Warning: The following contains spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 2. Turn back now if you haven’t seen the latest episode!
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier might have just introduced another Young Avenger to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Kate Bishop is set to make her onscreen debut played by Hailee Steinfeld in Hawkeye, which premieres later this year, and we've already seen Abby Ryder Fortson's Cassie Lang in Ant-Man, and her post-Blip older self played by Emma Fuhrmann in Avengers: Endgame. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier episode 2, though, introduces us to Isaiah Bradley, a super soldier who went up against a HYDRA-controlled Bucky Barnes in the '50s. In Marvel comics, his grandson, Eli Bradley, goes on to become Patriot, a founding member of the Young Avengers.
It's not made clear in the show that the young man who opens the door to Sam and Bucky, played by Elijah Richardson, is Eli – but the credits list Richardson's character as Eli Bradley. If we see Isaiah again, we might also get a proper introduction to his grandson.
In the comics, the first person to hold the Patriot mantle, Jeffrey Mace, was introduced in the '40s, and he became a hero after being inspired by the heroics of Steve Rogers – eventually becoming the third Captain America. Eli was introduced in 2005, and though he did not inherit his grandfather's super soldier abilities, he developed temporary powers after using the street drug Mutant Growth Hormone. A later blood transfusion from Isaiah finally gave him super soldier abilities, and his suit visually resembles both his grandfather's and Bucky's comic costumes.
Eli was eventually given Captain America's original, pointier shield by Kate Bishop, who had become Hawkeye herself. Steve used a similar model during his first mission in Captain America: The First Avenger, so it's possible the Eli of the MCU could wield this particular shield, too.
With Kate and Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, as well as potentially Eli, joining Cassie in the MCU, it's looking like we could see an all-new, younger generation of heroes on our screen soon. For now, though, you can catch The Falcon and the Winter Soldier streaming weekly on Disney Plus – check out our The Falcon and the Winter Soldier release schedule, and find the best Disney Plus deals and prices, right here too.
