The first trailer for the MCU's Eternals ended with an interesting stinger. As the cosmic heroes are gathered around a table sharing a meal, one of them asks who they think will become the new leader of the Avengers now that Tony Stark and Steve Rogers are gone. It is meant to be a fun little detail, showing that this new adventure does indeed take place in the MCU and there is the joke of Ikaris (Richard Madden) suggesting he'd be a good choice for the role only for the others to laugh at the suggestion. But it also asks a question many fans have likely thought out themselves.

In the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, the MCU lost two characters who were undoubtedly their biggest names. Tony Stark aka Iron Man was the hero who launched the MCU and very much shaped the cinematic universe. He has long been the face of the MCU, feeling like its main character with his arc leading up to his sacrifice to defeat Thanos. Captain America felt like the hero the others rallied behind. Even if others may have been more powerful than he was, he embodied everything a hero should be and served as an inspiration. His happy ending with Peggy Carter felt like a fitting farewell to the hero. But these two heroes certainly left a void in their absence and it remains to be seen how that void will be addressed.

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Most people would assume that a new hero will have to step up into the role of the leader, but that is easier said than done. Had it only been one of these two heroes whose story ended, the other would have been the obvious choice for the official leader. But with both Iron Man and Captain America gone, no one character stands out as the clear choice to take over the role. However, there are plenty of options to consider.

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There are characters who look ready to literally take up the mantel of these heroes. Sam Wilson has left his role as Falcon to become the new Captain America while Ironheart will introduce Riri Williams into the MCU as a young hero inspired by Tony Stark. But while these heroes may be taking over as new versions of these two Avengers, that doesn't necessarily mean they're the right choice to lead. Part of the point of Sam becoming Captain America is that he is not Steve Rogers and will be a different man in the role.

When it comes to Riri, it's hard to say how she will be presented in the MCU, but she seems like a more likely choice to lead the Young Avengers than the main team. Thor is another of the original Avengers and perhaps the biggest name in the MCU now. However, given that he just stepped down as king of Asgard, it doesn't feel like leading is in the cards for him. Captain Marvel has proven herself perhaps the most powerful hero in the MCU but doesn't seem keen on sticking around Earth. Spider-Man has the name recognition but his time in the MCU may be limited. Tragically, it seems like the best choice for the new hero would have been T'Challa. Black Panther was a ground-breaking success and felt like the beginning of a new era in the MCU, much as the first Iron Man felt like the start of something special. T'Challa also shared many of the qualities that made Steve Rogers such an inspiring hero. While a new Black Panther will no doubt emerge, it will be hard to match the impact T'Challa had.

With that in mind, Doctor Strange is probably the best choice. He is a very powerful earthbound hero who deals directly with the biggest threats in the universe. He will also likely take a very central role in the multiverse storyline that will be the focus of much of Phase 4. But Strange also doesn't feel like a hero who comes anywhere near matching the popularity of Captain America and Iron Man.

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Without a clear choice as the new leader, it's hard not to consider if that role even needs to be filled. While there is certainly a void felt without Cap and Iron Man, perhaps it is not an individual who should fill it but rather have the team step into the center. Stark and Rogers were such popular characters in the MCU that the other newer heroes were not given a chance to step into the spotlight so it's no wonder that none of them feel ready to lead the Avengers. But perhaps them being gone gives the Avengers the opportunity to be a true ensemble without one or two characters taking the focus. The MCU roster of heroes is so large now that every one of them will be fighting for screen time in their next team-up. But if fans aren't looking at any of them as the main character, perhaps they can share the stage more evenly than before.

There are some potential issues with the approach of going with a leaderless team. While the MCU may be an ever-growing universe, it may start to falter without a clear center. Obviously, there were plenty of successful MCU movies that had nothing to do with Iron Man or Captain America, but these two characters still remained at the center of the overall universe. While the Avengers movies did a good job of balancing countless characters, few of them were given real storylines other than Iron Man and Cap. Fans were able to enjoy seeing all these characters come together, but those two heroes provided the arc audiences could follow. By trying to focus on the ensemble rather than a main hero, the whole thing could turn into a mess.

At this point, there does not seem to be any team-up movie on the horizon which may indicate the MCU hasn't yet decided on how to proceed with the Avengers without their two biggest names. Perhaps a long break will allow a suitable leader to become more obvious. Maybe they are waiting for some other big properties like the X-Men and Fantastic Four to enter the universe. But with some time to grow the MCU out from under the shadow of Captain America and Iron Man, what might emerge is an Avengers team that looks a lot different.

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