Ms. Marvel surprised audiences across the world when it first aired its episode. Somehow, the Disney+ series was able to break past early controversy and make viewers fall in love with the quirky and lovable Kamala Khan, though Iman Vellani's pure vibrancy no doubt played a big role. To make everything better, the character also happens to basically be like every fan watching: a massive Avengers fan.
The show is chock full of references, such as tributes to the deaths of Natasha Romanoff and Iron Man, countless Marvel cosplays, and more Captain Marvel mentions than one could count. There's even an official Scott Lang podcast that was responsible for informing the entire world about the events of Avengers: Endgame.
With the second episode having just aired, the show continues to add to that collection of Easter eggs. This time, what seems like a small Kingo name drop could, in actuality, end up teasing a big twist for Eternals 2, and the fate of Earth itself—no biggie.
A Tease Towards Kingo
Warning - the rest of this article contains spoilers for Episode 2 of Ms. Marvel.
Rish Shah's Kamran was introduced in Ms. Marvel's second episode, and it didn't take very long for Iman Vellani's Kamala to notice. Before audiences knew it, they were already on a pseudo date getting to know each other.
At first, their conversation starts with Kamala mentioning how "there's no such thing as a bad Shah Rukh Khan movie." For those who may not know the name, he's a highly famed Indian actor whose work on Hindu films has led him to garner worldwide admiration. Funnily enough, the conversation then shifts to another famed Bollywood icon: Kumail Nanjiani's Kingo.
The name comes up when Kamran says to Kamala, "don't tell me you have a massive crush on Kingo, too," to which she replies, "[my mom is] literally obsessed with him for some reason."
Kamran even goes as far as to mention how his mom "still has a huge crush on Kingo Senior," which, as Eternals revealed, is simply the same old Kingo.
"... and don't worry. I mean, mine's the same. She still has a huge crush on Kingo Senior. It much be a generational thing."
Kumail Nanjiani's Kingo, Savior of Earth
So what could such a small passing reference mean in the grand scheme of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Well, it could simply be a small nod and nothing more—which Ms. Marvel is already full of other various heroes—remember all of that Guardians cosplay at AvengerCon?
Or, it could potentially hint at a big character change for Kingo in Eternals 2 (or maybe that Starfox spinoff project). In the final act of Eternals, Nanjiani's character chooses to completely remove himself from the situation instead of fighting his family. Some may have thought it underwhelming for him to bow out, but it spoke to Kingo on a character level due to him being torn between the love for his family and his admiration for the people of Earth.
The fact that Kingo was still unwilling to fight for the humanity that has given him so much, and he is so enamored with does suggest that he still has some level of indifference towards them – unless we're talking about Karun, of course.
Deep down, Nanjiani's Eternal may have become disenfranchised with humans in general, especially after everything that went down with Ikaris. The spark he once had for their admiration could be flickering, on the brink of being extinguished. He may easily attribute his family's falling out with the entire population of Earth—even though that's obviously not what happened.
But, maybe all he needs is a little reminder of how the world still loves him, something the scene between Kamala and Kamran showcases. Even further, what if Ms. Marvel ends up being that special somebody to remind him? After all, the actor behind Kingo has already spoken out about wanting his character to cross over with Vellani's, so Nanjiani's undoubtedly game for the crossover.
Perhaps Kamala could end up crossing paths with the Bollywood star in a potential Eternals sequel, and convince him to see the good in humanity and fight for their right to live.
Fangirl moments are a big defining element for Kamala as a character, and since she will have already been in The Marvels, the new hero will already be a part of the MCU's cosmic corner.
This could lead to a big change of heart, convincing the immortal to save the Earth from the Celestial, or any other threat, instead of walking away from the conflict. Granted, in order for any of this to happen, he first has to get out of Arishem's imprisonment, whenever that will be.
Ms. Marvel is now streaming on Disney+, and Marvel Studios have not yet confirmed a sequel to Eternals.
