Ever since The Avengers made movie history (and a kajillion dollars in revenue) it seems like every comic fan with a keyboard has put in his or her two cents about which characters we can expect to see for the sequel. These lists are filled with the usual suspects—the most popular and longest-lasting characters to grace the pages of any Avengers comics.
The problem is—from a logistical standpoint, a lot of these characters just aren’t probable for new recruits the next time around. As much as fans might be clamoring to see these characters join the ranks, don’t expect these ten Avengers to show up on the big screen any time soon.
Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch
Since these mutant twins first showed up in the pages of X-Men, it’s possible that the characters are wrapped up in the movie rights to the X-Men franchise. That would definitely blacklist them from making an appearance in The Avengers 2. However, even if they were allowed the characters would be so neutered it wouldn’t even be worth it.
Without being able to refer to their daddy, Magneto or possibly even be able to refer to them as mutants, takes a lot of their background away leaving us with nothing but powers and codenames to work with.
Luke Cake
Even though the next installment of the series could definitely use diversity, don’t expect it to come from Luke Cage. Not only is the character primed for his own solo movie, but it’s possible he’ll be tied into the AKA Jessica Jones TV series, if that ever happens to get off the ground.
With Cap, Hulk and Thor on the team, you don’t need another heavy hitter like Cage. He also represents the new era of Avengers which is something I don’t think the movies will touch upon just yet since the team is in its infancy.
Tigra
Whether you stayed around to watch the post-credits scene or not, it’s pretty much common knowledge by now that Thanos will be the villain for the next movie. So what exactly is a B-list character like Tigra going to bring to the fight against a godlike entity like Thanos?
Yes, I know Tigra is a legitimate longtime member of the team with a unique set of powers, but she’s always been essentially treated like eye candy. That’s not to say that in the hands of Joss Whedon she couldn’t be given the same gravitas as Black Widow, it’s just that in the end of the day she’s still a talking cat girl in a bikini.
Wonder Man
Sure, Simon’s got an interesting power set that would be fun to see in action on the big screen, but everything else about him just seems so cheesy. Consider the fact that he’s never really had an iconic costume that didn’t look hideously outdated in the following decade and his only consistent design element are his giant 80s sunglasses. Let’s not forget how corny the name “Wonder Man” sounds.
Plus, if you choose Wonder Man, which version do you do? The villain? The Hollywood actor? The angry guy? Even if they managed to pull off the character right, at the end of the day he seems better fit as a character for the Iron Man franchise where he can be free to be all three.
Spider-Woman
You and I know that Spider-Woman is of no relation to Spider-Man, but Joe Q. Public may not be as familiar. That includes representatives at Sony who might think her rights are tied into the movie rights of the web-slinger himself. It would take a considerable amount of PR to work her into the movie.
Then, if you do add Spider-Woman, people are going to be confused as to why she doesn’t web around the city and why the heck she can shock people with her hands. Her origin story and the whole “which side is she playing for?” angle would be best explored in a solo movie, or possibly as character foil in a S.H.I.E.L.D. or Black Widow movie.
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a big enough character that she might not be best utilized as a new addition to The Avengers. Instead, Marvel will probably want to introduce her in a new Hulk movie or start a solo franchise. There’s also the fact that you don’t really need to have two Hulks on one team and the sequel will be more concerned with exploring how the original deals with his newfound role as a hero instead of a monster.
You also have to consider the logistics behind a character like She-Hulk, who is usually portrayed as always being She-Hulk and rarely ever Jennifer Walters. Do you try to find some Amazonian actress and paint her skin green for the role or do you make her a completely CGI character and use motion capture?
Ant-Man/Giant-Man, Wasp and Vision
Ant-Man and the Wasp were sorely missed in the first movie, but there’s a good reason why these characters were absent—they need their own franchise first. The mechanics behind shrinking and growing bring an entirely different visual experience to a movie, one that needs to be explored in its own way. Since Hank and Janet have a shared origin, it’s only fitting that they get their own movie to themselves.
The same thing goes for the Vision, since he’s a creation of Ultron, who in turn was created by Hank Pym. In fact, adding Ultron to the mix gives the Ant-Man movie a perfect villain and one who could pop up again in the Avengers franchise. All of these characters have such an interwoven history with one another that it only seems fair they get their own movie.
So what Avenger characters do I think we will see in The Avengers 2? One thing we know for sure is that the movie franchise is in desperate need of some strong minority and female characters. I could easily see Black Panther or The Falcon being brought in to diversify the cast. I’m also betting that we’ll see Ms. Marvel or Captain Marvel, whatever she’s calling herself, being added to the cast.
K is for Komics 
The Ant-Man movie is coming out.