Who Will Avengers 5's Villain Be? Every Thanos Replacement Theory

Phase 4 has already hugely expanded the MCU after the Infinity Saga, but which villain will replace Thanos as the main antagonist for The Avengers 5?

There are many possible characters who could replace Thanos as the MCU’s next big villain for The Avengers 5. Compared with the rest of the MCU, Phase 4 has so far been the most ambitious, introducing many new characters, settings, and ideas into the franchise. With a whole host of new and exciting heroes introduced into the franchise, the MCU’s next big team-up movie will undoubtedly require a villain who is appropriately powerful to warrant the intervention of numerous heroes.

From the MCU’s beginning right up to the climax of Avengers: Endgame, the franchise’s biggest villain was Thanos. However, over the span of Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3, many other important Marvel villains were introduced, including Ronan the Accuser, Dormammu, Loki, and Red Skull, among others. Though the MCU has already featured many villains, a number of its most powerful have yet to fully reveal themselves.

The list of villains already introduced in the MCU narrows down the potential candidates for who will act as the next Avengers-level threat within the franchise. It’s reasonable to assume that The Avengers 5‘s story will at least draw inspiration from an established comic story arc, which makes speculation on who the next major villain will be even easier to postulate. However, with so many villains already having undergone significant story arcs in the MCU, the list of plausible theoretical villains for The Avengers 5 becomes ever easier to populate.

Arishem The Judge

Already having appeared in the MCU Phase 4 movie Eternals, Arishem the Judge is a Celestial who was responsible for the creation of the titular team of heroes. Within the Marvel universe, Celestials are incredibly powerful beings capable of manipulating reality and using supremely advanced technology. This would undoubtedly make Arishem the Judge a worthy adversary for future Avengers teams, and he announces his intention to judge Earth at the end of Eternals, so it’s clear that the MCU isn’t finished with the character yet.

The Dark Avengers

A potential team of villains that the MCU has begun to set up in Phase 4 is the Dark Avengers. This group is traditionally made up of supervillains assuming the mantles of various respective heroes, which is something that would undoubtedly take on an interesting aspect within the MCU. So far, Phase 4 of the MCU has set up several potential Dark Avengers: Yelena Belova’s Black Widow, John Walker’s U.S. Agent, Abomination, Red Guardian, Taskmaster, and more. The potential for the Dark Avengers appearance would be a decidedly different direction for Phase 4’s Thanos replacement, as it would see a team of heroes against a team of villains, as opposed to the Avengers simply facing another super-powerful single threat.

The Beyonder

One theory is that the MCU’s next Thanos is the Beyonder, a cosmic entity of immense power who is fuelled by his desire to better understand human nature. In the comics, this prompted the Beyonder to create the planet Battleworld where he sent Marvel’s heroes and villains to fight, serving as the basis for the Secret Wars storyline.

Though his inclusion would be interesting, and the character is certainly powerful enough to be the MCU’s next Thanos-level villain, the Beyonder’s Phase 4 appearance is looking less likely with each new release. So far, there have been no concrete signs of the Beyonder’s appearance, now or in the future, within the MCU. While this makes it unlikely that the Beyonder will be the big bad of The Avengers 5, however, it’s not an impossibility.

Mephisto

With Eternals introducing Dane Whitman into the MCU — and teasing Mahershala Ali’s Blade in a post-credits scene — and the introduction of two new pantheons of gods in Moon Knight and Thor: Love and Thunder, it’s clear that the MCU is moving confidently into more supernatural territory in Phase 4. This paves the way for the possible appearance of Mephisto, the Marvel universe’s own resident ruler of Hell. Like the Beyonder, Mephisto hasn’t yet been introduced into the franchise, but he’s another villain powerful enough to become an Avengers-level threat, even if his appearance in The Avengers 5 is rapidly becoming less likely with each new release.

Doctor Doom

One of the most iconic Marvel villains of all time and one of the most notable missing villains from the MCU is Doctor Doom, and he could potentially be the big bad of The Avengers 5. Primarily an antagonist of the Fantastic Four, Doom’s appearance is likely to come in Phase 4 with the introduction of Marvel’s First Family. Though Fantastic Four is tipped as one of Phase 4’s final releases, there’s still a good chance that Doctor Doom will act as the next Avengers-level threat.

Doctor Doom’s status as one of Marvel’s most powerful villains is rooted in his combined use of magic, science, and his inherent leadership skills. This has seen Doctor Doom repeatedly clash with the Avengers, cementing his status as one of Marvel’s most prolific villains. However, exactly how Doctor Doom could factor into The Avengers 5 will hinge entirely upon the MCU’s Fantastic Four, although he’s certainly one of the most likely candidates for a future Thanos replacement.

Galactus

Another supremely powerful being within the Marvel universe who has yet to make his inaugural MCU appearance is Galactus. The sole survivor of the sixth incarnation of the multiverse, Galactus exists as the Devourer of Worlds, a being forced to consume entire worlds to satiate his hunger for life-sustaining energy. Though a poorly-received version of Galactus previously appeared in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, the character has yet to appear in the MCU.

The immense power of Galactus makes him an obvious choice for a potential Thanos-level villain within the MCU. The deeper themes and motivations behind the character also make him a particularly interesting figure, which would also be very much in line with Thanos’s role in the Infinity Saga. The MCU has yet to begin to introduce Galactus, but his status as a fascinating and supremely powerful being more than qualifies him to replace Thanos as the MCU’s big bad.

Kang The Conqueror

The most obvious answer to who will replace Thanos in the MCU is Kang the Conqueror. One of his variants, He Who Remains, was introduced in Loki played by Jonathan Majors, and he is set to reprise the role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, making his place in the MCU’s future a certainty. The exact role Kang will play within the franchise moving forward isn’t yet entirely clear, but the implications of his appearance in Loki was that at least one of Kang the Conqueror’s variants will appear in a villainous capacity in Phase 4 and beyond.

The fact that Kang has already been introduced makes him Thanos’s most obvious replacement for The Avengers 5. However, there are a number of other powerful Marvel villains that have been teased or are conspicuous in their absence in the MCU, and therefore, it’s possible that other characters could step in to prompt the next super-powered team-up. Exactly who Thanos’s villain replacement will be in The Avengers 5 isn’t entirely clear, as there are a great many viable choices already available.