Warning: Spoilers for Ms. Marvel episode 6
The implications of The Marvels. For now, at least, Thanos remains the greatest threat that the heroes of the MCU have ever faced. But even though it’s hard to top a villain that killed half of everyone in the universe, there’s still a chance that the Avengers will one day have to contend with an opponent of equal or greater power to the Mad Titan.
So far, just one confirmed MCU character has emerged as a Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Loki’s ending reveal that Kang the Conqueror is on a collision course with the MCU. Considering that Kang is one of the greatest villains in the Avengers’ rogues’ gallery, there’s good reason to suspect that he will end up succeeding Thanos in some way. However, he’s far from the only choice for this role, and then there’s the matter of which movie he’ll be appearing in. Unless Kang beats Ant-Man and returns in a crossover movie, it may be that the role of Thanos’ MCU replacement will go to someone else.
It could be that Marvel is already in the process of laying the groundwork for the MCU’s next big bad. Ms. Marvel episode 6 concluded with a post-credits scene that featured a surprise cameo from Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel. Her arrival was obvious setup for her team-up with Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau in The Marvels, but exactly what it was teasing wasn’t confirmed within the scene itself. However, details from the comics shed light on what Marvel is building up to. Here’s why the studio looks to be getting ready to replace Thanos with Annihilus in The Marvels.
How Ms Marvel's Post-Credits Sets Up The Negative Zone
Kamala’s bracelet in Ms. Marvel causing her to seemingly swap places with Carol is identical to a predicament shared by Rick Jones and Captain Mar-Vell. In the 1960s, the two characters were in possession of matching pairs of bracelets called the Nega-Bands. Unbeknownst to them at the time, the two pairs were linked together by an interdimensional bond. Mar-Vell’s Nega-Bands trapped him in a mysterious dimension called the Negative Zone, whereas Rick found his on Earth. When Rick banged them together, he immediately traded places with Mar-Vell. Because of their connection, the two characters could not coexist in the same place. Only one could be on Earth while the other was forced to wander the Negative Zone.
Looking at the situation Ms. Marvel has put Carol and Kamala in, there’s now strong evidence that the Negative Zone will be crucial to The Marvels’ story. As for what it actually is, the comic book version was a massive, mostly empty realm composed of anti-matter. While the MCU may make some changes to it, it’s likely to adhere to the same core concepts that defined it in the source material. Also, The Marvels’ interpretation of the Negative Zone could enable Kamala and Carol to cross paths with characters tied to this particular corner of the Marvel Universe. If that’s true, The Marvels could feature the MCU debuts of Annihilus and Blastaar, the two most prominent denizens of the Negative Zone. In the comic books, the two villains were caught in a centuries-old war with both sides fighting for control of the Negative Zone.
Annihilus Can Be Phase 5's Thanos Replacement
Annihilus is an incredibly powerful villain who once forced Marvel’s biggest cosmic heroes to team up with Thanos himself in Marvel’s Annihilation event. Given the danger he would present to the MCU, it’s easy to see Annihilus in the role of Phase 5’s next big villain. Like his comic book counterpart, his primary goal in The Marvels may be to secure his long-awaited escape from the Negative Zone. If so, he could be a secondary antagonist in the movie with someone like Blastaar or perhaps a different character entirely driving the main story.
Depending on how things play out, Annihilus could attain his freedom by the end of The Marvels, thus opening the door for an MCU version of Annihilation where he launches his Annihilation Wave, which was a massive intergalactic army bent on wiping out everything in its path. Annihilus attempting to wreak mass destruction across the universe after The Marvels could pave the way for a crossover of cosmic proportions in MCU Phase 5. Stopping the Annihilation Wave from spreading and ending entire civilizations could easily justify a team-up between Ms. Marvel’s Kamala Khan, Captain Marvel, Adam Warlock, Nova, the Fantastic Four, and more.
