Marvel Studios should hold off on debuting Ms. Marvel for now

Brie Larson wants Ms. Marvel for a Captain Marvel sequel, but it may be best to hold off on introducing the young heroine.

If recent political and social events have told us anything, it’s that the future is female, and things are no different for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After nearly 11 years and 20 films, Marvel Studios will have its first female-led film in Captain Marvel. And that’s only the beginning.

A Black Widow solo film is currently in pre-production and expected to start shooting this year. The Eternals is also set to begin production this year, and while the movie will feature a group of heroes, the powerful Sersi will reportedly be the lead character. And of course, there’s the also the recently introduced Wasp and the women of Black Panther, who will all likely return in their respective sequels.

The MCU, being as expansive as it is, definitely has room for more female heroes, and Brie Larson already knows who she wants to join the franchise. The Captain Marvel star recently stated that she hopes Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) will appear in a sequel. And she’s not alone, as Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige also has plans to bring the young heroine to the big screen. But it may not be the right move right now.

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The reason is definitely not popularity. Since her debut in 2013, Kamala Khan has become one of the most beloved characters in all of comics. And in time, she’s proven to be not only one of the Marvel Universe’s most powerful characters, but also one of its most dynamic. These points paired with the fact that she’s a young, Pakastani-American superheroine, something we’ve yet to see in a film, would draw audiences to the theaters. So if neither popularity nor likeability is the issue, what is it?

In the comics, Kamala Khan was inspired by Carol Danvers to become a superhero, which is a key part of her characterization. In other words, watching Danvers’ numerous exploits over the years made her a fan.

With her debut film set in the ’90s, Danvers’ second solo outing will likely take place in the present, which will no doubt follow her return in Avengers: Endgame. But by that point, she probably won’t have been around long enough to get recognition. Admittedly, she’ll likely be busy during the gap between Endgame and Captain Marvel 2. Still, Danvers will have only been active in the present for a little while at that point.

There’s also the point of just letting the general public get acquainted with Carol Danvers. Audiences may still be getting to the know the character. And introducing an entirely different character into the franchise so soon could take away from that.

And finally, there’s also a financial incentive for Marvel Studios to wait on Kamala Khan. Ms. Marvel has the potential to create a lucrative franchise for the company. For now, they should aim to earn what they can from Carol Danvers, and if tracking for her first film is any indication, it could be a large haul in the long run. And when Carol’s franchise is done, it’ll be easy to segue into Kamala’s story.

In short, Kamala Khan is an exciting character, who deserves (and needs) to star in her own film, but it may be wise not to rush her out for a Captain Marvel sequel. And Marvel may indeed know this, and Larson’s comments were just wishful thinking.

All in all, the chances of Ms. Marvel actually appearing so soon are somewhat slim. But those still hoping that Carol teams up with another powered being in her sequel may want to keep an eye on young Monica Rambeau. Captain Marvel hits theaters on March 8th.