Marvel Studios have understandably decided to hold off on world-shattering crossovers in the wake of Avengers: Endgame. However, the first ten years of the MCU demonstrated that they’re always looking far into the future, so it’s not surprising that Avengers 5 (aka the New Avengers movie) is being very roughly planned out now, probably targeting a 2023/2024 release. In fact, the studio has even confirmed that the next big team-up event is already in the works.
But with Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow and Vision out of the picture and Thor apparently due to be de-powered, who will make up the next team? Well, there are a number of existing heroes who could fit the bill. I’d say Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel are locks, though, as the former has been gradually learning the ropes over his solo movies, with his tech genius filling in for Tony Stark. And obviously, the team needs some muscle. That’s where the cosmically-powered Captain Marvel comes in.
Speaking of which, sources close to WGTC – the same ones who told us National Treasure 3 was in development months before it was revealed by THR, and that a Ms. Marvel TV show was coming to Disney Plus before the studio officially announced it – say that Brie Larson is pushing for equal pay with her male co-stars and top billing in the movie. And while it’s unclear if she’ll get it, good for her for trying.
After all, Marvel Studios have been notoriously stingy when it comes to paying their actors, with Robert Downey Jr. making a paltry $500,000 for Iron Man. They’ve been a little better lately though, with most of the core cast of Avengers: Endgame (Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, etc.) walking away with roughly $15 million (Downey Jr. made substantially more). So, when Avengers 5 comes down for contract negotiations, I’m sure they’ll follow the same tactic.
Getting top billing might be a bit more difficult, though. This is one of those things that don’t seem particularly important to the average fan but agents fight hard for it. From what we’re told, Marvel Studios reportedly want Tom Holland to have top billing since they want him to be “the face of the team.” But we’ve also been informed that they aren’t ruling out the option of letting Brie have it instead.
In any case, Avengers 5, or New Avengers, whatever you want to call it, is still a long way off, so it may be a while before any final decisions are made. Still, it’ll certainly be interesting to see who ultimately winds up with top billing when the film releases, and if Larson was able to snag a salary that’s equal to her male co-stars.
