How The Ms. Marvel Finale Sets Up The Marvels
This article contains major spoilers for the finale of "Ms. Marvel."
From the streets of Jersey City to the superhero underworld of Karachi to the horrors of British-occupied India, "Ms. Marvel" took viewers through a series of locales and time periods the Marvel Cinematic Universe has never even come close to touching before. We've come a long way since the first "Iron Man" in 2008, where much of the only nonwhite presence consisted of Afghan terrorist antagonists embodying every eyeroll-worthy stereotype that persisted throughout the so-called War on Terror. Things couldn't be more different on the newest Disney+ series, led by Iman Vellani's star-making turn as Kamala Khan and bolstered by an impressive attention to detail in its Muslim representation.
The introductory chapter of Kamala's story came to a stirring close with today's season finale, tying up all the loose ends from last week's sweeping romance and finally establishing young Kamala as the superhero she was born to be. While the mention of that certain M-word in the waning moments of the episode will undoubtedly prove to be one of the biggest takeaways from the episode, what comes after the credits sequence starts rolling may provide our most immediate glimpse into how Kevin Feige and his creative team will continue to integrate Kamala into the larger MCU.
As previously reported, we know her next appearance will be in the upcoming "The Marvels," the feature film sequel to the Brie Larson-starring "Captain Marvel." Thanks to the mid-credits scene, however, we've now received outright confirmation about how "Ms. Marvel" has set up the hero-worshipping teen's team-up with Captain Marvel herself in that film.
Trading places
Despite some of the more overt differences between the original Kamala Khan comic series and the "Ms. Marvel" series, one crucial aspect that both stories share is the protagonist's unfiltered adoration of Captain Marvel. Though mysteriously missing from Earth in the aftermath of her tussle with Thanos in "Avengers: Endgame," the powerful Avenger's influence lives on through the eyes of Kamala — most endearingly through Kamala's homemade cosplay outfit that she wore to AvengerCon in the early episodes of the series. Though perhaps not interrogated quite as in-depth as the source material did, this integral facet of her personality (combined with the valuable lessons imparted by her parents) clearly led her on the path to becoming a selfless superhero in her own right.
Though it appeared as if the "Ms. Marvel" writers would refrain from including any major hints about how Kamala's story might continue in the future, the mid-credits scene emphatically pointed the way towards how she may factor into "The Marvels." After the happy ending that wrapped up the main storyline of the season, we return to Kamala — still in her fresh, newly-made outfit — exhaustedly plopping down into bed. Suddenly, her all-important bangle begins to light up with a familiar energy ... which then abruptly whisks her away and out of sight. The figure who emerges from her bedroom closet isn't Kamala, but Brie Larson's Carol Danvers, who looks just as shocked to be there as we are.
Though some may believe this is an example of Kamala's shapeshifting powers in action, transforming her into the legendary Captain Marvel that she's always wanted to be, it's far more likely that both Kamala and Carol have literally switched places. This twist sets up all sorts of fascinating directions for "The Marvels" to take.
What we think The Marvels will be about
To this point, Marvel has been keeping a tight lid on what we know so far about "The Marvels." It's possible that the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con will provide some more answers, but until then we only have the events of "Captain Marvel," "Avengers: Endgame," and "Ms. Marvel" to provide any and all clues as to how the MCU's next big team-up will unfold.
For those in need of a quick refresher, 2019's "Captain Marvel" laid out the 1990s-set origin story of how ace pilot Carol Danvers found herself stripped of her memories, imbued with immensely powerful energy-based abilities, and taken to utterly alien worlds to put her powers to good use. Her next appearances in "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame" went a long way towards establishing her as a force to be reckoned with: a cosmic being who is capable of thwarting the Mad Titan Thanos' plans almost singlehandedly. We were never quite privy to the overall public's opinion of the new superhero in those movies, but "Ms. Marvel" stepped up to fill in the blanks and show how a young, idolizing girl in New Jersey would naturally gravitate towards the powerful woman who helped save the world.
The location-swapping incident with Kamala may provide the answer of how "The Marvels" will begin. Carol, ripped away from a potentially life-or-death situation and deposited in this (seemingly) random house, undoubtedly needs to track down Kamala and get her out of whatever sticky situation she now finds herself in. After all, Carol Danvers has undoubtedly been kept busy dealing with otherworldly threats all across the galaxy since her disappearance post-"Endgame."
Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until "The Marvels" arrives a year from now, on July 28, 2023.