One of the biggest moments in Marvel's fourth phase was in their first Disney+ outing, WandaVision, when the show introduced audiences to two of the first Young Avengers to be seen in the MCU: Billy and Tommy Maximoff, Wanda's twins.
The tragic part of it all was that the two of them, alongside the entire town Westview, was simply a fake creation by Wanda when she was overcome with grief. So when it all came crashing down, so did the future twin superheroes.
Of course, the after-credits paint the picture that Wanda's children aren't gone forever. It's likely to be a key focus of the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, with set photos all but confirming it. Their origin is far from a simple one, and it seems that Marvel is carrying some of that over.
Stacking on top of Wiccan and Speed's appearance in WandaVision, there was another Young Avenger seen in The Falcon and the Winter. This time, it was in the form of Eli Bradley, the nephew of Isaiah Bradley––someone who goes on to be the Marvel Comics superhero Patriot.
The famous Marvel Comics team is clearly something the studio is building towards. Well now, an audition tape has leaked that seems to show a meeting between Tommy and Billy Maximoff––and it's in regard to The Young Avengers.
TOMMY MAXIMOFF IS NEEDED
A newly surfaced leaked audition tape seems to indicate that a Young Avengers project is in fact on its way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In the video, actor Julien Debaker is seen auditioning for the part of Tommy. The scene, over four minutes long, is potentially from an upcoming Young Avengers project or another Wanda Maximoff project.
For those that know Marvel Comics, Tommy is likely in reference to Tommy Maximoff, AKA Speed.
The last time viewers saw Tommy, he was a figment of Wanda’s imagination brought to life in her trauma-driven creation of Westview. Here, he has clearly grown to the right age of being a proper Young Avengers member.
The person that Tommy is talking to is later revealed to be Billy, his brother, better known as Marvel superhero Wiccan. Billy looks to have already taken up the mantle, as he remarks to Tommy if he “[saw his] new outfit.”
There’s certainly some tension between the two, with Tommy about to get up and leave halfway through their conversation. That is until Billy begs for him to stay, saying that “it’s about mom.”
This, a clear reference to Wanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch, causes Tommy to pause enough to sit back down. Turns out, it's not really about Wanda, and it was a ruse to keep him in his seat for just a few more minutes.
In the dialogue that follows, Tommy indicates that he is happy with his current predicament. According to him, “people actually understand [him there]:”
“People actually understand me here. Out there, they all think I’m crazy and some kind of freak.”
Things clearly weren’t going well for Tommy before landing in what seems to be incarceration. He says that he “was a criminal,” and everything inside where ever he is provides a better livelihood than what he was experiencing before landing there.
It becomes clear that Billy is there to ask for help. In fact, after Tommy goes off on his brother a little, it becomes all but certain that Billy is trying to get him to join the Young Avengers—who are seemingly already active.
It’s not an idea Tommy likes, very conceals saying that he’s “not gonna wear a goddamn costume just to help you little friends:”
“But I don’t want to… I’m not gonna wear a goddamn costume just to help your little friends. The same friends that brought me in here. And all of that for what? Just to save people’s asses? It’s… It’s not worth it.”
The scene concludes with Tommy admitting to Billy that he does want to help him, but can’t find the point in it all. The last line is Tommy saying that his brother is “asking the wrong person.”
That's where the audition ends, bringing fans' first look at an unknown project to a close. Surprisingly, the actor reading for the part in the video publicly commented on this video's accidental release.
In his first tweet, Debaker responded to hate that he is receiving from social media users, saying that "to make hateful comments under a video that was not supposed to be seen by some random guys... is something else."
"Alright I can totally understand that not everyone can like my acting or my face, after all I can’t please everyone and no one can. But to make hateful comments under a video that was not supposed to be seen by some random guys... is something else."
The actor then clarified that "[he has] no idea" if this audition was for a Marvel Studios project, saying "Maybe it is or maybe not."
"A few days ago, an audition tape I did was put on the Internet (on public) and that was my mistake. I didn’t know anyone would see it. But somehow, these people think it was a Marvel thing. To be honest, I have no idea. Maybe it is or maybe not."
His final public words about the matter were in the form of a response to another user, where he admitted that he doesn't know if he got the part, saying "We'll see if I get the part or not," indicating that this is for an upcoming project that has yet to film. Spoiler alert, he is almost certainly not getting the part.
The entire audition can be seen below, at least until Marvel gets on it:
MAXIMOFF FAMILY TROUBLES
There's no telling if this is real, but there was a similar audition tape leak for America Chavez for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, featuring a scene that has recently started to look more legitimate. This time though, the audition tape seems to be for an unannounced project––unless, of course, Doctor Strange has yet another big surprise for audiences in his next adventure.
A Young Avengers project is all but a confirmed thing at this point. This year alone, the MCU has already introduced four members to the team, with another coming later this year in the form of Kate Bishop in Hawkeye on November 24, 2021.
Looking towards next year, fans will get to meet America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. There's also Ms. Marvel's solo debut, and while she isn't classically a member of the team, she still fits the role at the right time. One of the final members will make their debut in Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania in the form of Cassie Lang, though sadly, that's all the way in 2023.
