‘I’m very much chomping at the bit’: Hailee Steinfeld is as impatient as the rest of us for the Young Avengers

When Hailee Steinfeld signed on to play Kate Bishop in the Disney Plus series Hawkeye she became yet another member of the Young Avengers to enter the MCU. However, in the nearly two years since the show aired, there has been nothing but more additions to the MCU and no formal announcements, leading virtually everyone to ponder the same exact question. 

In fact, that was exactly the question Josh Horowitz posed to Steinfeld in her interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast. After recounting the 26-year-old actress’s stellar on-screen appearance with Florence Pugh’s Yelena in Hawkeye, Horotitz flat out asked the Kate Bishop actress for the latest tea on the Young Avengers. Actually, his exact words were “Where the hell is the Young Avengers, Hailee?” 

Surprisingly — or unsurprisingly — Steinfeld did not bat the question away as a baseless rumor, probably because at this point Marvel has practically confirmed that the Young Avengers are coming to the MCU by way of adding virtually every member of the comic book cast to the cinematic universe (not to mention Kevin Feige himself has said they are planting the seeds). 

No, Steinfeld did not reject Horowitz’s question, she embraced it, confirming that she is “very much chomping at the bit” to see Kate Bishop and the other Young Avengers finally unite. 

“I mean, the question from you and I both. Yeah, I’m certainly chopping at the bit. It’s been a minute since I’ve — it’s always so funny because I feel like a few months can go by and I feel like I’ve been doing nothing. You know what I mean? It’s been so long since… And you know, it’s been a while since Dickinson ended and since Hawkeye came out, but I am so ready to get back at it. I am like itching to be on set again with people that do what I do and love what we do. I have such a sense of belonging when I’m on set and a sense of home, and I just love it. It has been a while so I am very much chomping at the bit.” 

Sure, she danced around the question a bit, not quite confirming she will come back as a Young Avenger, just that she wants to. Perhaps her viral gaffe in front of Kevin Feige in 2021 has scarred her from saying too much. Understandable. 

Still, at this point, the Young Avengers are starting to feel like folklore in the MCU. As someone who has waited with bated breath before, during, and after each and every movie or TV show for some sign of a Young Avengers confirmation, I can assure you our breaking point is neigh. It’s time to bring in the kids, Marvel. 

Since Variety confirmed last year that Steinfeld will return for “other MCU projects” and the character of Kate Bishop is rumored to be the leader of the Young Avengers, perhaps Steinfeld’s non-answer to Horowitz was simply a case of ultimate precaution. Again, we don’t blame her. But Marvel better get a move on it before the excitement for the Young Avengers peaks before it even releases.