Ms. Marvel is halfway into its Disney+ run, and the show is unveiling all sorts of surprises and major ties to the larger MCU. The introduction of Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan is expected to connect to her big-screen debut in The Marvels, teaming up with Brie Larson's Carol Danvers against an unknown threat. However, the series appears to tease that the titular hero's origins will also have a lasting impact on the interconnected franchise.
In the first two episodes, Ms. Marvel showcased Kamala's family and friends, her struggles as a teenager, and her struggles with her newfound powers. Episode 2 took things in a different direction as the young hero experienced visions of an unknown woman from a different dimension, due to the powerful bangle that she obtained from the debut installment.
Now, following on from a crazy ending from Episode 2, the show's latest installment finally gave a clear answer about the bangle's origins.
Ms. Marvel Introduces the Noor Dimension
Warning - the rest of the article contains spoilers for Episode 3 of Ms. Marvel.
In Episode 3 of Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan discovered that her great grandmother is a Djinn and a member of the ClanDestines, a group of Djinn exiles from the Noor Dimension. The ClanDestines have been trapped on Earth since 1942, with Najma (the woman from Kamala's visions) revealing that the bangle holds the key to them returning home.
At first, Kamala was willing to help Najma and the rest of the ClanDestines to get back home, with her even asking her best friend, Bruno Carrelli, for help in researching Noor and the Djinn lore. When Bruno said that this all points to interdimensional travel, he specifically mentioned Dr. Erik Selvig, Stellan Skarsgård's character from the Thor franchise:
"Actually that reminds me of a paper I read. I think it's by Dr. Erik Selvig."
Selvig is a renowned astrophysicist and a close friend of Natalie Portman's Jane Foster and Chris Hemsworth's Thor. The character's last MCU appearance was during 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron, where he helped Thor with his own visions about the Infinity Stones.
The mere mention of a paper involving interdimensional travel could serve as a hint that Selvig managed to note down his experiences in Thor, The Avengers, and Thor: The Dark World, which makes sense since all three adventures involved traveling to different worlds and opening all manner of portals.
It's unclear when his paper was written, but it's possible that Selvig has learned even more about alternate dimensions as the MCU has progressed, which may come in handy for more than one MCU project.
Ultimately, the ClanDestines showed their true colors to Kamala, with the group launching an attack against the young hero during her brother's wedding. This comes after Najma discovered, through Kamran, that Kamala was hesitant to help them after Bruno warned that "some things might go boom."
During the thrilling battle, Kamala witnessed a vision of a train, surprising the Najma and the ClanDestines, which led to their capture. The train in the vision had a Karachi label in front, potentially hinting that it was tied to Muneeba's family escaping during the Partition. In Episode 2, Yusuf Khan, Kamala's father, explained that Muneeba's family had to catch the last train to Karachi to save themselves from harm.
It is unknown if the train in the vision came from the Noor Dimension, but it's possible that Aisha sent it out as a distraction to save her great-granddaughter from harm. This could also be Aisha's way of communicating with Kamala and the rest of her family, considering that her Nanni also saw the vision.
Perhaps this indicates that Kamala's grandmother is in possession of another bangle, explaining how she was also able to see the vision.
Predicting the Noor Dimension's MCU Future & Phase 4 Impact
In the MCU, dimensions are a separate concept to alternate Earths or the Multiverse in general. Two good examples are the Dark Dimension from the Doctor Strange franchise, a realm where the dangerous Dormammu resides, and Ta Lo from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, a mystical village where the Great Protector resides.
There's a strong chance that Ms. Marvel ends up revealing the actual Noor Dimension, similar to how Shang-Chi and Doctor Strange fully showcased their respective dimensions. Although the Noor Dimension is not directly from the pages of Marvel Comics, the fact that Noor translates to Light could hint that it is the stark opposite of the Dark Dimension.
At the end of Multiverse of Madness, Charlize Theron's Clea recruited Doctor Strange to fix an incursion, with the pair heading off to the Dark Dimension. While it is still unknown if the origin of the incursion happened within the Dark Dimension, this interdimensional plane seems to be crucial to the conflict on hand.
Given that the Doctor Strange sequel is set before the events of Ms. Marvel, it's possible that the incursion is still happening during the Kamala Khan-led series. As a result, the Noor Dimension could also be affected.
The incursion may have amplified the bangle's power to allow Aisha to communicate with her family on Earth while also sending a beacon out to Najma and the other Djinns which led to their discovery of Kamala.
America Chavez' powers seem to be limited to traveling between universes rather than dimensions. Perhaps Erik Selvig will be able to provide some insight into the incursions affecting other dimensions, or lend a helping hand in Doctor Strange 3 by aiding characters in figuring how to traverse dimensions to go after Strange and Clea. Wong may not be as well versed with visiting those sorts of realms despite being Sorcerer Supreme, so may need some insight from an expert.
Alternatively, Ms. Marvel herself may crack the case of traveling between dimensions with her bangle, so could be another point of contact in a follow-up to Multiverse of Madness.
In the comics, there is actually a Light Dimension, a reality with an abundance of photonic energy that was used to create a new Captain Marvel. However, Ms. Marvel's latest episode proved that the Noor Dimension is different from Marvel Comics' Light Dimension.
Based on what's been revealed so far, the Noor Dimension is more than just an interdimensional reality since it allows someone who has a connection to the Djinn to communicate with the wearer of the bangle through visions. The dimension also seems to be the source of the bangle's powers, with Kamala being able to tap into it strongly due to her connection to Aisha.
Whatever the case, it's clear that the Noor Dimension will be thoroughly explored in Ms. Marvel's last three episodes, and the bigger picture will be clearer once Kamala finds out the truth behind the bangle, the Djinn, and her true heritage.
Ms. Marvel's first three episodes are now streaming on Disney+.
