WandaVision's finale leaves SWORD without a director, so here's every candidate to take over the organization. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had powerful government organizations since the very beginning. The fall of SHIELD during Phase 2 left a sizable hole, and Marvel took its time to introduce what will take its place. WandaVision introduced the Sentient Weapon Observation and Response Department and did so by including some surprising revelations about its history and current status in the MCU.
Fans thought that SWORD appeared in the MCU originally in Spider-Man: Far From Home's post-credits scene with Nick Fury, but WandaVision didn't link him to the organization. The show established that Maria Rambeau helped found SWORD at some point in the past and after Captain Marvel. Maria was the director of SWORD up until she died in 2020. Her death left SWORD in need of someone to take over, and Tyler Hayward was appointed to take command. Under Hayward's leadership, SWORD evolved to begin creating weapons, which included Project Cataract and reassembling Vision. Hayward hated superheroes, though, and that put him in conflict with Scarlet Witch during WandaVision. This left some wondering what the future held for the organization's future in the MCU.
The conclusion of WandaVision leaves SWORD in an uncertain place. The final confrontation between SWORD and Scarlet Witch led to Tyler Hayward being arrested after Jimmy Woo learned of his plan to kill her. It hasn't been revealed what Hayward's future is, but it appears that his time as the director of SWORD is done. This leaves the organization with a major job opening. Marvel Studios will need to fill this vacancy soon, so who could take over SWORD after WandaVision?
Jimmy Woo wasn't part of SWORD as many anticipated he'd be during WandaVision, but the FBI agent could be in contention to take over. The finale included a line from Monica Rambeau saying leadership looked good on Jimmy. This came right before Hayward was arrested, so Marvel might have subtly foreshadowed that Jimmy will replace him. Jimmy proved to be a better leader in WandaVision after previously looking a bit out of his depth in Ant-Man and The Wasp. He'd be a very different leader than Hayward, as Jimmy is caring and wants to help others instead of pushing his own agenda. This could help SWORD become more of the ally to heroes that Marvel fans expect. Marvel may have intended to tease Jimmy leading the Agents of Atlas with the line in question, but taking a position in SWORD could happen instead. And perhaps this would allow for more adventures between him and Darcy Lewis.
Monica Rambeau could be the best bet to take over as SWORD's director. She spent years working for the organization and has an even stronger connection thanks to her mother. WandaVision even alludes to the fact that she might've been Maria's successor if she was around. Now that Hayward is out of the picture, Monica might find herself in a position to follow in Maria's footsteps. She's a clear leader and sees the best in people, such as believing Wanda is not a villain. Her new superpowers can also setup SWORD to be an organization filled with powered people and allow her to lead by example. At the very least, it would make them a clear friend to superheroes. Monica's interest in space could also help push SWORD's focus further into the cosmos. The WandaVision post-credits scene teased that she's already heading to space, so Monica may be too busy with her new adventures to lead an entire organization.
Heading into WandaVision, MCU viewers widely believed that SWORD already had a director with Nick Fury. The former SHIELD director hasn't been seen much since the intelligence organization collapsed, but Spider-Man: Far From Home's post-credits revealed Fury in space with the Skrulls. This signaled to fans that Fury might have already founded SWORD, but WandaVision doesn't establish any connection between him and the organization. Even if Fury isn't working for SWORD now, he could take control of it before too long. He's in space and is trusted by some of the biggest and most powerful superheroes in the MCU. Fury also has a history of using powerful artifacts to create weapons, so overseeing the organization that monitors and creates them makes sense. Plus, this would give Fury another prominent leadership role in the MCU and a chance to learn from his mistakes with SHIELD.
Secretary Thunderbolt Ross has always been searching for power in the MCU, which is why he could be interested in taking over SWORD. He's extremely qualified to lead the organization in the government's eyes and would put an established political and military figure atop SWORD. Ross' disposition for superheroes is well-known, and there'd be no question that he'd shape the organization to benefit himself and America. After starting in the military, Ross most recently has been the Secretary of State. This position gave him the power to push the Sokovia Accords through and oversee The Raft prison. However, the Avengers don't respect Ross and directly disobeyed his orders multiple times. He could be looking for a change of scenery where he has a bit more control over what he can do. The resources of SWORD could allow him to finally create weapons, like super-soldiers, or build a superteam of his, like the Thunderbolts.
One possibility for SWORD's director who didn't factor into WandaVision's story is Steve Rogers. The end of Avengers: Endgame saw Steve go to the past and grow old with Peggy Carter after returning the Infinity Stones. After these adventures, his return to the present day saw Steve pass the Captain America mantle and shield to Sam Wilson aka Falcon. While Spider-Man: Far From Home indicated Steve might be dead, that isn't confirmed to be the case. This seems less likely with reports that Chris Evans is in talks to return to the MCU down the road. This could be so Steve Rogers can be the man in charge of SWORD. Captain America isn't closely associated with SWORD in the comics, but old Steve Rogers was the director of SHIELD for a time. Unless SHIELD is brought back at some point, the MCU won't have the chance to put Steve in that leadership position. They could make up for that missed opportunity by making Steve the director of SWORD.
SWORD's next director could follow a similar path as WandaVision and introduce a new character to the MCU to take over. While Tyler Hayward was an original character created for the show, Abigail Brand is an established director of SWORD in the comics who can now step in. Brand is a green-haired alien and mutant who has the ability to burn through metals with her hands and speak multiple alien languages. She has long been the leader of SWORD in the comics and assumed this position before she was 30 years old. Abigail was a SWORD agent before becoming director, so she could have ascended through the organization's ranks during the Blip. Brand has been involved in major comic stories, including Secret Invasion, which will soon be a Disney+ TV series. Her delayed introduction to the MCU could be due to Marvel still figuring out how to bring mutants to this universe. Still, it might only be a matter of time before Abigail Brand is introduced and takes her rightful place as the leader of SWORD.
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