Kevin Feige Teases Ms. Marvel's Role in Avengers: Doomsday — And It Could Launch the Young Avengers

Marvel's got that shadowy hype machine in overdrive again. At CinemaCon, they showed the Avengers: Doomsday trailer—but unless you were in the room, you were out of luck, because it's nowhere to be found online. Still, enough folks talked about what they saw: Doctor Doom, a bunch of cross-hero face-offs, the usual over-the-top MCU madness. But the real interesting stuff came not from the footage, but the mouths of Marvel's bigwigs on the press tour.

Did They Just Hint at Ms. Marvel Joining the Big Leagues?

Here’s where things get spicy. After the trailer reveal, the Russo brothers (directors Joe and Anthony) tried to downplay previous (very random) comments from Ian McKellen, who implied Magneto trashed New Jersey in the film. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, though? He pipes up with: 'There will be a New Jersey presence!' Okay, not exactly subtle. Maybe they’re all bluffing, but Feige has a history of teasing things straight to fans’ faces.

For comic-inclined viewers—or anyone who’s watched Disney+—New Jersey means Ms. Marvel, aka Kamala Khan, played by Iman Vellani. She’s literally the Jersey City superhero.

Ms. Marvel’s MCU Trajectory So Far

• Debuted in 2022’s 'Ms. Marvel' series.
• Popped up again in 2023’s 'The Marvels'. That film ended with a big nudge toward her starting to put together the Young Avengers. She went after Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) and referenced Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), aka Ant-Man’s daughter.
• 'Daredevil: Born Again' features a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it line about Kamala visiting California, which, conveniently, is where Cassie Lang is based.

Read between the lines, and Marvel is clearly gearing up for the Young Avengers to make their move, even if they haven’t actually said the words out loud yet.

Who's on This Young Avengers Bench?

The comic version of the Young Avengers has been around since 2005, gathering up kid counterparts to the OG Avenger lineup. MCU-wise, we’ve already met:

- Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld)
- Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton)
- Billy Maximoff/Wiccan (Joe Locke, from 'WandaVision' and 'Agatha All Along')
- Eli Bradley (Elijah Richardson, 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier')
- America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez, 'Doctor Strange 2')
- Kid Loki (Jack Veal, 'Loki')

Here’s the weird part: Kamala Khan has never actually been a Young Avenger in Marvel comics. She was on a different squad, the Champions, but the MCU seems perfectly happy to mash up teams when it suits them—see 'Marvel Zombies,' for example, which had Ms. Marvel, Ironheart, and Kate Bishop all holed up together fighting the undead.

How Much Screentime Can Kamala and Cassie Really Get?

Let’s be realistic: 'Avengers: Doomsday' is going to be jam-packed with characters. Don’t expect Kamala Khan (if she’s in it) or Cassie Lang to be running the show—instead, watch for a small cameo designed to set up something bigger in 'Avengers: Secret Wars'. But honestly, who can blame them? Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel is basically the most refreshing thing to come out of the recent Marvel sprawl.

Oh, and one more piece of evidence: we already know Cassie Lang is back for 'Doomsday' (thanks to a trailer shot and Kathryn Newton’s post-Con video), and Joe Locke (Wiccan) has apparently inked a multi-film deal with Marvel. Odds are good he’ll show up again in either 'Doomsday', 'VisionQuest', or whatever Young Avengers project finally gets confirmed.

What are the Actual Young Avengers Plans After Secret Wars?

Here’s the fun part for Marvel nerds: The rumor mill says several characters will escape the collapse of the multiverse via the Quantum Realm (shades of Ant-Man vanishing during the blip). Cassie Lang is probably leading her new BFFs through the escape hatch, and they’ll pop up on Battleworld for 'Secret Wars'—kinda like what happens in the 2015 'Secret Wars' comics, where a group of Marvel heroes show up in a new universe with memories of the old one.

Could it feel like a retread of Endgame’s Quantum Realm trick? Yes. Do the comics back it up? Also yes. The smart money is on the Young Avengers serving as this 'life raft' team in the new continuity. Imagine Kamala, Cassie, Kate, Wiccan, and whoever else Marvel wants to add, waking up on Battleworld with no adult Avengers in sight, suddenly responsible for the fate of reality and snapping the old guard out of Doctor Doom’s control.

This would be a clever way for Marvel to pay off all those dangling Young Avengers setups—plus, it echoes a popular story arc ('Children’s Crusade') where they go straight at Doom.

Young Avengers Movie: Finally Happening?

From a business standpoint, this is all building up to a full-on Young Avengers film launching in Phase 7, after the dust settles from 'Secret Wars'. There’s nowhere official to announce that movie yet—but Marvel has staked out five prime release dates in 2028 and 2029. The rumors are flying that X-Men will kick things off, possibly on Iron Man’s 20th anniversary, with 'Black Panther 3' filling another slot. There’s still room for a Young Avengers movie, especially with so many cast members already locked in for return appearances.

If it actually happens, Marvel can skip the tedious 'team formation' stuff and drop us straight into whatever crisis they have planned—just like they did for Black Panther post-Civil War. It doesn’t just tie up the leftovers from this era, it tees up the next generation, right on schedule.

Quick Cast Check: Avengers: Doomsday So Far

Just in case you lost track, here’s who’s basically confirmed or rumored for 'Doomsday' (beyond the usual A-listers):
- Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (all but confirmed)
- Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang/Stature (confirmed)
- Joe Locke as Wiccan (multi-picture contract, highly likely)
- And the rest of the sprawling Avengers alumni and guest stars you’d expect

The short version: If you’ve been secretly hoping Marvel would finally get off their collective butt and do the Young Avengers thing, this is your sign to start getting excited (but don’t hold your breath for major screentime just yet).

'There will be a New Jersey presence!' — Kevin Feige, refusing to play it cool