Following her reintroduction as an adult in WandaVision, Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau is set to make her epic return in 2023's The Marvels next to Brie Larson and Iman Vellani. This comes after the first Disney+ show in Phase 4 pushed Monica toward her superhero status, as she busted through Wanda's Hex and moved to the next phase of her own journey.
In only three episodes with powers, Monica showed off a wide range of abilities in the MCU, which will only continue to evolve as Parris stars in her first MCU movie next year.
While fans only got a taste of Monica's abilities in WandaVision, she'll become even more formidable in The Marvels, particularly with the chance that her powers will be similar to Captain Marvel's. And with nearly a year until the sequel debuts in theaters, director Nia DaCosta took the opportunity to share how Monica's powers will transfer from the comics to the big screen, including what the movie will ignore.
The Marvels Ignoring Part of Monica's Comic History
Speaking with Cinema Blend at the 2022 D23 Fan Expo, The Marvels director Nia DaCosta discussed where the MCU sequel is going with Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau and her new superpowers, along with a power from the comics that wasn't used.
The director admitted that there are "thousand of powers in the comics" that the team could make canon in the MCU, even including immortality. DaCosta also looked to a time in the comics when "she goes intangible in water" and makes her atoms spread across the water, although the director admitted that they "didn't do that one" for The Marvels:
“With Monica, we really got to talk about, 'Okay, like which of her thousands of powers in the comics do we want to make canon in the MCU?' Well, you know there’s a part in the comics where she realizes she’s immortal. She freaks out and then she goes intangible in water, and her atoms scatter across the ocean, and that takes her like forever to put herself back together. Like, she’s insane so it’s like, you have so much to choose from... Anyway, we didn't do that one.”
This plot came in The Avengers #291-293 when Monica touched the ocean water while fully made of electricity and spread herself across the surface of the water. This depleted her energy and her physical form immensely, leading to a tough battle to regain her strength before rejoining the Avengers.
A full description of the event can be seen below:
"When honorary Avengers member Marrina transformed into the gigantic sea monster Leviathan, Captain Marvel led the hunt for the creature; during the battle that followed, Monica made contact with sea water while in her electrical form and accidentally conducted herself across the surface of the ocean, depleting her energies so gravely and dispersing her atoms so widely that she could barely regain physical form, emerging as a frail, withered husk of a woman devoid of super-powers. Forced to retire from the team, Monica fought her way back to health and eventually regained her powers, though in a reduced and altered form that allowed her to surround herself with a manipulable energy field."
Parris also spoke with Marvel Entertainment at D23, teasing Monica's powers and her ability to fly in the upcoming sequel:
"Being able to fully realize Monica’s powers and flying, and it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, we have a Black female superhero on the screen with these other amazing female superheroes.’ So, it’s just like, ‘Oooh, woman power!’ And being led by an amazing woman, so yeah, that was my favorite part. Girl power.”
How Will Monica Make Her Mark in The Marvels?
Bringing in an extremely powerful superhero like Monica Rambeau is always a challenge for Marvel Studios as the team looks to bring characters that border on the lines of being overpowered. But considering just some of what Monica has been through in the comics, Nia DaCosta and Teyonah Parris seem to have a good idea of what not to use as she takes on a more pivotal role in the Multiverse Saga.
Having her go through something as bad as the event DaCosta mentioned would unquestionably take Monica out of the picture for a long time, which would be disappointing for fans who want to see her continue making an impact over the years. But thankfully, as DaCosta said in her quotes, Parris' heroine has a wealth of abilities to explore even past what fans saw already in WandaVision.
This comes on top of the bonds she will build in The Marvels - one of them being admittedly difficult thanks to some expectedly tense moments reuniting with Carol Danvers. Combine that with three sets of incredible powers, and it should make for a thrilling ride in next year's summer blockbuster.
The Marvels is set to premiere in theaters on July 28, 2023.
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