The Marvels: Why Maria Rambeau Needs To Return (& How She Can)

Maria Rambeau’s rumored return for The Marvels is important to the movie’s story. Production for the Nia DaCosta-directed MCU film is supposedly ongoing now in Italy as per previous reports. So, when Lashana Lynch was recently spotted with Monica Rambeau actress, Teyonah Parris, and the movie’s helmer, speculations quickly float around that she may be back for Captain Marvel 2.

Introduced in Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s 1995-set Captain Marvel, Maria is Carol Danvers’ (Brie Larson) flying partner and best friend. The pair reunited after Captain Marvel finally discovered that she was brainwashed by Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), but once again parted ways after the superhero decided to aid Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) and the Skrulls in their hunt for their home planet. Fastforwarward to 2023 and Maria’s daughter, Monica, is all grown up and is now a member of SWORD, as seen in WandaVision. The Marvel Studios’ Disney+ series revealed that while the younger Rambeau disappeared for five years after she was affected by Thanos’ (Josh Brolin) snap, her mother died of cancer.

This firmly establishes that Maria is dead in the MCU, and since The Marvels take place in a post-Infinity Saga world, her potential involvement in the flick is piquing the interest of many. But, considering what’s known about the sequel thus far, it makes sense that she factors in the narrative. The easiest way to bring the character back despite her present status is through flashbacks. In a franchise where multiple timelines and the concept of time travel are established, this might be a touch conventional, but given Maria’s perceived role, this is the most plausible scenario. It is likely that Captain Marvel 2 will further reveal what she was up to in between the events of the original Captain Marvel and her death. As the founder of S.W.O.R.D., she would be aware of information that could be pertinent to the upcoming mission of her best friend and daughter.

Aside from professional reasons, Maria’s return to The Marvels could also play into one of the movie’s most interesting personal relationships – the one between Carol and Monica. In the first Captain Marvel movie, the pair had a great dynamic, with the younger Rambeau clearly smitten with her “aunt Carol.” But WandaVision insinuated that it’s no longer the case, with grown-up Monica seemingly having ill feelings towards her mother’s best friend. It’s unclear what drove them apart since they parted ways on good terms, but a popular theory is that Monica’s holding a grudge against Carol for not returning to Earth while Maria was battling cancer. As implied in Avengers: Infinity War, it’s the first time Captain Marvel came back home after getting Nick Fury’s (Samuel L. Jackson) SOS message. By this point, Maria was already going through her illness, and without really any other family member, Monica may have felt abandoned by Carol. Flashbacks showing the Rambeaus’ struggles in The Marvels could establish this better.

Maria’s potential appearance in Captain Marvel 2 isn’t just for the sake of including the character in the movie. She factors in two separate plotlines, including being the connecting link to Carol and Monica who are two of three headlining characters of the blockbuster. Given all this, her involvement is a necessity to tell a complete and compelling story in The Marvels.

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