WandaVision has brought some fan-favorite characters back the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) from the Thor films and Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) from Ant-Man and the Wasp. While he appears to be a lovable side character, Woo has actually had a significant history in the comics as the leader of an Avengers-esque team called the Agents of Atlas. Reports state that a Jimmy Woo spin-off series is being pitched to Marvel, and this project could make it possible to introduce this team.
Who Are The Agents Of Atlas?
In the comics, Woo plays a Nick Fury-like role in leading a superhero team called the Agents of Atlas. The current comics roster also includes Shang-Chi, Brawn (Amadeus Cho's Hulk), Luna Snow (a K-Pop celebrity turned superhero), super spy White Fox, Aero (a Chinese heroine with wind powers) and Spider-Man ally Silk. The group was first established by Woo when he was an FBI agent to combat a supervillain named the Yellow Claw. Given the villain was a xenophobic product of the yellow peril and red scare in the 1950s, it is highly unlikely that Marvel would follow through with this particular origin story.
However, Woo would later join S.H.I.E.L.D. and reinstate the Atlas team there. Atlas has played important roles throughout its comic history and has proven itself to be a worthy opponent of any adversary. The team's gone toe-to-toe with the Thunderbolts and even taken on the Avengers and the X-Men in a short one-off story. They also played major roles during the Skrull's Secret Invasion as well as stopped Norman Osborn from developing dangerous weapons. Following a major comic event where the team protected the Asian continent against the galactic villain Queen Sindr, the members have primarily hailed from the Asia-Pacific region.
Marvel's Diverse Future
In recent years, both Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios have made efforts and commitments to diversify their characters. The franchise has grown increasingly diverse over the years, from introducing the world of Black Panther and Wakanda, to the expected debut of America Chavez in the Doctor Strange sequel, making her the MCU's first Latin-American superhero. More Asian heroes are expected to appear as well. Not only is the movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on the horizon, but Kevin Feige has hinted at plans to introduce the first Southeast Asian superhero on Disney+, a move that could see the expansion of superhero activities into the Asia-Pacific region. The Agents of Atlas fit right into Marvel's ongoing goal of diversifying the MCU.
In addition, Marvel Studios seems to have a good relationship with South Korea as the country is not only a massive box office contributor, but has been the backdrop for multiple major action sequences in the MCU films. Many members of Atlas, including Luna Snow and Amadeus Cho, have ties to South Korea and, given the country's good relationship with Marvel, it makes it more likely that we could be seeing those characters in the MCU soon. Futhermore, Marvel has developed a huge fanbase in China, which would only be strengthened by bringing more Asian faces to the big screen, including the Chinese Atlas members Aero and Sword Master.
Atlas Members Are Coming To The MCU
One of the more significant members of Atlas is Shang-Chi, who will be played by Simu Liu in the character's upcoming film. Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, is a former Atlas member, and she is set to appear in her own Disney+ series in late 2021. As the Shang-Chi film seems to be telling a rather intimate story, Atlas is the perfect way to bridge Shang-Chi with the greater MCU as he is both an Avenger and an Atlas member in the comics. The idea of Shang-Chi being one of the first members of Atlas is strong as there were reports of Shang-Chi filming some scenes in San Francisco, which is where Atlas Foundation headquarters are located.
This would also be the perfect opportunity to bring in previously teased characters who eventually become Atlas members in the comics, such as the Korean-American superheroine Silk. Her alter ego, Cindy Moon, was portrayed by Tiffany Espensen, who appeared in both Spider-Man: Homecoming and Avengers: Infinity War, but was noticeably absent from Spider-Man: Far From Home, suggesting that she survived The Snap. While she is a relatively new addition to the comics, having only debuted in 2014, Silk quickly rose to become a popular figure and her appearance has even been teased for the upcoming Into The Spider-Verse sequel. While that film is outside of MCU continuity, it shows an interest from the studios in using the character on the big screen.
Another teased Atlas member is Amadeus Cho, who is the comics' most recent incarnation of The Hulk. His mother, Helen Cho (Claudia Kim), played a big role in Avengers: Age Of Ultron, creating the android body that would later become Vision. While she has not been seen in the MCU since, her son could potentially play a big role as a legacy character for The Hulk. With the She-Hulk series as well as Thunderbolt Ross and Abomination playing bigger roles in the franchise, it is clear that Marvel Studios is looking to expand the Hulk mythos, so it would be appropriate to introduce Amadeus as a possible successor to Bruce Banner.
With Marvel putting diversity at the forefront in their upcoming phases, it makes perfect sense to introduce a group of pan-Asian superheroes that could eventually form the Agents of Atlas. And a spin-off starring Jimmy Woo would be the ideal way to bring them into the greater MCU.
Written by Jac Schaeffer and directed by Matt Shakman, WandaVision stars Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Paul Bettany as Vision, Randall Park as Agent Jimmy Woo, Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau and Kathryn Hahn as Agnes. New episodes air Fridays on Disney+.