Entertainment
Did Falcon and The Winter Soldier just introduce a member of the Young Avengers?
Warning: spoilers ahead for episode two of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
Episode two of Marvel’s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier appeared to introduce a member of the Young Avengers, with fans hoping his arrival could mean a Young Avengers movie is on the way.
In the second instalment of the series on Disney Plus, Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and Sam (Anthony Mackie) come face to face with secret super soldier Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), who fought the Winter Soldier in South Korea back in the early 1950s.
While visiting the elderly man’s home in Baltimore, Maryland, they are let into the house by his grandson, Eli Bradley (Elijah Richardson).
Several eagle-eyed Marvel fans quickly pointed out that Eli has a significant role in the Marvel comics, one that could see him suiting up as a superhero in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) at some point in the future.
So who is Eli, what are the Young Avengers and have we seen them in the MCU before?
Who is Eli Bradley in Falcon and The Winter Soldier?
In the Marvel comics, Isaiah’s grandson Eli also goes by the name Patriot and is one of the members and founders of the Young Avengers.
When he first joins the Young Avengers, he lies about having superpowers.
However, he eventually gains superhuman abilities when he receives a blood transfusion from his grandfather after being severely wounded.
As his grandfather gained his own enhanced abilities as the result of a super soldier serum, Patriot obtains similar powers.
His costume pays homage to the one previously worn by Isaiah, who adopted the Captain America mantle before being imprisoned.
What are the Young Avengers?
In the Marvel comics, the Young Avengers are a team made up of young, up-and-coming superheroes.
Just like Eli, several members of the Young Avengers already have links to members of the original Avengers, although they do a bang-up job of establishing themselves as some of Earth’s mightiest heroes.
The Young Avengers were first introduced in 2005 by screenwriter Allan Heinberg and comic book artist Jim Cheung.
Have we seen Young Avengers in the MCU before?
Although they haven’t yet formed the group, we have indeed met some members of the Young Avengers in MCU releases.
The (hopefully) upcoming introduction of the Young Avengers was heavily hinted at in WandaVision, when Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) gave birth to her and Vision’s (Paul Bettany) twin sons – Billy and Tommy.
As Billy (Julian Hilliard) and Tommy (Jett Klyne) rapidly grew up, it was revealed they had their own superpowers, with Billy exhibiting similar powers to his mother, including the ability to delve into people’s minds, and Tommy revealing he has superspeed, like his uncle Pietro.
In the comics, Billy is also known as Wiccan and Tommy is known as Speed. And both are members of the Young Avengers.
In addition to Eli, other members of the Young Avengers are set to be making appearances in the MCU very soon, including Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), Hawkeye’s protégé, in the upcoming Hawkeye Disney Plus series and Cassie Lang, Ant-Man’s daughter who adopts the alias Stature.
America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), aka Miss America, is set to make her debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, while fans are also hoping Ms Marvel (Iman Vellani), who has her own eponymous series coming up and is starring in the Captain Marvel sequel, will be a part of the group.
Will there be a Young Avengers movie?
With the clues pointing towards the Young Avengers becoming more blatant as time goes on, many Marvel fans are pretty certain the group will eventually be brought into the MCU either in Phase Four or beyond, heralding the next generation of superheroes.
Whether that’s in their own movie, series or another project, the future sure is looking bright for the Young Avengers.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is available to watch on Disney Plus with new episodes released on Fridays.
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