Avengers 5 is not so much a movie at this point as a theoretical concept. Although it remains attached to a May 1, 2026 release date, the long-awaited next outing for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes since Endgame doesn’t have a director (Destin Daniel Cretton jumped ship), a villain (Jonathan Majors has been fired), or even a title (said firing rendered The Kang Dynasty name moot).
So all we can do for the moment is wallow in rumors and vague claims that trickle down the grapevine. Like, for instance, the latest reported info that purports to answer perhaps the biggest question Marvel fans have about the film: who will be the titular Avengers in Avengers 5? If we believe this intel, the lineup is a surprising one, even if it means that working title is more accurate than we would’ve guessed.
As per self-styled scooper MyTimeToShineHello, Avengers 5 will only feature five leading heroes, as opposed to the typical six core members. And as for who these five are, specifically, that may come as an equal surprise. The rumor goes that the Avengers 5 team will consist of Captain America (Anthony Mackie), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Moon Knight (Oscar Isaac), and She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany).
Well, if these five really are the new faces of the Avengers, color us stunned. Sam Wilson as the leader? That fits, given that we know Captain America: Brave New World will introduce the New Avengers team. Spider-Man? Sure, no surprise there. Mark Ruffalo back as Hulk, just to have one OG member still on the team? I guess it makes sense.
Moon Knight, though? Out of all the original heroes introduced in Phase Four, Shang-Chi seemed like the far more likely option, rather than the wayward and supernatural Marc Spector, fully anticipated to join the Midnight Sons instead. She-Hulk makes sense given her prominence in Marvel lore, but obviously her intense haters — the real-life Intelligencia users out there — won’t relish her big promotion. It would also be highly ironic if the actress who roasted Bob Iger during the strikes became the female lead of one of Disney’s biggest upcoming movies.
Where’s Captain Marvel? Shuri? Doctor Strange? Thor? There seem to be too many missing major players in this lineup for it to be totally convincing at this juncture, but with everything about Avengers 5 still to take shape, who can say what the team will look like once its time to reassemble them? The only thing is, if Marvel did go with this lineup, the movie would no doubt prove just as controversial as the rest of the Multiverse Saga.
