Warning – Spoilers for The Marvels ahead!
It’s been more than a decade since the Marvel Cinematic Universe first assembled the Avengers on the big screen. Since then, we have seen the MCU grow in countless ways, adding dozens of beloved characters to its ranks. But it might just be time for another super team. And while the X-Men and Fantastic Four are waiting in the wings, it’s beginning to look like the Young Avengers will be the next ones up.
While we’ve all assumed this team of young heroes was coming sooner or later, thanks to the introductions of several of its key characters, the ending of The Marvels has us feeling like this team up will be coming very soon. With Kamala Khan recruiting Kate Bishop to become part of “a much bigger universe,” we can’t help but speculate who else it going to join the squad.
I’ve taken a look around the MCU and compiled a list of the Young Avengers from the comics who have already shown up in the MCU. And yes, there are a number of young heroes who will not make this list (Riri Williams, Phyla-Vell, Love, etc.) because we’re sticking to the ones who have been members of the team in the comics (aside from one obvious exception). We’re also going to stick to characters we’ve already seen in the MCU (though the last one on this list may be a bit iffy on that front) so you won’t see Hulkling on here.
Ms. Marvel
No, Kamala Khan was not a member of the Young Avengers in the comics. Yes, it is obvious she will be a member of the team in the MCU. And beyond that, it appears she will be the leader of the team. And this change from the source material makes a lot of sense based on the character’s story. There’s not higher profile young hero in the MCU right now and fresh off of her own big teamup movies with one of the more prominent heroes out there, she is a prime candidate to lead this new team of Avengers. While this may rule out a role for her in the Champions (another team of young heroes she leads in the comics) it’s a great fit for a character and actor who deserve a whole lot more time in the spotlight.
Kate Bishop
The next most obvious one is the only one we’ve seen Kamala actively recruit to this point. Kate was a scene stealer in Hawkeye on Disney+, especially when she got to interact with Yelena. More of her in the MCU is sure to make fans happy. Plus, this is a must-have for fans of the comics, who have seen Kate lead the Young Avengers at times. It won’t take long for fans to first think of Kate Bishop when they hear the name Hawkeye.
Cassie Lang
The only other name (sort of) that’s been associated with the Young Avengers in the MCU to this point has been Cassie Lang. “Did you know Ant-Man had a daughter?” That question from Kamala to Kate lumps Cassie right into the mix. Cassie shined in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, even if we only very briefly got to see her in action. We’ll be excited to see what she can do with a larger opportunity. In the comics, operating under the name Stature or Stinger, Cassie is another key member of the team and one of the original six members.
America Chavez
This is another no-brainer. The breakout star of Doctor Strange in the Mutliver of Madness, America has also been a member of the team and longtime best friend of Kate Bishop in the comics. We left her in Kamar-Taj learning to wield the mystic arts and to better control her own abilities. While we don’t know if the former will work out, the latter will certainly make her a very valuable member of the team. She just has to win Dancing with the Stars first.
Wiccan & Speed
One of the most exciting parts of WandaVision was the introduction of Wanda’s children Billy and Tommy, even if they weren’t real in the show. Billy and Tommy operate under the names Wiccan and Speed respectively. While those names may make their abilities pretty self explanatory, Tommy acquires the super speed of his uncle Pietro while Billy becomes a powerful magic wielder. To paraphrase Maria Hill, he’s fast and he’s weird. In the comics, the twins were separated at birth (in a much more complicated way that we won’t get into now) and were eventually reunited as members of the Young Avengers. Billy is a founding member of the team.
Patriot
Another founding member of the team, Patriot has already made a brief appearance in the MCU. We were introduced to Eli Bradley in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The grandson of a victim of super soldier serum experiments, Eli hasn’t shown any superhuman abilities just yet, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. In fact, in the comics, he gains abilities by receiving a blood transfusion from his grandfather, so that could still be on the way. Eli is another founding member of the Young Avengers and the longtime leader of the team.
Loki
Yes, even Loki is a member of the Young Avengers for a time in the comics. As things always are with Loki, his tenure on the team is complicated and not without trust issues but he certainly fits the bill for this team. And of course, we’ve already met a young Loki in, you guessed it, Loki on Disney+. While he may still be trapped in the Void, it’s certainly possible he eventually makes his way out of there and with the new lax rules of the TVA, it’s also possible he makes his way to Earth-616. (Or Earth-199999 as the leader of this team would call it.)
Iron Lad
Like I said, this one may be iffy on the “already saw them in the MCU front.” Let me explain. Iron Lad is another founding member of the team in the comics (Hulkling would be the fourth and final). Eventually though, he has a bit of a falling out with the team because, well, his real identity is Nathaniel Richards. And while that name may not mean much to fans of the MCU right now, it is also the name of one Kang the Conqueror. Yes, Iron Lad is a variant of Kang the Conqueror. And where have we seen a young variant of Kang in the MCU? Well, in 1868 Chicago of course. Ravonna Renslayer delivers a TVA Guidebook to a young Victor Timely, who eventually goes on to create the temporal loom, which leads to the creation of the TVA and so on and so on. Could we maybe see that young Victor Timely return a hero only to eventually learn of the countless horrors his variants have inflicted on the multiverse? If so, the Young Avengers could play a huge role in the Multiverse Saga.