How Will ‘Ms. Marvel’ Explain Captain Marvel’s Worldwide Fame?
One of the coolest aspects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is how the various properties intertwine with each other. Each film or series contains references to other films or series in the universe. For example, Spider-Man: Homecoming shows us Peter Parker watching an instructional video in detention that features Captain America.
Disney+ has an upcoming series called Ms. Marvel showcasing a character that’s popular in the comics but who may be new to many movie fans. A recent onset picture depicts the main character wearing clothes with Captain Marvel’s logo all over them.
It begs the question: how will Ms. Marvel explain why Captain Marvel is now famous within the MCU?
Captain Marvel’s reputation in the MCU
The events of the film Captain Marvel take place in the 90s. In the MCU’s timeline, Carol Danvers then spends the next thirty-odd years traveling the galaxy attempting to help other beings across the galaxy fight injustice. She returns near the beginning of Avengers: Endgame and spends the next five years patrolling the galaxy while staying in touch with the remaining Avengers.
That means that within the MCU itself, we haven’t seen Danvers become famous. That doesn’t mean she isn’t, it just means that she’s been yet to be portrayed that way onscreen. The character is still largely unknown to the general public, as far as the audience is concerned.
The Captain Marvel/Ms. Marvel relationship in the comics
According to Cinema Blend, Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel have something of a “mother-daughter” relationship in the comics. There have been multiple characters who have assumed both roles. In the MCU version of Ms. Marvel, the mantle will be taken on by Kamala Khan.
One of Khan’s powers is the ability to shapeshift, and she initially assumes the form of Danvers, a person she considers to be her hero. Eventually, Danvers teaches her to be her own person rather than simply trying to copy someone else.
It’s clear that whether Brie Larson appears in Ms. Marvel or not, Captain Marvel is going to have a significant influence over the title character in one way or another. That doesn’t answer the question of how Ms. Marvel comes to know who Captain Marvel is, however.
How will ‘Ms. Marvel’ explain Captain Marvel’s worldwide fame?
MCU fans on Reddit pointed out that in a still from the set of the new Ms. Marvel Disney+ series, actor Iman Vellani (who has been cast as Khan) appears to be wearing Captain Marvel gear. One poster pointed out that this may need some explaining:
“Since she’s wearing Captain Marvel stuff, I wonder how they’ll explain her being a fan of Carol Danvers, given that in-universe Captain Marvel has had basically no exposure to the public eye.”
It’s a fair point. After all, Carol Danvers spends the majority of her time in the MCU in another part of the galaxy helping other planets. But it’s not out of the realm of possibility to think she may have gained some fame in between the time we last saw her and when the events of Ms. Marvel occur.
It’s not entirely clear when Ms. Marvel will happen in the MCU timeline. But suffice to say it will likely come sometime after the Avengers defeated Thanos. As evidenced by the reaction to that event in Spider-Man: Far From Home, the MCU heroes have taken on legendary status. Tony Stark is hailed as the greatest hero on the planet.
It’s not outlandish to think Captain Marvel may be elevated to hero status due to her role in beating Thanos.
If the onset photo is any indication, Captain Marvel will become a household name within the MCU — just like she is outside of it.
