America Chavez is set to make her big-screen debut as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in the upcoming Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.
It’s becoming clear that Kevin Feige (the president of Marvel Studios) has big plans for the Doctor Strange sequel, having already announced the return of Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch.
Veteran Spider-Man director Sam Raimi is helming the project which will introduce Miss America (Chavez’s superhero alter ego).
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Young actor Xochitl Gomez (The Baby-Sitters Club) will take on the role, and she is expected to play a big part in the MCU moving forward.
If you’re a mainstream moviegoer, you may be scratching your head. Chavez is relatively unknown, even amongst comic book veterans, so we don’t blame you.
But not to worry; we’re here to give you a quick rundown of the character’s history and what role she could play in the film.
Comic Book Origins
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America Chavez is the second character to take on the mantle of Miss America, following in the footsteps of Madeline Joyce (a Golden Age comic book character, who was introduced in the 1940s).
She first appeared in the mini-series Vengeance #1 in 2011, created by writer Joe Casey and artist Nick Dragotta.
Chavez was raised in an alternate reality known as the Utopian Parallel, a place inhabited solely by women, living under the thumb of a being known as the Demiurge.
During her early youth, the Utopian Parallel came under threat by a series of black holes. Chavez’s two mothers gave their lives to seal them, which inspired their young daughter to travel the multiverse in pursuit of heroism.
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Later in her career, she would go on to become a prominent member of the Young Avengers, appearing in the 2013 comic book series of the same name by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie.
This came after she was approached by a teenage Loki (yes, the Asgardian is known to change age and gender on occasion) with a proposal to kill Wiccan, son of Wanda Maximoff and member of the Young Avengers. Naturally, she declined and opted instead to aid the team in their super-heroics.
Chavez has also been heavily involved with superhero teams the Teen Brigade, A-Force, the Ultimates, and the West Coast Avengers.
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And in 2017, she starred in her own series, America, written by Latin-American novelist Gabby Rivera.
This was a significant step forward for representation in comic books, as Chavez is an outspoken member of the LGBTQ community — something we also expect to see explored in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel.
Unfortunately, America was cancelled in 2018. Nevertheless, she continued to appear in writer Kelly Thompson and artist Stefano Caselli’s West Coast Avengers series that same year.
What Are America Chavez’s Powers?
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As a result of growing up in the Utopian Parallel, Chavez developed many superpowers, stemming from the ambient energy of the Demiurge’s magic.
These powers include the traditional superhuman strength, durability, speed, and flight. However, most interestingly, she can also open holes in the fabric of reality — effectively allowing her to traverse the multiverse.
Consequently, she has shown the ability to make her enemies explode into fragments with a simple punch and even emit energy blasts, capable of wounding powerful beings such as Captain Marvel.
What Role Will America Chavez Have In the Film?
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As is apparent from the title, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness will see the Sorcerer Supreme exploring different universes beyond the main MCU.
Where this is going to lead Stephen Strange, we still don’t know. But we do know that this will have massive ramifications for the rest of the films and TV series, tying in heavily to both WandaVision and the third Spider-Man film.
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No doubt you’re wondering how exactly America Chavez fits into all this. Well, it actually makes quite a bit of sense that she would appear, as Chavez’s powers allow her to open star-shaped holes in reality — from which she can transport both herself and other people.
This reality hopping is integral to her character, making her an invaluable asset to Strange.
Assuming she’s been bouncing around the multiverse for a while when we meet her, Chavez’s experience in the field could help aid in overcoming whatever threat looms.
Setting Up The Young Avengers
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It’s no secret that Feige has begun slotting the pieces into place for a live-action adaptation of the Young Avengers, and it looks like America Chavez is going to join the team.
So far, there are already quite a few candidates in the running for membership.
First off, Cassie Lang (the daughter of Scott Lang/Ant-Man) was aged up for Avengers: Endgame following the five-year jump after the ‘snap’. This transitioned the role from young actor Abby Ryder Fortson to Emma Fuhrmann.
However, Fuhrmann has been replaced by Kathryn Newton who will play the character in the upcoming threequel Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania, seemingly preparing for a more action-oriented role as her comic book alter ego ‘Stature’.
Disney
In the recent Disney+ WandaVision TV series, we also saw the introduction of the Maximoff twins Billy and Thomas (otherwise known as ‘Wiccan’ and ‘Speed’).
Joining WandaVision, there are a number of other upcoming Disney+ shows, one of which is Hawkeye. This show will feature Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) as he trains his protégé, Kate Bishop (played by Hailee Steinfeld).
Likewise, Ms. Marvel will focus on Kamala Khan (played by Iman Vellani) and Ironheart on Riri Williams (played by Dominique Thorne).
Now, we don’t know about you, but we think that’s a lot of groundwork if there aren’t any plans. No official Young Avengers project has been announced as of yet, but we can safely assume that it’s coming in the near future.
When Does The Doctor Strange Sequel Come Out?
Walt Disney Studios
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness is due to release on 25th March 2022.
This comes after multiple delays, firstly due to the pandemic and then again in response to Sony rescheduling their Spider-Man sequel to its new slot in December 2021.
As mentioned, the Doctor Strange sequel is said to link heavily to Tom Holland’s third Spider-Man film, so this comes as no surprise.
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