Young Marvel Heroes Who Still Need To Appear In The MCU
The hero roster of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has grown exponentially since Thanos was defeated back in "Avengers: Endgame." In some cases, longtime supporting heroes have stepped into larger roles, like Sam Wilson now becoming Captain America. Most of the MCU's newbies, though, are either working alongside established heroes or coming up on their own. From Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) going on a journey of understanding his power to Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) becoming a local legend as heroic as her idol, the MCU is flourishing with a whole new generation of heroes.
It's also worth noting that most of this new batch of heroes are younger — younger even than the casts of the Phase 1 movies were when the MCU began. Characters like Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), and others make up a young generation of heroes that could be a pivotal force going forward. It's so clear that the MCU has focused on introducing young heroes that some fans are starting to question if the formation of a Young Avengers team is happening before their very eyes. But there are still plenty of intriguing young Marvel heroes the MCU can introduce to further expand its youthful roster.
Spider-Man (Miles Morales)
Miles Morales' Spider-Man has got to be a top Young Avengers candidate in the MCU. Like Peter Parker, Miles' powers stem from a genetically mutated spider bite. Along with doing whatever a spider can, though, Miles can also generate electricity that gives his punches a shocking impact, and he can even camouflage himself to become a hidden threat. While most of Miles' incarnations see him take over the Spider-Man mantle after Peter Parker's death, that doesn't necessarily have to be the case in the MCU.
PlayStation and Insomniac's "Spider-Man" games have shown that Peter and Miles can work side-by-side, while Sony's "Into the Spider-Verse" sees Miles working with plenty of other spider heroes. The MCU could have two Spider-Men together, and Peter's current arc in the MCU presents the right time for it. Currently, Peter is finding his own footsteps as Spider-Man and having him be a mentor for someone else like Miles feels fitting. Spider-Man actor Tom Holland has even said that the MCU should introduce Miles.
We also already know that Miles' uncle Aaron Davis (Donald Glover), aka The Prowler, exists in the MCU — we saw him as a carjacker in "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and he mentioned having a nephew. There's a good chance that Miles' time as Spider-Man in the MCU is on the horizon, and given the current popularity of the character, introducing him in live-action is surely an appealing concept.
Jubilee
As mutants are slowly implemented into the MCU, it's only a matter of time before the X-Men become a key force. When they eventually make their appearance, Jubilee needs to be one of the first introduced, because she's a classic young X-Men character fans would love to see. Jubilee's powers consist of powerful energy blasts she can emit from her hands that she calls "fireworks." Jubilee's colorful look and energetic personality might make her seem less intimidating than other mutants, but her enemies underestimate her at their own risk.
Generally, she's known to have a close bond with Wolverine, and seeing their relationship develop on-screen could show a different depiction for both characters than we've seen in live-action. The MCU could easily use Jubilee more than the Fox "X-Men" movies did, and hopefully take great inspiration from the comics as well as "X-Men: The Animated Series." That '90s cartoon earned Jubilee a legion of fans, as she played a key point-of-view role that made her a gateway to superhero stories for an entire generation. A more prominent Jubilee would easily help differentiate the MCU's X-Men from the previous live-action movies, and help establish a youthful presence within the mutant team of heroes.
Bombshell
Unlike most of the other young heroes mentioned here, Lana Baumgartner — aka Bombshell — actually starts out aiding a supervillain rather than saving the day. Lana originally works alongside her villainous mother Lori, helping her rob banks by using her energy beam blasts to break open safes. She often clashes with her classmate Spider-Man, but eventually makes a heroic turn after Peter Parker's death. Ultimately, she goes on to team up with Miles Morales and a number of other heroes.
Now, this heroic turn for Bombshell happens after the "Secret Wars" event, which is the basis for a big Avengers film happening at the end of the Multiverse Saga. It would be really awesome to see Lara's arc start unfolding in the MCU with her maybe starting as a lower-level threat alongside her mom and then having a more heroic turn post-"Secret Wars." Her turn from villain to hero would be very unique in the MCU, and she could fit alongside a lot of the younger heroes already introduced. Bombshell becoming a hero after being a villain would definitely spice things up in the MCU's young roster, and would even bring in some fun tension to up the drama.
Cloak and Dagger
Cloak and Dagger are the definition of opposites attracting, and they'd be a great pairing to see in the MCU. When two runaways named Tandy and Tyrone become super-powered after coming in contact with strange chemicals, they work together to stop street level threats in New York City. Along with having opposing backstories that reflect their distinct upbringings, Cloak and Dagger's powers are vastly different from each other's. While Dagger uses light energy to create devastating energy blades, Cloak can shroud people in his dark energy to protect and transport them.
Freeform took a shot at adapting the characters for a live-action series, but that take on "Cloak and Dagger" was cancelled after two seasons. The MCU is clearly bringing in more street-level Marvel heroes like Daredevil (Charlie Cox) and The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) to keep the NYC streets clean, and Cloak and Dagger could be a great pair to add to that initiative. Their adventures in the dangerous underworld could explore a whole new setting within the MCU and help develop a new kind of young hero for the screen.
X-23
The MCU has been developing a lot of parental bonds with its characters lately. Characters like Thor and Hulk have kids of their own to mentor, and Scott Lang teams up with his daughter Cassie in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." So with this obvious focus on classic heroes working alongside their kin, having Wolverine paired with his "daughter" Laura Kinney, aka X-23, feels right on par. With Laura being created in a lab using parts of Wolverine's DNA, she too has Adamantium claws that sprout from her hands and cut foes to shreds. She displays a similarly vicious personality to her father, and the bond they develop over time would easily give the MCU's Wolverine a distinct feel.
Now, we've seen Wolverine and X-23 paired up before in "Logan," in which she's played by Dafne Keen, but adding in the other X-Men and MCU heroes would change things quite a bit. Wolverine's stakes within the group would be greatly raised, and it would be interesting to see Laura work not only within the X-Men, but with other young heroes out fighting in the MCU. Wolverine and X-23 teaming up would fit right into the MCU's current parental mindset and offer a vicious father-daughter combo.
Noh-Varr
Of all the heroes mentioned here, Noh-Varr might be the most likely to appear soon in the MCU. Noh-Varr is a Kree who possess the same abilities as Captain Marvel and eventually becomes known as Marvel Boy. His appearance would not only bring some much-needed representation to the screen — the character is bisexual — but also add in one of the most powerful characters in Marvel's history. With the upcoming Captain Marvel sequel being titled "The Marvels," the door is open for Noh-Varr to make his debut, and rumors are already flying for who could play him.
Korean actor Park Seo-joon has joined the cast of "The Marvels" in the role of Prince Yan of Aladna, but some are suspecting that maybe he could be playing Noh-Varr. It wouldn't be the first time that the MCU has kept actual roles a secret or straight-up lied about a character's involvement (i.e. Jonathan Majors showing up as He Who Remains in "Loki" or Agatha taking the spotlight in "WandaVision"). Regardless of whether it happens in "The Marvels" or not, the introduction of Noh-Varr is definitely on the MCU's roadmap, as he's a key character to Marvel's young roster.
Nova (Sam Alexander)
The Nova Corps have been a small part of the Guardians of the Galaxy's storyline, but the big hero of the Corps, Nova himself, has been non-existent in the MCU so far. With "Vol. 3" closing the Guardians' story, the Marvel cosmos will need new protectors, and even Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) might not be enough. That's where's Nova could step in. And instead of starting with original Nova Richard Rider, maybe the MCU could use his successor, Sam Alexander.
Now, perhaps whoever is still around after "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" can help establish Sam as Nova. Nova is probably one of the bigger heroes that Marvel hasn't brought into the MCU yet, and with the Nova Corps needing to be rebuilt post-Thanos, he could be the one to do it. His connections within the comics to younger Marvel heroes also makes him a great candidate, and maybe Sam and Richard Rider can work together to save the galaxy. Nova is almost certainly going to be in the MCU sooner rather than later, and Sam Alexander's iteration of the character would be great to see on the screen.
Squirrel Girl
One of the more bizarre but oddly charming figures in Marvel's history is undoubtedly Squirrel Girl, and her uniqueness could be exactly what makes her stand out in the MCU. Born with a rare gene mutation that not only gives her abilities akin to a squirrel, but also a big bushy tail of her own, Doreen Green definitely wasn't like most kids growing up. As she got older, Doreen took on a hero gig that saw her slowly rise to prominence as Squirrel Girl, and she even gained some fury friends of her own. Squirrel Girl's appearance in the MCU could easily tap into Marvel's goofier side in a way that audiences would love, and she boasts the potential to be a unique kind of neighborhood hero.
It's not like the MCU hasn't touched on "lower-tier" heroes before. We did get a Halloween special focused on Man-Thing and Werewolf by Night, and there's a series centered on Echo just on the horizon. Squirrel Girl's story is perfect for one of the MCU "Special Presentations" for Disney+, and would bring some great energy to Marvel's young roster. Just imagine the MCU's established cast interacting with a hero like Squirrel Girl — it would be so much fun, and her arrival in the MCU would easily catch people's attention.
Vivian 'Viv' Vision
While we've gotten to see Wanda's (Elizabeth Olsen) two children brought into the MCU, we still need to see Vision's daughter Viv make her introduction. Vivian "Viv" Vision is created by Vision to be his daughter in order to make himself feel more human, and she features similar abilities. Obviously, Viv's introduction in the MCU would be complicated by the fact that Vision is long dead at this point. However, there's still a chance that Viv could be created by the White Vision (Paul Bettany) from "WandaVision," who's still somewhere out there.
Perhaps after seeing Wanda create her own family, White Vision will be inspired to do the same and create Viv to feel like he's got a family of his own. It seems pretty feasible considering how directionless the character was when he left Westview. The MCU using him to introduce Viv will give her a fitting origin story, and bring in a young hero who could be pivotal for a Young Avengers team.
Moon Girl
The MCU has plenty of super intelligent characters like Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Riri Williams running around as the their own heroes, but Marvel shouldn't forget about another brilliant girl residing in Manhattan's Lower East Side. Teenager Lunella Lafayette utilizes her brilliant mind and superb roller skating skills to become her heroic persona Moon Girl. In addition to her incredible tech that helps her beat up the bad guys, Moon Girl is aided by Devil Dinosaur, a hulking T-Rex that she's brought to the present day by accident. Together, they're an unlikely duo that crafts plenty of great laughs, fun action, and thrilling stories of heroism.
Disney's animated Marvel series "Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur" debuted in 2023, showcasing the youthful spirit of the character with a delightful energy, serving as a perfect template for the MCU to follow. Moon Girl has the potential to be seen as a loveable local hero like Ms. Marvel, and adding in Devil Dinosaur will help her stand out greatly. With the animated series not only being a lot of fun, but also showing the potential Moon Girl can have as a hero, she's a strong candidate to be a part of the MCU's growing young roster.
Prodigy
Another one of Marvel's intellectually gifted youngsters is Prodigy, and he could definitely be one of the MCU's smartest mutants. After David Alleyne discovers he has the mutant ability to absorb the knowledge and skills of others, he attempts to go into hiding so that he isn't outed as a mutant. Once he's discovered, he becomes a pivotal part of the X-Men as an intellectual weapon. While Prodigy might just seem like a standard smart guy, his ability to understand the skills of his opponents makes him a very capable fighter.
Prodigy has been a part of various mutant hero squads, ranging from the main X-Men team to the New Mutants, but he's also been a key member of the Young Avengers. Once mutants are brought into the MCU in a meaningful way, Prodigy's introduction will likely follow, as he'd be one of the MCU's smartest characters and a strong young mutant to establish the X-Men in the MCU. Who knows how long it'll be until fans really get the X-Men in the MCU, but when they do finally arrive, expect to see Prodigy play a big role.
Power Man (Victor Alvarez)
Although the MCU is finally starting to acknowledge Netflix's Marvel shows by officially bringing in Charlie Cox's Daredevil with the upcoming series "Daredevil: Born Again," most of the other "Heroes for Hire" are left in limbo. Luke Cage, for example, has an unclear future, and if Michael Colter isn't able to come back as the character, then Luke Cage's legacy as Power Man should be continued by bringing Victor Alvarez's iteration of the character. Victor's version of Power Man has a mix of Luke Cage's strength and the power of his father, the criminal Shades.
Victor's origins in Hell's Kitchen will help him fit right in with Daredevil's formal introduction to the MCU and could be a nice way to spiritually have Luke Cage there. But, if there are plans to bring Colter's Luke back, then having Victor there too could result in an interesting partnership and maybe a good pseudo father/son dynamic. The MCU needs its own Power Man to add to its street-level heroes, and bringing in Victor Alvarez's version could do that and more if he also joins up with the Young Avengers.