“He’s Like A Kang”: Ms. Marvel Actor Iman Vellani Pitches Iron Lad Storyline For Young Avengers

The Marvels star Iman Vellani discussed the potential future of the Young Avengers and why Iron Lad could be the perfect way to bring them into the larger plot of the Multiverse Saga. The MCU has been laying the groundwork for the Young Avengers since Phase Four began with a number of young new heroes introduced, including Ms. Marvel and Kate Bishop. The Marvels finally brought this to a head in the final moments of the movie, with Kamala Khan inviting Kate Bishop to join her team and teasing her desire to recruit Cassie Lang as well.

In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant for The Marvels, Iman Vellani discussed the future of the Young Avengers in the MCU. She explained why Iron Lad could be the perfect comic book storyline to introduce the new team. Vellani also pointed out that this would tie the Young Avengers into the larger Kang storyline that is at the heart of the Multiverse Saga.

Iman Vellani: It would be interesting if they did an Iron Lad type thing because that’s still Kang and that feels like it could work. Have Nathaniel Richards be a part of the Young Avengers at some point, and then they realize, “Oh my God, wait, he’s like a Kang, but is he a good guy or a bad guy?” I feel like dealing with that would be fun in the direction that the MCU is headed.

The Young Avengers Could Show A New Side Of Kang

Kang is at the heart of the Multiverse Saga, playing a major role in Loki, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and being set up as the next Avengers-level threat. Although the heroes have managed to defeat the versions introduced so far, the Council of Kangs, which was introduced in Quantumania, is set up to be the biggest threat in the multiverse. Their desire for power is what will likely be the start of a new multiversal war, which the heroes of Marvel will be integral to stopping.

The Marvels began the Young Avengers journey with Kate Bishop and Cassie Lang first on Kamala Khan’s list of recruits. She will also likely bring in America Chavez, Riri Williams, and Elijah Bradley at some point as well. If the MCU decides to get the ball rolling on The Young Avengers, introducing Iron Lad, aka Nathaniel “Nate” Richards, as another potential recruit could open the door to a new Kang variant and bring this young team into the larger Multiverse Saga arc.

In the comics, he is the one to form the Young Avengers and does everything he can to change his future and defeat Kang the Conqueror, but inevitably, time catches up to him. Introducing this character could show a new side of Kang, one who isn’t power-hungry but horrified by the actions of his other self, leading to heroism. This could also create an interesting dilemma for the Young Avengers, with Cassie Lang already seeing the horror that Kang is capable of. The Marvels introduce the perfect opportunity to tie the Young Avengers into the larger Multiverse Saga narrative, with Kamala Khan searching for recruits in Nick Fury’s database, which could easily include characters, like Iron Lad, that haven’t yet been introduced into the MCU.