Marvel’s Iron Man has been a member of many more teams than just the Avengers in the comics. Besides Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Tony Stark has played a central role in different groups of heroes, scientists, entrepeneurs, and even villains. Stark’s genius intellect and huge ambition cements him as an influential leader and strategist.
In the MCU, Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark became the definitive face of the Avengers. Even though Iron Man’s MCU journey concluded in Avengers: Endgame, the MCU has only scratched the surface of the many groups he has led or influenced in Marvel Comics. From experimental groups to globe-spanning initiatives, there are still several Iron Man teams the MCU can still bring to life.
7 Force Works
Force Works #1 (1994)
Force Works is born out of the dismantling of the beloved West Coast Avengers, with the philosophy of protecting instead of avenging. Iron Man serves as the team’s founder, with Scarlet Witch as the field leader. Former WCA members Wonder Man, Julia Carpenter, and U.S. Agent round out the roster. Despite their successful missions and collaboration with the Avengers, Force Works eventually dissolves thanks to Kang the Conqueror’s secret influence on the team.
An MCU adaptation of Force Works could fill the vacuum left by the disbanded Avengers following Avengers: Endgame. While the Thunderbolts a.k.a. the New Avengers already play a similar role in Avengers: Doomsday, Force Works could present a separate group of Avenger-inspired heroes. In the MCU, Force Works’ members could even be precursors to the MCU version of the West Coast Avengers instead of successors.
6 The Knights Of The Atomic Round Table
Fantastic Four (Vol. 2) #5 (1997)
The Knights of the Atomic Round Table are created by Franklin Richards inside a pocket universe. In this reality, the world’s greatest minds bond long before they become superheroes. Tony Stark, Hank Pym, Bruce Banner, Reed Richards, and Victor von Doom are reimagined as contemporaries in a shared origin timeline where they work together on the invention of a suit of armor. However, they end up parting ways and reaching their traditional fate.
Marvel Studios could use the Knights of the Atomic Round Table as the foundation for a soft reboot following Avengers: Secret Wars. Franklin Richards could create a new universe where all scientific titans know each other long before their superhuman transformations. This would neatly integrate the Fantastic Four into the MCU while re-centering Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, and Hank Pym in a fresh continuity, possibly with new actors.
5 Axis
Avengers & X-Men: AXIS (2014)
During Marvel’s AXIS event, the spell meant to invert the Red Onslaught’s morality ends up inverting the personalities of dozens of heroes and villains, causing heroes to act ruthless and villains to become noble. Iron Man, affected by the inversion, becomes the arrogant Superior Iron Man and leads a coalition of inverted Avengers. Though short-lived, the Axis of Evil is perhaps one of the most dangerous teams Earth-616 has ever had.
Axis would be an ambitious team to tackle in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. Instead of a magic inversion spell, Doctor Doom could assemble a multiversal team of evil Avengers variants to fight the Avengers, New Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four. Robert Downey Jr. would then play both Doctor Doom and Superior Iron Man, with Chris Evans possibly playing Captain Hydra.
4 The Space Friends
Iron Man (Vol. 5) #5 (2021)
Iron Man’s Space Friends is an unexpected alliance Tony Stark forms with a handful of Marvel heroes he barely knew in order to fight Korvac. Despite knowing little about each other, heroes like Frog-Man, Hellcat, Scarlet Spider, Misty Knight, Halcyon, and Gargoyle successfully oppose Korvac. The team dies when Iron Man obtains the Power Cosmic, but Tony Stark himself brings them back to life.
Although Tony Stark is gone, an Iron Man successor like Ironheart or War Machine could step into this cosmic role. A crossover with the new Guardians of the Galaxy could shake up the MCU’s cosmic line-up. Instead of teams of fully extraterrestrial heroes, the MCU could mix galactic superheroes with Earth-based characters in Phase 7.
3 The Initiative
Civil War #5 (2006)
The 50-State Initiative is born out of the fallout of Civil War, where Iron Man emerges as the face of superhero regulation. After the Superhuman Registration Act becomes law, Tony Stark helps create a government-sponsored program designed to place a superhero team in every U.S. state. Acting as a Nick Fury-type figure, Iron Man oversees the recruitment, training, and deployment of a new generation of heroes.
Marvel’s creative 50-State Initiative could be a natural follow-up to Avengers: Secret Wars’ aftermath. With the world scrambling to regain control after the threat of multiversal destruction, Iron Man’s legacy could be twisted into a bureaucratic version of superhero management. If a rebooted Iron Man doesn’t get introduced in Phase 7, then Valentina Allegra de Fontaine could attempt to build the Initiative.
2 Avengers World
Avengers World #1 (2014)
Avengers World was born during Jonathan Hickman’s celebrated Avengers run, where Earth’s Mightiest Heroes expand their ranks to become a global strike force. Avengers World highlights the idea that the Avengers are a massive organization ready to respond to crises worldwide. Iron Man plays a central role in shaping its infrastructure, technology, and the philosophy of global protection.
The MCU’s Avengers World could serve as a natural progression of the themes explored in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War. The Avengers have failed to avoid collateral damage. However, the team still has the potential to intervene in global conflicts and catastrophes. The idea of a unified, international Avengers force, plus all its possible negative side effects, provides enough material for a whole saga.
1 Red Team
All-New, All-Different Point One #1 (2015)
Following the restoration of the multiverse after 2015’s Secret Wars, Earth-15513’s Collector assembles a squad of deadly variants to compete in the Elders of the Universe’s Contest of Champions. Dubbed the “Red Team,” Iron Man, Ares, Stick, Gamora, and the British Punisher “Outlaw” fight to secure a powerful cache of Neutronium for the Collector. However, they’re ultimately defeated by Maestro and Punisher 2099.
The Red Team could be reimagined as one of the many multiversal strike squads in Avengers: Secret Wars. Instead of serving the Collector, these variants could be depicted as desperate survivors fighting rival universes during incursion events. Their defeat would emphasize the overwhelming stakes of Doctor Doom’s rise, while their eclectic roster of recognizable characters would allow Marvel Studios to deliver quick but memorable cameos.