Warning: This article contains spoilers from Avengers: Endgame.
“She’s not alone”
That’s what Black Widow tells Proxima Midnight in Infinity War as she and Okoye come to Wanda Maximoff’s rescue. For fans watching it was a moment to cheer. It was the ultimate “girl power” scene for a franchise that had long been criticized for its lack of focus on female characters.
In fact, it would take several more months after that scene reached audiences for Marvel to have its first stand-alone female superhero film by the way of Captain Marvel.
In Avengers: Endgame Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely decided to recreate the magic from Infinity War with an all-female team-up scene of an even bigger scale. This time around Wanda, Valkyrie, Okoye, Mantis, Hope Van Dyne, Nebula and others assist Captain Marvel as she goes to take on Thanos in the film’s final battle.
Watching this in the theatre I cheered once again at seeing so many badass female characters on screen together.
After 22 films and 11 years, Marvel is finally starting to embrace female heroes in a way they’ve never done before. Kevin Feige, as well as several stars such as Brie Larson and Tessa Thompson, have even discussed their desire to have an all-female team-up movie.
So what’s Marvel’s next step? It’s time for an A-Force movie.
What is A-Force?
Debuting in 2015, A-Force was the first all-female Avengers team, created by writers G. Willow Wilson and Marguerite Bennett and artist Jorge Molina. The team was led by She-Hulk and originally consisted of Dazzler, Medusa, Nico Minoru, and Singularity.
While none of those characters are in the MCU, the A-Force team has had a large rotating roster including characters that already exist in the MCU such as Scarlet Witch, Rescue (Pepper Potts) and Captain Marvel. It’s also included characters rumored to be joining the MCU soon such as Ms. Marvel and X-Men characters Rogue, Jean Grey and Domino.
Who Could Join the MCU Team?
The MCU has plenty of female characters to choose from if they want to do an A-Force movie, many of whom could use some additional time in the spotlight.
Given the MCU’s seeming focus on the cosmic in Phase 4 and the prominence of Captain Marvel, it makes the most sense to have her as leader of the team. She is poised to step into a leadership role with the absence of Black Widow. Not to mention Monica Rambeau, just a child in the Captain Marvel movie, would be old enough to join Carol on any adventures set in the modern day.
Another hero that could play a key role in the team is the Wasp. Although she only suited up for the first time last year, Evangeline Lilly’s character has already proven herself a valuable asset to the Avengers. After working with Ant-Man for so many years, it would be a breath of fresh air to see her team up with some capable female heroes. Maybe she could even bring mom Janet Van Dyne.
Fans have already been clamoring for a team up between Valkyrie and Captain Marvel thanks to Tessa Thompson and Brie Larson’s real-life friendship. Valkyrie’s experience as a warrior would make her an asset, and even though she’s leading Asgard that never stopped Thor from running off on adventures.
Nebula has already been an Avenger and proven her heroism, so there’s no reason to think she wouldn’t team up with the Avengers again. Gamora’s fate was a little more uncertain in the movie, as it was unclear whether the Gamora from 2014 stayed in the present. However given the character’s importance, it’s likely she’ll return to the MCU in some form, and hopefully in time for an A-Force movie.
We’ve seen Pepper Potts grow immensely as a character, and while she’s always been a hero in her own right, seeing her suit up as Rescue in Endgame was the cherry on top. It would be a shame to let that armor go to waste though. I can see her suiting up at least one more time if the mission is something that would honor her late husband.
Okoye and Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) are characters I’d consider less likely to join an A-Force team. While both would make great additions, there are some reasons why it wouldn’t work narratively. As the leader of the Dora Milaje, it seems unlikely Okoye would leave her people unless she were to step down from the role or the enemy in question is a direct threat to Wakanda.
After all the trauma Wanda’s experienced, you wouldn’t blame her for wanting to take a step back from the heroics. We’ll learn more about her fate once the WandaVision series is released on Disney Plus.
Depending on whether the film happens before or after the X-Men are introduced into the MCU could also change who ends up on the team.
While it’s doubtful the MCU would crossover into the existing television realm, there are plenty of Agents of SHIELD fans who would love to see Quake (Chloe Bennet) crossover to the big screen.
Regardless of who they choose, it’s clear fans are ready for an all-female team-up movie. Now it’s up to Marvel to make a move.