While the team may look very different now, the original Avengers will play major roles in Phase 4 of the Iron Man 2 and Hawkeye made his first appearance in Thor, rounding out the MCU's original team of Avengers.
The gang came together officially in 2012's Avengers: Endgame marked the end of that first generation. Bringing the curtain down on the Infinity saga, the victory over Thanos completed the original Avengers arc - some of the team died, others retired, and a few simply faded into the distance.
While Avengers: Endgame certainly seemed to draw a line under the first version of the titular superhero team, the MCU's forthcoming Phase 4 can hardly be described as a clean break. Some of the senior class will play a major role in the future of the franchise, while the rest enjoy a sizable influence, even without making an appearance. Phase 4's scheduling may be somewhat up in the air thanks to the current state of the world, but whenever the new crop of movies and Disney+ TV shows arrive, the original Avengers team will have a heavy presence.
Iron Man
Stop us if you've heard this one before, but Tony Stark died in the finale of Avengers: Endgame. The genius billionaire playboy philanthropist had pledged not to sacrifice his own life after having a daughter with Pepper Potts, but when the Avengers' chips were down, it was Iron Man who wielded the fearsome power of the Infinity Gauntlet and snapped Thanos' army out of existence to save the universe. The scene provides the emotional backbone of Avengers: Endgame and had grown men crying into their popcorn. Surely, this tragic death marked the end of Tony Stark in the MCU?
Not exactly. The extent of Stark's Marvel influence has already been highlighted in Captain America: Civil War, but an Iron Man cameo would ensure Tony's impact upon the MCU continues to be felt after his death.
Then there's the next MCU Spider-Man movie. So intertwined are Tony Stark and Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Far From Home, Iron Man will surely have some bearing on the follow-up, if only to demonstrate how much Peter has grown between films. Other Phase 4 films such as Tony Stark, and looking further into the future, Ironheart may eventually emerge as Stark's successor.
Captain America
Although Captain America survived the final clash against Thanos, a cheeky trip through time meant that Steve Rogers returned to the MCU's present day as an old man, having lived a long and happy life with Peggy Carter. This was the feel-good character ending to counterbalance Iron Man's tragic death, but it was still definitively still a conclusive ending. The story of Captain America was brought to an end by Avengers: Endgame, and Chris Evans seemed to wave an emotional farewell to the MCU, but not without addressing his legacy. Although Bucky Barnes was widely expected to become the next The Falcon & The Winter Soldier was soon announced for Disney+.
The Falcon & The Winter Soldier will directly deal with the future of Steve Rogers in the MCU. While the man himself officially appointed Sam Wilson as the next Cap, the United States government clearly have other ideas. Ol' Uncle Sam has decided that John Walker will be the new Captain America, opening up a red, white and blue can of worms over who owns the famous title. It was the government who first made Captain America, but Rogers rebelled and carved out his own legacy. Steve took the symbol of Captain America further into renegade territory by rejecting the Sokovia Accords, so it's no surprise that the authorities are looking to reclaim their property, so to speak, and hire a man they can control. This naturally invites a clash over the will of Steve Rogers vs. the will of the White House, with Sam Wilson fighting as the rightful heir, and John Walker the false pretender.
Black Widow
Black Widow is one of the few original MCU Avengers with her own solo movie in Phase 4, and it's a surprise Marvel took so long to make it happen. Just like Stark and Rogers, the tale of Natasha Romanoff wrapped up in Avengers: Endgame. In search of the Soul Stone with Hawkeye, Black Widow gave her life to obtain the yellow gem, allowing her teammates to reverse Thanos' snap and bring back everyone who was erased from existence in Taskmaster.
Black Widow is a strange choice to kick off the MCU's Phase 4. Essentially one giant flashback, fans will enter the movie knowing exactly how Natasha's story ends. Regardless, Johansson has long deserved her own headline gig in the MCU, and Black Widow sets the tone for the rest of Phase 4, even if Natasha herself won't be a part of that. Black Widow's story reaches into the past, but will undoubtedly have ramifications for the franchise's future also. Another way in which Natasha Romanoff's MCU role could continue is through Florence Pugh's Yelena. Another of the Red Room's assassins, fans continue to speculate than Pugh could replace Johansson going forward in the MCU, journeying to the U.S. after hearing of Natasha's death and becoming the Avengers' brand new Black Widow.
Thor
Like Natasha, the God of Thunder gets his own solo movie in MCU Phase 4. Unlike Natasha, it's his fourth go around. Thor: Love & Thunder is now set for 2022 and will reunite Thor: The Dark World. Unlike most of his fellow OG Avengers, Thor's story was left relatively open after Avengers: Endgame. After five years of drinking beer, sulking and shouting at strangers on the internet, Thor returned to prominence in the final battle against Thanos, and Valkyrie was put in charge of New Asgard, leaving Thor to head out on more adventures with the Guardians of the Galaxy.
With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Thor and the Guardians have a love/hate relationship (in the sense that Peter Quill hates Thor and everyone else loves him), and fans are clamoring to see Thor the team once again.
Hawkeye
Hawkeye was undoubtedly the most understated of the original Avengers. He did, after all, bring a bow and arrow to a superhero fight. Interestingly, Hawkeye's MCU ending has already happened, in a manner of speaking. The archer retired after the events of Captain America: Civil War and settled down with his family. Only after Thanos' snap conveniently wiped out the entire household sans Hawkeye himself did Clint Barton resume his career, becoming the ruthless assassin known as Ronin. Barton would return to the Avengers' fold for the ultimate battle against Thanos, but after his family were brought back to life using the stolen Infinity Stones, the audience are left to assume that Hawkeye goes back to his quiet pre-Endgame existence.
Hawkeye's role in MCU Phase 4 will come entirely via his eponymous Disney+ TV series. With Jeremy Renner reprising his Clint Barton role, the show will seemingly introduce Kate Bishop to the MCU - a character who takes over the Hawkeye mantle in the Marvel comics. Disney+'s Hawkeye's Phase 4 story is contained to his solo series for now, Kate Bishop could pop up in wider projects, ensuring Hawkeye's influence continues into the wider MCU. Given their close relationship, Clint Barton might also factor into the Black Widow movie.
Hulk
Poor Bruce Banner has drawn the short straw when it comes to Marvel's Phase 4. Due to licensing arrangements with Universal, Marvel have been unable to unilaterally produce a Hulk solo movie, with the not-so-jolly green giant only permitted to appear in team-ups. This means that, despite widespread calls for a Hulk movie starring Mark Ruffalo's version of the character, Marvel simply couldn't extend Banner's influence on the MCU beyond ing appearances. Hulk will always be a character Marvel can roll out when needed, but with nothing currently announced for the character, it seems that Bruce's story concluded with his transformation into Smart Hulk, amalgamating the two conflicting sides to Banner's persona.
Despite having no release date at present, a Mark Ruffalo never returns to the MCU in person, however, the existence of his emerald-colored cousin ensures Bruce Banner still bears an influence on the franchise into Phase 4 and beyond.
