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Marvel boss Kevin Feige might have just revealed a huge twist about the future of the MCU.
Theories have been flying around about how the forthcoming Marvel televisions shows, including Loki and WandaVision , will tie into the films that’ll be released as part of Phase Four.
It has been known that the latter will play some part in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
What was not known is that the Loki TV show, which brings back Tom Hiddleston as Thor’s treacherous brother, will also connect to the Doctor Strange sequel in a big way.
Upping the intrigue levels is Feige’s own comments about that particular series. He told Bloomberg
Show all 27 1 /27Avengers characters - ranked Avengers characters - ranked 27. War Machine Played by: Don Cheadle
Imagine Iron Man but without a backstory or humour. That's War Machine. Terrence Howard saw that the character would be underwritten and dropped out after filming the first Iron Man. Still, it's hard to dislike Don Cheadle, even when he's shortchanged.
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Avengers characters - ranked 26. Mantis Played by: Pom Klementieff
The forgettable Mantis is purely there to make up the numbers. It doesn't help that she was introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, one of the MCU's weakest films to date, as the servant to Kurt Russell's tedious villain, Ego. In a crowded ensemble, Mantis is drowned out by the larger personalities.
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Avengers characters - ranked 25. Hawkeye Played by: Jeremy Renner
"Oh no! It's a man with no superpowers and a bow and arrow! I, an alien with futuristic technology who has travelled through the galaxy to invade Earth, am terrified!" – Thanos's army of Outriders, probably.
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Avengers characters - ranked 24. Doctor Strange Played by: Benedict Cumberbatch
Oh, Doctor Strange. Perhaps there's a good character there, but Benedict Cumberbatch wasn't the man to play him. He's probably the least likeable presence in the MCU, even if a few kick-ass moments in Avengers: Endgame almost pull him back from the brink.
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Avengers characters - ranked 23. Gamora Played by: Zoe Saldana
Although the father-daughter relationship between Gamora and Thanos is interesting, it's completely overshadowed by the dynamic between her half-sister Nebula and the Mad Titan. And now she's AWOL. Perhaps. No one really knows.
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Avengers characters - ranked 22. Star-Lord Played by: Chris Pratt
Star-Lord – the half-man, half-Celestial – remains one of the funniest Marvel characters to date. Yet, the Avengers would have saved the universe the first time around if it weren't for his (quite understandable) temper tantrum over the death of Gamora in Infinity War. For that, the leader of Guardian of the Galaxy falls many places.
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Avengers characters - ranked 21. Nebula Played by: Karen Gillan
Nebula has all the makings of being a vintage Marvel character, but the feeling that she's been slightly short-changed by her appearances to date cannot be escaped. Going forward, she'll undoubtedly have an elevated role in the MCU, so here's hoping she's handed the justice she deserves.
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Avengers characters - ranked 20. The Winter Soldier Played by: Sebastian Stan
Sebastian Stan's Bucky was a bit of a non-entity in the otherwise underrated Captain America: The First Avenger, which is why his do-over as the villainous Winter Soldier in the sequel three years later injected the character with some much-needed intrigue. His shift back to being a good guy, though, has dampened the interest around him once again. Still, that teased romance with Shuri (Letitia Wright) is sure to do him some favours.
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Avengers characters - ranked 19. Vision Played by: Paul Bettany
Vision is the purple embodiment of Tony Stark's AI butler JARVIS, brought to life by the Mind Stone. One of the only other characters capable of wielding Thor's hammer (oi oi, Cap!), Vision is overpowered to the point of being boring. Still, he doesn't know his paprika from his cayenne.
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Avengers characters - ranked 18. The Wasp Played by: Evangeline Lilly
Sidelined during the first Ant-Man, The Wasp finally became a headline name in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Not only is she smarter, quicker and a better fighter than Ant-Man, she can also fly thanks to a set of wings. Fingers crossed we'll be getting more Wasp post-Endgame.
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Avengers characters - ranked 17. Falcon Played by: Anthony Mackie
There's no two ways about it: if Falcon wasn't played by Anthony Mackie, he'd be far lower down this list. His character remains memorable solely due to the vibrancy the ever-entertaining actor brings to the role. Falcon might be a lesser Avenger, but no appearance since his debut in Captain America: The Winter Soldier has left fans wanting more. For that, Falcon should be celebrated.
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Avengers characters - ranked 16. Captain Marvel Played by: Brie Larson
There's no doubt that Captain Marvel could become one of the best characters in the MCU. Fresh off her billion dollar-grossing debut – the series's first female-led superhero film – the character returned to save the day (well, help the crew out) in Avengers: Endgame. Now her origin story is out of the way, the sky's the limit for her; it'll be exciting to see which planets her story scales next.
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Avengers characters - ranked 15. Groot Played by: Vin Diesel
To be quite honest, it's hard to screw up a character who is literally a tree that's able to speak just one word (his name). There's no denying that Vin Diesel's Groot was one of the best things about the first Guardians of the Galaxy film, and his camaraderie with Rocket Raccoon a highlight. Sadly, being turned into a baby for the entirety of the sequel made his character slightly more annoying.
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Avengers characters - ranked 14. Valkyrie Played by: Tessa Thompson
Introduced in Thor: Ragnarok, Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie has the swagger of Han Solo and the powers of Wonder Woman. The result is probably the coolest and smoothest Avenger yet, and someone we very much look forward to seeing again in Thor: Love and Thunder.
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Avengers characters - ranked 13. Hulk Played by: Mark Ruffalo
The Hulk was originally played by Edward Norton, but Mark Ruffalo took over for the Avengers films. The actor brought out a manic unpredictability to the character, who remains a skittish presence in every film. Since the first Avengers outing, though, Bruce Banner/Hulk has been less integral to the team.
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Avengers characters - ranked 12. Black Widow Played by: Scarlett Johansson
Black Widow has had a rough ride. Introduced during Iron Man 2, Scarlett Johansson's agent was a fierce fighter with an intriguing back story. However, this has rarely been explored since, with the Avengers films focusing on the lads rather than the one female character in the team. Almost 20 Marvel films on and the character is finally getting a solo film – but it's a prequel film arriving after her death in Endgame that's been delayed because of coronavirus. Ouch.
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Avengers characters - ranked 11. Shuri Played by: Letitia Wright
One of Black Panther's biggest revelations was Shuri, T'Challa's kid sister who might just be the cleverest character in the entire MCU. She's brought to life by British actor Letitia Wright, who capitalised on the several opportunities she had to steal the film from under her co-stars' noses. “Great, another broken white boy for us to fix," she says as Martin Freeman's Everett Ross is carted into her workshop – and thus, a star was born.
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Avengers characters - ranked 10. Scarlet Witch Played by: Elizabeth Olsen
Scarlet Witch doesn't really do much save for wave her hands around while looking concerned about the well-being of her love, Vision (Paul Bettany) – but it doesn't matter considered she's played by the the extremely talented Elizabeth Olsen who, as ever, gives it an admirable stab.
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Avengers characters - ranked 9. Captain America Played by: Chris Evans
On paper, Captain America should be the most boring Avenger. Yet, with Chris Evans at the wheel, the patriotic super-strong OAP who fought in the Second World War has been enjoyable company in every film he's been in, his righteous values never being too overbearing. Captain America, with his pure heart, really is one of the ultimate superheroes.
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Avengers characters - ranked 8. Iron Man Played by: Robert Downey Jr
The leader of the MCU used to be its greatest character. But with the influx of newer additions, Tony Stark has been pushed down that list – which isn't to say he isn't still a reason why the series has been such a success. No Marvel actor has thrown themselves into a role more than Robert Downey Jr, whose larger-than-life personality made him the only candidate to have brought the billionaire industrialist and former playboy to screen. Among the big-budget explosions, he's a breath of fresh air and without him, the MCU would have run out of steam long ago.
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Avengers characters - ranked 7. Ant-Man Played by: Paul Rudd
A man who presses a button and takes on the powers of an ant: not exactly a thrilling premise for a superhero. Thankfully, Marvel accepted that Ant-Man's power are a bit of a joke and cast the ever-delightful comic actor Paul Rudd as the mini-hero. And despite his stature, Ant-Man stole the show in Captain America: Civil War when he reversed his powers and became Giant Man.
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Avengers characters - ranked 6. Rocket Played by: Bradley Cooper
In many ways, the success of Guardians of the Galaxy – Marvel's first true move away from the cleaner cut Avengers (see: Captan America, Thor) – rested on the shoulders of Rocket Raccoon. Many questioned whether it'd work, but thanks to impressive effects, Bradley Cooper's terrific voice work – and not to mention James Gunn's knockout screenplay – Rocket found himself with more range than most characters on this list.
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Avengers characters - ranked 5. Black Panther Played by: Chadwick Boseman
Few characters have had the cultural impact of Boseman's Black Panther. First appearing in Captain America: Civil War, T'Challa's measured demeanour was a counter to the quip-making norm of the other Avengers. Come the character's solo film, the noble leader finally accepted his role as King of Wakanda and, in the process, unleashed the inner Panther. It's no wonder that the film became a box-office sensation, even out-grossing Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in the United States.
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Avengers characters - ranked 4. Drax Played by: Dave Bautista
Drax is proof that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. His burly appearance suggests he should be fighting for the bad guys, but the opposite couldn't be truer – thanks to Dave Bautista, the character is given a cuddly sheen that belies his full name (Drax the Destroyer). The only thing Drax, who first appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy, truly destroys is your rib cage – he's one of the MCU's funniest characters.
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Avengers characters - ranked 3. Spider-Man Played by: Tom Holland
Spider-Man's back. Again again. Where Tobey Maguire's webslinger was an out-and-out dork, and Andrew Garfield's version was arguably too slick to really be Peter Parker, Tom Holland has found the perfect middle ground: still obsessed with making Star Wars references yet also capable of talking coherently with members of the opposite sex. It's a miracle that Marvel Studios managed to bring Spider-Man into their cinematic universe – and a miracle they managed to make him feel this fresh third time around.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Avengers characters - ranked 2. Okoye Played by: Danai Gurira
Black Panther was a landmark moment for cinema, let alone Marvel. It was a film filled with selling points – the lustrous visuals of Wakanda; a villain you actually cared about – but sitting at the top of the heap was Okoye. The Walking Dead star Danai Gurira swapped the katana for a vibranium spear and showed audiences that not only was she more than just television character Michonne, she could translate a comic book character into one of the very best characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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Avengers characters - ranked 1. Thor Played by: Chris Hemsworth
Thor was not a great film. Thor: The Dark World was even worse. Yet, against all odds, the God of Thunder has established himself as the greatest Avenger. How? It's namely thanks to Taika Waititi's revisioning of the character in Thor: Ragnarok. Rather than making Hemsworth deliver sub-par Shakespearean prose, the filmmaker enthused Thor with a sense of humour – something that played to Hemsworth's strength as an actor. The result was a charismatic, short-haired, smouldering superhero who was finally able to charm Marvel fans. If only Thor had been this way all along.
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Now, Loki died in Avengers: Infinity War , but returned thanks to the time-jumping plot line of Endgame Avengers Assemble .
When you combine the knowledge that the version of Loki that’s now alive in the MCU is a past version of himself, with the fact that there is officially a multiverse in the MCU, it is a fair bet to assume that time travel will play a huge role in the forthcoming films.
Remember Stark’s line from Avengers: Endgame ? “You mess with time, it tends to mess back.” Loki could be an example of this, with some theorising he could become the primary antagonist of Phase Four in the form of the time-travelling warlord Kang the Conqueror.
The theory goes that the TV show will see him evolve into the Fantastic Four villain, which would also be a convenient way to induct those superheroes into the MCU.
Next on the Marvel agenda is Black Widow , which will be released on 1 May 2020.
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