Marvel insider teases the names of 24 characters expected to appear in Avengers 5 (and others that are likely)

There have been a lot of exciting insights about the Marvel universe in the last couple of weeks, and that is expected to continue throughout the upcoming Con season. However, we don't have to wait for everything.

Alex Perez recently provided a lot of new information in an interview with The Cosmic Circus, and his comments have a very good track record with accuracy. According to the Marvel Studios Spoilers subreddit, his information has been correct at least 86% of the time.

One of the biggest reveals is a list of who is expected to be in the fifth Avengers movie. There has been a lot of change with this project, as the studio has discussed moving away from the Kang storyline, but it seems like there is now a more concrete path forward.

According to Alex, the status of the Avengers is currently very shaky, as "a lot of members are either off doing their own thing, dead or retired from duty." Sure enough, two of the original six Avengers are dead; Thor, Hulk, and Hawkeye are mentors for new heroes; and Steve Rogers is either old, dead, or possibly on the moon, given his absence in recent projects.

That means that the future of the Avengers is likely to be in new hands. Here's the full breakdown of which characters are expected to be in Avengers 5, where we saw them last, and other projects they are confirmed to be in before the 2026 release.

Sam Wilson as Captain America

After Steve Rogers decided to go back to his own time, Sam took over as Captain America. That journey was documented in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and he will continue to show his similarities and differences from Steve in the upcoming film, Captain America: Brave New World.

According to Alex, fans can expect Sam to be one of the central figures moving forward, taking on a role as "one of the leaders of the Avengers." This makes sense, given his experience in the military and his path with the Avengers. We'll have to see if he appears again between the new Captain America movie and Avengers 5.

Joaquín Torres as Falcon

Joaquín Torres was first introduced in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as a friend of Sam's who helped him and Bucky face off against the Flag Smashers. When Sam took over the mantle of Captain America, he passed down the EXO-7 Falcon suit to Joaquín, who is confirmed to take on the role in Captain America: Brave New World.

Wong

Since the end of the Infinity Saga, Wong has become the cameo king in the MCU. After Stephen Strange was wiped out during the Blip, Wong became the Sorcerer Supreme, which has put him at the center of several mystical threats. Since Avengers: Endgame, he has shown up in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and Ms. Marvel.

While Benedict Wong is not confirmed to be in any of the upcoming Marvel projects, he will likely appear in more projects between now and Avengers 5, such as Deadpool & Wolverine or Agatha All Along.

Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel has been a contentious figure in the MCU since her introduction in 2019, but she is becoming the central figure in all things space-related for the Avengers. Despite abandoning Earth after her own movie, she reconnected with Monica Rambeau in The Marvels in an arc setting her up as the new mentor for cosmic superheroes.

According to one of Alex Perez's previous Q&As, "Carol’s role in this saga is going to be very personal as she is currently dedicating all of her time to investigating the nature of the Quantum Bangles, where they actually came from, and using their power to find a way to bring back Monica Rambeau." With that in mind, fans can probably expect to see her appear in future X-Men related stories before Avengers 5.

Monica Rambeau

Monica Rambeau was introduced as a child in Captain Marvel, but she has taken on a much more prominent role after the Blip. She was reintroduced as a S.W.O.R.D. agent in Wandavision, where she acquired her powers. From there, she joined S.A.B.E.R. alongside Nick Fury, which led her to reconnect with Carol Danvers, bond with Kamala Khan, and ultimately get trapped in another universe where her mother was still alive and a member of the X-Men.

Thus far, Teyonah Parris has not been confirmed in future projects. However, it would be reasonable to assume she will appear in Deadpool & Wolverine and/or The Fantastic Four. She will certainly be involved in the introduction of the X-Men to the Avengers, which will probably be relevant in Avengers 5.

Shang-Chi

Shang-Chi was first introduced in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, where he was revealed to be the child of two powerful warriors. Although he was trained as an assassin from a young age, that was never the life he wanted. However, a family crisis brought him back into the fold, where he eventually claimed ownership over the mystical Ten Rings.

Per Alex, Shang-Chi has an extensive future in the next era of the MCU. The sequel to his solo movie is expected to film in 2025, and he will likely be in both the upcoming Avengers films. As both Bruce Banner and Carol Danvers were asked to investigate the rings, he will probably be at the heart of future team-ups, particularly with the more mystical superheroes.

Katy Chen

Katy is Shang-Chi's best friend and was first introduced in his solo movie, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Though she is his primary connection to ordinary life, she demonstrated talent with archery and an interest in the culture of Ta Lo. She will almost certainly be in any future projects alongside Shang-Chi, but there's also potential to see her as part of a group of street-level heroes like Kate Bishop or even in more mystical settings thanks to her connection to Sorceror Supreme Wong.

Black Panther

The superhero Black Panther is expected to appear in Avengers 5, but who exactly will be holding that role is still up for debate. After the death of T'Challa in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Shuri took on the mantle, but it doesn't seem to be a role she intends to hold for long. According to Alex, "She, along with Okoye and Nakia, are raising [T'Challa's son] so he can eventually take on the mantle and become the next ruler of Wakanda and Black Panther. "

Shuri is likely to be involved in future projects that focus on Wakanda, or those focused on Riri Williams. T'Challa's son, who may take on his father's role, might appear in Wakanda-based projects or those focused on the Young Avengers team.

Riri Williams as Ironheart

Riri Williams was first introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where she was depicted as a brilliant MIT student who invented a way to detect Vibranium. This put her directly in the middle of the war between the Wakandans and the Talokanil. She is expected to star in the Ironheart series debuting in 2025.

Jennifer Walters as She-Hulk

Jennifer Walters was first introduced in the series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, where it was revealed that she had developed a Hulk persona after being exposed to Bruce Banner's blood. Although this transformation destroyed her life as it had been, she eventually became the head of Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway's Superhuman Law Division.

She has not been confirmed to be in any future projects, but her fling with Matt Murdock means she may turn up in Daredevil: Born Again. However, she may appear in any future project, using either her legal skills or her ability to break the fourth wall.

Bruce Banner as Hulk

Although the Hulk had relatively little development in the early MCU movies, he has had a lot of focus since the end of Phase 3. Bruce Banner had become "Smart Hulk" by Avengers: Endgame, but he discovered a way to return to human form (mostly healed from his encounter with the Infinity Gauntlet) shortly thereafter.

He then appeared in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, where he was enlisted to investigate the Ten Rings, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, where he mentored his cousin on how to be a Hulk. At the end of that series, he introduced his son, Skaar. Fans can safely expect that his appearances will continue moving forward.

Alex has given some clues on where Hulk's story might go next, teasing that it will be greatly impacted by the events of Captain America: Brave New World. Apparently, upcoming projects are "setting up a World War Hulk project," where various governments will try to genetically engineer their own Hulks. Ultimately, he will confront "President Ross as the Red Hulk, which I’m being told will happen sooner rather than later."

Thor

Thor is one of the only original Avengers to still be in fighting shape, which means he'll probably pop up in future MCU films that require a powerhouse. So far, he has been in all four Thor movies and all four Avengers movies, so it's incredibly likely that he'll continue to show up frequently.

After the events of Avengers: Endgame, Thor left the future of Asgard in Valkyrie's hands, intent on finding his own path. He traveled with the Guardians of the Galaxy for a time, before joining the fight against Gorr the God Butcher with Jane Foster. In his last appearance, he was raising Gorr's daughter, Love, as his adopted daughter and battle partner.

Valkyrie

Valkyrie was first introduced in Thor: Ragnarok, where she was the last of the Asgardian Valkyries, in self-imposed exile on Sakaar. There, she teamed up with Thor to escape and save Asgard from Hela. When Thor became depressed by the actions of Thanos, Valkyrie stepped up to protect New Asgard, actions honored by Thor when he named her the new King of Asgard.

Valkyrie was last seen in The Marvels, where she invited the Skrull refugees to come to New Asgard. It's likely that she will have similar diplomatic cameos in the future, and Alex suggested that she will have a role in Thor 5, with heavy emphasis on Valhalla.

Spider-Man... but which one?

Peter Parker first joined the MCU in Captain America: Civil War, before appearing in his own three movies and the next two Avengers movies. However, Spider-Man: No Way Home complicated things by introducing the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield versions of the character to the MCU and erasing the memory of Peter Parker from everyone's memory.

Because of this, Spider-Man could show up in a variety of different forms in the future. While Alex shared that "Spider-Man will be a very important character for these next few stories," Tom Holland has stepped back from acting and shown some hesitance at returning to the role without the right story. Because of that, people have speculated that one of the other actors might step up.

In addition, Miles Morales has become incredibly popular thanks to the Spiderverse films. Alex mentioned that there are "plans for him to be incorporated into the MCU storyline in live action, but really way down the line, so it will be a while."

Other rumored information about Spider-Man's future includes an appearance in What If...? season three and serious repercussions from the events of Daredevil: Born Again. In his own movie, the plots will revolve around "Peter Parker’s past. But villain-wise, I know they are looking to introduce more villains who haven’t been done in movies before, reutilizing the old ones."

Matt Murdock as Daredevil

Although the Netflix Marvel shows were not considered canon until very recently, fans will want to watch them to get a full understanding of who Matt Murdock is as Daredevil. To cover the basics, Matt is a young Catholic man who was blinded at a young age. After losing his sight, he developed extraordinary senses and was trained by a man named Stick as a powerful fighter.

Daredevil has generally been a street-level fighter, trying to take care of the people in and around Hell's Kitchen, New York. When not fighting crimes, he is a lawyer alongside his friends/partners Foggy Nelson and Karen Page. There are three seasons of the original Daredevil show and one season of The Defenders that takes place after season two of Daredevil.

The series was beloved by fans as some of the best non-MCU content from Marvel, which led to its introduction in the MCU. Matt represented Peter Parker as a client in Spider-Man: No Way Home and appeared in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law under both his civilian and vigilante personas. He also briefly appeared in the Echo series, thanks to his rivalry with Wilson Fisk (Kingpin).

Fans can expect to see Daredevil appear not just in his own upcoming show (Daredevil: Born Again), but also in other projects dealing with street-level crime. According to Alex, other members of the Defenders might show up in the future, but Luke Cage will be more likely than Danny Rand. We'll know more about Daredevil's future once the new series releases, which Alex described as having incredibly high stakes and "some of the best [stories] ever put out by any Marvel production, period."

Stephen Strange as Doctor Strange

Stephen Strange was a talented neurosurgeon who learned magic after losing the ability to fully use his hands in a car crash. He acquired the Time Stone and used it to protect Earth as the Sorceror Supreme before losing it to Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. He came back after the Blip to find that Wong had taken his position, and he was just an incredibly powerful magic user.

This put him in a position to do a lot of harm. As shown in What if...?, Stephen Strange is willing to destroy the universe for the right cause. He cast a spell in Spider-Man: No Way Home that nearly broke the walls between universes and ended with everybody forgetting who Peter Parker was. He then faced off against Wanda Maximoff in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, using the Darkhold to protect America Chavez and prevent multiversal destruction.

The end of his second film left Doctor Strange mentoring Chavez, alongside Wong, before introducing Clea, a sorceress who needed his help in stopping another incursion. This scene revealed Strange was still, at least partially, under the influence of the Darkhold. Future projects will likely see him continue to deal with the stability of his Earth (and the multiverse?), as well as handling magical threats. He is currently the only character officially confirmed to be in Avengers 5.

Clea

Clea is one of the newest introductions to the MCU, so there isn't much to know about her. She first appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' mid-credit scene, where she told Dr. Strange that his multiversal travel had caused an incursion in the Dark Dimension.

Per the comics, she is a powerful sorceress who becomes intrigued by Strange during his fights with Dormammu (her uncle). They develop a romantic relationship over time, and she becomes one of his closest allies. Per the Marvel Studios Character Encyclopedia Updated Edition, Clea already has the ability to travel the multiverse, which makes her a likely figure to appear in future cosmic and multiversal stories.

America Chavez

America Chavez joined the MCU in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where she was chased across the Multiverse by the Scarlet Witch's minions. She has the power to open rifts between universes, which made her a target for both Wanda and darker versions of Dr. Strange. By the end of the movie, she had begun studying the mystic arts at Kamar-Taj under Wong.

According to Alex, America is "expected to return as part of one of the Avengers teams heading into Avengers 5. I guess you guys can assume which one." It's most likely that she will be part of the emerging Young Avengers, although she has been a part of other teams like the all-female A-Force and the Ultimates in the comics.

Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel

Kamala Khan is currently one of the most prominent young heroes in the MCU, with both a solo show and a team movie under her belt. Kamala was a super fan of the Avengers, with a special affection for Captain Marvel. After receiving a bangle from her grandmother, she developed light-based creation powers. These were from a combination of the bangle's own power and Kamala's genes (AKA possessing the X-gene).

She had to face off against both Damage Control and the Clandestines in Ms. Marvel, but her problems got much worse when her abilities became entangled with Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau in The Marvels. However, it also connected her (and her family) to the other superheroes, Nick Fury, and S.A.B.E.R.

During that film, the bangle was identified as one of a pair of quantum bands, which can create wormholes when used together. However, that damages the stability of the universe, which created the rift that trapped Monica Rambeau in another dimension. When the series ended, Kamala had both quantum bands, was forming a familial relationship with Captain Marvel, and was creating a team of young superheroes (the soon-to-be Young Avengers).

Kate Bishop as Hawkeye

Kate was first introduced in the Hawkeye series, where she is depicted as a rich young woman with an incredible talent for archery. She ended up with Clint Barton's Ronin costume after an encounter with the Tracksuit Mafia, which eventually led to her teaming up with Clint to stop Kingpin. In the process, she also faced off against Maya Lopez (Echo) and Yelena Belova.

After her mother was arrested for multiple crimes, Kate was taken in by Clint, who introduced her to his family and suggested they share the hero name "Hawkeye." At the end of The Marvels, Kate came home to find Kamala Khan in her apartment, who wanted her as the first recruit for the Young Avengers.

According to Alex, Kate will continue working with Kamala in the future, and her presence in "Avengers 5 and 6 is certain." While there may be a second season of Hawkeye, he expects Avengers 5 will come first, as Kate's next big appearance.

Clint Barton as Hawkeye

Clint Barton is one of the few original Avengers still actively involved in the superhero world, although he is still semi-retired to focus on his family. To capture his full journey, fans would have to watch all four Avengers movies, Thor, Captain America: Civil War, and the Hawkeye series. The broad strokes are that he was a well-respected S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who became a member of the Avengers thanks to his skill with archery.

After losing his wife and children to the Blip, Clint took on the name Ronin and went around killing criminals, including members of the Tracksuit Mafia. He rejoined the Avengers to undo the Snap, but was heartbroken after Natasha sacrificed herself to get the Soul Stone. He met Kate Bishop during a family trip to New York City and became a begrudging mentor to the young archer.

Clint was targeted by Maya Lopez, the leader of the Tracksuit Gang, and Yelena Belova, Natasha's sister. He eventually made peace with both, guiding Maya to turn against Kingpin and helping Yelena accept her grief. He also brought Kate into his family, agreeing to share the title of "Hawkeye" with her moving forward.

Clint will likely be a side character in future projects involving Kate Bishop and/or Yelena Belova.

Cassie Lang as Stature

Cassie Lang is the daughter of the current Ant-Man, Scott Lang. She adored her father as a child and dreamed of becoming his partner. However, he resisted the idea of her getting involved in hero business because of the dangers. When Thanos won in Avengers: Infinity War, Cassie ended up having to take care of herself after her parents all disappeared.

After Scott returned in Endgame and brought her family back, Cassie was much more guarded. She had dedicated herself to studying the Quantum Realm and was passionate about experiencing it herself. Cassie began working with Hank Pym behind her father's back, and she fought for social justice. In Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, she went to the Quantum Realm along with the rest of the team and convinced Scott to fight back against Kang.

At the end of The Marvels, Kamala Khan mentions Cassie to Kate Bishop as one of the young heroes she plans to recruit to the Young Avengers. This means Cassie will likely have a growing presence in the MCU moving forward, in both her father's stories and her own.

Ant-Man and The Wasp

After their confrontation with Kang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne are some of the only people with experience against the multiversal conqueror. Therefore, they were practically guaranteed to be part of the Kang Dynasty. While changes to the upcoming Avengers film may require some serious pivots, Alex shared, "Last I heard, the Ant-Man and the Wasp duo would be one of the central motifs in [Avengers 5]."

The duo has kept their focus on family throughout the Ant-Man movies, with Scott focusing on his relationship with his daughter and Hope reconnecting with her mom. Although both families were endangered by Kang in Quantumania, the full group made it out alive.

However, actress Evangeline Lilly recently announced that she was retiring from acting. While she might make an exception for future appearances as van Dyne, it's just as likely that the character will be recast or swapped for a variant. Only time will tell what is to come for these characters, but both are likely to appear again.

Other characters to look out for

One more tidbit from Alex is that "the TVA will play a very central part in this story following the events of Deadpool & Wolverine, so expect some of the Loki fan favorites to return." Loki is far too complex of a series to summarize here, but as a quick refresher, the show introduced the version of Loki that escaped in Avengers: Endgame.

That version of Loki was captured by the Time Variance Authority, a powerful bureaucracy that rigidly protected the Sacred Timeline by eliminating variants and alternate worlds. There, he worked with Mobius and Hunter B-15 to try to capture a female version of himself named Sylvie. He and Sylvie eventually met He Who Remains, a Kang variant who was controlling the timeline to keep other versions of himself from invading.

Any of those characters could appear in some form or fashion in Avengers 5. In addition, Alex said to "Expect variants for these upcoming movies. Variants of who or what, I am unable to specifically disclose at this time, except, some are fan favorites and others are new faces." It's almost certain that one of these variants will be Captain Carter (previously seen in What if...? and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), but other popular theories include variants of Wanda Maximoff and Tony Stark.

Because the TVA and the multiverse are expected to be so important in Deadpool and Wolverine, further guesses can likely be made after that releases. With the MCU opening up to other Marvel movies and series, it's anybody's guess just how large the full cast of Avengers 5 may be.