WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Ms. Marvel episode 1
Here's why Ms. Marvel's mysterious bracelet could be a sister weapon to Shang-Chi's Ten Rings. Iman Vellani makes her long-awaited MCU debut in Ms. Marvel as Kamala Khan - a huge superhero fan, constant day-dreamer, and cosplay extraordinaire who worships Captain Marvel above all. Looking to inject some Pakistani heritage into her Carol Danvers costume ahead of AvengerCon, Kamala digs out a mysterious bracelet previously owned by her grandmother, but upon (eventually) getting the trinket on her arm, the superhero fan gains superpowers of her own.
Ms. Marvel drastically alters the nature and origin of Kamala Khan's gifts compared to Marvel's comic books, but this isn't the first power-granting weapon introduced by MCU Phase 4 - 2021's Shang-Chi & The Legend of the Ten Rings got there first with the titular Ten Rings weapon. Worn for centuries by Shang-Chi's father, Wenwu, this formidable treasure brought "The Mandarin" wealth untold and immortal life before the Ten Rings eventually fell to Shang-Chi himself. Much remains unknown about where this potent relic originated from, but Shang-Chi's post-credits sequence teases answers are forthcoming.
Indeed, Ms. Marvel might hold the key. Soon after initial trailer footage unveiled Kamala Khan's bracelet for the first time, theories emerged linking her powers to Shang-Chi's Ten Rings. That connection looks even stronger now Ms. Marvel has now landed on Disney+, with various strange parallels and curious similarities coming to light. Are Kamala Khan's bracelet and the Ten Rings connected, and what would that mean for the MCU's future?
How Ms. Marvel's Bracelet & Shang-Chi's Ten Rings Are Similar
Immediately, Ms. Marvel's mystical bracelet shares a visual resemblance to the Ten Rings from Shang-Chi. Since both feature metallic rose gold coloring, they could feasibly be constructed from the very same base metal Bruce Banner and Captain Marvel failed to identify in Shang-Chi's post-credits sequence. Each weapon also comes decorated by ornate patterns and symbols, pointing toward a common craftsman. In functional terms, the Ten Rings and the Khan family heirloom both attach to the user's arm and immediately bestow power upon the wearer. As demonstrated in Shang-Chi, however, the Ten Rings require a master who can prove their worthiness - hence the final battle sees Shang-Chi gradually wrestle each bangle away from his treacherous father. Ms. Marvel's bracelet may work via a similar principle. Perhaps Kamala Khan struggles to unclasp the bracelet initially because the artifact had to recognize her as a worthy recipient first.
The powers themselves then forge another connection between Ms. Marvel and Shang-Chi. In the latter, Wenwu's Ten Rings exude glowing blue energy its master can hurl toward enemies, use as a shield, or forge into a whip. The light is orange for Shang-Chi, but the MCU hasn't yet addressed why. With her bracelet in place, Ms. Marvel's Kamala Khan shoots blue energy constructs from her wrist. Though the application is slightly different (Wenwu fired the actual rings connected by energy; Kamala just fires the energy itself) both weapons share the same fundamental principle of casting blue-colored light that adopts a physical form to attack, defend, or fire at long-range. That two weapons in MCU Phase 4 not only share a visual resemblance but give their respective heroes remarkably similar abilities is surely no coincidence.
Ms. Marvel episode 1 then drops another massive Shang-Chi clue. Shang-Chi's post-credits scene revealed the Ten Rings had sent a beacon sensed at Kamar-Taj, teasing multiverse shenanigans afoot, though the message's destination and recipient remain unknown. When Kamala first dons the bracelet in Ms. Marvel episode 1, she's transported to a strange world - potentially an afterlife plane, but maybe somewhere in the multiverse. If her relic has multiverse-breaking properties akin to the Ten Rings' beacon, a meaningful connection must surely exist between Shang-Chi's favorite accessory and Kamala Khan's last-minute cosplay addition.
Where Could The MCU's Bracelet & Ten Rings Come From?
Shang-Chi's post-credits scene sees a cameo-ing Bruce Banner confirm the Ten Rings are much older than the 1000 years Wenwu held them, which means they're either alien or multiversal in origin. The Ten Rings' age suggests they were buried on Earth for centuries before falling onto The Mandarin's arm, and if the Ten Rings were left on our humble blue planet by a mysterious alien force, it makes sense there were other drop-offs made across the globe. Whether or not those powerful weapons became public knowledge would, of course, depend upon who discovered them. While Wenwu exploited his Ten Rings as the foundation of an empire, perhaps a sibling weapon was uncovered by Kamala Khan's ancient ancestor - a more sensible soul who recognized the power imbued within and chose to safeguard the bracelet rather than wield it. The Khan family then passed the item from one female to another, never using it for their own gain.
Wong made a salient point when he revealed the Ten Rings' signal began broadcasting only after Shang-Chi obtained their power. Centuries of Mandarin massacres without a peep, but along comes "Shaun the valet" and suddenly the Ten Rings kick into life. This would suggest the weapon seeks a special master before realizing its true purpose. The same could be true of Kamala Khan's bracelet - perhaps explaining why her ancestors never became superheroes (assuming they didn't become superheroes). Each weapon finding its true wielder could be the key behind summoning whatever made them, and a potential third piece of the puzzle could be added courtesy of Dane Whitman dusting off his Ebony Blade in Eternals.
As for who left these weapons for Wenwu and Grandma Khan to find, the list of possibilities within Earth-616's universe is short. Captain Marvel admits it's nothing like the alien tech she's familiar with, and Carol Danvers has seen a whole lot of alien tech. Her comments should also rule out Kree, since Captain Marvel is intimately familiar with the blue folk. A more convincing option is these weapons all belonging to Kang the Conqueror. We know the Kangster is coming to the MCU thanks to Jonathan Majors' surprise appearance in Loki, and the comic book villain was originally a scientist from the far future exploiting time travel to conquer the multiverse. Maybe Kang sent futuristic weapons such as the Ten Rings and Kamala Khan's bracelet back in time so he could one day recover them and live up to his name by dominating Earth.
Ms. Marvel's Shang-Chi Connection Can Explain Kamala Khan's MCU Future
After her Disney+ solo stint with Ms. Marvel is over, Iman Vellani will reappear in Captain Marvel 2, otherwise known as The Marvels. Let's assume if Carol Danvers doesn't have time to save Earth from a Celestial, she doesn't have time to sign autographs for superfans, so what could possibly bring Kamala Khan together with her idol? Ms. Marvel's mysterious bangle could be the all-important clue. Joining Wong and Bruce Banner in the post-credits of Shang-Chi, Captain Marvel was among the Avengers actively investigating the Ten Rings' origin and their strange beacon. Kamala Khan donning her family's bracelet at AvengerCon might've created a similar phenomenon, meaning the Avengers eventually approach her just as they did Shang-Chi and Katy, bringing Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel together in The Marvels.
If the mystic weaponry of MCU Phase 4 does all somehow connect, the relics would effectively become new Infinity Stones - impossibly old and impossibly powerful objects that simultaneously create MCU superhero origin stories and herald the arrival of a new major villain, whoever that may be. Very little happens by coincidence in the MCU, so when two eerily comparable weapons are introduced during the same phase, there's surely more to the parallel than just a lack of ideas. And while Ms. Marvel's trailer might've triggered the Shang-Chi theories initially, the series premiere dives ever deeper down that rabbit hole, providing more evidence that Kamala Khan's live-action MCU powers are far more than an arbitrary comic book change - they're threaded into a tapestry Phase 4 has already started weaving.
Ms. Marvel continues Wednesday on Disney+.
