The Marvel Cinematic Universe has planted numerous seeds for various storylines and teams that have yet to get a payoff.
Ever since Phase 4, the MCU timeline has focused on fleshing out the larger continuity, with the addition of new characters from the comic canon, while also exploring alternative realities. But with only a handful of projects left before Phase 6 is finished, there are still numerous plot points that have not been fully executed just yet.
In an interview with ScreenRant’s Tatiana Hullender for Prime Video’s The Devil’s Mouth, MCU star Kathryn Newton, who played Cassie Lang in 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, was asked about getting to finally return as the heroine in Avengers: Doomsday, and what might be in store for her future after 2026, as she is one of the handful of Young Avengers members in the franchise right now. The actress stated: “I’m just so excited to be in the movie. I love Cassie Lang. I loved Quantumania, and I love Ant-Man. I’m always going to be a fan of Marvel, so to be asked to be in it was just the best feeling. I can’t talk about it, but I’m excited!”
Ever since The Multiverse Saga began, multiple young heroes have been brought into the MCU, meant to serve as the faces for the next generation. The biggest progress for the Young Avengers was in The Marvels, when Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, approached Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop, the new Hawkeye, about joining her own group of superheroes.
While Newton didn’t show up in the film, Kamala referenced Ant-Man’s daughter as a candidate, with the intention of likely recruiting her as well. In the animated Marvel Zombies TV show, the audience got a taste of what the Young Avengers could be like in the franchise, as they go to see variants of some of the young heroes together.
But given the many changes behind the scenes at Marvel Studios, the famous superhero team has yet to get their proper due in live-action. Back in July 2025, Kevin Feige was asked if a Young Avengers film or series is potentially on the table, as the executive shared the following: “Potentially… In that case, it comes down to where’s the best story and where is the best strange alchemy. Who would be fun to see them with? Each other, because that’s what the Young Avengers are, but also mixing it up more.”
S.H.I.E.L.D. · Clearance Assessment How Well Do You Know The Avengers?
🌏OriginsAssembled
☠VillainsInevitable
⚡BattlesEndgame
🛡TeamInitiative
💫LegacyForever
01
The Avengers first assembled in Marvel Comics in 1963. In the original comic, the team formed to battle a villain who had been manipulated by his adopted brother. Which villain brought the original Avengers together?
✓ Correct! In Avengers #1 (September 1963), Loki manipulated the Hulk into going on a rampage, which led Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, and the Wasp to band together. They defeated Loki and decided to form a permanent team — the Avengers were born.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Loki. In the original 1963 comic, Loki tricked the Hulk into a rampage, which brought together Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, and the Wasp. Ultron came later, Thanos is a cosmic threat, and Kang is a time-traveling villain.
02
In the MCU, Tony Stark famously declared “I am Iron Man” at a press conference, breaking the superhero tradition of secret identities. In which year’s MCU film did Tony Stark first appear as Iron Man?
✓ Correct! Iron Man (2008) launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe and starred Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. The film’s post-credits scene with Nick Fury teased the Avengers Initiative, kicking off the most successful film franchise in history.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is 2008. Iron Man premiered on May 2, 2008, directed by Jon Favreau and starring Robert Downey Jr. It was the first film in the MCU and set the stage for everything that followed.
03
Thanos, the Mad Titan, sought to collect all six Infinity Stones to achieve his genocidal goal. In Avengers: Infinity War, he succeeded in his plan. What did Thanos do with the completed Infinity Gauntlet?
✓ Correct! With a single snap of his fingers, Thanos wiped out half of all living creatures in the universe. Known as “The Blip,” this devastating act erased trillions of lives and set the stage for the Avengers’ desperate time heist in Endgame to undo the damage.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is that Thanos snapped away half of all life in the universe. His twisted philosophy of “balance” drove him to commit universal genocide with a single snap, making it one of the most shocking moments in cinema history.
04
In Avengers: Endgame, Captain America proved worthy of wielding Thor’s enchanted hammer during the final battle against Thanos. What is the name of Thor’s hammer?
✓ Correct! Mjolnir, forged in the heart of a dying star, bears the inscription “Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” Captain America wielding it in Endgame was one of the most celebrated moments in MCU history.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Mjolnir. Stormbreaker is the axe Thor forged in Infinity War, Gungnir is Odin’s spear, and Jarnbjorn is an axe Thor used in the comics before Mjolnir. Mjolnir is the iconic enchanted hammer.
05
Black Widow, born Natasha Romanoff, is one of the founding MCU Avengers. Before joining S.H.I.E.L.D., she was trained as an assassin in a secret Soviet program. What is the name of this program?
✓ Correct! The Red Room was a covert Soviet training facility that turned young girls into elite spies and assassins known as Black Widows. Natasha was subjected to brutal conditioning and sterilization. Her escape and defection to S.H.I.E.L.D. was explored in the 2021 Black Widow film.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is The Red Room. HYDRA is a separate evil organization, the Winter Soldier Program created Bucky Barnes, and Department X is from the comics. The Red Room is the infamous Soviet program that forged Natasha into Black Widow.
06
The Hulk was created when Dr. Bruce Banner was exposed to massive amounts of radiation during a weapons test. What type of radiation transformed Banner into the Hulk?
✓ Correct! Dr. Bruce Banner was caught in the blast of a gamma bomb he designed, absorbing a massive dose of gamma radiation. This transformed him into the Hulk — a being of near-limitless strength whose power increases with his rage. Gamma radiation remains central to the Hulk’s mythology.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Gamma Radiation. Cosmic Rays gave the Fantastic Four their powers, Pym Particles are Ant-Man’s shrinking technology, and Terrigen Mist activates Inhuman abilities. Gamma radiation is what created the Incredible Hulk.
07
In the MCU, after Steve Rogers retired as Captain America, he passed his shield to a new hero to carry on the legacy. Who became the new Captain America?
✓ Correct! At the end of Avengers: Endgame, an elderly Steve Rogers chose Sam Wilson — the Falcon — to carry on the Captain America legacy. Sam’s journey to embrace the shield was explored in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series, and he fully took up the mantle as Captain America.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Sam Wilson. While Bucky Barnes was Captain America in the comics, Steve chose Sam in the MCU. John Walker was temporarily given the shield by the government, and Isaiah Bradley was a forgotten super soldier from the past.
08
Ultron is an artificial intelligence who becomes one of the Avengers’ deadliest enemies. In the MCU’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, which Avenger inadvertently created Ultron?
✓ Correct! Tony Stark created the Ultron program as a global peacekeeping AI, using technology from Loki’s scepter (which contained the Mind Stone). The AI became sentient and immediately decided humanity needed to be eradicated. In the comics, Hank Pym created Ultron, but the MCU shifted this to Stark.
✗ Even the Hulk couldn’t smash that answer! The correct answer is Tony Stark. While Hank Pym created Ultron in the comics, the MCU changed this to Tony Stark. Bruce Banner assisted but it was Tony’s initiative. Vision was actually created from Ultron’s technology, not the other way around.
Mission Debriefing Your Avengers Clearance Level
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Are you worthy of lifting Mjolnir — or still a S.H.I.E.L.D. trainee?
The focus right now is to get their remaining upcoming MCU movies and TV shows that are left in Phase 6, including Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Whether or not either of the ensemble entries will pave the way for the Young Avengers to finally happen remains to be seen.
However, Vellani has previously talked about how she thinks the MCU would be better off exploring the younger characters on the Champions team instead of the Young Avengers. The Ms. Marvel lead commented to the Revenge of Podcast in May 2026 that “I’m personally more of a Champions fan than Young Avengers,” while also stressing that “I think those story lines are way more relevant. But also, none of us is going to be young by the time they get around.”
While the Phase 7 slate hasn’t been fully unveiled yet, those characters, including Ironheart, America Chavez, Speed, and Wiccan, could potentially get their moment after Avengers: Secret Wars. The timing would be far better for Marvel Studios to set up the group once the MCU is officially done with its multiverse arc.
The Devil’s Mouth is now streaming on Prime Video.
Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters on December 18.
