Like magic, the SAG-AFTRA strike concluded just in time for The Marvels premiere. Of course, there’s no connection between the strike and Marvel’s final MCU movie of the year.
However, the former lets Marvel restart work on Deadpool 3 and the future movies and TV shows that will lead to the Avengers adventures of the Multiverse Saga. As for The Marvels, it advances the arcs of three of the Earth’s mightiest heroes while also delivering a few exciting developments in the post-credits scenes for the overarching story.
Specifically, The Marvels‘ post-credits scenes help link the movie to two important developments we’re about to witness as we head to Avengers: Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. I’ll explain both of them, but know that big spoilers follow below. And this time around, I’ll address confirmed leaks, as The Marvels has started playing in early previews on Wednesday night in some regions.
Like many of the previous Phase 4 and 5 movies, The Marvels plot and credits scenes leaked well before the film’s premiere. The promo trailers that Marvel released only helped confirm those leaks.
Marvel did alter one of The Marvels credits scenes recently. But even those changes leaked. Reports teased two mind-blowing cameos for the scene, and it looks like the leaks are accurate. I will not provide links to leaked footage, but those of you who know their way on social media will have no problem finding them.
The Young Avengers
A plot leak said that The Marvels will tease the formation of the Young Avengers. After all, various rumors said in the past that Marvel was working on a Young Avengers movie or TV show. I’ve often explained how the superpowered teenagers have been teased or introduced via the various Phase 4 and 5 projects that Marvel finished so far.
Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) is one of the most prominent young superheroes in the MCU. She’s also one of the three protagonists in The Marvels; Ms. Marvel might be instrumental in assembling the first Young Avengers teams.
The Marvels ends with her showing up at the home of Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), much like Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) would appear in the Infinity Saga credits tags.
Ms. Marvel talks to Hawkeye’s replacement and asks Kate if she knows Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has a daughter. She’s referring to Cassie (Kathryn Newton), whom we last saw in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
It sure looks like Ms. Marvel has learned a thing or two from Fury. Or that, at least, she accessed his files to learn more about young superheroes.
This The Marvels credits scene practically sets up the Young Avengers team. But we have no idea when we’ll see them in action.
The X-Men reappear in the MCU
Kamala might be the first mutant of the MCU, but there’s no label for such individuals in this reality. However, we did see X-Men in a previous Marvel movie. That’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, of course, where Professor X (Patrick Stewart) showed up and promptly died.
Also, we knew from the moment Deadpool 3 was announced that Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) would join Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) in this one. These are two other powerful X-Men members from the Fox universe joining the MCU.
With that in mind, The Marvels practically confirms that the X-Men are coming to the MCU in Phases 5 and 6. And it’s all happening before Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars.
The Marvels has two amazing cameos in the credits scene that saw last-minute changes. Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) is stranded in an alternate reality after preventing an incursion. That’s when two realities collide, potentially leading to the destruction of both timelines.
To save the main MCU reality, she had to stay behind in the other one. Monica wakes up in a medical facility that happens to be part of the X-Men mansion. She’s not shocked to see that, as she has no idea what the X-Men are.
But she’s certainly shocked to see the two people taking care of her. One of her is a version of Captain Marvel, Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch). This Maria never had a kid, so she can’t recognize the grown-up Monica.
More puzzlingly, there’s a beast of a creature delivering the bad news to Monica. That’s actually Kelsey Grammer’s Beast from Fox’s X-Men movies. Among other things, he tells them that he has to report back to Charles. That means Professor X of this reality hasn’t just died at the hands of Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen). Either that, or we’re looking at a scene that predates the events in Multiverse of Madness.
I will point out that Maria has a different suit from the one we saw in Doctor Strange 2. As a reminder, that Captain Marvel might have died, just like Charles, as they were fighting Wanda.
As exciting as the Young Avengers teaser might be, I think The Marvels teasing the old X-Men’s arrival in the MCU is the most interesting credits scene of the sequel. With that in mind, Deadpool 3 can’t come soon enough. Hopefully, Marvel can restart shooting soon now that both strikes are over.
