WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Loki, Episode 2, "The Variant," streaming now on Disney+.
Avengers: Endgame closed a major chapter for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it concluded the stories for several prominent characters, but their legacies live on. Meanwhile, heroes still in play have others continuing the work they started. Even Loki follows this trend, with the introduction of the Variant Loki. While it's unclear what she wants from the God of Mischief, her introduction falls in line with Phase 4's emphasis on legacy characters, and the following are those confirmed for the MCU's next stage.
Endgame's finale featured an older Steve Rogers passing on the mantle to Sam Wilson, and this solidified that the work of Captain America would continue with Wilson; although, he was not certain if this was the right move at the time, thus kicking off The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Throughout that series, Wilson proves over and over again why he is perfect for the job, but it also becomes clear what sort of obstacles are ahead of him, yet he still fights on as Captain America.
WandaVision brought back Captain Marvel's Monica Rambeau, and after returning from The Snap, Rambeau jumps into the action to help Wanda Maximoff and Westview. As she tries to enter the Hex, she overhears the words of her mother and Aunt Carol before receiving energy based powers. While she has yet to take on a hero moniker, in the comics, she is at times Captain Marvel, making her another legacy hero in the MCU.
Rambeau and Danvers are also set to be in The Marvels, along with Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel. While little is known about this version of Khan, it appears this Ms. Marvel will in someway follow in the footsteps of Danvers, like in the comics, where she looks up to Captain Marvel prior to developing her powers and takes on her former title.
The earliest legacy character was introduced in the first MCU film, Iron Man, but James Rhodes would not put on the suit until Iron Man 2. From there, he would become a mainstay hero, and while he does not take on the Iron Man title, he continues Stark's legacy, especially in Armor Wars, which is set to be about Stark's tech falling into the wrong hands.
Meanwhile, the MCU is introducing Riri Williams -- Ironheart. Very little is known about what's in store for her on screen, but if she's anything like her comic counterpart, then she is set to be another legacy character for Iron Man.
While Jane Foster has been absent from the MCU for several years, she returns in Thor: Love and Thunder as The Mighty Thor. In the comics, when Thor Odinson is not worthy of Mjolnir, Foster takes over the mantle. It's unknown how this will be adapted in the film, especially since Thor is alive and worthy at the end of Endgame; however, he is entering a new stage of his life, giving up the Asgardian throne to Valkyrie while he goes on a cosmic journey, so it wouldn't be unheard of for someone else to carry on his work as the God of Thunder.
Natasha Romanoff is the first Black Widow introduced in the MCU, but she is not the only one. As seen in the films and comics, the Red Room trains young women to be assassins, and it appears the program is back in action in Black Widow. In order to combat this new threat, Romanoff teams up with Yelena Belova, another Black Widow in the comics. With Belova set to appear in Hawkeye, she could be carrying on the legacy of her sister.
Another surviving Avenger is getting a legacy character in Hawkeye. It appears the show is pulling heavy inspiration from Matt Fraction and David Aja's run, which had Kate Bishop and Clint Barton working together under the same heroic moniker. With Bishop not having been in the MCU before, it's unknown what her dynamic with Barton will be until the show airs, but with him having his family back, it wouldn't be surprising to see Barton looking for a way out of the hero game while a new Hawkeye takes over.
She-Hulk may not be the most traditional legacy character; however, that could change with how the MCU handles her. In the comics, she is Bruce Banner's cousin and develops similar powers, but her stories aren't so much about carrying on the Hulk's legacy like Amadeus Cho's stories are upon his introduction. This could change in She-Hulk, with Jennifer Walters following Banner's footsteps.
The newest confirmed legacy character is the Loki Variant, a.k.a. Lady Loki; although, she doesn't like sharing that name. There is speculation this Variant is actually Sylvie, a.k.a. Enchantress, a character created by Loki in the comics. She also may not have an interest in continuing the main Loki's legacy in terms of what he wants; however, she is deserving of his title as God of Mischief after the attack she pulled on the Sacred Timeline. Even if she isn't his legacy character, another Loki Variant may step in to steal the role from him.
Loki stars Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Sophia Di Martino, Richard E. Grant, Sasha Lane and Eugene Cordero. New episodes air Wednesdays on Disney+.
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