Following the events of Captain America: Brave New World, Sam Wilson has assembled a new team of Avengers. Ahead of their debut in this December's Avengers: Doomsday, the roster has been officially revealed, and it's an impressive lineup.
As you can see in the X posts below, Cap will join the fight against Doctor Doom alongside Thor, Shang-Chi, The Falcon, Ant-Man, and former Captain America, Steve Rogers.
We didn't necessarily expect the latter to be associated with any one team, so his inclusion is a surprise...it also lends the group some major star power.
Elsewhere, there's a new look at Doctor Doom, and character descriptions for Sam and Joaquin Torres. The upcoming book also includes insights into what to expect from this iteration of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Unsurprisingly, the Avengers will "join forces with new allies, in order to protect the world from the impending threat."
That's almost certainly a reference to the X-Men and Fantastic Four, not to mention the New Avengers. There were once plans for a rivalry between the two teams of Avengers, but rumour has it that recent reshoots have dialled back on that particular subplot.
"Chris Evans is somebody who I hold near and dear," Anthony Mackie shared in a recent interview while reflecting on 2019's Avengers: Endgame. "We’re at Chris’ house, and because he’s Captain America, he gets the [script] pages first. So he’s like, 'Yo, did you read the new scene?' I’m like, 'Nah, what’s up?' So, he takes me down...and he gave me the script and let me read it."
"And it was really great and really emotional to learn it from a friend," he said of finding out he'd be next to wield the shield as Captain America. "I don’t know a lot of actors who would have appreciated or celebrated that moment with a fellow actor in that way because I was taking his job for all intents and purposes."
What are your thoughts on Sam Wilson's Avengers team?
In Avengers: Doomsday, beloved heroes from three distinct universes will be set on a deadly collision course and face an existential threat unlike anything they’ve ever encountered.
Avengers: Doomsday stars Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Winston Duke, Tom Hiddleston, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, and Robert Downey Jr. Wyatt Russell, Simu Liu, Tenoch Huerta Mejia, Mabel Cadena, Florence Pugh, Danny Ramirez, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Lewis Pullman, India Rose Hemsworth, and Wesley Holloway all make their Avengers franchise debuts.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps leads Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn join them, along with X-Men franchise stars Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, and James Marsden, plus Deadpool & Wolverine star Channing Tatum.
The Russo Brothers direct Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars from a screenplay by Stephen McFeely, with whom they previously collaborated on the Avengers and Captain America franchises. Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron has also been enlisted to refine the story, alongside Spider-Man: Brand New Day's Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to be released on December 18.