Image: Marvel Studios
Comics readers will have seen this one coming
The Ms. Marvel show on Disney Plus is different. The series gave Kamala Khan a different origin story and new powers, and it also has a stronger visual identity than most of its sibling MCU shows on the streaming services. The first season is a fun time with some big action moments, but doesn’t shy away from the quieter, slice-of-life moments that make it really feel like a coming-of-age teen comedy.
Ms. Marvel is also a show about a girl who loves the Avengers and suddenly gets superpowers. In both the comic book and the Disney Plus series, Kamala Khan is a total Marvel obsessive, dressing up as Captain Marvel in a cosplay competition (not to mention the matching Hulk cosplay with her dad) and choosing a superhero moniker that pays homage to her favorite caped hero.
It was only a matter of time before a classic MCU cameo, right?
[Ed. note: This piece contains spoilers for Ms. Marvel episode 6.]
In a scene in the middle of the credits (after Ms. Marvel’s animated titles, and before the longer, more standard ones), Kamala relaxed in her bedroom, until her bangle began to pulse with colors. In a strange scramble of energy, Kamala seemed to disappear. Inexplicably, her hero — Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel — appeared in her place, played by Brie Larson. Carol looked just as confused as the audience about suddenly finding herself in a bedroom filled with Carol Danvers memorabilia. And then the scene ended, just letting viewers know that Ms. Marvel would return in The Marvels.
Image: Marvel Studios
Larson, who originated the MCU version of Captain Marvel in the 2019 movie of the same name, has also appeared in Avengers: Endgame and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings as Carol Danvers. She will be reprising the role in the upcoming The Marvels, where she will reunite with Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan — and be joined by Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau. The Marvels will hit theaters on Feb. 17, 2023.
Wait, they swapped places? What does that mean?
Well, it could hark back to one of the weirdest points in Captain Marvel continuity. Years before Carol Danvers became Captain Marvel, the role was held by an alien guy named Mar-Vell (played by Annette Bening in Captain Marvel). He has a complicated and fascinating history, but what’s relevant to Ms. Marvel is the brief period where he became trapped in the Negative Zone, and could only be summoned to fight bad guys on Earth with the help of his teenage sidekick, Rick Jones.
Rick had a couple of cosmic bracers called the Nega-Bands that he could activate to swap places with Mar-Vell. Mar-Vell would appear wherever Rick had been standing, and Rick would take his place in the Negative Zone. Then once the threat had been dealt with, they would swap places again, because the Negative Zone is no place for a teenager with no superpowers.
If Kamala’s bangle truly caused her to swap places with Carol, as the scene could be implying, that’s a big hint at what to expect from their adventures in The Marvels. Let’s just hope Kamala isn’t stuck in the Negative Zone until February. She has, like, school and stuff.
How did Kamala and Carol meet for the first time in the comics?
In the comics, Kamala first met her idol Captain Marvel in Ms. Marvel #17 while in the midst of a stressful situation. I’ll spare some of the details for those that have not read it yet, but things were not looking good in Jersey City, and Kamala escaped to a rooftop to collect her thoughts. And suddenly, Captain Marvel appeared on the rooftop with some encouraging words.
Image: G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona/Marvel
As you might expect, Kamala completely flipped out, and Carol gave her a well-needed pep talk before they went off to fight some crime together.
Image: G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona/Marvel 
Image: G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona/Marvel
Obviously, Carol’s cameo in Ms. Marvel is pretty different. Does this even count as the two heroes “meeting”? Probably not, but we can look to The Marvels for Kamala’s true fangirl moment. And in the meantime we can discuss Carol’s new look. Three-quarter sleeves and fingerless gloves? Jacket and pants? We love to see a casual superhero space uniform.
The first season of Ms. Marvel is available to watch on Disney Plus.
