Why Captain Marvel Is the Perfect Person to Lead the Avengers in Phase 4

Avengers: Endgame has ushered in some big changes going forward for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including a shake up of the heroes within it. That will create a void of leadership for our favorite superhero team as it moves forward into Phase 4 and beyond, but luckily there’s someone who’s a perfect fit for the position, and her name is Captain Marvel.

Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers actually explained this perfectly to Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes in the Avengers: Endgame trailer. When Thanos uses the stones again, the remaining heroes are discussing what to do when Danvers says, “let’s get them and use them to bring everyone back.” When it is asked how this will be different than before, she says “because before you didn’t have me”

Rhodey isn’t too happy with that answer, essentially questioning where Danvers has been while they’ve been saving the world. She doesn’t miss a beat, however, and responds that “there are a lot of other planets in the universe, and unfortunately they didn’t have you guys.”

That sound you heard was a mic drop, but it was also why she’s the perfect person to lead the Avengers moving forward. Captain Marvel’s grasp on the universe is much grander than her Avengers allies. Ever since she discovered her connections to Mar-Vell, she’s been not only shepherding the Skrulls through space to find a home, but she’s also likely fought the Kree and encountered countless planets and races along the way. As she spells out to Rhodes, many planets don’t have their own superteam to defend them, but thankfully they’ve had Danvers to pick up the slack.

For all that the Avengers have accomplished, most of them still have a very narrow understanding of the planets, races, and civilizations that lie beyond Earth, and the ones who do understand, like Thor and the Guardians, don’t have as many ties to Earth as Carol does.

The Avengers need someone who is as comfortable fighting in the cosmos as she is defending New York City, someone who has no issue bounding between the two to get the job done, and that’s Danvers hands down. Her connections to Earth ensure it will never not be a priority, but she’s also cognizant of the greater threats outside our galaxy and at a moment’s notice feels comfortable soaring into space to take care of an invading armada. You can’t say that about most of Marvel’s heroes, but you can definitely say that about her.

It only helps that Captain Marvel is the most powerful Marvel hero in the MCU, able to take on the Kree army by her lonesome as we saw in her eponymous film. Opponents will think twice before invading Earth when someone like that is protecting it, and that’s a powerful tool in itself.

It’s a good thing too, because more and more powerful characters and cosmic concepts will likely make their debut in Phase 4 and beyond with the Disney-Fox deal now done. Events, characters, and concepts like Annihilation, the Negative Zone, the Fantastic Four, the Shiar, Kang, Secret Invasion, Nova, The Eternals, and more will almost certainly find their way to the big screen, and it will be important to have someone at the helm that can not only handle those new concepts in stride but also has the power to back up their play. Captain Marvel has the experience and the skills to do just that, and you couldn’t put the Avengers in better hands.

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