Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for The Marvels.
If there’s one element that often defines a Marvel Studios film other than bombastic superhero action, it’s a mid and/or post-credits scene.Most of these scenes have been used as vehicles to set up a sequel or introduce characters from the comics — or even for a good laugh (who can forget the hilarious Captain America PSA fromSpider-Man: Homecoming?) ButThe Marvelsmay have one of the biggest mid-credits scenes in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Said scene addresses the fallout from the final act, which saw Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) lost in another dimension after sealing a rip in the space-time continuum. The mid-credits scene revealed that Monica did survive the ordeal —and was catapulted into the world of the X-Men movies! While fans are sure to be buzzing about the return ofKelsey Grammeras Beastand what this means for the future of the X-Men in the MCU, there was another major development.
ThroughoutThe Marvels, Monica is shown to still be grieving over the loss of her mother Maria (Lashana Lynch), who passed away from cancer during the five-year gap betweenAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgame. Not only was Monica among the people who were wiped from existence by Thanos, but she reappeared after her mother’s death. Not only that, she felt abandoned by her surrogate aunt Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), who was traveling the stars. WhileThe Marvelshas Carol and Monica repairing their bond, it ends on a bittersweet note with Monica’s sacrifice. And while Monica comes face to face with Maria in the X-Men universe, it’s clear that this is a wholly different version of her mother. The alternate Maria is even sporting a gold and orange uniform, which hints that she may be a version ofone of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe: Binary.
The Marvels
Carol Danvers gets her powers entangled with those of Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau, forcing them to work together to save the universe.
Binary Was Born When Carol Danvers Formed a Bond With the X-Men
Interestingly enough, Binary is an identity that’s associated with Carol Danvers. More than that, it comes from a time when she had a massive falling out with the Avengers and decidedto live with the X-Men. A large part of that had come from the fact that the mutant heroes had nursed Carol back to health following the loss of her powers at the hands of Rogue, but she had an ax to grind with the shapeshifter Mystique. Mystique had disguised herself as Carol and murdered her then-boyfriend Michael Barrett; this led the cosmic-powered heroine into conflict with the Brotherhood of Mutants. When the X-Men traveled into space and were attacked by the parasitic alien race known as the Brood, Carol was subjected to a series of experiments that unlocked a new level of her powers.Now able to tap into the immense power of a white hole, she becomes Binary.
Binary had several adventures with other heroes, including the X-Men’s cosmic allies, the Starjammers.In the “Operation: Galactic Storm” storyline, Binary was part of a team of Avengers that monitored a stargate being used ina conflict between the Kreeand Shi’ar empires. She had to use her powers to stop the Earth from being affected by a wave of antimatter, bringing her back to her original power set — but now with the ability to absorb and redirect energy. She would occasionally return to her Binary form whenever she absorbed certain amounts of energy, but in the most recentCaptain Marvelrun fromKelly ThompsonandRussell Dauterman,Carol inadvertently created a clone of herself empowered with Binary’s skills when she attempted to escape a Faraday cage. The Binary clone eventually gave up her life to stop a resurgent Brood invasion, bringing things full circle.
Ironically, this is not the first time Maria Rambeau has taken on one of Carol Danvers' identities in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessfeatured a version of Maria as Captain Marvel who was a member of theclandestine supergroup called the Illuminati. The Illuminati met their demise at the hands of the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), but it doesn’t mean that this version of Maria will suffer the same fate. One thing is for sure: this version of Maria is not Monica’s mother. However, the fact that Maria’s Binary is close friends with the X-Men mirrors Binary’s comic history, meaning that when the mighty mutants make their MCU debut, they won’t be as feared and hated — at least, not in one universe.
The Marvelsis now available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.
