Warning: Contains spoilers for Marvel’s Voices: Legends #1!
The original Black Panther film acted as an incredible platform for several Marvel characters, including Wakanda’s beloved King T’Challa. It narrowly missed showcasing another leader. The Young Avengers’ Patriot nearly had a role in the film but didn’t make the final cut. Now, the comics have finally given Eli and T’Challa their connection, and it’s powerful enough to bring Patriot back into the business of saving the world.
Marvel’s Voices: Legends #1 features “Powers for the People,” a Patriot-centered story by David F. Walker and Eder Messias that leads Eli Bradley to his first battle after walking away from the superhero life years ago.
Several heroes work to convince him that he’s needed and that there are things in an imperfect country that are still worth fighting for, but Black Panther reminds Patriot that the world is bigger than one set of borders. Patriot has a place in the rest of it. While that poignant meeting could have been a starting point for an earlier Patriot MCU debut, it still marks his long-awaited return to the comic fray.
Two Young Avengers Are Becoming Major Players in the Marvel Universe
Two former members of the Young Avengers are slowly branching out across the Marvel Universe, on their way to becoming major players moving forward.
Black Panther Helped Bring Back One of Marvel’s Greatest Young Heroes
Eli’s lack of ties to Wakanda ultimately cost him an appearance in the Black Panther film, but Marvel’s Voices: Legends takes an approach that effortlessly ties the two characters together. T’Challa understands the reasons Patriot stepped away and reminds him of what is left to fight for. Following in his grandfather Isaiah’s footsteps is crucial to Eli Bradley’s character, but T’Challa’s words emphasize the idea that being Patriot doesn’t have to be limiting. Being the grandson of the first Captain America doesn’t mean that he’s only needed on the soil that treats him and his people poorly.
If Black Panther director Ryan Coogler had gone with his original idea of including Eli, a similar interaction would have been an excellent jump-off point. It acknowledges that Eli has gifts and talent that can be used for good while emphasizing the deep and valid reasons he feels disillusioned with the idea. There’s a clear bond between the two of them by the end of the conversation as Patriot takes the words to heart. T’Challa reaches him in a way even Sam Wilson and Steve Rogers don’t quite get, giving the two characters a rock-solid connection that would have translated well into the MCU, too.
Black Panther’s Bond With Patriot Could Hint at His MCU Future
A young, powerless Eli ultimately made his MCU debut with Falcon and the Winter Soldier. He and T’Challa won’t get a chance to meet on screen, but his MCU future could still include Wakanda, and Marvel’s Voices: Legends offers a look at Patriot’s potential beyond being a former Young Avenger. Black Panther brings Eli in by using what they have in common instead of letting the world push him away — a concept that endures beyond the comics. It’s clear from Patriot’s compassion after his win over Crossbones that Black Panther made the right call, and that connection shouldn’t be wasted.
Marvel’s Voice: Legends #1 is available now from Marvel Comics.
MARVEL’S VOICES: LEGENDS #1 (2024) | |
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