Now that the Loki finale has been and gone and Black Widow is finally on screens, it's a good time to look back at where the MCU stands and what could possibly be coming next.
While many of the Marvel Studios projects in Phase Four have been in-depth studies of the characters fans already know — Wanda, Black Widow, Loki, Falcon, and Bucky — they've also set up some new characters in the MCU that are very recognizable for comic fans.
In particular, WandaVision's introduction of Wanda and Vision's twins, Billy and Tommy, should ring bells for any fans of the Young Avengers. Whether these characters are intentionally being included in the MCU for a Young Avengers team up in the future is now up for debate.
ELIZABETH OLSEN'S THOUGHTS ON THE YOUNG AVENGERS
In a virtual Q&A session with the New York Film Academy, via ComicBook, WandaVision actress Elizabeth Olsen addressed whether the inclusion of Wanda's twins Billy and Tommy could be leading towards the Young Avengers:
"I have no idea. I don't even know if — actually, if you even ask [Marvel Studios President] Kevin Feige that, I think he'll honestly say he doesn't know."
Olsen said that Marvel Studios only plans its projects "one phase at a time" before moving on:
"They really plan phases at a time, and then after those complete, they move onto the next phase."
The actress did say she thought the formation of a Young Avenger squad "could be a possibility" in the MCU and that Marvel likes to "keep all their options open":
"It seems like from my perspective that that could be a possibility, but I don't think they have a real plan for that yet. But they keep all their options open."
YOUNG AVENGERS... ASSEMBLE
Even with Elizabeth Olsen saying Marvel doesn't have a larger plan right now, it's hard to deny that a potential Young Avengers team-up in the MCU does look likely.
The studio has already laid the foundations for the appearance of some Young Avengers team members, like Eli Bradley in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Kid Loki in Loki, and Billy and Tommy, aka Wiccan and Speed, in WandaVision. America Chavez and Kate Bishop are both set to appear in Phase Four projects as well.
Marvel Studios is also setting the stage for other young heroes to enter the MCU with youth-led projects like Ms Marvel's Kamala Khan and Riri Williams in Ironheart, which pave the way for a whole new generation of superheroes.
It may not happen in Phase Four, but when Marvel does start planning its Phase Five projects, all the pieces are definitely in place for a Young Avengers project.
