Summary
- The Marvels' ending sets the course for the Young Avengers to debut.
- The Young Avengers made their Marvel Comics debut in 2005 and consisted of teenage heroes.
- Some of the Young Avengers already exist in the MCU and the foundation for their characters has been laid.
The following contains spoilers for The Marvels, now playing in theaters.
One of the things Kevin Feige promised with the modern Marvel Cinematic Universe was the passing of the guard. It's part of Marvel Studios making moves towards diversity, progression and evolution. A big part of this is geared towards connecting new, fresher superheroes with Gen Z.
New director, Nia DaCosta, leans hard into the next stage of the MCU with The Marvels. She even builds on Kamala Khan's journey from her own Disney+ series, Ms. Marvel. By the time The Marvels wraps up, the MCU makes strides towards giving Kamala trusted allies in the form of the Young Avengers.
Who Are the Core Members of The Young Avengers in Marvel Comics?
Young Avengers debuted in 2005 on Earth-616 thanks to Allan Heinberg (writer) and Jim Cheung (artist). They were a group of teen superheroes who wanted to follow in the footsteps of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The crew was assembled by Iron Lad (Nathaniel Richards), who traversed the timestream hoping to prevent an apocalypse and his destiny to become Kang. His recruiting began with Eli Bradley as the Patriot. Granted, Eli didn't have his grandfather's super-soldier serum. Instead, Eli took the Mutant Growth Hormone and kept his addiction a secret. Later on, he'd get a blood transfusion and take proper steps towards becoming a Black Captain America.
Cassie Lang (aka Stature) wanted to join the Runaways as she felt disillusioned over losing her father, Scott Lang (aka Ant-Man). She'd stick with the Young Avengers and come off as the teen with the most rage and angst. In time, Billy (aka Wiccan) would explore more of his powers and level up as a mage. He got wisdom from Scarlet Witch about rising up against those who bullied him over being gay. Little did he know she'd turn out to be his mother. Along with Tommy, aka Speed, the heroes would end up bringing Wanda back into play. It wasn't just about lineage, however, as Billy was involved in a romance with a teammate named Teddy (aka Hulkling).
Marvel would confirm Teddy was actually the son of the original Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) and the Skrull princess, Anelle, which added a lot of conflict. Teddy's Skrulls kept seeking him out to lead as an extremist. This played on the theme of family and loyalty a lot. Last but not least, Kate Bishop (the new Hawkeye) was one of the biggest voices of reason on the team. She came off a lot like Clint Barton, especially since she matured in ways that helped lead the teens.
At the onset, Captain America, Iron Man and the rest of the seniors didn't like having these teenagers running around. They felt they were liabilities, reckless and endangering themselves, as well as the public. As time elapsed, however, the heroes would do well against the likes of Mr. Hyde, leaving Captain America and the squad wondering if there was merit to actually training them. No matter what, they showed immense potential, which the seniors just couldn't ignore.
Which Events Defined The Original Young Avengers?
When Civil War kicked off in 2006, Steve Rogers decided to follow up on these prospects during the feud with Iron Man's faction over the Superhero Registration Act. The rebellious teens would side with Captain America, wanting to stand for liberty, non-censorship and human rights. The Young Avengers worked with the Runaways during this time as well, fighting off Maria Hill's S.H.I.E.L.D. and other pro-registration heroes. They eventually enlisted with the Secret Avengers resistance run by Falcon, although deaths like Goliath would play on them mentally.
After Captain America surrendered to end the fighting, they were granted amnesty. Some would join the Initiative and try to work for the government, but personal issues kept plaguing them. Cassie, for example, was struggling with her feelings for a Nathaniel who evolved into Vision. Kate and Eli also had romantic turmoil, reminding readers they were all part of an endearing coming-of-age story. Still, most of the team stuck by Steve's side during events like Secret Invasion. They'd rally with him as well against Norman Osborn's own Young Avengers during the Dark Reign period. The teens would later work with Steve's rebels to protect New Asgard during the Siege storyline.
This barreled into them fending off Doom and liberating Wanda in Avengers: Children's Crusade, although it would lead to Cassie's death. Nathaniel would mess with time to save her, not caring if it would lead to him becoming Kang. At this point, the book garnered fan and critical praise for how it meshed action, love and raw, pure emotion in a way that fans didn't experience with the Avengers team since the Disassembled arc. After all these wars, all the senior peers accepted and respected the original team. From Spider-Man to the X-Men to street-level vigilantes, the Young Avengers finally earned their nickname. They weren't off the books anymore; they truly deserved the mantle of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
Who Became the Future Young Avengers?
Just like the Champions that Kamala led years later, the Young Avengers changed the roster from time to time. In 2013, Young Avengers (written by Kieron Gillen and drawn by Jamie McKelvie) took on a new scope in the Marvel NOW! era. This chapter had Kid Loki, Noh-Varr and America Chavez join. There was also a mutant flair with a de-powered Prodigy signing up.
A lot of this new run revolved around romantic tension, with a bisexual Prodigy developing feelings for Billy, all while Billy tried to work things out with a stressed Teddy. Plus, Noh-Varr (a young Captain Marvel) acted flippantly when he got involved with Kate. This paved the way for the immature, distracted Young Avengers to learn their greatest threat came from within, as an evil version of Prodigy dressed as Patriot fought against them. Amid all this, Kid Loki had to contend with the darkness within, and if he was indeed meant to be a hero. These stories played more on the disenchantment of youth, tapping into the cultural zeitgeist of the time with teens raging against the machine in society more than ever.
In addition, while the God of Mischief added a ton of comedy and drama, there was the haunting arc with Billy trying not to become the sinister Demiurge -- the very entity that would create the secret dimension America Chavez came from, and from which she inherited her world-hopping abilities. Thankfully, like their previous counterparts, they'd get through everything by remembering how important family was. The team would eventually disband, and from their ashes, West Coast Avengers ended up forming. Clint managed this team, using Hawkeye, America Chavez, and Noh-Varr as his main runners.
All these trials and tribulations would culminate in the Empyre storyline in 2020 where members from both incarnations of the team would get caught up in a civil war during Teddy and Billy's wedding. Sadly, another Kree and Skrull feud broke out, pulling in the senior Avengers and Fantastic Four, X-Men and Guardians of the Galaxy. This set the stage for the cosmic door to be blown open and Knull, the symbiote god, coming over to wage war. Again, it proved these youngsters were crucial to the overarching picture of Earth-616.
Who Will Become The Young Avengers in the MCU?
The Marvels' explosive ending depicts Kamala as the catalyst for the new generation of heroes. She's seen recruiting Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop after witnessing a horrific cosmic war waged by Dar-Benn that broke planets like Tarnax, Aladna and nearly destroyed Earth. Kamala even parodies Nick Fury's recruitment of Tony Stark in 2008's Iron Man, mentioning they have Cassie to hire after her heroics in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Xochitl Gomez's America Chavez is a potential recruit as well. She appeared in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, battling an evil Wanda. America is training with the sorcerers at Kamar-Taj, so Kamala could seek her out to open a portal to locate a marooned Monica Rambeau in The Marvels' post-credits.
Ironically, America knows Wanda Maximoff just wanted to find her twins. As a result, she may be the key to bringing an iteration over as Wiccan and Speed. They could all redeem Wanda's legacy and try to cure the Scarlet Witch if she returns. As for Eli, he appeared in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He's taking care of his grandfather, Isaiah. Given how Sam Wilson got recognized as the new Captain America, it's only a matter of time before Eli -- once he has the serum in him -- decides he wants to be the Patriot. There's even a chance Hulkling could appear, with The Marvels bringing more Skrull refugees over to Earth after the Secret Invasion drama.
A door is open for Iron Lad is to debut as well. Season 2 of Loki had a young Victor Timely who Loki ensured wouldn't evolve into a Kang variant. There's always room for the MCU to retool the source material and shape the genius inventor as an Iron Lad who comes to the future to assist Kamala's team. Season 1 of Loki also had Kid Loki, while Captain Marvel restarting Hala's sun could always lead to the Kree creating the super-soldier in Noh-Varr to be their protector. It would make sense after they feared Carol Danvers as the Annihilator. Whether it's directly or indirectly, the foundation for many Young Avengers from the comics is present for Kamala to ultimately forge a squad to protect the future of the MCU.
The Marvels is now in theaters.
The Marvels
Carol Danvers gets her powers entangled with those of Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau, forcing them to work together to save the universe.
- Release Date
- November 10, 2023
- Director
- Nia DaCosta
- Cast
- Brie Larson , Samuel L. Jackson , Iman Vellani , Zawe Ashton
- Rating
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 1 Hour 45 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Action
- Genres
- Adventure , Fantasy
- Writers
- Nia DaCosta , Megan McDonnell , Elissa Karasik