During the closing moments of this past Wednesday's Ms. Marvel finale, we learned that the reason Kamala Khan can tap into the power of that Noor bangle is because of a pre-existing "mutation" in her genes. With that reveal came the X-Men '97 theme, and the meaning was clear: Ms. Marvel is a mutant.
To call this a game-changing revelation would be an understatement, and we're now entering a new era of storytelling in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
With mutants on the horizon, this shared world will truly never be the same again. As we head deeper into Phase 4 and beyond, it's clear Marvel Studios has big plans for the heroes and villains they've acquired from 20th Century Fox, but what does Kamala's mutation really mean for the future? That's what we're taking a closer look at here as we explore the possible fallout.
To take a look through these exciting possibilities, simply click on the "Next" button below!
6. A New Generation Of Superheroes
Bruno has discovered a "mutation" in Kamala's DNA, but the question is, was it already there, or did something activate it? If it's the latter (meaning that Noor bangle), the theory that the Scarlet Witch is a mutant whose powers were "switched on" by the Mind Stone may very well have been confirmed.
Alternatively, it could be that Kamala's X-Gene has activated because of her age. That's always been the case with mutants, hence why the team was made up of teenagers when they were first introduced.
As eager as fans will be to see a group of adult X-Men, it makes sense for them to first be teenagers, especially if it's only now that their mutations are making themselves known. We've heard a lot of chatter about the Young Avengers, but it could be the X-Men who are really responsible for ushering in a new generation of superheroes in the MCU.
5. Fallout From The Blip
Why are mutants only just starting to appear in the MCU? We obviously know that it's a result of Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox, and had that not happened, we'd still be getting crappy X-Men and Fantastic Four movies with no connection to this shared world.
Thankfully, things went another way, but Marvel Studios still needs to come up with a reason for the sudden emergence of mutants. We'd argue that tying this to The Blip makes the most sense as the sheer level of power unleashed when the Infinity Stones were used is bound to have had longer-lasting consequences than what's been shown thus far.
Another possibility is that the Kree's experiments on humanity (which created the Inhumans) will be tied to mutants, and there are a number of ways that could be used to explain those genes suddenly being switched on. Linking these mutations to The Blip still seems like the best idea, though.
4. Kamala Khan's Comic Accurate Powers
Over the course of Ms. Marvel, we saw Kamala gain a better understanding of her powers and utilise them in a way that paid homage to her comic book counterpart. This culminated with the finale's awesome "embiggen" moment, but the fact is, she's still using Green Lantern-style constructs rather than the abilities we're used to seeing on the page.
However, if her mutation has only enabled her to use the Noor bangle, what happens if that relic is destroyed or somehow taken from her?
Well, now we know Kamala is a mutant, the door is open to us seeing her comic-accurate powers down the line. Once her mutation kicks in, Ms. Marvel will no longer need the bangle and can potentially Embiggen and transform in ways that are infinitely more exciting than what we've see in the MCU so far. It's certainly a very real possibility, anyway.
3. Hated And Feared
Humans hate and fear mutants, something that's always been hard to sell when The Avengers are viewed as heroes. After all, X-Men leader Cyclops being able to shoot lasers from his eyes is a lot less extreme than beloved celebrity Wonder Man transforming into a being of pure energy!
Ultimately, it boils down to humanity being scared of how hidden mutations in their genes could make them a "mutant" at any time, or, more crucially, their children. That's something Marvel Studios should play on in order to make the X-Men feel truly different, and we've already seen hints that the emergence of kids with superpowers is causing concern.
The Department of Damage Control took aim at Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel for being teenagers with powers, and it's easy to imagine them going from Stark Industries drones to Sentinels. This will put a whole new spin on superheroes and makes sure the X-Men aren't just more Avengers.
2. More Mutations
So, we've established that the MCU could soon be home to a whole host of teenage mutants, but what about other characters from this shared world's past?
Before Eternals decided to basically make those characters androids, we all assumed they might have ties to mutants. That seemed like a missed opportunity, but Marvel Studios can now establish the likes of Namor the Submariner and the Scarlet Witch as mutants whose powers manifested sooner than the rest. Why? Well, it could be very important moving forward.
We're sure no one wants a teenage Professor X and Magneto, so establishing that there are already some mutants out there and in hiding is a must. Introducing the secret island nation of Krakoa could play nicely into this, but we don't think the X-Men will be the MCU's first mutant heroes by any means...
1. Ms. Marvel, Member Of The Avengers X-Men
Given her love of Captain Marvel and all things Avengers, it would hardly be a surprise if Kamala Khan joins the ranks of Earth's Mightiest Heroes down the line. However, what if the plan is to have her join the X-Men instead?
This will inevitably be controversial among some fans. However, had Marvel Comics introduced Ms. Marvel as a mutant (which was the original plan before the higher-ups pushed the idea of her being an Inhuman), she'd probably be on Krokoa serving as a member of the team by now! For this to happen, though, the MCU needs to hurry up and start introducing Cyclops and company.
As her TV show established, being a young Muslim woman already makes Kamala something of an outsider. With that in mind, she's already a perfect fit for the X-Men, and that's a franchise we can picture exploring her place in the world better than The Avengers ever could.