Though the details are still scarce, fans of the Cartoon Network series Young Justice are rejoicing after news broke that Warner Bros. Animation will be reviving the show for a third season. Despite a dedicated fan base during its initial run, the show was cancelled in 2013 after just two seasons. Premiering in 2010 and loosely based on the comic title of the same name, the show was praised for its mature content, character growth, and overarching storylines. Since then, the fans have been vocal about wanting the show to return. The voice actors and creators of the series have also spent the intervening years hinting that a revival, perhaps on a site like Netflix, was possible.
While we don’t yet know whether the new season will be back on Cartoon Network or will instead be produced by Netflix, it’s clear that fans’ enthusiasm and the fact that the show is regularly trending on the streaming platform had an impact on the company’s decision. The series showcased many DC characters over its 46 episodes, but there’s still a number of prominent comic book heroes who have yet to appear. With that in mind, here are 15 Characters We Want To See In Young Justice Season 3.
15. Cyborg
For a show that featured the Justice League and a variation on the Teen Titans, one of the most notable absences over the series’ two seasons was the hero Cyborg. While his prominence in the League during the New 52 reboot and his status in the now-burgeoning DCEU weren’t yet established when Young Justice premiered, his absence was still quite notable. Given his main role in the popular Teen Titans and subsequent Teen Titans Go! series, it does seem odd that some version of the cybernetic former athlete known as Vic Stone was never added to the Team’s roster.
It could have been those very roles that left him out, however. While Robin was able to appear on both shows and Beast Boy popped up on the second season, Cartoon Network may have avoided adding Cyborg due to worries about promoting the various series as separate affairs. With the season 2 finale hinting at Darkseid’s role in the show’s ongoing story and Stone’s New 52 origin incorporating elements of Apokolips technology, Cyborg could play a role similar to Blue Beetle’s as the conspiracy of season 3 unfolds.
14. Vibe
A relatively minor character from the comics, Vibe has become a rising star in the world of DC thanks to Carlos Valdes’ performance as his alter-ego Cisco Ramon on The Flash. Now that the character has full-blown metahuman powers and has adopted his comic book moniker, it would be fitting to see the young hero join the third season of Young Justice. Even better, hire Valdes to do the voice and add his charm and energy to the already stellar cast.
Developed by Firestorm creator Gerry Conway and artist Chuck Patton, Vibe has been around longer than his notoriety may indicate. Premiering in Justice League of America Annual #2 in 1984, Vibe survived both Crisis on Infinite Earths and the New 52 reboot. Possessing a number of sonic and seismic powers, his modern comic origin had him gaining his abilities through exposure to a Boom Tube. For those unfamiliar, a Boom Tube is a sort of energy tunnel used to travel distances great and small in the DC universe and is created by a Mother Box, technology that hails from both Apokolips and the New Genesis. All of these elements already exist in the world of Young Justice and, like Cyborg, their connection to season 3’s hinted plot could provide a number of new heroes with their origins and significance.
13. Indigo
For fans of the Supergirl series and the Young Justice comics, Indigo will be quite familiar. For everyone else, though, she’s a young android with a host of abilities, including flight, energy blasts, and influence over technology. In the comics, she has ties to Red Arrow/Arsenal, Cyborg, and Nightwing, so she’s an obvious addition to the cast. The would-be hero is more than she seems, however, as fans of the Arrowverse may already be aware.
Though she never appears on the side of good, Indigo as presented in Supergirl is a villain formerly known as Brainiac 8. Part of the continuing line of Superman villains, her nefarious identity is eventually revealed in the comics and she becomes an antagonist to the young heroes. Since both seasons of Young Justice have revolved around the ideas of double-agents and sleepers, Indigo/Brainiac 8 would be a the perfect friend-turned-foe for the series and a good potential villain for Superboy to face.
12. Booster Gold
Like Cyborg, Booster Gold is a popular comics and TV character who was noticeably missing from the cast of Young Justice. He’s also a character who could either appear as an adult member of the JLA, or be tweaked and turned into a teenager so he can join the Team. Debuting in a self-titled series by Dan Jurgens in 1986, Booster Gold isn’t your typical superhero. Hailing from Gotham in the 25th century, Michael Jon Carter (see what they did there?) was once a star quarterback. A history of throwing games for gambling purposes, however, eventually led to him becoming a has-been and having to take up a job at the Metropolis Space Museum. It’s there that he discovers a number of “ancient” artifacts and a helpful security robot named Skeets.
The artifacts turn out to be a number of pieces of super-tech, including a Legion of Super-Heroes flight ring, the Time Sphere of Rip Hunter (secretly his relative), and Brainiac 5’s force field belt. He uses these items to travel back to the 20th century and use the tech to pose as a superhero. Though he starts out seeking only glory, he eventually becomes an earnest hero. In the comics, he has a strong kinship with Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle. Though Kord’s dead in the world of Young Justice, a young Booster could make a perfect foil for the show’s Jaime Reyes version of Blue.
11. Speedy / Mia Dearden
If you’re a fan of the Arrowverse, the names Mia Dearden and Speedy might send your brain into a tizzy. That’s because when Arrow premiered, they decided to use the comics character as an influence for Oliver Queen’s younger sister. Named Thea Dearden Queen in the show, Oliver gives her the nickname and eventually the codename of Speedy. To make things a bit more confusing, she’s even known as Mia when she leaves Star(ling) City to train with Malcolm Merlyn. Still, she possesses many of the qualities of her comic book inspiration.
Both young women have troubled past and are eventually taken under the Green Arrow’s wing and trained as archers following the departure of his former sidekick Roy Harper. Rather than take the Red Arrow name, the comics Mia adopts the former sidekick’s original moniker of Speedy. It’s unlikely that the show would delve into her past as part of a child prostitution ring, but they could plumb some dark depths if Oliver decides to take on another protege. The one issue that might keep her off the show is that one of the Team’s oldest members is the similar Artemis. Now that Artemis has become Tigress, however, it might be time for another young archer to join the roster.
10. Jesse Quick / Liberty Belle
You’ll notice that a running theme on this list is characters who exist in the Arrowverse, and Jesse Quick certainly continues that theme. First appearing as part of the Justice Society of America in the ’90s, the comics version of Jesse Chambers is the daughter of Golden Age heroes Johnny Quick and Liberty Bell and possesses superhuman speed. While a number of JSA characters have appeared on Young Justice without a mention of the team, it could be interesting to at a superhero team from the past by introducing Quick.
In the comics, she’s been both Jesse Quick and Liberty Belle. Given that the Arrowverse has leaned heavily on the Quick persona, even granting her speed force powers on this season of The Flash, it seems likely that this would be the version of we’d see. Like with Speedy’s archer problem, Jesse Quick would face the fact that a number of other speedsters have already been on the team. If we time jump in season 3 like we did in season 2, though, the current Kid Flash may have graduated to the big leagues and be looking for a lightning-fast replacement.
9. Lilith Clay / Omen
As one of the oldest members of the original Teen Titans, it’s surprising that Lilith Clay, sometimes known as Omen, hasn’t made the jump to other media. In the comics, she has a host of psychic abilities that would be a great addition to Young Justice given that Miss Martian will likely have moved up the Justice League ladder by the time season 3 rolls around. Even more interesting is that she has ties to Vandal Savage, the big bad of the show so far.
In the comics, Savage kidnaps Clay and forces her to use her precognitive powers to find him the perfect supervillain team to defeat the Titans. Instead, she pulls together a number of villains, including recurring Young Justice character Cheshire, that she knows will eventually tear the team apart. With Vandal making a deal with Darkseid at the end of season 2, we could see him kidnapping a young Omen and forcing her to make him a similar group before the Team stops him and brings her into the fold.
8. Starfire
Created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez in the ’80s, Starfire is another long-running Teen Titans character who has been noticeably absent from Young Justice so far. Though she’s still part of the zany Teen Titans Go! series, the distance that Young Justice now has from the more similar Teen Titans show means that Starfire should finally be able to make her debut in the YJ universe. With a wide range of powers, from flight and strength to energy protection, alien princess Koriand’r would make a strong addition to the show. But if the Team is feeling a bit crowded, there’s another group she could join.
In the New 52, she was one of Red Hood’s Outlaws, a group that operates in somewhat darker territory than the Team of the League. Led by Red Hood, the resurrected former-Robin Jason Todd, and also featuring Arsenal, the seeds for the Outlaws have already been planted on Young Justice. In season 2, Roy Harper took the Arsenal name and proved that he was no fan of the way the League operated. We’re also shown a hologram of a deceased Robin, presumably Jason Todd, as both Dick Grayson and Tim Drake appear on the series. Whether the show revives Todd like they did in the comics, or simply has Arsenal lead a group called the Outlaws, the team would be a great way to introduce a comics stalwart like Starfire into the new season.
7. Hawk and Dove
Though Hawk and Dove are two characters, they’re actually a package deal. Created by comic legend Steve Ditko in 1968, Hawk and Dove were originally Hank and Don Hall, two brothers with differing personalities and views on war (hence the names). In order to save their father from his political enemies who wanted him dead, the two brothers called upon the powers of the Lords of Order and Chaos that they heard in their heads. By doing so, they were transformed into heroes with abilities like flight, strength, and enhanced healing– and the responsibility to balance each other’s tendencies and powers.
By the 2000s, the Hawk and Dove names and abilities were held by estranged sisters Holly and Dawn Granger. The two would eventually join the Titans, making them Young Justice adjacent. Considering that the series deals with both young and old heroes, either version of Hawk and Dover could appear in season 3. Even better, imagine if the older Hawk and Dove were seen passing their legacy on to the younger version. Given that the forces of Order and Chaos are already represented on Young Justice thanks to Doctor Fate and Clarion the Witch Boy, it’d be interesting to explore the other ways the cosmic forces could manifest in the form of Hawk and Dove.
6. Katana
Thanks to a recurring role on Arrow and an inclusion in this year’s Suicide Squad, Katana is a rising star in the DC universe and a likely candidate for the Young Justice season 3 cast. A master martial artist armed with a sword that houses the souls of those it’s killed, Katanawalks the line between hero and antihero that so many on Young Justice have in the past. If season 3 of the show also explores the idea of splinter hero teams, like the Outlaws, she could also play a prominent role in an arc involving the Outsiders, a team of “misfit” heroes who’ve been led by both Batman and Nightwing.
Season 3 could explore the idea of Dick Grayson forming his own team and bringing Katana under his wing. Now that he’s grown and matured, it might just be time for the former Robin to take on a protege of his own, and Katana could be the perfect one. Black Lightning, another long-time Outsider, has also featured on Young Justice and even offered to be a young Static’s mentor. It’s not hard to imagine Static also coming into the fold of Nightwing’s Outsiders and striking up a friendship/romance with a teenage Katana. The one issue with a younger Katana might be that her sword houses her dead husband’s soul, but that could easily be tweaked– or she could be the daughter of the original Katana if Young Justice wanted to take this route.
5. Spoiler
If Katana doesn’t end up coming under the tutelage of Nightwing, perhaps Stephanie Brown could be his new ward. Better known as Spoiler, Brown is a recurring member of the Bat-Family in the comics. Not only does she fight alongside them under her current identity, but she’s served time as both Robin and Batgirl during her tenure with the team. While those bits of her past might be a bit too convoluted for Young Justice, her family ties would dovetail nicely with the show’s themes of legacy and walking the line between hero and villain.
The daughter of the criminal known as Cluemaster, Stephanie adopted the Spoiler name and began fighting crime on her own before joining up with Batman. Similar to Artemis’ arc in season 1 of Young Justice, Spoiler’s past has the potential for some intriguing storytelling. On top of that, she’s previously only appeared in other media once: during the second season of Young Justice. During the episode “Before the Dawn,” Stephanie is one of the people Tigress (aka Artemis in disguise) abducts for the villainous Reach. Given how many of the abductees later joined the Team, it makes sense for Spoiler to channel her experiences into a crime-fighting persona. Plus, she already has Scott Pilgrim vs. The World’s Mae Whitman as her voice actor, so she’s likely a shoo-in for inclusion in the new season.
4. Captain Marvel, Jr.
Though he was created way back in 1941, Captain Marvel, Jr. aka Freddie Freeman, is still a somewhat obscure character. Channeling his powers from Captain Marvel himself, rather than the wizard Shazam, Freddie was originally a crippled newsie before he was granted Marvel’s slew of abilities. While the origin of Captain Marvel’s powers have yet to be explored in Young Justice, his home life and young alter-ego have been shown already.
Thanks to his youthful nature, the character as played by Rob Lowe splits his time between serving on the Justice League and hanging out with/babysitting the Team during various missions. Not only would it fit the diverse nature of Young Justice to highlight a disabled character who can transform into a powerful hero, but Freddie could also serve as an interesting way to explore Captain Marvel’s backstory. In the New 52, he’s one of Billy Batson’s (Caps’ childhood form) foster siblings, which would give the show even more mature story ideas to work with if Captain Marvel, Jr. were to join the Team.
3. Tempest / Garth
Like Stephanie Brown, the alter-ego of Tempest has already appeared in Young Justice. In the comics, Aquaman’s sidekick Aqualad was originally an Atlantean boy named Garth. Debuting in Action Comics #269 in 1960, Garth long-served as Aquaman’s teen protege and was a founding member of the Teen Titans. When the Young Justice was adapted into a show, however, Garth’s role in the story was replaced by a new character named Kaldur’ahm.
Garth would eventually gain mystic water-based abilities and refashion himself as Tempest. In the series, Garth is Kaldur’s best friend and trains in sorcery under Mera, the queen of Atlantis and Aquaman’s wife. Since we’ve already met him, it’d be an interesting twist to see him join the team. He could take the name Aqualad, nodding to his comic roots and allowing Kaldur to take a more mature nom de guerre. Similarly, Mera could join the League herself, thus continuing her tutelage of Garth in Atlantean sorcery as well as heroics as he takes on the Tempest moniker.
2. Raven
Cyborg and Starfire can’t be considered for Young Justice without Raven joining the team. A leading member of the Teen Titans in both their comic and television versions, Raven is a half-demon with a wide range of magical and psychic powers that would be an asset to the team during their covert ops. She can fly, teleport, hypnotize, and read minds, making her a potential replacement or portege for Miss Martian, who served a similar role on the original team.
Throughout her many comics, TV, and film appearances, Raven has proven to be one of DC’s most popular characters. Considering how well Young Justice did with young girls, it’s no surprise that she and other prominent female characters are dominating our list. Given her magic abilities, she could also come under the mentorship of Zatanna, who moved up to the Justice League in Season 2 of Young Justice. Magic has proven critical to a number of plots on the show, so a new, young user of the mystic arts is a must as the show heads into its third season.
1. Supergirl
By far the most popular DC character across all of media who hasn’t popped up on Young Justice yet is Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl. Having appeared across much of the DC Animated Universe over the years and with her starring role in the Arrowverse, it’s hard to imagine a third season of Young Justice not including the Kryptonian. Superboy allowed the show to deal a little with Superman’s reluctance to take on a protege, but we never really saw the plot blossom. By introducing Kal’s long-lost cousin, Young Justice could bring Superman more to the forefront and explore his Kryptonian past as he navigates training the younger Kara.
If we assume the new season of Young Justice will jump ahead in time like it did between its first two seasons, then our original group of heroes may have either moved on to other things or moved up to the Justice League. Not only does this mean the Team has a Kryptonian-sized hole to fill, but Superboy himself could be the one to mentor Supergirl. Either way, it’s hard to imagine DC and WB not including Supergirl in the new iteration of the show and the Team. Who knows, maybe the Justice League will finally decide to give the group a proper name. Something like Young Justice, perhaps.
Which comic characters do you want to see on the new season of Young Justice? Let us know in the comments.
Seasons 1 and 2 of Young Justice are now streaming on Netflix. We’ll keep you posted as news of Season 3 emerges.