Monica Rambeau and the future of women in the MCU

Captain Marvel enacted Carol Danvers’ future in the MCU, but it also potentially ignited several women heroes in the future phases of the MCU.

Warning: Spoilers below for Captain Marvel and potentially the future of the MCU.

Captain Marvel gave us a new outlook on Skrulls, a lot of cathartic feelings, and a Flerken fun journey into Carol Danvers’ origin story. However, Carol isn’t the only Captain Marvel in Marvel Comics history (or technically the MCU timeline), just like she isn’t the first woman to don the Captain Marvel alias.

After all, Captain Marvel is a lot bigger than just one person, and the influential legacy the moniker holds is almost as important as the people who take on the heroic duties of the name. This message can help mold the future of the MCU and introduce some new women heroes, including and well beyond Maria Rambeau’s daughter, Monica.

Monica Rambeau in Captain Marvel (1989) #1 [Giant Size Special!]. Photo Credit: Marvel Comics via Comixology.The Captain Marvel identity has a longstanding history with powerful and rebellious women in the comic book and, as of now, in the MCU. Before Carol Danvers officially debuted in the MCU, there was Walter Lawson. And before comic book Carol took on the Captain Marvel name, there was Monica Rambeau.

While the recent Marvel film downplays Monica’s importance to Captain Marvel mythos and the Avengers, she is the second Captain Marvel (as well as Marvel’s first African-American female superhero) in the comics. That is just the start of her noteworthy achievements throughout what has been admittedly an odd and sometimes neglected comic book history. Seriously, she deserves a new titular comic run, especially since it’s been a few years since she’s even had a cameo in any Marvel Comics (in any of the multiverses).

Monica Rambeau and Carol Danvers in The Ultimates (2016) #3. Photo Credit: Marvel Comics via Comixology

From her evolution training under the Avengers to her transformation as the leader of the Avengers, Monica’s comic history (including all of her aliases, from Captain Marvel to Photon, Pulsar, and Spectrum) has inspired multiple other heroes and an era of woman for Marvel. We envision Monica’s MCU counterpart will eventually come to inspire new heroes, and her future in the MCU could galvanize a few generations of women heroes.

We’re already seeing the setup to that storyline with Monica being thoroughly awed by Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel. That, plus the love she has for her mother Maria, lay the groundwork for her to want to follow in the footsteps of her parent and mentor and motivate fellow women heroes.

For example, Monica’s future super-powered role in the MCU could inspire another notable and heroic Captain Marvel-related character: Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel.

Kamala Khan in Ms. Marvel (2014) #2. Photo Credit: Marvel Comics via Comixology

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has already said there are plans for Kamala Khan in the MCU. Instead of fangirling over Carol Danvers, Kamala could draw inspiration from Monica’s heroic endeavors in the MCU.

As you can see, the film Captain Marvel could easily initiate a ripple effect in the MCU where powerful heroines and mentors inspire other heroines to join the Avengers, create their own identities, and even build their own teams. For example, Monica could take on Carol’s comic role as Kamala Khan’s idol, thus inspiring her to use her Inhuman gene for good.

Monica Rambeau in Nextwave: Agents of H.a.T.E. #7. Photo Credit: Marvel Comics via Comixology

Similarly, Shuri’s strong role as a hero and a tech mentor could also empower a future team of women heroes and inventors on her own. With Shuri’s technological outreach center at the end of Black Panther, she could easily reflect Tony Stark’s comic mentorship role with Riri Williams (a.k.a. Ironheart) in the not-so-distance future of the MCU.

Given our own early predictions that Marvel could integrate the Champions team into the cinematic universe, Kamala and Riri could kickstart the team of young superheroes, especially since Kamala is a founding member of the team.

Marvel Studios’ CAPTAIN MARVEL..L to R: Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Akira Akbar) and Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) ..Photo: Chuck Zlotnick..©Marvel Studios 2019

Though Captain Marvel underplays Monica’s significance in the extensive history of the heroic identity, the film set up her rightful and hopefully longstanding future in the MCU. Since Monica has a lengthy history with an ever-changing identity and a strange origin story, we hope the MCU will expand on her comic history, because there are still plenty of arcs left to tell about Monica and her empowering heroic rise.

We’re excited to see how the MCU will develop Monica Rambeau in the MCU — after all, we can’t imagine the future phases without Monica. We hope some things about her comic backstory will stay the same, such as her relationship with her supportive family and how her mom inspired her to become a hero well before she developed superpowers.