You know that babysitter you loved as a kid but have come to realize as an adult was terrible at their job? Yeah, it turns out playing ball in the house, eating Pop-Tarts before bed, and staying up way too late is cool when you’re seven, but not exactly the supervision your parents had in mind when they shelled out $8 an hour. Kids need a little guidance, and young superheroes are no different.
The Young Avengers are coming, and soon. Already, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has introduced Kate Bishop, Kamala Kahn, Cassie Lang, Billy Maximoff – and his brother Tommy is bound to follow – America Chavez, Riri Williams, and Angela del Toro. That’s not to mention a number of other candidates, including Eli Bradley, Hulk's son Skaar, Thor's adopted daughter Love, Kid Loki, and more. The kids are poised to take the reins, but to do so, they’ll need a little adult oversight.
The natural candidate to act as den mother to Earth’s Mightiest Minors is Clint Barton. Hawkeye has already taken Kate Bishop under his wing, and he’s a dad, so he has experience wrangling kids. Granted, the job gets a little tougher when the kids are superpowered crime fighters, so one set of adult eyes might not be enough. Like any good parenting duo, The Young Avengers need a bad cop to Hawkeye’s good cop, and there’s no better candidate than the Devil himself.
Daredevil could benefit from mentoring young heroes
Matt Murdock is a reasonably responsible adult and positive role model. Daredevil is neither of those things. Don’t get me wrong; I love Daredevil. The Disney Plus series Daredevil: Born Again is faithfully carrying on the incredible work done in the Netflix original, and Charlie Cox has a strong case to be the greatest superhero casting of all time. Still, Daredevil is a terrible role model. A week ago, he thwarted a bank robbery (which is good hero work) and apprehended the final suspect by shattering the man’s leg so violently that amputation may be a real possibility (not great hero work). So why should New York’s most infamous vigilante be charged with shaping the heroes of tomorrow? He shouldn’t be. They should shape him.
Daredevil needs The Young Avengers more than they need him. For all of his positive traits, Matt Murdock and his alter ego have some seriously rough edges crafted mainly out of cynicism. And can you blame him? He nearly died putting Kingpin behind bars, and only a few years later, he has to listen as the convicted felon got elected into office. That sucks. For most of his existence in the MCU, Daredevil has relied on anger as the fuel that drives his heroics. It’s worked so far, but constantly running that hot is a great way to crash and burn.
The Young Avengers will bring hope to the MCU, and Daredevil needs a dose of it more than anyone. Yes, Ms. Marvel could use some mentoring on how to be a street-level hero, but Daredevil could also benefit from a little Kamala Kahn-brand sunshine in his life. We also know that when she puts on her uncle’s amulet, Angela del Toro is going to be a very angry White Tiger, and with good reason. Seeing a young hero push through some of the same struggles he’s faced would be a great way for Daredevil to grow as a character.
He may still stomp through some fibulas and draw plenty of blood, but if Daredevil is going to continue to pop up in the MCU, the character will need something beyond rage to push him forward. Hope and a younger generation of heroes to mentor might be just what the devil ordered.