Ms. Marvel introduced Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan to the world, and people across the world absolutely loved her. The Captain Marvel fangirl took the hearts of audiences as they watched her grow into a bonafide superhero. So what’s next for the New Jersey protector? Well, if the post-credits tag means anything, it’s that she might not be on Earth any longer.
In the closing seconds of the show, Kamala was suddenly teleported away, only to be replaced by none other than Brie Larson’s cosmic hero. While many assumed that Carol Danvers was going to have to show up at some point, Marvel seems to have felt like the best time would be at the very end.
But was she ever going to show up in the series earlier? According to Ms. Marvel’s head writer and producer, they specifically didn’t want Danvers to show up at all so that Kamala’s origin story could have some breathing room and focus on Vellani’s young hero coming into her own.
Ms. Marvel Without the Marvel
In an interview with SyFy, Ms. Marvel head writer and executive producer Bisha K. Ali, the creative behind Kamala Khan’s big debut, commented on that Carol Danvers post-credits scene, and how she didn’t want the character to play a role in the show’s wider story.
Ali revealed how she “didn’t write the scene” with Brie Larson, but that “it was actively my desire for her to not be in the show [overall]:”
“I didn't write the scene. But the Brie of it all was the hope that the post-credit scene would be Captain Marvel. It was actively my desire for her to not be in the show, overall, because I think that undermines the analogy. At the beginning, when Kamala's looking in that mirror, she's wearing an imitation Captain Marvel cosplay. She wants to be this person. And by the end, it's not that she no longer has admiration for Captain Marvel, but she's seeing herself. This is who I am and I'm literally wearing every part of the people who love me.”
The writer continued, pointing out how “Captain Marvel suddenly coming in would set us on a different path:”
“And so that was really important that that happened, and it was her maturing away from it in a lot of ways. Captain Marvel suddenly coming in would set us on a different path. Someone in the world would have written a brilliant version of that story, but that wasn't for me. I actually am really glad that it played out the way it did. I'd love to work with Brie, don't get me wrong. But I'm really pleased that they wanted the show to be for Kamala, and for Captain Marvel to come at the end. And it's also just such a great teaser of what's to come. What is to come? It's so exciting!”
While some audiences have vocalized their confusion about what went down with Carol Danvers in the teaser, Ali admitted that “to [her], it was really obvious what was happening:”
“To me, it was really obvious what was happening — it was a swap. I think it would be bananas for me to introduce a new power for her in the post-credits scene when we already introduced embiggening. I haven't completely lost my mind, guys. [Laughs.] But the distinction is important. And I understand why there's confusion, solely because in Ms. Marvel #1, she literally transformed into Captain Marvel. Do I wish they'd done it a bit more clearly? Maybe. But the ambiguity is fun.”
Brie Larson, Better Late Than Never
The reasoning for not having Captain Marvel show up much earlier is a respectable one. As fun as it would be to play off of Kamala’s love for Carol Danvers, it’s more important that she is able to come into her own.
The entire series is about Kamala seeing herself as the hero, and if she’s busy fangirling over another big timer, that ideal could easily get lost in the shuffle. Thankfully, Marvel Studios was able to stick to its guns—and, as many would agree, they completely stuck the landing when it came to establishing Kamala Khan as the protector of New Jersey.
But now that her origin story has come and gone, the real fun can begin. The next time fans see Iman Vellani will be in The Marvels, where the fated moment is set to finally: Kamala will meet Carol Danvers.
But will it go as Kamala has hoped and dreamed that it would? Well, probably not.
The Marvels hits theaters on July 28, 2023, while Ms. Marvel is now streaming on Disney+.
