Summary

  • The Young Avengers could potentially be led by Kamala Khan and Kate Bishop, with several other potential members already introduced in the MCU.
  • Marvel Studios has been teasing the formation of the Young Avengers, which could hint at a revival of Kevin Feige's original plans for a young superhero team.
  • While a Power Pack project has been in development limbo for years, the formation of the Young Avengers could finally give the MCU a similar young-adult team.

Marvel Studios has been teasing the Young Avengers, potentially reviving an old plan for a young superhero team in the MCU. Several potential members of the Young Avengers have been introduced to the MCU in recent years, and the team received its first real tease at the end of 2023's The Marvels. While the formation of the MCU's Young Avengers, which will likely be led by Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, and Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop, a.k.a. Hawkeye, is very exciting, the upcoming team could also hint at a revival of Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige's original plans for a young superhero team in the MCU.

After the conclusion of the MCU's Infinity Saga, many legacy heroes have been introduced to the MCU, including a number of potential Young Avengers members. The likes of Kamala Khan's Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop, Billy and Tommy Maximoff, Eli Bradley, Cassie Lang, America Chavez and Skaar, among many others, could take spots on the first live-action Young Avengers team. The ending of The Marvels saw Kamala Khan and Kate Bishop begin to lay foundations for the Young Avengers, but a project featuring the team hasn't yet been confirmed. Nevertheless, this could be the perfect opportunity for Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige to finally bring an age-old MCU plan to fruition.

Ms Marvel looking sad next to He Who Remains smiling
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Marvel's Canceled Power Pack Movie Plans Explained

Marvel Studios first announced its plans for the franchise that would become the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2005, uncovering ten potential projects that had been put into development for the budding franchise. Among these, projects featuring Captain America, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Ant-Man, Nick Fury, Hawkeye, Shang-Chi, Cloak and Dagger, the Avengers and Power Pack were revealed to be in development. While many of these would eventually make their way into the live-action MCU, Power Pack's fate was left much more uncertain. In 2017, however, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 producer Jonathan Schwartz was put in charge of a Power Pack project.

Debuting in Marvel Comics' 1984 storyline Power Pack #1, the Power Pack was Marvel's first team of pre-teen superheroes. The team comprised siblings Alex, Julie, Jack and Katie Power, who were imbued with superhuman attributes by the Kymellian alien Aelfyre Whitemane. Operating without adult supervision, the Power Pack took on some of the most formidable villains in the Marvel Universe while dealing with normal problems faced by average children. An adaptation of Marvel Comics' Power Pack for the MCU would likely appeal to younger audiences in much the same way that a Young Avengers project at Marvel Studios would, but the project seems to have stalled.

The members of Power Pack have had many abilities over the years, but their original powers saw Alex become Gee with the ability to manipulate gravity, Julie become Lightspeed with enhanced speed capabilities, Jack become Mass Master with the ability to control the density of the molecules of his body, and Katie become Energizer with the ability to project energy blasts from her chest.

Why Power Pack Didn't Happen

Pre-teen heroes Power Pack in Marvel Comics

A Power Pack project was a part of Marvel Studios' first planned MCU slate as it would have garnered the attention of younger viewers, a reasoning that Kevin Feige repeated during a 2018 interview with Screen Rant. However, as the MCU has continued to develop and expand since kicking off in 2008's Iron Man, younger audiences have been gifted with more-appropriate projects such as Ant-Man, Ms. Marvel, Spider-Man: Homecoming and What If...?. Feige noted that Ant-Man and the Wasp fits the MCU's younger demographic already, perhaps answering why Power Pack has been continuously left in the dirt, but there's still potential for this team to be introduced to the MCU.

The Young Avengers Can Finally Give The MCU A Real YA Movie

Even though a Power Pack project hasn't ever made its way into the MCU, the potential formation of the Young Avengers could finally give the MCU a similar young-adult team. The Young Avengers operate under the supervision of Vision, unlike the unsupervised and younger Power Pack, but this may be changed in the MCU as Vision is currently AWOL. The young characters of the MCU's Multiverse Saga would perfectly fit the role of the Power Pack, though it's still possible that Marvel Studios could introduce the pre-teen superhero team, despite the Power Pack being stuck in development limbo for almost two decades.

Could Young Avengers Still Appeal To All MCU Audiences?

Marvel Comics' Young Avengers in costume

Even if a Young Avengers project is marketed as a family-friendly movie in the MCU, it's possible that all MCU audiences will be interested in the formation of the upcoming team. Phase 4 introduced Kate Bishop and Kamala Khan to the MCU, both of whom have been popular among audiences, with the latter being celebrated as one of the strongest aspects of 2023's The Marvels. Similarly, Tom Holland's young Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man, remains one of the most beloved superheroes in modern media. It's possible a Young Avengers film in the MCU could unite every audience demographic, while a potential Power Pack project may be more aimed at younger viewers.

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