Marvel Studios has taken the opportunity to expand its horizons within the Marvel Cinematic Universe with introductions for a hoard of new characters. This kicked off last year with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and it continues now with Ms. Marvel as Iman Vellani's series adds its own legacy to Marvel's growing story.
Through its first three episodes, Ms. Marvel has taken plenty of inspiration directly from Kamala Khan's comics run as she shows her immense knowledge about Earth's Mightiest Heroes. This came with a promise that fans would see plenty of Easter eggs and ties to the MCU's past with all six episodes, and halfway through Season 1, Marvel has delivered on that promise.
Even with the direct nods to other characters, such as Scott Lang's podcast recapping Avengers: Endgame or Kamala and Kamran discussing Eternals' Kingo, there is also more subtle imagery that references other stories.
Now, Episode 3 includes a tie-back to Shang-Chi within its opening minutes.
Ms. Marvel Features Nod to Shang-Chi
Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for Episode 3 of Ms. Marvel.
The opening sequence in Episode 3 of Ms. Marvel featured imagery that last appeared in 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
As Namja and her crew are searching for the mystical bangle in British Occupied India in 1942, they stand in the middle of what appears to be a set of ancient Chinese symbols.
Looking closely at this design, it's actually the logo for the villainous Ten Rings organization, which has been utilized in the MCU since 2008's Iron Man.
Most recently, the group played a central role in last year's Shang-Chi, as the Mandarin led them to conquer the world before reuniting with his son and passing the Ten Rings to him.
The Ten Rings' Legacy in Ms. Marvel
The Ten Rings organization has made its presence felt on and off for the past 14 years in the MCU, largely through Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man movies, before moving on to last year's Shang-Chi. Similar to how HYDRA remained in the shadows for the better part of the 20th century, this group did the same for hundreds of years as Wenwu expanded his reign over the world with his army behind him.
Now, going back to 1942 in Ms. Marvel, this series proves once again just how far the Ten Rings' reach went as India dealt with their rule in some form or another. It's unclear when that symbol was carved into the rock of that cave, but it reaffirms that the organization had some semblance of power over the area about 80 years before the events of Ms. Marvel even started.
Whether this nod will mean anything to the larger story of Ms. Marvel is a mystery, but Marvel Studios once again proved just how interconnected the entire story is by tying Shang-Chi with the latest Disney+ entry.
The first three episodes of Ms. Marvel are available to stream on Disney+, as is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
