How The MCU's Young Avengers Actors And Characters Compare To Marvel's Original Avengers

The ages of the perfect Young Avengers members in the MCU, when compared to the original Avengers team from Phase 1, mean there shouldn't be concerns about the new superhero team's lengthy set-up. Marvel Studios has introduced a number of young heroes into the MCU in recent years, raising speculation that Marvel Comics' Young Avengers team will finally make its live-action debut. While this is exciting, the fact that Marvel is taking so long setting up the team has raised concerns that the perfect line-up may soon be too old to be considered Young Avengers.

The Young Avengers made their first appearance in Marvel Comics' eponymous Young Avengers #1 in 2005, comprising a number of young heroes who have connections to some of Marvel's more-established superpowered characters. The perfect roster for a live-action Young Avengers team has already been set up, including Kamala Khan's Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop's Hawkeye, Riri Williams' Ironheart and Billy Maximoff's Wiccan, among others. There have been worries about the Young Avengers members' ever-increasing ages, but when compared to the MCU's original Avengers team, these concerns get put to rest.

There Have Been Concerns About The Young Avengers Ages

The Young Avengers Team Is Taking A Long Time To Form

Perhaps the most central member of the Young Avengers that Marvel Studios has already introduced is Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan, who was 18 years old when cast as Ms. Marvel in September 2020. Now, Vellani is 22, and is only one example of growing concerns that the Young Avengers' possible cast may be getting too old to be considered Young Avengers, as Marvel Studios is taking rather a long time to set up the superhero team. In Marvel Comics, all the Young Avengers' members are in their late teens or very early 20s.

Following the rule that Young Avengers should be in their late teens or early 20s, right now would be the perfect time to bring together the Young Avengers in the MCU. Unfortunately, there has been no word on whether a movie or series focused on the Young Avengers will actually be developed, aside from audience speculation and fan theories. It seems the Young Avengers may be formed in 2026's Avengers: Doomsday, which would make all the actors almost two years older, but, thankfully, this might not actually be the problem many believe it to be.

How Old Were The Original Avengers Team Members In 2012?

Six Heroes Formed The Avengers In Phase 1

At the end of the MCU's Phase 1, Marvel Studios' The Avengers, which premiered on May 4, 2012, brought together six iconic Marvel heroes as the original Avengers team. This adult Avengers team has been through many changes in the years since, adding and losing members before seemingly disbanding after the Battle of Earth in Avengers: Endgame. The ages of the six original Avengers members and the team's benefactor, then-SHIELD Director Nick Fury, vary massively, ranging from late 20s to early 40s, though Fury was 61 during The Avengers.

Of course, the Avengers' ages in the MCU have a huge scope, as Steve Rogers was born in 1918, so was technically 93 in May 2012, but was frozen in stasis for most of that time, while Thor has lived for over a millennium, thanks to his Asgardian physiology. Both Scarlett Johansson and Natasha Romanoff are the youngest members of their respective groups, while Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr.'s MCU characters are the same age, despite three years being between the actors. Comparing these ages to the Young Avengers quells any concerns about the upcoming team.

The MCU’s Perfect Young Avengers Team Is Still Younger Than The OG Avengers

MCU's Young Avengers Members Are Still Very Young

So far, Marvel Studios has seemingly confirmed at least seven possible members of the Young Avengers, whether that be in the final moments of 2023's The Marvels, in the recent The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Agatha All Along Disney+ shows or in Disney's Worlds of Marvel cruise experience. Contrary to some popular beliefs, the ages of the Young Avengers members are not yet getting close to being discounted from the team, ranging from as low as 14 to as high as 23. This means the Young Avengers still have plenty of time to make their MCU debut.

Thankfully, even though several of these actors are in their late 20s, they are able to play considerably younger in the MCU, allowing them to bring their experience and talent into some of these younger superhero roles. America Chavez is the youngest member of this team, but has perhaps been forced to mature more than the others, after losing her mothers and raising herself across many universes. Eli Bradley takes up the Patriot moniker in Marvel Comics, so could assume this role in the MCU, too, fleshing out the age-appropriate Young Avengers even further.

1 Young Avengers Member’s Age Makes Her The Perfect Team Leader

Kate Bishop Is The Oldest Possible Young Avengers Member

Naturally, Kamala Khan's Ms. Marvel has been put front-and-center among the Young Avengers, using a SWORD tablet to track down new heroes at the end of The Marvels. However, as the oldest member of the team by a considerable amount, Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop would make the perfect leader of the Young Avengers team instead of Ms. Marvel. Kate Bishop even noted that she is slightly too old to be called a Young Avenger in The Marvels, so it would be great to see her take some of the younger members under her wing, just as Hawkeye did for her.

Kate Bishop's age and experience alongside original Avenger Clint Barton have taught her skills that she could put to good use as the leader of the Young Avengers. Kate Bishop is currently the only possible member of the Young Avengers to embark on a mission with one of the six original members of the Avengers, and has even adopted Clint Barton's own superhero moniker in his place. This will surely make her a central member of the team, and could make it easier for her to help recruit the other members of the Young Avengers.