The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been quietly leading to the introduction of the Young Avengers, but there are enough members of another cult-favorite Avengers team to start it instead. Over the last decade, the MCU has brought in names like Kamala Khan, Kate Bishop, Wiccan, Ironheart, and several more young heroes, and it looked like the Young Avengers or Champions might be coming soon. However, while that is an exciting proposition, there have been even more characters introduced from one of the most popular Marvel Comics teams from the 1980s, a team that got its own revival with young heroes in the 2010s as well.
The MCU has enough members to have a perfect combo team of its popular West Coast Avengers lineup, with characters already in existence from both versions of the California team of heroes.
10) U.S. Agent
U.S. Agent was introduced in Falcon and the Winter Soldier as the new Captain America, although he surrendered that role after making one too many mistakes. Since that time, John Walker has joined the Thunderbolts* as a misfit hero, but in Marvel Comics, he was a member of the West Coast Avengers. John was used as a foil to the team, with the U.S. government sending him in to get the team under control, and his arrogance and refusal to budge made him a nemesis for his own teammates. Based on his appearances in the MCU, this is the same character type as the U.S. Agent who joined the West Coast Avengers.
9) Scarlet Witch
The Scarlet Witch is believed to be dead right now, presumed dead at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. She sacrificed herself to stop her reign of terror after her variant twins on another Earth recoiled from her in fear. However, there were some hints that she might still be alive, and she could realistically return at any time. The entire downfall of Wanda Maximoff in the comics started when she was a member of the West Coast Avengers, as did Vision’s deconstruction and the ruination of her marriage. It might be too late for her to be part of it, but if she did come back to life, she was always an important member of the team in the comics.
8) Mockingbird
Mockingbird is a little confusing when it comes to the MCU. Hawkeye’s wife was a former Mockingbird in the movie world, although when she is introduced, she has retired from the role and is raising their kids. However, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD was canon until the show started jumping to different timelines, and there was a Mockingbird there too, which means there have been different people using that name in the MCU. In the comics, Mockingbird was Hawkeye’s wife and a founding member of the West Coast Avengers, with her husband as the team’s first leader.
7) Hawkeye
Hawkeye was the first leader of the West Coast Avengers, a shocking move at the time since, before this, Hawkeye was always a loose cannon who hated authority figures. Turning one of the Avengers’ most remarkable heroes into a leader made the West Coast Avengers always interesting to follow. Of course, Hawkeye has been around since the start of the MCU, and he joined the Avengers in the team’s first movie as a former SHIELD agent. Hawkeye is still around and could be a perfect leader if the MCU wanted to bring in the West Coast Avengers.
6) Kate Bishop
Kate Bishop was obviously not part of the West Coast Avengers’ first lineup since she didn’t even exist in Marvel Comics until over two decades later. However, when the West Coast Avengers reformed in the 2010s, Kate and Hawkeye were both part of that time, with Hawkeye bringing in the old-school West Coast Avengers fans and Kate bringing in younger readers. Over time, the West Coast Avengers became more of another young hero team, similar to the Champions and Young Avengers, and that could make Kate a perfect landing spot on the MCU team.
5) America Chavez
America Chavez made her debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and while she was not as powerful as she was in the comics, the promise is there for what she could eventually become. Like Kate Bishop, she joined the West Coast Avengers in their modern-day iteration as one of the young heroes in the group. She was last seen training at Kamar-Taj with the Sorcerer Supreme, Wong. She was one of the founding members in 2018 with Kate and Hawkeye, along with several heroes who have never appeared in the MCU yet: Gwenpool, Quentin Quire, and Fuse.
4) White Vision
The Vision and the Scarlet Witch were core members of the West Coast Avengers, joining the team as a married couple. However, it was in this series that Wanda had her twins that she created, and then when she lost them, she began to lose control of her humanity. The Vision was also changed forever here. During “Vision Quest,” he was broken down and rebuilt as the White Vision, losing all his memories, his compassion, and his humanity. The White Vision is who is in the MCU right now, which is a character created in the West Coast Avengers.
3) War Machine
Iron Man was one of the founding members of the West Coast Avengers. However, this wasn’t Tony Stark, who was no longer fighting as Iron Man at this time. Instead, it was James Rhodes, who took on the role of the new Iron Man, and he hid his identity from his teammates for a long time. While Stark eventually returned as Iron Man, it was Rhodes who was a core founding member of the team. Rhodes has been in the MCU since the first movie and has been War Machine since Iron Man 2.
2) Moon Knight
Moon Knight debuted in his own Disney+ series, with Oscar Isaac playing the hero with DID. That series was one of Marvel’s most complex, with the series mostly following the Steven Grant identity, and then flashing forward whenever Marc Spector or Moon Knight showed up. In the end, Jake Lockley made his first appearance. Moon Knight joined the West Coast Avengers in issue #21 and was part of the team for 21 issues before Khonshu severed his bond to Moon Knight. With Moon Knight’s MCU future up in the air, he will likely be part of Midnight Sons, but the West Coast Avengers are part of his comic book past.
1) Wonder Man
Wonder Man is one of the best MCU shows that have aired on Disney+, with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II starring as Simon Williams. The series took Wonder Man’s comic book story of him working as a Hollywood actor and then added the rise of Damage Control and the company’s desire to control all superhumans in the world. Wonder Man was another founding member of the West Coast Avengers in the comics, and since this is a team based in California, it makes sense that he would be one of the first heroes on the team since his base of operations is Los Angeles.
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