Marvel Just Teased The Perfect Future The MCU Is Ignoring

Warning! SPOILERS for Ms. Marvel.

Some of the easter eggs in Ms. Marvel episode 1 hint at exciting storylines that the MCU may never explore. Ms. Marvel has provided an unprecedented look at how the world looks at the Avengers and cosmic heroes. Superhero-themed conventions, cosplay, and merchandise is not exactly what one would expect in a universe that's constantly put in danger by superpowered characters, but it seems MCU humans don't have much of a grudge against them. With a surprising amount of knowledge of the Avengers' history, in-universe fans are able to speculate and fantasize about superheroes just like real-life fans do.

While Bruno gives Kamala possible costume ideas for the easter egg-filled AvengerCon in Ms. Marvel episode 1, animated graffiti appears on the walls behind them, illustrating colorful versions of Captain Marvel that could help Kamala win the costume contest. Some are entirely original ideas, such as Steampunk Captain Marvel and "Captain Princess Marvel," while others are mashups of different superheroes, like Captain Panther, Iron Marvel, Doctor Strange Marvel, and Valkyrie Captain Marvel. These kinds of mashups may seem silly, but they have a basis in the comics.

Marvel's comic universe has witnessed a wide array of compound characters, such as the "Venomized" heroes and villains possessed by symbiotes and the fusions introduced in the mind-bending Infinity Warps storyline, which included characters such as Iron Hammer (Iron Man plus Thor), Soldier Supreme (Captain America plus Doctor Strange), Arachknight (Spider-Man plus Moon Knight), Ghost Panther (Ghost Rider plus Black Panther), and Weapon Hex (X-23 plus Scarlet Witch). These kinds of merged characters could be thrilling new additions to the MCU multiverse, allowing established MCU actors to play different characters with creative displays of power and narrative possibilities that shake up the franchise.

Phase 4 releases like Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness already had actors playing different versions of the same characters and the same characters played by different actors. Just like the Illuminati from universe 838 provided a peek at a complex reality full of unique versions of famous Marvel figures, future MCU installments could introduce a universe filled with compound characters. In fact, the MCU already took a big step in this direction with What If...?, where T'Challa adopts the name of Star-Lord after being captured by the Ravagers and Peggy Carter becomes the hero Captain Carter after taking the Super-Soldier Serum. The MCU could develop this idea further with more outlandish fusions such as a Hulked-out Ant-Man or an Asgardian Spider-Man.

Unfortunately, storylines starring such oddball characters may not be sustainable beyond a couple of appearances. The MCU already has many characters to juggle, and merging established characters could create some confusion. Within the comic multiverse itself, these kinds of crossovers only encompass a limited number of issues for this reason. Events like DC and Marvel's "Amalgam" collaboration — which introduced fusions like the Batman-Wolverine hero Darkclaw — often take the superhero genre to the next level. While the MCU is unlikely to materialize characters like the hypothetical Captain Panther or Iron Marvel anytime soon, Ms. Marvel's merged heroes are a nice nod at the comics' wildest creations.

More: Doctor Strange's Spider-Man Spell Worked So Well The MCU Just Forgot Him

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