Nearly a decade since Avengers: Endgame, and Marvel Cinematic Universe heroes now have a clear leader. Marvel Studios was at the top of its game when the Infinity Saga ended in 2019, hence why it was so exciting to see what they were going to come up next after the defeat of Thanos. With Iron Man dead and Steve Rogers retired from active duty, one of the biggest questions coming into the Multiverse Saga was learning who would step up to the plate and spearhead the remaining heroes of the franchise, as well as the upcoming ones.
There were several clear frontrunners for the job of becoming the new face of the Avengers. After playing a major role in the Infinity Saga, especially with the defeat of the Mad Titan, Doctor Strange seemed the perfect fit for the post. It helped that he was also one of the stalwarts of the exploration of the multiverse on Phase 4. Meanwhile, there were also arguments about Sam Wilson inheriting the role from Rogers. After all, the shield was passed onto him as the new iteration of Captain America. Captain Marvel was also an inspired choice, considering how she exuded leadership in the Infinity Saga, not to mention the fact that she is one of, if not the most powerful hero in the MCU. Now, Marvel Studios has finally provided an answer.
The Doomsday Trailer Crowns Thor As The Avengers’ New Leader
Image via Marvel Studios
Over at CinemaCon 2026, Marvel Studios unveiled the first proper trailer for Avengers: Doomsday, with Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans joining Kevin Feige and the Russos to share the footage. While the public has to wait for it to finally release widely, the promo positions Thor as the new leader of the Avengers. This doesn’t only refer to the nuclear Earth’s Mightiest Heroes team, but instead every known and active hero in the MCU right now, as established by Rogers when he said “Avengers Assemble” in Avengers: Endgame‘s Battle of Earth.
There are a lot of cool reveals in the trailer that are worth discussing, but the main takeaway from the clip is how the God of Thunder spearheads this fight against Doctor Doom. While Thor has proven so many times that he is among the most prolific warriors in the MCU, having been in countless battles, what’s more interesting is that he’s also the one rallying everyone against the looming threat. Odin’s son delivers a rousing speech to motivate his allies against Doctor Doom while also giving them an honest idea of the battle that they are facing. Thor says: “I have fought with many warriors in my time. They were far stronger than any of us combined and they died. They died facing enemies and threats that scared me far less than this one. Everything that we sacrificed will be for nothing if we do not stand together. If you return, you will return as brothers and sisters, but mark my words, we’re going to need a miracle.”
In this particular moment, Thor becomes the perfect mix of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. While the original Captain America is known for delivering rousing speeches, including the one before the time heist in Avengers: Endgame, Iron Man balanced him out by being transparent about the threats that the heroes faced in the Infinity Saga. He was the one to first sound the alarm on Thanos’ arrival, although his warnings fell on deaf ears.
Why Thor Becoming The New Avengers Leader Makes Sense
Admittedly, Thor being the new Avengers leader in Avengers: Doomsday is a surprising pick, considering the character’s image towards the end of the Infinity Saga and even the Multiverse Saga. Despite being Odin’s heir, he’d rather be a warrior than a leader, which was why he gave up the throne to Valkyrie. Thor’s shift to being a more comedic character played a part in this, and for a while, it did work, effectively endearing the hero to a bigger audience. That said, the very first Thor-centric Avengers: Doomsday promo revealed that he has become more mature, potentially as he embraced becoming Love’s dad.
In the grand scheme of things, however, no other hero is better suited to succeed Stark and Rogers as the Avengers’ leader than the last remaining original Big Three of the MCU. In terms of narrative, Thor has fought so many battles, including several side-by-side with Iron Man and the original Captain America. It makes sense that he continues their legacy as the franchise rebuilds. Despite Rogers’ return, Chris Evans’ character is no longer a primary player in the MCU, so he can’t and shouldn’t take the spotlight from the Multiverse Saga’s main heroes.
There’s also something poetic about Thor being able to redeem himself with all the colossal mistakes he committed during the fight against Thanos. Aside from failing to kill the Mad Titan in Avengers: Infinity War, he was mostly nonfunctional in Avengers: Endgame, as he carried the burden of guilt. Now, he has the chance to make up for those mistakes, not because people are still blaming him for them, but to allow him to make amends and eventually forgive himself for his faults. From a marketing perspective, putting someone as recognizable as Chris Hemsworth’s Thor will also be the most effective way to sell the film.
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