.