Kate Bishop Is The Clear Choice To Lead The MCU’s Young Avengers

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is the home of some great superhero teams. The iconic Avengers were the first team to assemble, and the likes of the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Defenders, and the soon-to-be-introduced Thunderbolts followed them. The next team expected to make their mark in the franchise has been teased for some time: The Young Avengers.

Youthful superheroes (and potential superheroes) have been systematically introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years. The wheels were officially set in motion for their formation at the climax of 2023’s The Marvels, when Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, sought out Kate Bishop and told her she was assembling a team (namedropping “Ant-Man’s daughter” in the process). The team’s founding members are expected to be Ms. Marvel, Cassie Lang, America Chavez, Wiccan, Hulkling, Speed, Viv, and Bishop — and the latter has been touted as their leader. Given the powers and experience of other team members, some fans might question that decision should it prove true. However, Bishop is an excellent choice for several reasons.

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She Learned From The Best

Kate Bishop was introduced to the MCU in the 2021 miniseries Hawkeye when it was established she aspired to be like Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton after he inadvertently saved her life during the Battle of New York in 2012 when she was a child. She trains herself to an impressive extent, but after getting in trouble trying to emulate Barton, he saves her from the Tracksuit Mafia, and she becomes his protégée. In partnering with Barton to help him confront enemies from his past, she learns how to be a hero from one of the original Avengers. Nothing stands in her better stead to lead a Young Avengers team more than that.

She’s Resourceful, Intelligent And Strategic

Bishop has displayed the strategic thinking, resourcefulness, and intelligence of a leader several times in her short superhero career. She regularly uses the environment to her advantage during fights, has displayed deductive reasoning (figuring out that Ronin was Clint Barton), thinks on her feet to creatively use whatever items are available to her (such as taking an enemy’s bow from a moving vehicle during a car chase), and devised plans to take down the dangerous Tracksuit Mafia and Kingpin. Those are all mental attributes a good leader could utilize.

She’s Witty And Funny

Never underestimate the power of humor when it comes to leadership. Bishop has displayed wit and the ability to be funny many times, which will be great for creating a positive environment for the team she’ll be leading. She’s particularly good at being witty and amusing in stressful situations, such as in her many fights with the Tracksuit Mafia. On one occasion, Barton handed her a USB arrow during a shootout with Maya Lopez and the group, and she said, “God, I hope he’s got a dongle arrow to make this useful!” She’ll undoubtedly lift the spirits of her teammates when the chips are down.

She’s Incredibly Skilled

It goes without saying that Bishop possesses an incredible skill — that being the ability to hit a target with a bow and arrow better than anyone besides her mentor. It’s a skill that’s enabled her to hold her own in combat situations against some seriously dangerous individuals, such as the aforementioned Maya Lopez, Kingpin, and Yelena Belova. She’s also a more than capable hand-to-hand fighter. Those skills will help her gain the respect required to lead a team of young superheroes.

She’s A Good Person

A prerequisite for the leader of a superhero team is that they’re a good person, and Bishop has undoubtedly proven she is one. She’s courageous, thoughtful, and cares about her family a lot. She put herself at risk while attempting to uncover potential secrets about her mother’s fiancé, Jack Duquesne, that might put her family in danger (though, as it turned out, he was a decent man) and assured her mother she still loved her even after finding out she was a criminal. Bishop has also proven extremely loyal, an excellent trait for a leader.

Ability To Grow And Develop As A Character

An integral part of being a leader is the ability to learn from mistakes and use them to grow and develop as a person. Bishop has demonstrated that in spades. For example, when she embarked on her superhero adventures, she vastly underestimated the danger she would be in and had a very gung-ho approach. However, as she progressed — especially after joining forces with Barton — she became more strategic and cautious. Assuming she is the leader of the imminent Young Avengers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a continued demonstrative ability to grow as a person will be essential in continually becoming a better one.

While superhero movie fans await the on-screen arrival of the Young Avengers, the other Avengers movies are all available to watch on Disney Plus.

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Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Chadwick Boseman, Zoe Saldana, Chris Pratt, Tom Hiddleston, Iman Vellani