MCU Phase 4 Is Setting Up Another Teen Superhero Team (Not Young Avengers)

With the help of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the MCU Phase 4 is setting up the formation of a second teenage superhero team: the Champions. Several of the characters tied to the comic book version of the group will be involved in Phase 4 projects, and while nothing is set in stone, the pieces are being assembled should Marvel wish to utilize them.

To date, the Champions haven’t been receiving that much attention. That’s likely because fans are focused on the groundwork Marvel is laying for the Young Avengers, who in the comic books are a team of legacy heroes associated with long-standing members of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. A great deal of the setup played out in WandaVision, which saw Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) magically create twin children, Tommy and Billy, while living in a fake world with Vision (Paul Bettany). They disappeared at the end of the series, but it’s believed that they’ll come back as their Marvel Comics counterparts, Speed and Wiccan. The two characters, who were born from Scarlet Witch’s magic, are founding members of the Young Avengers in the comics.

Many believe that Marvel will take more steps toward the Young Avengers in upcoming Marvel movies. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will bring in America Chavez, and it’s being theorized that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will finally turn Scott Lang’s daughter into Young Avengers hero Stature. Plus, Kate Bishop is suiting up as the female Hawkeye in Clint Barton’s Disney+ series. All things considered, there’s good reason to think that Marvel will eventually bring these heroes together, but it may be that they’re not the only group of super-powered teenagers whose MCU debut is on the horizon. The Champions are also a possibility.

Champions In Marvel Comics Explained

There are two different teams in Marvel Comics who have called themselves the Champions. The first was a strange (but fun) mix of Ghost Rider, Hercules, Black Widow, Iceman, and Angel. Decades later in 2016, a gathering of young superheroes revived the Champions name. When the Avengers were nearly torn apart by a second Marvel Civil War, some of the characters associated with them decided to walk away from the team. Ms. Marvel, Miles Morales, and the Sam Alexander version of Nova were disappointed with the actions of their idols and decided to form a superhero group separate from the Avengers. As the Champions, they elected to fight for a better world without giving up their principles. The idea behind the team was for them to be champions for people who couldn’t protect themselves. As time passed, more teenage heroes joined their ranks, including a time-displaced Cyclops, Amadeus Cho, Silk, Ironheart, Viv Vision, a brand-new incarnation of the Wasp, a successor to the Falcon, and more.

The Champions became a popular addition to the Marvel Universe, and continue to headline their own comic book title today. Their roster has been shaken up a few times, but the core lineup is consistent, with Ms. Marvel, Nova, Miles Morales, and Ironheart usually leading the Champions to victory. Though they haven’t been around for very long, they’ve already played key roles in a few Marvel Comics crossovers, such as “Secret Empire” and “War of the Realms.”

Falcon & Winter Soldier Introduced Joaquín Torres

Falcon and Winter Soldier Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier introduced audiences to Joaquín Torres, an Air Force soldier who works with Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie). Played by Danny Ramirez, Torres has been putting himself in harm’s way to investigate a terrorist organization called the Flag-Smashers. In the comics, Torres is a teenager who gains wings after being experimented on by an evil scientist. At a time when Sam Wilson was operating as Captain America, Torres befriended the character and took up his old mantle, the Falcon. Afterward, Torres joined the Champions and remained a steadfast member.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier could be indicative of Sam Wilson’s future in the MCU. It’s already being assumed that for one reason or another, John Walker (Wyatt Russell) will lose the Captain America title and shield to Sam. If Sam were to become Captain America by the end of the series – an outcome that does seem likely – another character would be free to become the Falcon. Given that Torres does appear to possess heroic tendencies and the qualities needed to become a superhero, it’s quite possible that he would receive Sam’s blessing if he wanted to wear a version of his wingsuit and become the MCU’s Falcon replacement. Following the ending of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Torres could decide to form a team with other young heroes. Admittedly, the MCU’s Torres is an adult, but he's still quite young compared to the original Avengers lineup and could be one of the Champions’ older members.

More Champions Are Appearing In MCU Phase 4

Riri Williams as Ironheart on the cover of a comic.

Joaquín Torres is the first Marvel comics Champion to have a prominent role in an MCU project, but others are soon to follow. Both Ms. Marvel and Ironheart are about to get their own Disney+ shows, and will be played by Iman Vellani and Dominique Thorne, respectively. Silk, aka Cindy Moon, will also be starring in her own show, and though it's a part of Sony’s plans for a separate Spider-Man universe, it’s not impossible to think there might be some crossover potential. The MCU already has its own Cindy Moon in Tiffany Espensen’s Spider-Man: Homecoming character, but she may not be used again.

Another character worth mentioning is Miles Morales. Teased in Spider-Man: Homecoming, he could make his first official MCU appearance as a new version of the wallcrawler in Spider-Man: No Way Home. It could be that in an alternate timeline or reality, he’s the Spider-Man who protects New York City. If so, he could come into play when Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) enter the multiverse.

Why The MCU Could Have Two Teenage Superhero Teams

Of course, there’s always a possibility that Marvel’s plan for all these young vigilantes is for them to be just one team, rather than two. Since Marvel doesn’t necessarily have to go by the comics when it comes to superhero team lineups, there is a chance that Marvel actually plans to integrate Torres, Ms. Marvel, and Ironheart into the Young Avengers with Kate Bishop, Speed, and Wiccan. While that is certainly a route Marvel could take, having two separate squads of teenage heroes would make sense and both could be inherently different from each other. Similar to what they are in the comics, one could represent the legacy of the Avengers, while the other could distance themselves from them. Not unlike the Champions in the comics, they could attempt to avoid repeating the mistakes of the Avengers, who have warred with each other in the past.

Having two different teams would be good for the MCU, especially when taking into consideration its size and scope. This would allow them to take full advantage of the long list of young heroes they have access to, rather than just picking and choosing which ones get to serve on the Young Avengers team. Also, Marvel’s Disney+ shows would give the two squads plenty of room to coexist in the MCU Phase 4. The Young Avengers could have a presence in the films, and even get their own movie at some point down the line. The Champions, on the other hand, could make most of their appearances on the small screen.

More: Why Marvel's Disney+ Shows Are Rewriting MCU History