New MCU Casting Rumor Adds Another Young Avengers Hero (& Sets Up Marvel’s Best Romance)

The Marvel Cinematic Universe casting rumors have been heating up, and a new rumor could add a great romance to the MCU. According to rumors, Hulkling is coming to the MCU, and this is huge news for the rumored Champions project. The MCU has introduced several young superheroes who were part of either the Young Avengers or Champions. For the Young Avengers, the MCU has already added America Chavez, Kate Bishop (Hawkeye), Cassie Lang (Stature), Billy Kaplan (Wiccan), Eli Bradley (Patriot), and now Thomas Shepherd (Speed) in VisionQuest. For the Champions, the MCU has introduced Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel), Joaquin Torres (Falcon), and Riri Williams (Ironheart), with Sam Alexander’s Nova rumored to be on the way. Now, we can possibly add Hulkling to that.

The news came from scooper James Mack on X, and this is great news for several reasons. The rumor says that Hulkling will make his MCU debut in Champions, which was originally supposed to be a Disney+ series but might end up as a movie instead. The best reason, though, is that bringing in Hulkling can help create one of Marvel’s best, if not most controversial, romances.

Hulkling Could Join the MCU in Champions with Wiccan

Wiccan is already in the MCU, making his debut as a child in WandaVision (as Billy Maximoff) and then in Agatha All Along (as Billy Kaplan). With Wiccan in the MCU, the two biggest questions were when his brother Tommy would show up and when Hulkling would arrive. Tommy has now debuted in VisionQuest, with Vision saving him and trying to keep him out of danger. There are rumors that Billy and Tommy will finally reconnect at the end of this series. That leaves Hulkling.

In the comics, the Young Avengers showed up after the regular Avengers disbanded, and the team included Patriot, Iron Lad (a teenage Kang), Hulkling, and Wiccan. They took on roles similar to the original Avengers before they met Kate Bishop and Cassie Lang, who demanded to join the team as well. Of these members, the most interesting were Hulkling and Wiccan, who were introduced as a couple. Hulkling took the form of a Hulk character, but he is actually half-Kree (father Captain Mar-Vell), half-Skrull (mother Princess Anelle), with the shapeshifting of the Skrulls leading to his appearance. The two young men were deeply in love, and this played out wonderfully throughout the series.

The two even got married in a quickie Las Vegas ceremony before the intergalactic war in “Empyre,” where Hulkling became the emperor of the Kree-Skrull Empire. While a portion of the Marvel reading audience didn’t support this relationship, it remains one of the best ones in comics, and these two young heroes have a love so pure and special that it is better than almost any other in comics. If Hulkling and Wiccan are part of the Champions movie, and it showcases their love story, it could be one of the best moments in MCU history. Champions is still rumored and not locked in, but if it does arrive, it won’t be until after Avengers: Secret Wars, and probably as late as 2029, since the movies of 2028 are already scheduled.

Are you excited to see Hulkling and Wiccan in the MCU? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.