Well, look what the MCU started. Back in 2008, before the Marvel Cinematic Universe took the world by storm, the very concept of a “team-up” movie was utterly farfetched. After all, up to that point, movies were known for having one or two A-list actors in the role of the protagonist and the antagonist while being surrounded by a plethora of supporting characters. But, after the success of The Avengers in 2012, suddenly, it not only became acceptable to bring a host of several prominent actors/actresses into one film, it was encouraged.
While the rest of the cinematic world has tried to copy Marvel’s success, the MCU remains untouched in its prowess of team-up movies. The first follow-up to The Avengers was implementing the Guardians of the Galaxy, followed by the inclusion of Age of Ultron, Civil War, Infinity War, Endgame, Eternals, and Doctor Strange 2’s version of the Illuminati. All of these team-up films have proven to be so in-demand for the MCU that they seem to be running with it – and fans aren’t complaining.
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That being said, it seems like Marvel might be trying to bite off more than it can chew with the number of new teams that they’re setting up. So, why don’t we take a look at all of them?
Young Avengers: A New Generation
The most obvious team that the MCU is setting up is known as the Young Avengers. The team is exactly what it sounds like – a group of superheroes hell-bent on protecting the earth from evil and villainy, but they’re just a little younger than the standard heroes we’ve seen before. So, they call themselves the Young Avengers. It makes sense.
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The team (while slightly different in the comics) has been rumored to include characters such as Kate Bishop from Hawkeye, Billy & Tommy Maximoff from WandaVision, and America Chavez from Doctor Strange 2. It would most likely include Kamala Khan from the upcoming Ms. Marvel series and RiRi Williams from the upcoming Black Panther sequel. All of these characters are classified as teenagers (except for Kate, but she’s still pretty young at 22) and would make a perfect combination of heroes to assemble against evil.
Now, it’s also worth noting that Spider-Man is technically young enough to be included in this group. But since he’s already an actual Avenger and is one of the new heavy-hitters of the group, we probably won’t see him among the team.
Midnight Sons: The Darker Side of Justice
A lesser-known team than the Young Avengers, but one that the MCU is leaning heavily into creating, is the Midnight Sons. For those unfamiliar with the team, they’re known as a group of heroes that are both tied to the supernatural and have a taste for the darker/vengeance side of justice.
Again, the team in the comics will probably be slightly different, but the group has included characters such as Moon Knight, Blade, Punisher, Daredevil, Werewolf by Night, and even Doctor Strange. While the Sorcerer Supreme probably won’t be part of the group, all the other characters mentioned could easily make their way into a supernatural team-up movie. After all, Moon Knight was a remarkable success, a Werewolf by Night special is set to air on Halloween, Punisher and Daredevil were both reclaimed from Netflix, and Blade (starring Mahershala Ali) has been in the works for years. We don’t know about you, but it sure seems like a set-up to us.
Thunderbolts: Marvel’s Suicide Squad
Remember when James Gunn made that super successful superhero movie called Suicide Squad, and it was so popular that it spurred a spinoff series from one of the characters on HBO Max? Well, the MCU is probably about to do the same thing. The Suicide Squad is known as a group of anti-heroes in the DC universe, and the Thunderbolts are their Marvel equivalent.
RELATED: Why the MCU’s Future May Be in Teams
Once again, the comic team might not be the same as the MCU team, but the group has featured characters like Taskmaster, Baron Zemo, Luke Cage, and many others. While the other teams listed above are mostly speculation, this team has pretty much been confirmed with the presence of Valentina Allegra de Fontaine and her recruitment of John Carter as US Agent and Yelena as the new Black Widow. Whether or not the team will consist of other MCU characters like Taskmaster, Zemo, and the recently reclaimed Luke Cage is unknown.
God Squad: Who Will They Take Down?
Another lesser-known team, but one that the MCU is quite clearly building up for. In the comics, the God Squad is literally what it’s called – a squad of Gods. Now, while the MCU has mostly only had the Gods of Asgard and a brief appearance by Ego for the entirety of its run, the franchise has recently been delving much further into the Deity pool by introducing characters like Khonshu and the other Egyptian gods, as well as the Eternals and the Celestials.
Now, with the inclusion of characters like Zeus and Gorr the God Butcher in Thor 4, as well as the rumors of the Wakandan Goddess Bast appearing in the upcoming Black Panther 2, it’s safe to say that the MCU is ramping up to getting all of these Gods and Goddesses together for something massive.
Regardless of how awesome it is for fans to be getting all of these potential team-up projects, there is one scary question that needs to be asked. With all of these teams being assembled, exactly how big and bad is the next major MCU villain that will warrant all of these teams eventually teaming up together to stop them? We’ll just have to wait and see.
