Kevin Feige Confirms the Avengers No Longer Exist

The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the first and last line of defense against those who seek to cause the planet harm. Originally composed of Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, the roster grew over the years.

First, the team disbanded, then a few years later, began treating being apart of the Avengers like a full-time job (see 2015’s Age of Ultron). Eventually they found themselves divided over the Sokovia Accords and wound up coming to blows.

It wasn’t until several years later that they reassembled to fend off Thanos and his forces. But after Avengers: Endgame, the team has been MIA, having lost Steve, Tony, and Nat, with the rest going their separate ways. But one question had been on fans’ minds since 2019: Are the Avengers, as an organized team, still in operation?

Feige Provides an Avengers Status Update

Speaking on stage at D23 Expo today while announcing the Thunderbolts lineup, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, via DisneyExaminer, confirmed that the Avengers don't currently exist in the MCU following the events of Avengers: Endgame: “Just because there isn’t an organization like the Avengers anymore, but we now have The Thunderbolts.”

Furthermore, Captain America himself, Anthony Mackie, added that the previous Avengers heroes are "all... unemployed" while speaking in an interview with Variety that took place after the presentation:

“All of the Avengers are unemployed. We have a new and improved group. No, they’re over there with their Metamucil and, y’know, hangin’ out. Y’know, we’re the new guys… We’re the top dogs now.”

When Mackie was (inexplicably?) asked if he was truly the new Captain America, the actor responded, ”I guess we’ll have to see in… 2024.”

When faced with an inquiry on how long he had been in the superhero game, Mackie ended up doing some incorrect mental math and mistakenly said since “2008.”

Are the Thunderbolts the New Go-to Team?

If the Avengers are, for the time being, not a thing, will the Thunderbolts step in to fill that void?

Little is known about the MCU’s Thunderbolts beyond their confirmed roster: Yelena Belova, Taskmaster, Bucky Barnes, John Walker, Red Guardian, and Ava Starr aka Ghost. The group also appears to be spearheaded by Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina. But their motivations and what initially brings them together are still unclear.

Perhaps they’ll serve as a government-sanctioned superhero team that those in charge can keep on a short leash. The Avengers were never known to follow global ordinances and regulations, so a team that can actually be controlled would be seen as a great benefit.

Of course, the Avengers will come together once more in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, due out in 2025, and likely with Anthony Mackie’s Captain America leading the charge. Captain America: New World Order is landing on May 3, 2024 and Thunderbolts will arrive in theaters on July 26, 2024.

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