WARNING: The following contains spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 6, "One World, One People," now streaming on Disney+.
John Walker's debut as Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier didn't feel right to anyone, and least of all to the characters of the show. But fans knew to expect a darker twist on the patriotic hero that Walker would be perfect for, and with the end of the series, comes the beginning of U.S. Agent.
And there's a lot more where that came from. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been building toward its very own Dark Avengers for some time, creating shadowy images of its biggest heroes that could one day unite in a twisted team. U.S. Agent is clearly propped up to be the leader, but let's look at who might make up the rest of the team.
Walker noted in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier finale that his new costume was essentially the same as his previous costume, just in black. This falls in line with the more covert operations that would be necessary for him following his public disgrace in the aftermath of brutally murdering a Flag-Smasher. With Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine pulling the strings, there's no doubt a bigger scheme is at play here, and it's one that could bring the dark twist on Earth's Mightiest Heroes to live-action.
In looking for candidates for a Dark Avengers team, the obvious choice is to go for those villains who mimic the powers and appearance of the superhero team that first saved New York in 2012. To that end, one of the earliest options available would be Emil Blonsky, who first fought the Hulk in The Incredible Hulk after his own cocktail of Super Soldier Serum and gamma radiation turned him into a towering green monster that wrecked a chunk of Harlem. Blonsky was originally considered for the Avengers proper given his military background, but he has been tucked away in an unseen prison for over a decade now.
Loki would also be an appealing candidate, with the trickster god's own Disney+ series next in the batting order on the streaming service following Falcon and Winter Soldier. Currently, his own shenanigans put him beyond the reach of even someone as influential as Valentina, but were he to find his way back to Earth, he could prove a valuable asset to the team whose illusory magic allows him to pose as any heroic figure he would want.
Another planned Disney+ series, Armor Wars, is expected to deal with the proliferation of Iron Man technology throughout the world, creating an easy opening either for a new Iron Patriot or for Justin Hammer to return from prison with a chip on his shoulder. The much-delayed Black Widow should have introduced actress Florence Pugh to the role of super-spy as well, setting up her character of Yelena Belova as the perfect Black Widow. And with Daredevil's iteration of Bullseye perfectly fit to round out the Hawkeye role, fans can actually visualize a whole Dark Avengers roster.
New characters like Sentry, Moonstone and Ares would be natural additions to the team if they are introduced, but for the time being, the time is already ripe for the Dark Avengers to debut. In the newest phase of the MCU, the focus will undoubtedly be, just as it was in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, on the passing of legacies from the old guard to the new. It's only natural that direction would bring up the corruptions of those old heroes' original spirit, and the Dark Avengers are the perfect way to introduce that.
Directed by Kari Skogland, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier stars Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Emily VanCamp, Wyatt Russell, Noah Mills, Carl Lumbly and Daniel Brühl. New episodes debut on Fridays on Disney+.