The Marvels Producer Confirms What Fans Suspected About the Post-Credits Twist

With the big reveal of the X-Men in The Marvels' post-credit scene, fans are already speculating about the team's place in the MCU — with one theory being confirmed by executive producer Mary Livanos.

At the movie's end, Monica Rambeau chooses to remain in an alternate universe to close the dimensional rift between that world and the MCU. Fans next see her in the movie's post-credit scene, wherein she woke up and was greeted by Kelsey Grammar's Beast and Lashana Lynch's Binary, standing in front of a giant X.

Of course, Lynch is familiar to MCU fans as Monica's mother, Maria, who died of cancer during the five years between Avengers: Infinity War and the main events of Avengers: Endgame. 

Monica saw her when she woke up and assumed she had been reunited with her mother. But then, the hero, seemingly with Captain Marvel's powers, stood up and revealed the Binary suit.

One Binary Fan Theory Confirmed

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly (EW), The Marvels executive producer Mary Livanos confirmed Lashana Lynch's Binary in the movie's post-credit scene takes cues from a story in Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum's long run on Uncanny X-Men.

Livanos told EW having Monica Rambeau waking up in a different universe be the connection to the X-Men for the MCU "was something [she] always had on [her] to-do list."

She explained she "loves" when Carol Danvers, with the superhero name Binary, "spends some time with the X-Men in space," referring to a story arc from Claremont and Cockrum's comic run.

Unlike in the comics, though, in this universe Maria Rambeau won the race to the hangar in Captain Marvel, leading to her being who "got those powers:"

"The notion that Monica ends up in an alternate universe with the hope that it could tie in with the X-Men was something I always had on my to-do list. I love how in the comics, Carol Danvers as Binary spends some time with the X-Men in space, and I love the idea that in an alternate universe, it was Maria who beat Carol Danvers to the hangar back during the events of Captain Marvel, so she won and got those powers. That was something that was always really intriguing."

Livanos then referred to a later Captain Marvel comic, wherein "Carol essentially time travels and gives herself powers in the past," instead of the comics' originally male Captain Marvel.

She explained the team "tried to capture that spirit" in having alternate-universe Maria possess Carol's powers instead of Carol herself, and "hearkens back to their conversation on the porch" when Carol tells Maria that she should have won the original race:

"Again, in Kelly Sue DeConnick's run of 'Captain Marvel,' there's an incredible storyline where Carol essentially time travels and gives herself powers in the past, rather than the male Captain Marvel. That was always a really mind-bending, beautiful storyline that we wanted to bring to life in some way. So, we tried to capture that spirit with this, and of course, it hearkens back to their conversation on the porch, when Carol goes to visit Maria."

Livanos said that she was glad the likes of Kevin Feige "were stoked about the idea of Binary," adding that she was also "floored and delighted" with the addition of Beast, along with "a big old X, right behind Binary:"

"But I'm so delighted that Kevin [Feige] and folks were stoked about the idea of Binary and the fact that she does fit into the X-Men universe. As a fan, I was just absolutely floored and delighted that we got to get Beast in there and have a big old X, right behind Binary. It was bananas."

The Marvelous X-Men and the MCU

Despite none of its three lead heroes having originated as (or ever been) Mutants, The Marvels now has three explicit connections to the X-Men universe and team — one for each member of the main trio.

Monica bridges the gap between the X-Men's universe and the MCU, being the one who got transported from one to the other.

Carol and Binary, who are confirmed to at the very least "fit into the X-Men universe," share powers. And, as revealed in the Ms. Marvel finale, Kamala Khan in the MCU is a mutant herself.

Interestingly, the comics are shifting Kamala's story moving forward, seemingly to more closely align with the MCU, by making the character both an Inhuman (the original reason she has powers) and a Mutant.

Ms. Marvel actor Iman Vellani is even co-writing the series exploring this change along with Sabir Pirzada.

The Marvels is now playing in theaters.