Following a six-year gap in Avengers movies, 2025 will bring the big guns as Phase 6 finishes with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. With new team-up movies comes the potential for crossovers between the MCU's biggest names, and after such a long break, there will be plenty to look forward to.
While there are still dozens of projects left to premiere in Phase 5 and Phase 6, it's only natural to think about who fans need to see interact once The Kang Dynasty hits theaters in May 2025.
Meetings That Should Come in Avengers 5
Thus far, the only MCU star that's confirmed to be part of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty is its titular villain - Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror. But outside of Kang's involvement, along with director Destin Daniel Cretton and writer Jeff Loveness being signed to develop the story, there are no reports regarding who will actually star in the movie.
There are, of course, nearly three dozen new entries within the MCU from the Multiverse Saga alone that include characters with the potential to show up in Avengers 5. Combine that with all the heroes and villains that have been around since the Infinity Saga, and it makes for plenty of interactions that fans want to see on the big screen.
Below are over a dozen of interactions that The Direct believes are important to see over the next Avengers entries.
Captain Marvel Meets the New Captain America
While Sam Wilson and Carol Danvers both debuted in the Infinity Saga, they've never actually shared screen time with one another outside of the Avengers-centric dinner attraction on the newly-launched Disney Wish. And considering they are sure to be two of the team's most important heroes from a leadership perspective, it's about time that they are introduced to one another.
With Sam now taking over the mantle of Captain America, he'll have almost a responsibility to help bring the team together, as will Carol when she returns from her adventure alongside Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau in The Marvels. Sam can be the face of the Earth-based heroes while Carol can do the same on the cosmic side, leading to a highly-anticipated first meeting between the two touted captains.
Peter Parker Re-Meets the Avengers
Following Peter Parker's last run in Spider-Man: No Way Home, he now lives in a world where nobody knows about his existence thanks to Doctor Strange's spell that erased him from everybody's minds. This means that when he does meet up with the Avengers again, he'll have to go through his emotional identity reveal all over again after Mysterio ruined his life in his last MCU solo movie.
Doctor Strange 2 confirmed that his identity is now hidden, setting up a wild reunion with the master magician along with numerous other Avengers that could still be around. Now, while the Avengers have likely heard about Spider-Man, it will be an entirely new experience for all of them along with Peter himself when it's revealed that he's still a kid, no matter how old he is when that time comes.
The Fantastic Four's First Battle Against Kang
Although fans are still waiting to see the Fantastic Four make their long-awaited MCU debut, Kang the Conqueror has already been teased and he's confirmed for more mayhem quite soon. Seeing as this villain is one of the main antagonists for Marvel's First Family in the comics, it's only natural for audiences to want to see this battle manifest on the big screen for the first time.
Considering that Fantastic Four kicks off Phase 6 about six months ahead of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, this matchup will remain in the spotlight for a long time - it could even be teased at the end of the team's first solo movie. But whatever the relationship develops into, it's sure to be a battle for the ages as Nathaniel Richards faces his descendent in Reed Richards and his superhero family.
Kamala Khan and Kate Bishop - Young Avengers Meet
While the Young Avengers still hasn't been officially confirmed for the MCU, there's no question that the team is on the way. Over the past year, the MCU has introduced a couple of younger female heroes that should play key roles in the next Avengers outing and the Young Avengers team in Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan and Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop.
Their relationship will be particularly fun to watch, as Kate is arguably Hawkeye's biggest fan and Kamala is a superfan for all things Avengers, but specifically Captain Marvel. Seeing them geek out over their idols while fighting alongside them at the same time will only add a new sense of fun, even while the Multiverse could be in serious jeopardy.
Doctor Strange and Shang-Chi Meet Through Wong
In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Simu Liu's titular hero formed a relationship with the new Sorcerer Supreme, Wong, before meeting a couple of other big Avengers in the Hulk and Captain Marvel. And after that film finished with Shang-Chi and Wong singing "Hotel California" at karaoke night alongside Awkwafina's Katy, the next step will be for the Masters of the Mystic Arts and Martial Arts to make each other's acquaintances.
Once Doctor Strange comes back from his adventure with Clea, Wong is sure to want to introduce him to Shang-Chi, especially with the new hero possessing the Ten Rings. With that weapon being such a vital MacGuffin and with Doctor Strange being the semi-expert on all things Multiverse, their team-up effort will be a vital one in terms of helping the Avengers accomplish their mission.
Loki Encounters The Big Kahuna Kang
In Episode 6 of Loki, Tom Hiddleston's God of Mischief got his first taste of what lay ahead of him with the Multiverse thanks to He Who Remains' death. And of course, as Loki will later find out, He Who Remains is one of countless Variants of the MCU's next Thanos-level big bad in Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror.
While Loki Season 2 will deal with even more of Kang, fans hope Hiddleston will be a part of the cast of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty so the Avengers' first villain can meet the prime version of the team's newest antagonist. This should bring more terror for Loki than he's ever experienced before, but hopefully, he'll be able to lend his expertise to Earth's Mightiest Heroes in order to help win the upcoming battle.
Wanda and White Vision Settle Differences
In the final episodes of WandaVision, former SWORD director Tyler Hayward booted up a new version of Vision known as White Vision before sending it out to fight Paul Bettany's Hex-revived android. This fight ended with the Hex-Vision implanting his memories into the real White Vision before the latter flew out of Westview to an undisclosed new location.
While there are no signs pointing to where or when White Vision could return, Wanda's eventual comeback after Doctor Strange 2 is already hot on the radar considering her status as one of the most powerful Avengers in the game. Fans are only hoping that Wanda and White Vision can rekindle some of their old magic when they meet again, especially with Bettany's new take on the hero now holding all of his predecessor's memories and experiences.
The Sun Shines on Loki and Thor
The last time the MCU faithful saw the core versions of Chris Hemsworth's Thor and Tom Hiddleston's Loki together was when Thanos snapped Loki's neck right in front of the God of Thunder in Avengers: Infinity War. Since then, Thor has had an empty space in his life without his brother while a time-displaced Loki now works for the Time Variance Authority.
On top of Loki being a key piece of the battle itself, seeing the Asgardian brothers reunite after so long apart would certainly be in the running for one of the MCU's most emotional moments ever. This will give the pair a quick moment to hopefully set things straight with one another and build the relationship they deserve, but whether they both make it out of the movie alive is another mystery entirely.
Hawkeye Brings Wanda Down to Earth
Throughout the back half of the Infinity Saga, Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye developed an interesting mentor/mentee relationship with Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff. Having first met in Avengers: Age of Ultron before working together over the course of Phase 3, both of them leaned on each other after losing Vision in Avengers: Infinity War and Natasha Romanoff in Avengers: Endgame.
Since then, they've both gone on their own separate journeys, with Clint Barton taking on the duty of training Kate Bishop and Wanda's fate still being unknown after her villainous run in Doctor Strange 2. Should Wanda come back, fans are certainly hoping that Hawkeye will help her see the error of her ways and get her back on the right side of the battle, and back on the lunch box.
Deadpool Joins the MCU
Thanks to an internet-breaking announcement from Ryan Reynolds, fans now know that the untitled Deadpool 3 will join the MCU at the tail end of Phase 5 in 2024 - complete with Hugh Jackman's Wolverine in tow. This means that the Merc with a Mouth will finally have the opportunity to meet some of the biggest names that make up the Avengers - names that Deadpool has already poked fun at in his first two solo movies.
While there are no confirmed interactions in store for Deadpool yet, Chris Hemsworth has expressed interest in appearing in Deadpool 3, and fans are crying out already to see Wade Wilson's bromance with Peter Parker brought to life. This will start off in his own solo threequel, and Avengers 5 will only expand the possibilities for the red-suited anti-hero even further.
Moon Knight, The Hulk, and Numerous Alters
Throughout Moon Knight's first season on Disney+, fans were banking on a rumor that Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/Hulk would pop in for a cameo appearance at some point. This would have brought together two characters who struggle with their personalities - Banner having worked through his issues with the Hulk and Mark Spector having struggled with his Dissociative Identity Disorder.
Seeing the two interact would bring quite the dynamic as both of them share their experience dealing with multiple alters, especially considering their vastly different backgrounds in science and mercenary work. But with at least five different personalities in play between the two heroes, the back-and-forth between Banner and Spector would make for some wild interactions as the Avengers reassemble.
Reed Richards and Shuri - Brilliant Minds Combine
The MCU is already full of some of the most brilliant minds in comic book movie history, including the late Tony Stark, Hank Pym, and Bruce Banner. But in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, there's one high-IQ duo that will have the opportunity to meet for the first time when Reed Richards finds himself face-to-face with the Wakandan princess Shuri.
The former was introduced as "the smartest man alive" as John Krasinski's Variant debuted in Doctor Strange 2, while Shuri is known as Wakanda's technological expert, having developed every Black Panther suit seen on screen thus far. While their brilliance is displayed in different ways, fans can only imagine the conversations that they'll have as they work out a way to defeat Kang and his army.
Ironheart and War Machine Continue Iron Man's Legacy
While Tony Stark will be long gone by the time Avengers 5 comes around, two Iron-based heroes will still be thriving in Don Cheadle's James Rhodes and Dominique Thorne's Riri Williams. Cheadle was recently confirmed to have his Armor Wars series become a full-length movie where he'll lead the way as War Machine, while Thorne will first deliver Ironheart in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever before taking on her own solo series in 2023.
Even though these two will hopefully interact with one another in Avengers 5, there's a real chance that they could meet prior to that, most likely as Rhodey tackles dangerous Iron Man technology in Armor Wars. But if that doesn't happen, these two Earth-based heroes will certainly be on each other's radars as Kang begins his assault on their home planet.
Deadpool and She-Hulk Demolish the Fourth Wall
The MCU will have a double dose of fourth-wall-breakers by the time Avengers 5 comes around, with She-Hulk: Attorney at Law almost finished with its first season and Deadpool 3 coming at the tail end of Summer 2024. With these projects' leading heroes being two of the MCU's naturally funniest characters, utilizing their comedic skills to full effect, fans will be anxious to see what happens when they meet one another on camera.
Neither of them has ever really interacted with another character on-screen that could also break the fourth wall, leaving plenty of unexplored plot developments for them to tackle once that meeting happens. Hopefully, they'll be able to lighten the mood for a moment or two, even while they figure out how to work with the Avengers to save the Multiverse from imminent doom.
What Character Combos Will Come in Avengers 5?
With Avengers: The Kang Dynasty still more than three years away, there are sure to be plenty of other characters and interactions that will become a reality in the time leading up to that major release. But this new movie will be the first chance the MCU will have had in six years to bring about meetings of this magnitude, the longest gap between Avengers movies in MCU history.
The new movie has the chance to bring together potentially more than five Phases of heroes into play alongside one another - everybody from Phase 1's Hulk to Phase 6's Fantastic Four. Only time will tell who finds themselves on screen with their teammates, or what teams even come together to defeat Kang - but as is the case with the Multiverse itself, the possibilities are limitless.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will premiere in theaters on May 2, 2025. Which characters do you want to see interact with one another? Let us know at @MCU_Direct.
