Related: Theory: Wanda Revives Vision By Giving Up Her Powers (& Becoming A Mutant)

Monica becoming a hero isn’t a move that would be totally unexpected. Because of her history in the comics, it’s actually something that fans have been expecting would happen from the beginning, it just wasn’t clear how this storyline would kick off. Now the pieces are falling into place, and based on the latest episode, it’s possible that the MCU already has a second Captain Marvel in Monica Rambeau. Here’s what WandaVision’s hints about Monica could mean both for her future in the series and in Captain Marvel 2.

Monica Was Marvel Comics' Second Captain Marvel (Not Carol Danvers)

Perhaps the most important thing to know about Monica Rambeau is that she was the first female Captain Marvel and the second character to carry the mantle. Carol Danvers, who originally called herself “Ms. Marvel,” didn’t start using the name until the 2010s. In the pages of 1982’s The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16, Monica was a young Louisiana woman who was exposed to a strange form of energy. As a result, she developed the ability to transform into various types of electromagnetic energy, thus enabling her to fly, shoot powerful blasts of energy, and more. Due to a misunderstanding in her first outing as a superhero, the media called her “Captain Marvel,” a name that formerly belonged to Mar-Vell, a superpowered Kree who betrayed his people to become a protector of Earth. He was also later a mentor to Carol Danvers.

Monica kept the Captain Marvel name and ed the Avengers. Her use of the title prompted some confusion at first, as Avengers  like Starfox pondered over her connection to the original. Monica explained that the two superheroes sharing the same name was simply a coincidence, as she didn’t even know that Mar-Vell existed. In other words, Monica really has no connection to the Captain Marvel legacy. Carol, on the other hand, took the name for the specific purpose of honoring him and what he stood for. Over time, Marvel Comics moved on from this phase in Monica’s life and allowed other characters to use the title. As for Monica, she was handed new codenames like Photon and Spectrum, the latter being the one she currently holds.

How Monica Can Become A Superhero In WandaVision

Marvel is already signaling the MCU’s Monica Rambeau will become her comic book counterpart in WandaVision. Sometime after accidentally stepping through the Scarlet Witch's energy hex barrier, Monica was flung through it and back into the real world by Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). As many suspected, this had a secret effect on her biology. After looking at Monica’s bloodwork in episode 6, Darcy (Kat Dennings) discovered that because Monica interacted with the barrier twice, its energy has recoded her cells on a molecular level. Monica is changing already, and it could be that a third incident with the barrier will be what completes her transformation. It may not be long before Monica starts exhibiting signs of superhuman abilities.

Related: WandaVision Theory: Doctor Strange Is Limiting Scarlet Witch's Influence

Though Monica wants to help Wanda, a confrontation with her may be unavoidable, and that could be when her powers emerge for the first time. Wanda continues to consider Monica an enemy, and for this reason, a fight may ensue if they see each other again in Westview. If Wanda attacks her with her abilities, Monica could fight back with her new powers. If they’re anything like the ones she had in Marvel Comics, they will be electromagnetic in nature. It’s hard to say how much of a challenge Monica would be able to give a character like Scarlet Witch, who nearly beat Thanos singlehandedly, but possible that she could hold out long enough to reason with Wanda. If so, they may be able to team-up if and when Tyler Hayward’s SWORD agents come for Scarlet Witch.

What Monica’s Captain Marvel 2 Role Could Be

If WandaVision ends with Monica as a full-fledged superhero in the MCU, her role in Captain Marvel 2 would be set up. It’s been confirmed that Monica would be one of three heroes banding together in the movie, with the other two being Carol Danvers and Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani). How Monica will get along with Carol in the movie was teased in WandaVision when she quickly changed the subject as soon as Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) mentioned her. Monica seemingly has issues with her, potentially because of her long absence from Earth.

If Carol returned to space after Avengers: Endgame, it could be revealed that Monica has taken her place in more ways than one prior to the setting of new Captain Marvel and not Monica herself. The public could have given her the name if they believe that the original is gone for good. If that’s the case, the MCU could give end up giving Monica a 1980s comic-accurate costume to go along with her classic codename. It would also feel perfectly fitting for Monica’s status as the second Captain Marvel in the comic books to be properly acknowledged in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If the MCU does move in this direction after WandaVision, the 2022 movie could feature a fun confrontation (and team-up) between two different versions of Captain Marvel.