The MCU’s Young Avengers Already Have The Perfect Villain

The MCU is gearing up to introduce the Young Avengers in its upcoming MCU projects, and the ideal villain for the group of young heroes to take on first has already been established. While updates on The Young Avengers project are ongoing, a recent tease in The Marvels seemingly confirmed that the team is already being put together. This represents an exciting turn for the MCU timeline, particularly given that many of the MCU’s original Avengers have been or are being phased out.

In Marvel comics, the Young Avengers are composed mainly of the children of other heroes, particularly the Avengers themselves. As many of these characters have been introduced in recent MCU projects, speculations are already circulating about who could be cast in the Young Avengers. One character in particular is the perfect villain to oppose the burgeoning group of young heroes.

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The MCU Is Headed Towards A Young Avengers Project

The end of The Marvels heavily teased that Kamala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel, will be establishing the Young Avengers. So far, she has directly invited Kate Bishop, who has stepped in as the new Hawkeye following the events of the Disney+ show Hawkeye. Kamala also referenced Ant-Man having a daughter, suggesting that she will also be recruiting Cassie Lang, who has yet to establish a canon MCU superhero name but was named Stature in the Marvel comics. This exciting update means that not only will additional heroes be brought on board, but also that a new villain is impending.

Kingpin Is The Perfect Villain For The Young Avengers

Kingpin is currently set to become the MCU’s next major villain after making appearances in Hawkeye and Echo. This signals the perfect villain for the Young Avengers to first face off against. Because they will each be so new not only to their recently established group but also to having powers, putting them head-to-head with a more dangerous villain, such as Kang or a prospective other villain would make little sense. Kingpin, who is plenty dangerous but not necessarily on the same level as other MCU villains, fits the bill.

Kingpin’s aspirations also make him the perfect villain for the Young Avengers, as he made clear in Echo that his next step is becoming Mayor of New York City. While this seems like a less serious threat than Thanos’ goal of snapping billions out of existence, Kingpin vying for a political role makes him extremely dangerous. The logical aim of Kingpin’s political move will be to enact laws that make superhero activity illegal, as was his prerogative throughout the comics. If that’s the case, it means the Young Avengers project will see the heroes fighting for their own rights.

This is an especially good fit for the Young Avengers, as it reflects the spirit of the team. With Kingpin presumably infringing upon the heroes’ futures, the thematic focus of young activism aligns with their character arcs and roles in the MCU. Particularly with many of the original Avengers now being out of commission, it will be the Young Avengers’ lives that would be most affected by Kingpin’s political aims, making it their fight to handle.

The Young Avengers Can Make Kingpin The MCU’s Real Thanos Replacement

Kingpin has already been set up to be the MCU’s Thanos replacement in light of his storyline in the Disney+ TV shows. In his most recent MCU appearance, Echo saw Kingpin become even more dangerous. When Maya Lopez, AKA Echo, used her powers to send Kingpin back into his memories, reliving a moment when his father was brutally attacking his mother, she seemingly healed some of Kingpin’s trauma stemming from growing up around domestic violence.

Now that Kingpin isn’t as driven by rage, as he was in both Hawkeye and Echo, his calmer demeanor and clearer head suggest that he will be even more capable of organized crime — establishing his threat as a potential mayor. His main goal would most likely be ridding New York City of vigilantism, something particularly beneficial for him, as his criminal activity is threatened by vigilante heroes. Given that the New York City cops have already proven to be corrupt in Kingpin’s favor, this makes his aims even more probable and dangerous for the MCU heroes.

This would likely spell even more trouble for the Young Avengers, though, as their inevitable targeting of Kingpin would draw more attention to precisely what he would be looking to bring to an end. Given his influence and capacity for manipulation (made arguably worse by the events of Echo), he could very well spin their confrontations in his favor, identifying them as an example of why the vigilantism of street-level heroes must end. With these obstacles, Kingpin’s rise to political power in the MCU sets him up to be the perfect villain for the Young Avengers.