The 11th year of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is upon fans, and it culminates today with Avengers: Endgame. The franchise reaches an epic climax with the Avengers going against Thanos for a second time, though we know little about what comes next. With the MCU’s future uncertain for now, fans are looking in all directions to see where Marvel Studios might go next, but the answer is easy enough.
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It’s time to assemble the Avengers once moreโฆ but not in the way you might think. The era for the Young Avengers has come, and if anything, it may be overdue.
For those unaware, the Young Avengers is a series comprised of a โ well โ young generation of heroes who wish to do what the Avengers are known for. Saving the world is great and all, but it becomes hard to do when you’ve got school and nosy mentors like Iron Man to worry about. However, this is the sort of struggle that breeds character, and it would be just the thing to infuse new life into the MCU long after Endgame.
After all, audiences young and old know what it is like to be underestimated, and the Young Avengers are de facto underdogs. There is something about the teenage superhero that enthralls audiences, and you only have to look at Peter Parker’s enduring legacy to see as much. If the MCU picks the Young Avengers as its next epic get-together, it will invigorate audiences with characters they can follow for another 10 or more years, and its diverse heroes could set a new tone for the franchise.
The Young Avengers may feel like misfits from time to time, but they embrace their diversity in dozens of ways. For instance, characters like Elijah Bradley show up as Patriot, and the character deals with his black heritage while being the grandson of Isaiah Bradley, a prototype hero who proceeded Captain America.
Other characters like Theodore Altman and William Kaplan made major waves with their LGBTQ+ status, and that’s not counting Kid Loki who proudly displays their genderqueer status. American Chavez, who also goes by Miss America, does the same while promoting her Latin roots.
Plus, the Young Avengers have some ties to the MCU heroes fans know and love. Without dropping spoilers, Vision and Wanda are connected to the ragtag team. Cassie Lang brings Scott Lang into the equation as Ant-Man’s daughter suits up for the team herself, and Kate Bishop assumes the moniker Hawkeye in honor of the famous Avengers archer. Plus, there’s Loki. Sure, the trickster might have been reincarnated as a kid, but he’s still the lovable antihero which audiences came to adore.
Not only are the Young Avengers ready to show up on the big screen, but Marvel Studios has laid the foundations for the team’s arrival. Ant-Man introduced Cassie Lang, who ended Ant-Man and the Wasp wishing to become her father’s sidekick, while Captain Marvel introduced Monica Rambeau, a girl who is ready to become a hero like Carol Danvers. That’s not even to mention the Disney+ series in the works focusing on Kate Bishop and Clint Barton as they exchange bows. Step by step, the MCU has set up a world wherein the Young Avengers could not only exist, but thrive.
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