It doesn’t feel like the Marvel Cinematic Universe really gets going until the Avengers assemble. Every movie prior to The Avengers teases that a team is coming together, but it waits until Loki shows up on Earth to pull the trigger. Thankfully, once the cat is out of the bag, there’s so much for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to do. They defeat the God of Mischief and make quick work of HYDRA after Captain America ruins the organization’s plans to assassinate public figures around the world. The good times don’t last forever, though, as the Avengers go their separate ways after Avengers: Age of Ultron, opening the doors for new heroes to step up to the plate.
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While nothing will beat the original Avengers lineup, the other iterations of the team have plenty of worthwhile members. Each and every hero finds a way to contribute before the team calls it quits for good, but some leave more of an impact than others. Here are the three most important MCU Avengers who joined after the original heroes.
3) Sam Wilson
Steve Rogers makes a new friend in Captain America: The Winter Soldier while running around DC, and he has to call in a favor pretty quickly. Sam Wilson aids the titular hero in stopping HYDRA and agrees to join his search for Bucky Barnes. Both characters take time away from putting a 100-year-old face on milk cartons to fight Ultron, leading to Sam joining the team.
As a formal Avenger, Sam stays by Steve’s side during the Sokovia Accord conflict and becomes part of the Secret Avengers. Despite being branded a fugitive by the country he put his life on the line for, Sam fights to save the world from Thanos’ army. All that time with the Avengers inspires the new Captain America to form his own team, which will make its debut in Avengers: Doomsday.
2) Wanda Maximoff
The fight against Ultron proves to be a great recruiting tool for the Avengers because Wanda Maximoff joins the cause after losing her brother in Sokovia. Things take a turn quickly when her mistake in Lagos leads to the creation of the Sokovia Accords, but she’s learning on the fly. When the big fight comes, she’s more than ready.
During the events of Avengers: Infinity War, Wanda has to choose between saving the one she loves, Vision, and protecting the entire universe. She makes the tough call by killing Vision with her own powers. Sadly, Thanos reverses time and gets the Mind Stone anyway, leaving Wanda heartbroken as she gets dusted. While Wanda goes down a dark path after coming back to life, the Avengers wouldn’t have lasted nearly as long if she hadn’t been around.
1) Black Panther
Wakanda makes its presence felt on the world stage in Captain America: Civil War, with King T’Chaka and his son, T’Challa, pushing for the Sokova Accords. Baron Zemo makes them regret their decision by killing T’Chaka and placing T’Challa on the throne. After seeking revenge, T’Challa discovers the truth of the decision and becomes a major ally to Captain America.
In addition to helping heal Bucky’s mind by giving him sanctuary, T’Challa also offers Earth’s heroes a place to unite in Infinity War. The might of Wakanda gives Thanos’ army fits, and Black Panther leads the charge from the jump. Without T’Challa, the Avengers would have been scrambling for answers.
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