Marvel Studios is evidently developing a Young Avengers lineup in the MCU. However, at the last San Diego Comic-Con, where Marvel Studios’ mega-panel dropped several massive surprises ahead for Phases 5 and 6, there wasn’t any mention at all about the rumored Young Avengers project.
Now, where and when can we really see the young gang of superheroes in a live-action film?
Who Are The Young Avengers and When It All Started?
In Marvel Comics, the Young Avengers was initiated by a young man named Nathaniel Richards, who came from the future after fleeing Kang The Conqueror, who is also his villainous future self.
When he roamed around the Avengers Mansion to seek help, it turns out that half of the Avengers were slaughtered by the Scarlet Witch during one of her mental breakdowns. Nathaniel then formed his own team of young superheroes who are tied with the Avengers, calling themselves Young Avengers.
There are several iterations of the comic book, and almost single one of them included a different set of members. To summarize, the group includes Iron Lad, Hulkling, Patriot, Stature (Cassie Lang, daughter of Scott Lang), Kate Bishop, and Wiccan and Speed aka Billy Kaplan and Tommy Shepherd. In the series' Volume 2, America Chavez, Marvel Boy, and Prodigy officially joined the group.
Will Young Avengers Debut in Phase 5 and Phase 6?
Despite the absence at the last Comic-Con, the Young Avengers could still be part one of the many awaited surprises in Marvel Studios' highly-anticipated panel at Disney's D23 Expo, which will be held on Saturday, September 10 at 10:00 AM PT inside Hall D23.
Although Marvel Studios has already revealed many projects for Phase 5 and Phase 6, the Young Avengers announcement could probably be their headliner at the event.
Xochitl Gomez, Iman Vellani, and Hailee Steinfeld React to Young Avengers' Possibility
Potential members of the MCU's Young Avengers are usually reticent in reacting about their future in the franchise, including if their narrative is somehow headed to being a part of the Young Avengers.
In a recent interview with Movies Con Jovanny YouTube channel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' America Chavez actress Xochitl Gomez revealed her hopes for the Young Avengers, hoping that it would be included in the eight unannounced projects for Phase 6. Check out Gomez's statement below:
"I wish I knew something, I wish they told me anything! Sadly, I couldn’t make it to Comic-Con because I had summer school and I was doing finals, but I was able to watch the announcements coming out and rolling out, and what I can say is I’m really excited for Black Panther. I think the trailer looked so cool, and I’m really excited. I think it would be really cool to kind of see…obviously, there’s The Kang Dynasty, so a little bit of Kang, I think that could be fun with America. But there was lots of unannounced, unnamed titles. We saw some things in Phase 6 that didn’t really have a name, so, I don’t know, fingers crossed, maybe Young Avengers? Who knows?"
When Ms. Marvel's lead star Iman Vellani was asked by Stylecaster about the Young Avengers, she seemingly played it coy by encouraging fans to persuade Marvel President Kevin Feige first:
“I feel like Marvel could do something like that, right? There should be something. There’s one man you’ll have to convince.”
To make things more interesting, during an interview with Comicbook.com prior to Hawkeye's release, Hailee Steinfeld candidly said that her casting as Kate Bishop was only "the beginning."
"I mean, listen, this feels so crazy to me right now just sitting here with this group of people. I’m so grateful to be a part of this show in this universe, and it’s only the beginning. This show's not even out, so I’m looking forward to that day."
Marvel President Teases The Arrival of the Young Avengers
Of course, the decision is still entirely with Marvel Boss Kevin Feige on whether he will develop the Young Avengers project. After introducing several potential members, Feige revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that characters like Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop, and America Chavez have an "endless possibility" ahead of the mega-franchise.
"As a comic fan, anything in the comics is always our inspiration and our guide point. How those things come together and in what shape, it’s always subverting expectations, it’s always half the fun as meeting them. But, yes, you can certainly see that Phase 4 is introducing all sorts of new types of characters with the potential being endless."
He also added that Phase 4 newcomers would play a more substantial part in the future and that they are now "part of a bigger universe."
"Now, all of us at Marvel Studios feel like Nick Fury at the end of Iron Man 1, as new actors and new performers come in and we tell them they’re part of a bigger universe. They just now have to do the work required to build their audience. I’m happy to say everybody that’s here, certainly where I’m sitting now, is doing amazing work and [I] can’t wait to show them the world.
Even though Marvel Studios is still holding the Young Avengers from the fans, the MCU roadmap is already approaching their arrival. Aside from Ms. Marvel, WandaVision introduced Tommy's Speed and Billy's Wiccan, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier introduced Eli Bradley's Patriot, while Hawkeye welcomed Kate Bishop.
Just recently, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness saw America Chavez as another potential member. To round up the group, the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to be the debut of Riri Williams' Ironheart. Lastly, Cassy Lang will officially debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
It's also worth noting that MCU's Phase 6 includes eight untitled projects, and one of them could surprisingly be the Young Avengers.
Stay tuned for more updates about the Young Avengers!
Also read: Will There Be Ms. Marvel Season 2? Iman Vellani And Crew React