'The Marvels' has 1 post-credits scene. Here's what it means for the future of the MCU.
Laura Radford/Marvel Studios
- Warning: There are major spoilers ahead for the "Captain Marvel" sequel, "The Marvels."
- The scene reveals where Monica Rambeau ended up after she disappeared near the end of the movie.
- Monica's also joined by two notable Marvel characters.
If you head to the theater to watch "The Marvels," the latest entry in phase five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you don't have to stick around too long for a tease of what's to come.
Director Nia DaCosta's follow-up to the 2019 movie "Captain Marvel" contains one post-credits scene that simultaneously ties up a loose end and leaves fans with even more questions.
In case you were left confused or curious to know more about the scene, we've got you covered.
What happens: Monica Rambeau wakes up in an alternate universe
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Near the end of "The Marvels," villain Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) tears a hole in space-time that causes a different reality to bleed into theirs.
To fix it, Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) absorbs the energy of Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) and flies to the hole to patch it up.
If you'll recall from the 2021 Disney+ series "WandaVision," Monica's DNA was altered and she gained the ability to absorb energy, among other skills, after walking through Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch's (Elizabeth Olsen) hex.
As Monica's powers successfully repair the damage, she ignores Carol's warning that she could end up trapped if she doesn't leave in time. When the space-time tear closes, Monica disappears, stuck on the other side.
In the post-credits scene, Monica wakes up in a bed in a hospital-like room. She turns to her left and sees Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch). Except this isn't her parent who died from cancer during the time that Monica was blipped. This woman doesn't know her and is confused by Monica repeatedly calling her "mom."
"Mom, I've missed you so much," Monica says, shocked and overjoyed. "I'm so sorry."
Monica is interrupted by X-Men member Dr. Hank McCoy/Beast (played by returning "X-Men" star Kelsey Grammer) walking into the room wearing a lab coat and glasses, asking, "How's our mysterious visitor?"
"She seems a little disoriented," Lynch's character replies.
"Where are we? What happened?" Monica asks, concerned.
"We were hoping you could tell us. All we know is that Binary found you," Beast says, revealing the name of Lynch's character.
Marvel Studios
"My theory? You somehow crossed through a tear in space-time," he continues. "You are now in a reality parallel to your own, which is, of course, impossible."
Then, as Binary gets out of her seat, her blanket comes off and reveals a red and white superhero suit.
"Confusion is but the first step on the journey to knowledge," Beast tells Binary.
"Charles asked for an update," he adds, referencing X-Men leader Charles Xavier.
"I'll come by and check on you later," Beast says, exiting the room and leaving Monica with Binary. The X-Men logo on the lower right corner of the monitor and the signature X door nearby confirm that Monica has found herself with the popular Marvel mutants.
The two women look at each other before Binary asks, "Who are you?"
Monica, grasping what has happened, replies, "Shit."
What this means: The comic-book character Binary makes her live-action debut as the X-Men slowly integrate into the MCU
Marvel Comics
The appearance of Binary was first clocked by eagle-eyed fans who glimpsed a shot of her walking past Monica in the final trailer for "The Marvels," released on Monday night. Lynch's costume design is reminiscent of Binary's comic-book design.
In the Marvel comics, Binary was introduced in Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum's "Uncanny X-Men No. 164," published in the early '80s. In the source material, Carol transforms into Binary and works with the X-Men. A newer version of Binary was featured in a different comic-book run published in 2021.
This isn't the first time Lynch has played a Captain Marvel variant in the MCU.
In Sam Raimi's 2022 film "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," Lynch played a version of Captain Marvel that Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) encountered when he met the Illuminati on Earth-838.
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The inclusion of the "X-Men" in "The Marvels" post-credits scene is a natural progression in the MCU as the multiverse continues to unravel.
In addition to the Illuminati, helmed by Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) on Earth-838, the MCU also dropped another connection to the mutants on season one of the Disney+ series "Ms. Marvel."
On the finale, Kamala learns that her DNA contains the mutant gene. This was the MCU's first overt acknowledgment of mutants, and there's plenty more to come since Disney acquired the rights to the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Deadpool back in 2019.
The upcoming third "Deadpool" movie — the first installment to be part of the MCU — will star Ryan Reynolds as the titular anti-hero and Hugh Jackman reprising his role as the X-Men character Wolverine.
A long-gestating "Fantastic Four" reboot is also in the works, directed by Matt Shakman and expected to begin filming in London next year.