The stunning conclusion of Ironheart left Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) making a deal with the devil – at least Marvel’s devil, Mephisto (Sacha Baron Cohen) – in exchange for bringing her best friend Natalie (Lyric Ross) back to life. Meanwhile, at the end of The Marvels, Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) seeks out Kate Bishop’s (Hailee Steinfeld) Hawkeye about putting together a team of “kid superheroes.” Marvel continues to claim that there are currently no plans for a Young Avengers movie, but even so, the studio has been slowly but steadily introducing Young Avengers members and planting seeds for the team‘s debut in the MCU. And now with Ironheart, Marvel appears to have given us the perfect antagonist for the Young Avengers to face off against and, ultimately, recruit to their ranks: a Mephisto-controlled Riri Williams.
The Young Avengers comic debuted in 2005, and the team of Marvel’s most promising young superheroes was created by writer Allan Heinberg and artist Jim Cheung. Like in the MCU, Kate Bishop was an early recruit of the Young Avengers in the comics. Over the course of Phases 4 and 5, we’ve met even more potential on-screen members. The obvious ones are Kamala Khan (Iman Villani) and Ant-Man’s daughter Cassie Lang/Stature (Kathryn Newton), whom Khan mentions she’s “putting out feelers” to. We met America Chavez/Miss America (Xochitl Gomez) via Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Madness, Kid Loki in Season One of Loki, glimpsed Hulk’s son Skaar (Wil Deusner) during the finale of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and given where Agatha All Along ended, it’s likely both Billy Maximoff/Wiccan (Joe Locke) and his twin brother Tommy would also join the first incarnation of the Young Avengers. Who knows, could Miles Morales make his live-action debut in time to join the ranks, as well?
The Stage Has Already Been Set for Riri to Be an Antagonist
Riri as a Young Avenger is a no-brainer. However, we’d love to see Marvel continue her arc and her toxic relationship with Mephisto, before she officially gets her membership card. Ironheart demonstrated that Riri is open to existing in morally grey, if not wholly corrupt, areas in order to advance her tech. Her regular suit and smarts make her a formidable opponent, but add in Zelma’s (Regan Aliyah) magic-powered suit and Mephisto’s hand on the scales, Riri would be damn near unstoppable. Riri’s synthesis of magic and science would put both the Young Avengers’ magic users (Billy and Kid Loki) through their paces, along with the more scientifically inclined members like Stature or Miles Morales.
Furthermore, our familiarity with Riri makes her a much more compelling choice as an early antagonist for the Young Avengers. We’ve seen first-hand the incredible amount of strife she’s experienced over the course of both Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever and Ironheart… and we get the pain and resentment she’s feeling. At the tender age of twenty, Riri’s already been hunted down by the government; watched Queen Ramonda (Angela Basset) sacrifice her life to save her; battled the Talokanil, and lost several loved ones to gang violence. Being able to understand where an antagonist is coming from and their reasoning behind their actions (however wrong they may be) always makes for better and more entertaining drama.
It’s what made Iron Man (Robert Downey Junior) and Captain America’s (Chris Evans) conflict so heart-wrenching in Captain America: Civil War. We’d spent so much time with both Iron Man and Cap, and knew what was feeding their respective stances regarding the Sokovia Accords, that when their disagreement came to blows, we couldn’t take our eyes off the screen. Now that Riri, along with Kate and Kamala, have all had their MCU own solo series, bringing them together to duke it out would be just as engaging as their predecessors in Civil War.
There’s also the fact that with another appearance of Riri in the MCU, Mephisto likely wouldn’t be far off. The demon made a world-rocking debut in the final episode of Ironheart, displaying the mere tip of the iceberg of his vast power set. Having Mephisto as the true “villain,” watching the Young Avengers team up against him to free Riri from her deal or otherwise (like a deal with the resurrected Billy and/or Tommy), would be thrilling. It would also provide the perfect opportunity for Mephisto to showcase more of what he’s capable of, and for him to reveal his true form after that tease in Ironheart.
Lastly, a Young Avengers film with Riri facing off against the budding team could provide the perfect redemption arc for the character. Kate and Kamala convincing Riri to join them, despite her starting off as an enemy, would convey a powerful message about finding hope and resilience through community and chosen family. Not to mention, it would provide quite the boost to the already impressive team of young heroes.
Ironheart is now streaming on Disney+.
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