I think the way Byrne wrote his death was excellent. It truly should've been left at that. His death and the circumstances of it propelled Heather to lead the team. Having Heather as the leader was great because she took on the role with a combination of team spirit, guilt, and inspiration. She believed in AF from day one and then felt she helped cause James' death. That's a lot of motivation. For me, Heather always held this simple moral center, which makes a great team leader.

Madison as Guardian would be interesting. He could repair the suit in mid-combat! The only thing about Madison is that he doesn't have the persona for the suit or for leadership. He's a great prominent team player but not an ideal leader.