Credit: Marvel StudiosMarvel has confirmed a new Avengers reboot focusing on the classic squad of beloved characters.
Marvel’s Avengers
While the team has been a long-standing fixture in the Marvel Comics universe, the Avengers in Kevin Feige’s Marvel Cinematic Universe have only been around since 2008. There, Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man, debuted as the first MCU hero and eventual Avenger.
It wouldn’t be until four years later that the Avengers would officially assemble in Joss Whedon’s The Avengers (2012). Joining Downey Jr. would be Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner/Hulk, and Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow.
The famous squad would reunite three more times in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Of course, between Avengers and each entry, the stars continued to appear in both starring and supporting roles across Phase Two and Phase Three.
While many feel like the MCU should have ended after Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios has projects planned through 2027, where Phase Six and the Multiverse Saga will end with Avengers: Secret Wars. A year prior, Avengers 5 (formerly Avengers: The Kang Dynasty) will be released.
Presently, the only known information regarding Avengers 5 and Secret Wars is that Loki creator Michael Waldron will be penning both scripts following Jeff Loveness’s exit from the former. Destin Daniel Cretton was once attached to direct Avengers 5 but, like Loveness, dropped out to work on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 2 (TBD) and his Marvel Spotlight series, Wonder Man.
As always, there are rumors about the return of some classic Avengers characters in Avengers 5 or Secret Wars. Names like Downey Jr. and Tom Holland, who plays Peter Parker/Spider-Man, have been linked to Secret Wars, with the former stating he would be up for returning as Iron Man in the franchise. The Avengers movie may be the place where this comes true.
As Kevin Feige and Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger steer the MCU ship to less rocky waters, Marvel Comics is also getting stuck into one of their most popular properties.
“Avengers Assemble” Just Five Months Away
The comic book giant recently confirmed that the Avengers will once again assemble in Steve Orlando’s “Avengers Assemble” title, a new reboot of the Avengers story, which begins this November.
“This is a great time to assemble!” Orlando told Marvel.com. “AVENGERS ASSEMBLE is bringing a murderer’s row of classic Avengers back to the Mansion, and classic comics storytelling is coming with it! A team of icons and new recruits alike, but heavy on the icons! And in every issue, a barnburner of an entire story packed into twenty pages!”
The squad being brought together for Orlando’s new run sees the return of many classic and familiar faces.
“Reporting for duty are: Captain America (Steve Rogers), Wasp, Hawkeye (Clint Barton), Hercules, She-Hulk, Photon, Night Thrasher, Lightning, Wonder Man, Shang-Chi, and Lightspeed (Julie Power),” Marvel.com confirms.
What is interesting here is that many of these characters already have a presence in the MCU–or have confirmed upcoming projects coming soon.
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Steve Rogers was last seen handing over his shield to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) in the final moments of Avengers: Endgame, while Clint Barton featured in the 2021 Hawkeye series. Then there’s Shang-Chi, Photon (AKA Monica Rambeau), She-Hulk, and Hercules, who have also all had live-action appearances.
In terms of Wonder Man, Destin Daniel Cretton will soon bring his series to Disney+ with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the title role. Could this Avengers comic reboot be a precursor to what Feige’s studio may do with the squad in the MCU? Fans won’t know until further down the line in Phase Five.
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But as for Wasp, while the character has been prominent since Ant-Man was released in 2015, chances are she will not be included if this squad is hinting at the live-action iteration. Hope van Dyne/Wasp actress Evangeline Lilly recently confirmed her retirement from acting, leaving her role of eight years behind.
“Avengers Assemble” promises readers “a modern take on classic Avengers adventure and drama” and “fast-paced adventures […] jam-packed with action intermixed with exciting team bonding, thoughtful character development, and interpersonal stakes!”
The official synopsis of the upcoming series reads:
As vampires attack the Marvel Universe, a ragtag group of volunteer Avengers set out to change the tide of battle. And in the aftermath, Captain America will form the Avengers Emergency Response Squad! Steve’s handpicked team of veterans and newcomers live and train in Avengers Mansion, and when Captain America sounds the mission horn, whoever’s on base has seconds to pack up and deploy.
While Steve Orlando is handling the story, the artists on the new series run include. Cory Smith, Scot Eaton, Marcelo Ferreira, Valentina Pinti, and more.
Will you be picking up this new “Avengers Assemble” comic? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!