Every MCU Movie The Marvels Sets Up

Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Marvels.

While seemingly a self-contained film, The Marvels actually sets up a plethora of future MCU movies. At first, one could be forgiven for assuming The Marvels would be largely removed from the wider state of the MCU. Aside from following on from the titular trio’s prior stories, the marketing for The Marvels positioned the film as a standalone story centering on the team’s fight against Dar-Benn.

However, by the time of The Marvels‘ cliffhanger ending, it becomes clear that this is not the case. From the final scene of the film teasing one future installment to The Marvels’ post-credit scene teasing another, it is now evident that the Phase 5 film is an integral footnote in the MCU’s overall journey. This was also confirmed by the various Easter eggs found throughout The Marvels which teased multiple other MCU entries as the future slate of the franchise grows ever broader.

6 Captain Marvel 3

Carol Danvers’ MCU Story Will Continue

Despite serving as Captain Marvel 2, the least obvious set-up for a future movie in The Marvels was Captain Marvel 3. The main reason for this came from the other incredibly exciting teases found in the film’s ending and post-credit scene, though that is not to say there was no set-up for Captain Marvel 3 at all. By the end of the film, Captain Marvel had undergone a significant change by coming to terms with what happened with the Kree and learning to trust in others. Through this, it is made clear that Carol’s MCU story will continue, likely in Captain Marvel 3 at some point in the future.

Related: Everything We Know About The Marvels 2 aka Captain Marvel 3

5 The Marvels 2

Captain Marvel 3 Could Become The Marvels’ Direct Sequel

While Captain Marvel 3 has possibilities after The Marvels, the more likely route for a continuation of Carol Danvers’ journey would be The Marvels 2. The titular trio was undoubtedly the best part of The Marvels with their characters working overwhelmingly well together. The performances of Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani helped this to shine as their chemistry quickly became evident. This all made it so that The Marvels was at its best when the team was onscreen together, setting the stage for The Marvels 2.

Not only would The Marvels 2 be a better choice to continue Captain Marvel’s journey, but The Marvels includes some elements that hint this could be possible. For one, the film ends with Monica Rambeau standing in another dimension. Despite this, Kamala and Carol insist that they are waiting for her to return, seemingly hinting that they would be willing to team up again in the future. Aside from this, it is clear that the MCU has a potential goldmine on its hands concerning Kamala, Carol, and Monica’s dynamic which makes The Marvels 2 all the more likely.

4 X-Men

The Marvels Features The MCU’s Biggest X-Men Teases Yet

While Captain Marvel 3 and The Marvels 2 are set up in a fashion in The Marvels, it is clear that the film was more focused on teasing other future MCU movies. One of these movies is the MCU’s X-Men as teased in The Marvels’ post-credit scene. After slipping through time and space due to Dar-Benn creating incursions, Monica Rambeau awakens in a strange location.

She finds herself in a room with Maria Rambeau, her mother whom she thought died during the Blip. However, it is revealed that this version of Maria is not Monica’s mother but instead a variant who is an ally of the X-Men. This is solidified by the appearance of Kelsey Grammer as Hank McCoy/Beast. This appearance combined with the iconic silver X door and mention of Charles Xavier solidifies The Marvels‘ teases towards the MCU’s X-Men movie coming to life in the near future.

3 Deadpool 3

The Marvels’ X-Men Teases May Lead Into The MCU’s Only 2024 Feature Film

The appearance of Hank McCoy/Beast in The Marvels is an obvious tie-in to the X-Men, yet could also connect the film to Deadpool 3. From the limited information that is known about Deadpool 3‘s story thus far, it is clear that the film will blend together the worlds of Marvel Studios’ MCU and 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise. From the return of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool to the rumored inclusion of Loki‘s Agent Mobius and Miss Minutes, Deadpool 3 will be a film that deals heavily with the mutant side of Marvel’s multiverse.

Given that Kelsey Grammer played Beast in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men universe, it could be the case that Monica Rambeau awakened within this franchise’s continuity. This could then lead to Monica appearing in Deadpool 3 as the film is heavily rumored to be integral to future MCU properties like Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. With the mutants now firmly established as part of the MCU multiverse via The Marvels‘ post-credit scene, it stands to reason that Deadpool 3 could see a continuation of this specific plot line.

2 Young Avengers

The MCU Phase 4’s Young Avengers Teases Finally Come To Fruition

Besides the MCU’s X-Men, the most overt tease of a future film concerns the Young Avengers. At the end of the film, Kamala becomes inspired by her brief time as part of the titular Marvels and wishes to build a team of her own. The final scene in The Marvels sees Kamala acting as a hilarious Nick Fury-esque character and paying another young MCU superhero a visit. This hero is none other than Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop who first debuted in 2021’s Hawkeye.

Kate is shown entering her New York flat in her Hawkeye costume only to be greeted by Kamala. Kamala states that she is putting together a team of younger superheroes which Kate seems open to. However, The Marvels also hints at a third MCU Young Avengers member besides the duo. Kamala asks Kate if she knew that the Ant-Man had a daughter, teasing that Cassie Lang will also be part of the roster. After Phase 4 endlessly teased the Young Avengers from Kate and Kamala to Eli Bradley, Kid Loki, Wiccan, and Speed, The Marvels finally confirms that a Young Avengers film is on the way.

1 Avengers 5

The Kang Dynasty Is On The Way

As mentioned, the most obvious teases of future MCU films in The Marvels included hints at X-Men, Deadpool 3, and a Young Avengers project. That said, some smaller elements do tease the coming conflict of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. It is highly expected that Avengers 5 will utilize the concept of the multiverse to its full potential, as will Avengers: Secret Wars.

Both films are expected to bring together the Marvel multiverse including the X-Men. Monica’s post-credit scene in The Marvels therefore has some semblance of a connection to Avengers 5. If Monica plays a role in the latter film, she could be integral in getting the X-Men of the universe she is now part of to fight against Kang. Also, Dar-Benn inadvertently caused an inversion in The Marvelswhich is a concept tied intrinsically to the multiverse and could therefore feature in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty as part of the Multiverse Saga.