It's an exciting time to be a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe these days, as many highly-anticipated projects are coming up the pipeline. Earlier in 2023, movie audiences got to see the MCU expand with Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and there's one more MCU movie to grace the silver screen in 2023.
That distinct honor will go to The Marvels, the sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel starring Brie Larson as the titular MCU powerhouse. This time around, Carol Danvers is teaming up with two familiar faces: Monica Rambeau from WandaVision and Kamala Khan from Ms. Marvel. Who knows what'll happen in the film, but fans have suggested the following possibilities.
10 S.W.O.R.D. Is The New S.H.I.E.L.D.
In WandaVision, MCU fans were introduced to S.W.O.R.D., a government agency taking after S.H.I.E.L.D. with a specialization in extra-terrestrial and extradimensional threats. However, in that Disney Plus series, the organization is led by Tyler Hayward, who tried to rebuild the deceased Vision into a weapon designed to destroy Wanda Maximoff.
However, given that Hayward is arrested at the end of WandaVision, Monica Rambeau could become their new leader and usher them into being the good guys. Additionally, the organization S.A.B.E.R. is confirmed to appear in The Marvels, so who's to say that since WandaVision, S.W.O.R.D. hasn't continued to grow as a superpower?
9 Captain Marvel Sparks A Super Romance
Many fan theories have circulated The Marvels following rumors that Tessa Thompson would be appearing in the film as Valkyrie, the king of Asgard who debuted in Thor: Ragnarok. However, her role in the film has been subject to debate, particularly given the seemingly unrelated stories of Valkyrie leading New Asgard and Carol's cosmic adventure to battle space enemies.
However, some fans have suggested that perhaps, following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Valkyrie and Carol have kept in touch for a different reason. Thompson has been open about exploring Valkyrie's sexuality on-screen, but some others have theorized that perhaps Valkyrie's role will be to kick off an MCU A-Force team in the future.
8 Kamala's Ties To The Mutants
Fans of Marvel Comics were stunned by the ending of Ms. Marvel, which revealed that Kamala's powers are caused by a mutation, making her the first confirmed Mutant in the MCU. This is a huge departure from the comics, in which Kamala's powers are inherited from Terrigen mist, making her an Inhuman, but it nevertheless excites some MCU fans.
With Kamala being the MCU's first Mutant, her reappearance in The Marvels has inevitably led some to believe the Mutants may be finally appearing in the film. Whether it's Magneto, Professor X, or even a lesser-known X-Men member like Rogue, fans will have to keep their eyes peeled to see any exceptional students of Xavier's school in Marvel's films.
7 Where Kamala's Bangle Came From
One of the biggest mysteries left unsolved from Ms. Marvel is the origin of her bangle, which Kamala inherited from her grandmother. After wearing it for a Captain Marvel cosplay contest, Kamala unlocked latent mutant powers inside her and became a superhero of her own. However, the bangle's origins may tie into another new hero from the MCU's Phase 4.
Namely, another hero in possession of mysterious and powerful artifacts is Shang-Chi, who inherited the Ten Rings from his father during his 2021 film. Notably, Brie Larson reprised her role as Captain Marvel in Shang-Chi's post-credits scene, so her awareness of the Ten Rings existing could factor into how she reacts to Kamala's possession of the Bangle.
6 The Film Will Have Dimension-Hopping
Many are curious as to how the film's main premise will come about. As seen in the trailers, Carol, Monica, and Kamala spend a portion of the film unintentionally swapping places with each other throughout the multiverse. Though it's unclear how this is happening, it may have something to do with a location that's only been hinted at in the MCU thus far.
That location is the Negative Zone, an alternate dimension where matter doesn't work the same way it does anywhere else. Some fans believe the dimension was introduced in Ms. Marvel as the catalyst for why Carol and Kamala swap places in the finale's post-credits scene, which would link the MCU's Captain Marvel to her male comic book counterpart, and tease the potential origin of the Fantastic Four's powers.
5 Dar-Benn's Mentor Was Another MCU Baddie
The main antagonist of The Marvels is confirmed to be Dar-Benn, a Kree general portrayed by Zawe Ashton. As many fans noticed in the first looks at The Marvels, Dar-Benn wields a hammer that looks noticeably similar to that of Ronan the Accuser, who appeared in the first Captain Marvel and even earlier as the first villain of the Guardians of the Galaxy, who was beaten by Star-Lord and his love for music.
In the comics, Dar-Benn is a male Kree warlord who created an android version of the Silver Surfer to oppose higher Kree authority. However, little is known about the backstory of the MCU's iteration of the character, so perhaps she has some serious ties to Ronan the Accuser that will have disastrous consequences for Carol Danvers and the Skrull nation.
4 There Will Be A Musical Number
One of the biggest rumors swirling around The Marvels has revolved around the potential for a musical sequence. It wouldn't be a first for the MCU, as Kumail Nanjiani's Kingo starred in a Bollywood dance sequence in 2021's Eternals. However, many fans have noted it as strange for Brie Larson's character to suddenly break out into song during a fight scene.
The musical number's context, however, may have relations to Marvel Comics, according to some fan theories. The trailers showcase what looks to be a dance sequence on what fans believe to be the planet Aladna, which in the comics features citizens who speak in rhymes. Perhaps Carol's exploration of this place in The Marvels is where song and dance come in.
3 The Skrulls Finally Find A New Home
The Skrulls were initially introduced in 2019's Captain Marvel as a shape-shifting race of aliens being hunted by the Kree. While they were promised a new home by Carol and Nick Fury at the end of that film, their failure to live up to the promise seems to have set in motion the events of Marvel's 2023 Disney+ series, Secret Invasion, centering on a Skrull uprising.
Perhaps by the end of The Marvels, the Skrulls will finally have found their new home. Some fans have suggested this could be where Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie comes in, offering them refuge in New Asgard, while others think they could take up residence in an alternate dimension. However, Disney Plus' Secret Invasion will play a big role in the upcoming film.
2 Young Avengers Assemble
Kamala Khan's role in The Marvels seems to be large, which will delight fans of her Disney+ series. However, some rumors and theories have suggested that her meeting with Nick Fury could set off the events necessary to organize the Young Avengers. Currently, many Young Avengers have already been introduced into the MCU throughout Phase 4 and Phase 5.
One particular Young Avenger who some think will appear is Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop, who fans would love to see cross paths with Kamala Khan. Steinfeld's future post-Hawkeye is something that has been speculated by many MCU fans for a while now. Who better to re-introduce her with than the other Avengers superfan in the MCU's cast?
1 The Multiverse Continues To Fracture
Given that Phases 4, 5, & 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been designated "The Multiverse Saga", it makes sense that the multiverse will continue to play an integral role in future projects. This will likely be true of The Marvels, coming after 2023's previous Marvel film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which notably ignored the Multiverse struggles for James Gunn's swansong to the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy.
There aren't many MCU films or shows left until the universe is set to break out into chaos as a result of Kang the Conqueror, with Avengers: Secret Wars heading to theaters far later to end the Multiverse Saga. The Marvels will set up some pretty heavy consequences for future MCU films and shows.
The Marvels is scheduled to release in theaters on November 10, 2023.