Warning! SPOILERS for Ms. Marvel episode 6.

Kevin Feige may well have teased Ms. Marvel's mutant twist back in 2019, when he revealed Marvel's Phase 4 slate at SDCC 2019. Marvel regained the film and TV rights to the X-Men and their associated characters back in 2019, after Disney acquired the bulk of Fox's movie and TV empire. Naturally, as a consequence of the acquisition, it would only be a matter of time before mutants entered the mainstream MCU.

This is finally becoming a reality. Ms. Marvel episode 6 featured a thrilling scene in which Kamala Khan's best friend Bruno told her he'd compared her DNA to that of her other family members. Bruno was surprised to discover a "mutation" in her genes. In case viewers didn't get the nod, the moment was accompanied by a riff on the classic X-Men: The Animated Series theme tune. In interviews, Marvel figures have celebrated the fact Kamala Khan is the MCU's first official mutant. Actress Iman Vellani, who plays Ms. Marvel, was apparently so excited she struggled to stop herself breaking into out-of-character grins during filming. A fan first and foremost, Vellani well understands the significance of making Ms. Marvel a mutant.

Related: Will Ms Marvel Join The X-Men Or The Avengers?

Curiously, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige may well have hinted this arc at San Diego Comic-Con 2019. Marvel had long insisted the Fox acquisition wouldn't affect Phase 4, which naturally meant viewers could reasonably assume mutants wouldn't be part of the titles officially announced as part of Phase 4 at SDCC 2019. Rather, mutants were much more likely to be connected to the projects that didn't seem to be quite so far on in terms of development at the time, notably Blade, Black Panther 2, and, of course, Captain Marvel 2. It's notable that, alongside mention of those three films, Feige suggested Marvel had already figured out how to introduce mutants into the MCU. Pre-production on Ms. Marvel began just a month later, in August 2019, which now seems quite significant.

How Ms. Marvel Being A Mutant Fits MCU's The Marvels & X-Men Plans

is Ms marvel the first mutant

So far, only two things are certain: Kamala Khan is the first official mutant in the MCU, and she will return in The Marvels. Ms. Marvel aligns with the concept of latent mutants in the comics, people born with a dormant mutant gene (or X-gene) that requires an external energy to activate it. Although Kamala Khan is the first official mutant in the shared universe, there could well have been others. The most obvious candidates would be Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau, both confirmed to return in The Marvels alongside Ms. Marvel.

It will be interesting to see whether there are any other references to mutants ahead of The Marvels, which has been pushed back to July 2023. If MCU's mutants have indeed been renamed "Marvels," then unleashing mutants ahead of Phase 5 could well be the final movie event in Phase 4. Hopefully more information will be given at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, when Feige is sure to pick up from Ms. Marvel's mutant twist.

More: We're Totally Getting An X-Men Announcement At SDCC Now, Right?

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