Following Avengers: Infinity War, the mysterious fourth installment in the Avengers franchise is preparing to be a bittersweet event in the MCU. Several of the biggest actors have contracts ending, including Chris Evans. Of course, anything is possible, and Marvel may agree to extend Evans' contract. But as it stands, we have to prepare for an Evans-less MCU. When it comes to what will happen to Captain America, we can only speculate. Marvel has done a fantastic job of keeping Avengers: Infinity War spoilers out of the public eye, and we still don't have any substantial details concerning the 2019 Avengers film.

Whether Marvel does decide to pick Cap to be their first major character death or if Cap leaves for some other reason, one thing is for sure: The Avengers will need a new leader. We've come up with 15  potential replacements, in order from least likely to most likely. Some of these possibilities may seem out of left field, but actually, have their precedent set in the comics. Other characters seem too perfect for the role not to lead the Avengers. In either case, we're confident that the next leader is on this list. Here are 15 characters who could lead the Avengers if Chris Evans leaves.

15 WAR MACHINE

In the least likely, yet still possible scenario, Iron Man's pal War Machine could temporarily take charge of the Avengers. Fans may forget that he was introduced as a member of the second iteration of Avengers glimpsed at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Although we haven't seen much of this team, except partly in Captain America: Civil War, it's safe to assume that War Machine has racked up plenty of Avengers experience points behind the scenes.

War Machine's main advantage though is that he comes from a military background.

As a Lieutenant Colonel, War Machine led troops, which isn't so different from Captain America's qualifications for running the Avengers. In the case that some of the more likely replacements for Cap are out of commission, War Machine could step up to the plate.

14 SCARLET WITCH

Like War Machine, Scarlet Witch officially joined the Avengers at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron. As with the other second-generation Avengers, Scarlet Witch has a lower probability of replacing Captain America as the leader -- but the move wouldn't be totally unprecedented.

In the comics, Scarlet Witch led the West Coast Avengers for a time and then went off to form a team called Force Works. Of course, she also once lost control of her powers and killed several Avengers, but that's beside the point. Elizabeth Olsen is young and Scarlet Witch is still relatively new to the MCU. If it doesn't happen immediately after Evans leaves, we think she could eventually grow into a leadership position. That is if they don't decide to explore her darker stories.

13 ANT-MAN

Although not an official Avenger, his addition to the team seems inevitable. And past that, we think he has leadership potential. Like Star-Lord, his leadership style would be unconventional, but the head of the Guardians of the Galaxy has convinced us that even a former outlaw can become a noble leader. Ant-Man is a classic Avenger in the comics.

The original Ant-Man, Hank Pym, was a founding member and led the team at various points throughout Avengers lore.

The MCU's Ant-Man, Scott Lang, has thus far proven to be a combination of the two comic-book Ant-Men. Given this, it isn't out of the question for Lang's Ant-Man to become an Avenger and rise into a leadership position. Admittedly, it is highly unlikely to occur within the next two Avengers flicks.

12 STAR-LORD

One of the many long-awaited moments to go down in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War, will be when the Guardians of the Galaxy finally meet the Avengers. The latest trailer for the flick already confirmed fans' hopes for a fun interaction between Star-Lord and Iron Man. At last, with this historic meeting occurring, new possibilities open up -- including the odd chance that Star-Lord takes over a future iteration of the Avengers.

Star-Lord is simultaneously one of the oddest choices and one of the most reasonable choices for the role. Few would think him capable of leadership at first glance. But he leads his own team of highly-effective superheroes, despite his pernicious vices. Couldn't he just as well lead the Avengers -- no matter how unconventional his approach may be?

11 NICK FURY

Nick Fury has been curiously absent from the MCU for the past several years. He played a crucial role in the early development of the MCU, having put together the Avengers, but hasn't been seen since Avengers: Age of Ultron. There have even been conflicting reports on whether or not he'll show up in Avengers: Infinity War.

But, as packed as the upcoming movie is, we'd be stunned if Marvel were remiss to exclude Fury from the culmination of the first three phases of the MCU.

If something were to happen to Cap, it would be fitting to see Fury step out of the shadows and lead the team that he founded. He may play more of the role of general rather than a leader that joins his troops in battle, but the different approach would be a welcome change.

10 VISION

Vision has received the least amount of screen time out of all the characters on this list, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have the potential to lead the Avengers. Vision is a godlike android with deep stores of potential. One of his many godlike characteristics is his level of intelligence and the speed at which he can learn. For this reason, he should have no problem acquiring the know-how to lead the world's mightiest heroes.

Vision leading the Avengers also has a precedent in the comics. After many of his teammates were kidnapped during Secret Wars, Vision led the Avengers for a period. Of course, as worthy as Vision is of leadership, the only thing that's stopping him is his own unwillingness. At the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, he told Ultron that he had no interest in controlling humans.

9 SAM WILSON

A current Avenger and proven ally of Captain America, Sam Wilson may have what it takes to lead the Avengers. It's an unlikely scenario -- but not as unlikely as it seems on the surface. In the past few years, Wilson has received a huge push in the comics. He left his Falcon persona behind and took on the mantle of Captain America for a while. He even briefly led an Avengers team.

For these reasons, we aren't discounting Wilson in the race to become Avengers leader.

If the MCU decides to pull from the comics, as they already have extensively, we could see Wilson lead the Avengers in the wake of his friend's demise -- and possibly even don the Captain America costume. Whatever happens, we have faith that Wilson will continue to play a pivotal role in the MCU.

8 BRUCE BANNER

The fact that Bruce Banner is one of the original members of the Avengers, and thus has plenty of experience, is enough to qualify him to lead a more inexperienced team. And by Banner, we do mean Banner -- not his green goliath of an alter-ego. That is unless they decide to go with a smart Hulk in the future.

In the case that Banner retains control and intelligence when in Hulk-form, it would be an intriguing premise to have a smart Hulk take the lead of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Although Banner is far from the ideal choice to lead the team, he certainly has the brains to. Why wouldn't he be able to take the intelligence that he applied to science, and apply it to leading a team? We're confident that if Banner put his mind to it, he'd be a brilliant strategist for the Avengers.

7 BLACK WIDOW

Black Widow has done a lot and seen a lot. She started out working for the KGB before joining the ranks of S.H.I.E.L.D. For her various jobs, she's been all over the world and acquired a laundry list of skills. In other words, she's got one heck of a resume. Why shouldn't that resume qualify her to lead the Avengers?

She's one of the founding members of the movie team and has likely absorbed a lot of leadership lessons from working closely alongside Cap over the years.

For years now, fans have been asking for a Black Widow solo flick -- but seeing her lead the Avengers may be just as satisfying. However, qualifications aside, Black Widow simply may not want to lead the team. Having played the lone wolf for most of her career, we're surprised she even joined the Avengers.

6 HAWKEYE

Like Black Widow, Hawkeye is both an original Avenger and has military experience, making him a reasonable choice to lead the Avengers. He's a battle-hardened vet with the guts to take on foes vastly more powerful than him. Although he was the "weak link" in the original Avengers, his characterization as a family-man self-aware of his comparative uselessness in comparison to his super-powered allies, endeared him to many fans. What's frustrating is that the thing that Hawkeye would likely be best at, but hasn't had the opportunity to manifest, is leadership.

Despite Hawkeye being conspicuously absent from the Avengers: Infinity War marketing, we know he'll appear in the flick. We'd love it if he finally got a chance at leading the Avengers. Out of all the heroes in the MCU, he seems closest in character to Cap, which is one more reason we think he could lead the squad.

5 THE WINTER SOLDIER

Bucky has turned out to be one of the most complicated characters in the MCU, which is one reason the Captain America trilogy was so captivating. The hero turned brainwashed assassin is now looking for redemption -- a journey that'll begin in Avengers: Infinity War.

It's feasible to see Bucky taking over leadership of Avengers, especially if Cap dies -- of course, he'll have to earn it first.

A lot of heroes are still skeptical about where his loyalties lie. But, once he's proven himself as a powerful asset in the war against Thanos, we think he could be on the road to not only taking over leadership of the Avengers but also becoming the new Captain America. The comics set a precedent for this course of action, and there's real potential for it to play out on the big screen.

4 THOR

If Marvel has a big three, it's composed of Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor. Naturally, any one of them could make for credible leaders of the world's mightiest heroes. But Thor has a rare advantage: He's the son of Odin, heir to the throne of Asgard -- and born to rule. It seems that somebody born to rule Asgard could easily manage and lead a small squad of superheroes.

Making the jump to the leader of the Avengers would also be fitting for Thor's character arc. When we were first introduced to Thor, he was arrogant and irresponsible. Over the course of several films, he's grown. Most notably, in Thor: Ragnarok, he organized and led his own team of superpowered misfits. If this pattern continues, it only makes sense that he end up leading the Avengers.

3 BLACK PANTHER

Thor isn't the only royal-born superhero in the MCU. Black Panther is the king of Wakanda, and unlike Thor, he's naturally bent towards leadership. Ironically, what some would see as a vice is what makes him a great leader. The fact that he struggles with moral dilemmas and his own worthiness to lead are what make him a dependable leader. Like Captain America, he takes his responsibility seriously.

It's how Black Panther and Capa approach responsibility that set them apart from more of the egomaniac heroes in the MCU like Thor and Iron Man.

While Black Panther does appear to be the ideal leader for the future Avengers, there's one reason we don't think he'll do it: He's leading a nation. The guy is busy, and besides, we think we'll see plenty of him in future installments of his lucrative solo series.

2 IRON MAN

Iron Man is the most obvious choice to replace Cap as leader of the Avengers. The narcissistic playboy has grown increasingly responsible and selfless since his MCU debut, even going so far as to mentor Peter Parker. Before Iron Man left the Avengers at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron, he was arguably a co-leader with Cap, although his leadership skills never seemed as natural as they were for his teammate.

To see Iron Man take charge of the Avengers, especially if it's in the wake of Cap dying, would just feel right. Even if it were for just one movie, Iron Man leading the MCU's finest would be a beautiful way to close the curtain on the battle with Thanos. The only problem is that we aren't sure how long RDJ will be sticking around.

1 DOCTOR STRANGE

Since Benedict Cumberbatch jumped into the MCU as Doctor Strange, rumors have circulated that he'll take over RDJ's spot as the face of the MCU. Cumberbatch has been nominated for countless awards and is by far the most decorated actor among the MCU's new generation of actors, which adds validity to these rumors.

Given Cumberbatch's bright future with the MCU, we think he'll take on the responsibility of leading the Avengers if and when Evans leaves.

Even though he's thus far only appeared in his own solo movie and a bit of Thor: Ragnarok, he already feels like an integral part of the MCU. He's also been featured in a lot of the marketing for Avengers: Infinity War, suggesting that he'll only continue to rise in prominence when the movie comes out.