San Diego Comic-Con featured a panel from Marvel Studios in Hall H on Saturday evening that mapped out the majority of Phases 5 and 6 for the MCU when it comes to theatrical releases and Disney+ exclusive series. Many fans expected some sort of team-up movie featuring the Young Avengers to be announced at the convention due to so many new and youthful faces being introduced into the franchise during Phase 4. However, Marvel Studios instead focused on revealing new projects such as Daredevil: Born Again, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Even though there have not been any official reports that suggest a project featuring the Young Avengers is happening, many of the actors who portray young characters in the MCU have commented on the possibility of it happening. Hailee Steinfeld, the actress behind Kate Bishop, wasn't in denial when asked about the Young Avengers, but just stated that "there's a lot of new opportunities rising." Billy Maximoff actor Julian Hilliard was also asked his opinion on the superhero team, and he even named which actors he would like to work with for the project.
Although there were no official announcements made at Comic-Con regarding the Young Avengers, Kevin Feige still had some words about what to expect in the future.
Kevin Feige on the Young Avengers
Following Marvel Studios' panel in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, Kevin Feige was asked by MTV News' Josh Horowitz about there not being an announcement regarding the Young Avengers. Feige replied by mentioning that the MCU has "amazing characters" that have been "introduced in Phase 4," alluding that if there were to be a project featuring the Young Avengers, it would come farther down the line:
"We’ve got… we’re sort of reminding people of all the amazing characters that we have introduced in Phase 4 and sort of where those characters go and how they how they form their own their own cliques."
Feige has been asked about the Young Avengers numerous times in the past. In a March 2021 interview with Entertainment Weekly, the Marvel boss was asked about the potential forming of that team, to which he stated that "the potential (is) endless" when it comes to the characters that have been introduced in Phase 4:
"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."
In the same interview, Feige went on to compare Marvel Studios to Nick Fury, especially when he has to tell "new actors" that "they're 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.
It is also important to remember that, during an interview with ComicBook prior to the release of Hawkeye, actress Hailee Steinfeld was asked about the potential for a Young Avengers team-up project. She then glanced back at Kevin Feige, and as the two stared at each other for a moment, it seemed as though they had something to hide. Moments later, Steinfeld stated that "it's only the beginning" in response to the original question about the Young Avengers:
"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."
Will There Be a Young Avengers Movie?
It seems like there are plans for the Young Avengers to appear at some point down the line. There has been too much evidence to believe something isn't in the works, ranging from direct quotes from Kevin Feige to the look Hailee Steinfeld gave him when she was asked about the team.
Feige's quotes following the Comic-Con panel definitely don't rule anything out, and while no one can speak for the Marvel Studios President except himself, it seems as though he just wants fans to get to know the new characters more before they are all seen together. At this point, many of the new faces have only appeared in one, maybe two projects across Phase 4, so to rush them into a team-up movie when there is more to be explored about them first may not be the wisest move.
It is also important to remember that the MCU has already planned out three major team-up movies for Phases 5 and 6, with two of those being Avengers films. If a Young Avengers project were to be shoehorned into the mix somewhere, there's a good chance that everything could become cluttered. Based on his quotes and reaction, it seems as though Feige has a plan for the Young Avengers in mind. In the meantime, his statements allude to the possibility that more solo projects could be in the works that are centered around some of the MCU newcomers, and fans always have the already announced projects to look forward to.
