With Ant-Man and the Wasp [1] now upon us, fans may be turning toward Captain Marvel [2], Avengers 4, and whatever Marvel has up its sleeve next [3]. Based on a few recent quotes from Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige [4], we could potentially see an appearance from the Young Avengers [5] down the line. If you're not familiar with them, the Young Avengers are just as they sound: mostly teenagers working to save the world.
Who Are the Young Avengers?
After the Avengers disband, a character known as Iron Lad accesses Vision's stored fail-safe protocols, which collected data about living relatives of the Avengers and company. Among the list are the kids who become known as the Young Avengers, including:
- Nathaniel Richards, aka Iron Lad: Iron Lad technically comes from the future. He travels back in time upon learning that his future self, Kang the Conquerer, turns into a villain. To defeat himself, he activates the Avengers fail-safe protocol and locates the other heroes. Nathaniel's only powers come from his 40th century suit, modeled after Iron Man's. Eventually, he returns to the future.
- Elijah "Eli" Bradley, aka Patriot [7]: As the grandson of the original black Captain America, Isaiah Bradley, Eli takes supplements for superhero-like abilities until a blood transfusion gives him his own.
- Theodore "Teddy" Altman, aka Hulkling: Teddy is technically alien royalty. As the son of Kree hero Captain Mar-Vell and a Skrull princess, he shapeshifts at will and wields mighty strength.
- William "Billy" Kaplan, aka Wiccan: Billy possesses a great amount of power, just like Wanda Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch [8], and is revealed to be the reincarnated version of her son William. His skills include reality warping, teleportation, electrokinesis, flying, and a whole lot more. He and Teddy have been dating for years.
- Cassie Lang, aka Stature [9]: Cassie is the daughter of Scott Lang, aka Ant-Man, and after his death, she seeks out the Young Avengers. Her powers manifest at just the right moment to prove she belongs to the team when she gets so angry at the impending rejection that she grows into a giant.
- Kate Bishop, aka Hawkeye: Kate hails from a rich family and finds herself rescued by the fledgling group of Young Avengers at a wedding. She and Cassie insist on joining, though Kate lacks superpowers in the same way Clint Barton (aka Hawkeye) does. However, Kate also received combat training and is one of the best archers in the world.
- Thomas "Tommy" Shepherd, aka Speed: Tommy is the reincarnated version of Scarlet Witch's son Thomas. He takes after his "uncle" of sorts, Pietro Maximoff, with supersonic speed — hence the inventive name.
Over time, the lineup for the Young Avengers shifts. Cassie dies and later returns as Stinger; Patriot eventually leaves the team to move to the Midwest; and Iron Lad obviously travels back to the future where he came from. In the latest iteration of the team, though, a few new heroes join up:
- America Chavez, aka Miss America: America actually travels the multiverse by punching through different realities. Her abilities also include flight, super strength, and cosmic awareness, which guides her through the multiverse. She also makes it clear her previous relationship with a guy was an experimental phase for her.
- David Alleyne, aka Prodigy: David is a depowered mutant [10] who used to be able to absorb information from others' brains. That knowledge was restored and he's super intelligent, but he no longer absorbs new information that way. He identifies as bisexual and has a massive crush on Teddy.
- Noh-Varr, aka Marvel Boy: When you cross a Kree with cockroach DNA, you get a pretty damn strong alien. His gauntlets also shift into whatever weapons he desires. Noh-Varr starts as an antagonist but swings around to save the universe instead, eventually joining the Young Avengers. He and Kate Bishop have a thing.
- Young Loki: After Loki dies [11], he is reborn without his memories. Thor finds him and brings him home, but Loki remembers nothing of his former villainous nature. Eventually, a disembodied version of the old Loki takes over him, and Kid Loki of the Young Avengers is haunted by his guilt.
Will the Young Avengers Be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
So where are the Young Avengers in the MCU [12]? As of now, only Cassie Lang has made an appearance, but Eli Bradley nearly showed up in Black Panther [13]. Scarlet Witch and Vision are together to parent the twins, and Kate could easily tag along with Clint Barton [14] in Avengers 4. Plus, with Captain Marvel taking us on an adventure with the Kree and Skrull empires [15] next year, that film may introduce us to Teddy.
However, Marvel characters have jumped from the big screen to the small screen before. Peggy Carter, Phil Coulson, and Lady Sif, for example, have all crossed into TV shows and movies alike. Even if the Young Avengers team doesn't make it into Phase 4 of the Marvel films, Cassie and company could always join Cloak & Dagger [16] or The Runaways instead.