The Marvels: Every Character Named Marvel Who Could Appear

The Marvels is focusing on three heroes with the word Marvel in their superhero name, but they aren’t the only characters who use Marvel Comics as a namesake for their secret identity. Directed by Nia DaCosta and scheduled for a July 2023 release, The Marvels is confirmed to include three major MCU superheroes: Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), WandaVision’s Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani). The Marvels follows on from 2019's Captain Marvel, Wandavision, and 2021's Ms. Marvel Disney+ show. It will bring together multiple sides of the wider MCU, as well as multiple Marvel "Marvel" characters. Carol and Kamala will go by Captain and Ms. Marvel respectively. The Marvels' Monica is called Spectrum in the comics, but The Marvels' title suggests she'll be known by her original alter-ego – Captain Marvel (fitting, as Monica Rambeau was the first female Captain Marvel, long before Carol Danvers). Here's which additional Marvel Comics "Marvel" heroes might appear as The Marvels characters.

Many costumed heroes in Marvel Comics have carried the company's name in their pseudonyms. Carol Danvers took up the Captain Marvel mantle in 2012 and had the name Ms. Marvel from 1977 onward (she was introduced without an alter ego in '68). There have been multiple Captain Marvels, Ms. Marvels, and others, dating all the way back to the first Marvel Captain Marvel comic in 1967. Mar-Vell, the first Captain Marvel, only hit newsstands in Marvel Superheroes #12 for copyright reasons. A smaller publisher was pushing an unlicensed yet incredibly popular DC knock-off comic featuring Shazam, who used to be called Captain Marvel (before DC changed his name in 1972 for trademark reasons). Even though totally unrelated to their own brand, Marvel Comics still felt the name confusion could damage their reputation, so they introduced their own Captain Marvel in his own series.

The "Marvel" name is bigger than the first Captain Marvel though, and in the modern MCU, it's associated with the cosmic hero Carol Danvers and, as of 2021, Kamala Khan's Ms. Marvel. Monica Rambeau evolution into Captain Marvel has already got fans talking despite her relatively brief time with powers in Wandavision. The Multiverse has made the MCU wider than ever though, so The Marvels movie with its titular trio. Both the cinematic and comic universes provide many viable Marvel-named superheroes that could also appear as The Marvels characters. Here are other heroes Marvel in their moniker who could make appearances in the upcoming 2023 MCU movie The Marvels.

Mar-Vell

One of the most powerful potential The Marvels characters is Mar-Vell. In Captain Marvel, Anette Bening’s character was the MCU’s gender-swapped take on Mar-Vell, the original Captain Marvel and the person who inspired Carol Danvers to become a superhero in the first place. She’s dead in the MCU, but flashbacks to Carol’s past could allow her to continue having an impact on Captain Marvel’s story.

A Maria Rambeau Captain Marvel Variant

Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch), Monica's mother, was the Captain Marvel of Earth-818 in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness. Aside from being Monica's Mom, Maria Rambeau in Earth 616 was also Carol Danvers' best friend (as seen in Captain Marvel). The Doctor Strange 2 Illuminati member Maria Rambeau was seemingly killed by Wanda, but the MCU's Multiverse is teeming with variants. Since she has connections to both Carol Danvers and Maria Rambeau, another Maria Rambeau Captain Marvel variant in The Marvels is a possibility. Plus, 818 Captain Marvel might have survived, as Multiverse of Madness never showed her body, and falling debris doesn't seem like enough to kill Captain Marvel.

Genis-Vell (Third Captain Marvel)

Marvel may have no interest in revisiting Mar-Vell in any way, but if it does, it could work the character’s son into The Marvels. In the comic books, Genis-Vell became the third character after Mar-Vell and Monica to become Captain Marvel. He held his own comic for a few years in the 1990s, but not much has been done with him since then. Even so, he could return to the spotlight in Phase 4 if Carol in the MCU's "Marvel" team-up shows an encounter between Carol and her mentor’s son, who may be looking to honor his mother’s memory in his own way.

Sharon Ventura (Second Ms. Marvel)

She-Hulk fights Sharon Ventura in Marvel Comics.

The Ms. Marvel that Phase 4 will be using, Kamala Khan, is far from the first hero to have carried the mantle. The first was Carol, and the second was Sharon Ventura, a supporting character in the Thing’s comic. After acquiring super strength from the Power Broker, Sharon suited up as “Ms. Marvel” and started joining the Fantastic Four on their adventures. Later on, she was mutated into a female version of the Thing.

A central aspect of the second Ms. Marvel's character (Kamala Khan's Ms. Marvel being the 4th) present in most of her stories was her history as a victim of sexual assault. Much like it does in real-life situations, this trauma haunted Sharon for a long time and had a significant effect on her relationships with others. While this side of Sharon may seem topical in today’s world, it’s hard to say if The Marvels will be willing to go there. But in any case, Sharon Ventura has been made possible in the MCU, thanks to the introduction of the Power Broker in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Sharon, after getting her powers off-screen, could make her MCU debut as a superhero at any time. If she were to appear, she could return in Fantastic Four (or any of its sequels) as a love interest to Ben Grimm, a.k.a The Thing.

Moonstone (Third Ms. Marvel)

An image of Moonstone flying in the Marvel Comics

Karla Sofen aka Moonstone has been a member of multiple villain teams in the Marvel Universe, one of which was the Dark Avengers. During this time, she masqueraded as Ms. Marvel and wore a costume similar to Carol’s original suit. As one of Carol’s most powerful enemies, it wouldn’t be surprising if Karla was featured as an antagonist in The Marvels. If that were to happen, she and Carol would be able to provide the movie with a fun, one-on-one superhero brawl. It’s likely that if she were to be a villain in the movie, she’d clash with Carol as Moonstone first, and possibly become an evil Ms. Marvel in a later MCU installment. That scenario could occur if it’s true that Marvel is building toward the Dark Avengers (or the Thunderbolts).

Marvel Girl

Aside from the three “Marvel” heroes in the Phase 4 film, the most important character to be tied to this name is also the most unlikely to be included; Jean Grey, one of the most iconic X-Men of all time, was originally called “Marvel Girl”. There’s no expectation for Jean Grey to make her MCU debut as early as 2023, but there have long been rumors of an X-Men connection in The Marvels. This seems all the more plausible considering Ms. Marvel's shock reveal that Kamala Khan is a mutant. Marvel could continue laying the groundwork for the X-Men in The Marvels, and a surprise inclusion of Jean Grey as Marvel Girl in The Marvels would be a potentially internet-breaking moment (in no small part because it would also bring X-Men's Phoenix Force to the MCU).

Blue Marvel

Adam Brashear, a character created in 2008, is a scientific genius who possesses a multitude of superpowers as the Blue Marvel. Blue Marvel was depicted as a retired superhero whose actions went largely underappreciated and unnoticed on account of him being a Black hero in the 1960s. Interestingly, Adam shares strong connections to Monica, who has been both a teammate and romantic interest to the character. When taking that into consideration, it does seem possible that Monica’s story in The Marvels could incorporate Adam and set up his future as the Blue Marvel in a potential sequel or Disney+ series.

Marvel Boy

Another superhero legacy title that could be represented in The Marvels (possibly by Park Seo-Joon) is Marvel Boy. Several heroes have operated under that name in the comics, including Justice, Noh-Varr, and Quasar. The original Marvel Boy, Robert Grayson, was a human who traveled to outer space and gained powerful devices called the Quantum Bands from the Uranian Eternals. If there are multiple branches of Eternals spread out across the galaxy in the MCU – just like there are in the comics – that would give Marvel the setup it needs for the MCU’s Robert Grayson to get the Quantum Bands. Alternatively, Marvel could save the Quantum Bands for a different Marvel Boy, namely Wendell Vaughn aka Quasar. Quasar stands a chance at being a major player in the cosmic side of the MCU, so he does feel like a character the studio might be willing to explore in The Marvels.