Looking at the MCU’s newest superhero team and comparing them to the original Avengers, it finally makes sense why Marvel Studios waited so long to introduce the New Avengers in Thunderbolts*. Revealed at the end of Thunderbolts* in a surprising twist, the New Avengers are officially part of the MCU timeline – though they’re a very different kind of superhero team than expected. When breaking down how these new recruits compare to the original MCU Avengers, it’s clear why Marvel Studios waited until after Avengers: Endgame – or even Captain America: Civil War – to bring them into the spotlight.

The end of Thunderbolts* delivered a significant shakeup for the post-Endgame MCU: Valentina Allegra de Fontaine held a press conference to unveil the government’s next big initiative – a new public-facing Avengers team. Dubbed “The New Avengers,” the roster consists of Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier), Red Guardian, US Agent (John Walker), Ghost (Ava Starr), and Sentry – now living under his real name, Bob Reynolds. This is a marked departure from the previous team, which explains why Marvel took so long to introduce them.

The MCU’s Original Avengers Are Clearly More Powerful Than The New Avengers, Bar The Complicated Matter Of Sentry

The Original Avengers Are Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow, Thor, & Hawkeye

When the original Avengers ᴀssembled in 2012, they brought a nearly unbeatable mix of power, technology, and combat prowess to the table. Thor and the Hulk alone carry a level of raw strength and durability that eclipses anyone on the New Avengers roster – aside from Sentry, who is an extreme outlier. Iron Man’s tech was unmatched, Captain America had both strategic genius and a super-soldier physique, and Black Widow and Hawkeye were elite spies and ᴀssᴀssins who complemented the team’s power scale with skill and precision.

Now compare that to the New Avengers. Yelena, Bucky, Red Guardian, and US Agent are all super-soldier-adjacent combatants with varying levels of enhanced strength and stamina. Ghost has phasing abilities that can make her formidable in specific contexts, but she’s unstable and often functions better in stealth than in head-to-head combat. Collectively, their power level is more grounded and street-level compared to the original six. They can fight — but not necessarily against gods, aliens, or interdimensional threats.

Sentry, however, complicates the picture. As a character who possesses “the power of a million exploding suns,” Bob Reynolds could, in theory, rival or even exceed Thor and Hulk. However, that’s only if he’s stable – and as Thunderbolts made clear, that’s a big “if.”

Thunderbolts Makes It Clear The New Avengers Wouldn’t Be Able To Use Sentry’s Powers In Any Normal Fight

Bob Using Powers As Sentry Unleashes The Void

In Thunderbolts*, Bob Reynolds is introduced as a potential savior, but was quickly revealed to be a time bomb. His dark alter ego, the Void, wreaks havoc in the film’s third act, forcing the Thunderbolts to work together to defeat him. Following an intense struggle, Bob manages to regain control of his body and suppress the Void – seemingly for good as long as he doesn’t use his powers again.

In the Thunderbolts* post-credits sequence, there is a time jump showing that Bob is living quietly as himself in the New Avengers HQ, not as Sentry. While he’s technically part of the New Avengers team and appears with the rest of the group, it’s heavily implied that he will not be participating in any combat missions. In fact, the team is explicitly told that Sentry’s powers are off-limits – he’s too dangerous to be used as a weapon, and the risk of unleashing the Void again is too great.

This essentially removes Sentry from the power rankings. Without him, the New Avengers would be completely outmatched compared to the original Avengers. They may be skilled, resourceful, and trained – but when it comes to pure strength or cosmic-level threats, they don’t stand a chance. Which is exactly why Marvel chose this moment in the MCU’s timeline to introduce them.

Introducing The New Avengers Before Sam Wilson’s Avengers Appear To Be Properly Set Up (& After The Original Team Essentially Ended) Makes Most Sense

The Avengers Broke Up Officially In Captain America: Civil War

The timing of the New Avengers’ debut in the MCU is very deliberate. The original Avengers team initially broke-up in Captain America: Civil War, though reunited unofficially to defeat Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. With Sam Wilson’s Avengers team not yet formed (though confirmed in the Thunderbolts* post-credits time jump), this interim period in the MCU offers a perfect window for a lower-powered team to step into the spotlight without suffering direct comparison.

Had the New Avengers been introduced earlier – say, during the events of Civil War or Infinity War – they would have looked wildly underpowered next to the likes of Thor, Hulk, Doctor Strange, and Scarlet Witch. Their entire presence would’ve felt redundant or even laughable in the face of such overwhelming power. By waiting until the world is without a proper Avengers team, Marvel allows this flawed, morally complex, and grounded group to earn legitimacy on their own terms.

It also creates a narrative vacuum that allows for smaller-scale missions to be handled by the New Avengers while the MCU builds toward its next major team-up. When Avengers: Doomsday arrives, the presence of multiple distinct Avengers teams – including Sam Wilson’s – will create a more layered, nuanced dynamic rather than a one-size-fits-all supergroup.

I’m Fascinated To See How Captain America’s Avengers Roster Compares To The New Avengers

Sam Wilsin Began Building His Own Avengers Team In Captain America: Brave New World

It’s already been heavily speculated that Sam Wilson’s Avengers team will consist of more traditional heroes with actual superpowers – essentially, a spiritual successor to the original lineup. It was initially ᴀssumed that several of the New Avengers would be part of this team, filling out the Super Soldier and super spy contingencies. However, without these relatively grounded heroes, Sam Wilson’s Avengers would be made up of the vastly more powerful alternatives.

Now, the potential members include Shang-Chi (with the Ten Rings), Thor (still active in the cosmos), Black Panther (Shuri), and of course, Sam himself, as the new Captain America. Others, like Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, or even Monica Rambeau, might play roles depending on the timeline. The only non-superpowered members will be Sam himself and the new Falcon (Joaquin Torres). This sets up an incredibly exciting contrast between Sam’s Avengers and Yelena’s New Avengers.

Sam’s team will likely be more idealistic, powerful, and traditional – closer in spirit and scale to what the original Avengers were. They will potentially also be even more potent than the original line-up. Meanwhile, the New Avengers will be a hardened, utilitarian response unit, more comfortable operating in gray areas and handling domestic or covert threats. Seeing how these two groups intersect – both ideologically and operationally – could become a key storytelling device in future MCU phases after Thunderbolts*.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

  
  
  
  

  
  

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