The Ending of Ms Marvel Explained
*SPOILER WARNING* This article contains big spoilers for the final episode of ‘Ms Marvel.’ If you’re not caught up then proceed at your own risk.
The finale of Ms Marvel is now streaming on Disney Plus, and honestly, I feel bad for anyone who avoided this show. Not only because it’s fun, charming and a totally different experience for the MCU, but because the finale just delivered a HUGE surprise in the closing seconds. I’ll admit, while I was having a good time with the show, I wasn’t sure what the final episode would deliver. In previous weeks it seemed like a fairly contained story, aside from various references to Captain Marvel, so I was under the impression there wasn’t much room for surprises to land. Suffice to say they proved me wrong. Very wrong indeed. I didn’t expect them to tease the audience as badly as they did, and I loved it. Holy shit.
Before we head into discussion and speculation, we’ll start by setting the scene. Again, we are in deep spoiler territory, so proceed with caution.
As the final episode is wrapping up, Kamala is stood talking to Bruno. The latter has brought up the topic of Kamala’s genetic make-up, in relation to the tests he ran earlier in the season when her powers first manifested. Standard best friend conversation, right? Bruno mentions his second analysis of the results proved that he was in fact wrong the first time. He’s found that Kamala is different from her family, and in reference to her DNA he says:
“Kamala, there’s something different in your genes. Like a…mutation”
At which point a faint recreation of the 1990s animated X-Men series theme plays for all of about two seconds. I was initially doubting what I’d just heard, so I stuck around for the end credits, to check which music tracks were credited. Written there, clear as day, are the words “X-Men ’97 theme, composed by Haim Saban and Shuki Levy.”* So we’ve got the word “mutation” being dropped while the iconic X-Men music plays in the background. The only thing missing is a literal mic drop from the showrunners, while Kevin Feige lights a comedically large cigar in the background.
*side note - X-Men ’97 is the upcoming animated series from Marvel Studios, which is a sequel to the original animated X-Men show. Likewise the theme for the original show had different composers. So while this snippet of music has different names credited and is from a different project, it is unmistakably the same theme music slightly re-imagined.*
It may have been subtle, and the showrunners were very much banking on viewers paying attention, but there is a very clear headline here: mutants exist, and they are finally on their way to the MCU!
This is incredible news. Genetic mutation is confirmed to exist in the MCU, and it causes people to exhibit extraordinary powers. This means that mutants, and presumably the X-Men, exist in the MCU in some shape or form. Obviously we all knew the X-Men were coming because of Professor X appearing in Multiverse of Madness, and the huge business of Disney acquiring Fox, but for this subtle hint to introduce them properly is absolutely fantastic. Fans were thinking the X-Men would enter in an overt fashion, with Wolverine lazily stepping out of a portal and popping his claws. Instead, what we were given was a small moment which might have gone missed if viewers weren’t paying attention. It was the perfect time to name drop mutation and play the theme song because fans wouldn’t have expected it. A lot of people, myself included, were expecting Kamala’s powers to be mentioned with some form of reference to The Inhumans. Again, it was a great time to take a left turn and keep audiences on their toes.
As exciting as this reveal was, there is a potential elephant in the room which needs to be addressed. There are bound to be some viewers who take issue with Kamala potentially being a mutant, because this deviates from the comic books. Kamala’s origin famously links to The Inhumans, who are a different set of characters in Marvel lore. There’s a complicated history between the two, thanks to more recent comic books, but nonetheless they are still distinct groups. This may be an issue for some, but personally, I’m really not bothered by the show making Kamala’s origin different. The showrunners have creative license, they’re providing us with an adaptation of Kamala, and I like that this is their own vision of the character. Also, if I can accept the change in Kamala’s powers, I can accept a change in her origin as well as any other adjustments. Changes are made all the time when characters make their way to the screen, it’s a natural part of life at this point, so it’s nothing to grumble about.
What was truly fantastic about this reveal is the ambiguity. The creators have purposefully left this teaser at the end of the season and kept it open. There’s the potential for Kamala to be a mutant, but it wasn’t a firm answer, so for now it’s over to the fans for speculation. This is very much Schrodinger’s origin story: until we see the next instalment and a firm answer is provided, Kamala is both a mutant and not a mutant. This still leaves room for Kamala to be an Inhuman, because we haven’t been told definitively that she is a mutant. And to be honest, this is on brand with the comic books, because the line between The Inhumans and mutants has been blurred for a while. There was a weird complication in the comics which unnecessarily muddied the water between mutants and Inhumans (which let’s face it, no one was a fan of). This involved an exploration into mutation and how Inhumans could just be mutants whose mutation is triggered by Terrigenesis (AKA being exposed to the Terrigen mist, which reacts with dormant Inhuman DNA and grants special powers). For better or worse this has linked the two groups together in continuity, until someone (hopefully) comes along and retcons the whole dreaded saga. This messy chunk of continuity does however add to the conclusion that I don’t necessarily think we’ve been given a definitive answer here. Remember, this is season one, it’s the first part of Kamala’s journey. They weren’t supposed to take us from A to Z on a complete journey, they were laying the groundwork and leaving Kamala in a good place for the future. This is just the next step to finding out who she is, whether that be a mutant or something else.
In terms of what could happen next, I have two theories. Both stem from the same place, where being a mutant is Kamala’s next line of inquiry, but this could still be a road which ultimately leads to Kamala being an Inhuman. Indulge me for a moment while I explore both potential directions:
1. Kamala goes down the route of finding other mutants, particularly ones who are intelligent and could run their own tests (e.g. Professor X or Beast). After conducting their own research, the mutants reach the conclusion Kamala is indeed different and her DNA is not “normal” (for want of a better word), but she’s also not a mutant. Thus ending the mutant arc, and sending Kamala down a different path of self-discovery. This could also be a great way to slowly introduce actual X-Men characters into the MCU. If they’re brought in as fully fleshed out characters whose consultation on mutant matters is invaluable, we then have a sea of backstory to explore.
2. Kamala and Bruno got it wrong, as did everyone else. They have assumed that genetic mutation automatically means someone is a mutant, when in actual fact there are different distinctions. It’d be cool if characters in-universe are making a huge error, painting all genetically enhanced people as “mutants” when actually there’s further categories beyond their understanding. This again heads into another road of self-discovery, which eventually leads to The Inhumans.
These are of course just theories. As I mentioned earlier I’m really not bothered if the MCU fully deviates from the comic books and commits to making Kamala a mutant. All I’m doing is keeping an eye on the bigger picture, and considering how The Inhumans could still be on the horizon. For all we know at this point, we could see something similar to the comic books, where The Inhumans and mutants are in some way intertwined. Similar, but better than dragging both Inhumans and mutants to a bad place, please.
Theories aside, for now it does seem fairly clean cut, and mutation is going to be part of Kamala’s journey at least in the immediate future. As you can imagine the internet has been quick to respond to this change in Kamala’s origin, and reports suggest the creators behind the show are standing their ground. The showrunners are leaning into the idea of the multiverse, and have argued there is still a Kamala out there who is definitely an Inhuman, but the Earth-616 Kamala might not be them. Again, the showrunners are the ones in charge, and they have the freedom to tell the story they want to. This circles back to the main point I always raise about fans: we’re here to follow the creators on whatever journey they want to take us on, and to enjoy the ride. We’re not here to make demands or dictate what story should be told or how the story should be told. This show, and indeed the wider MCU narrative, are both the creative expression of everyone involved, so it’s not for anyone to say that creative expression is wrong. If Kamala is a mutant in the MCU then she’s a mutant, and no amount of bullying people on Twitter will change that fact. It’s important to remember, the MCU is a party we choose to attend. If we’re not enjoying the party then we have the option to leave at any point, but we certainly shouldn’t try to ruin the party for anyone else.
As to where this leaves us moving forward, it’s anyone’s guess. Will we see more of this territory explored in The Marvels next year? Is there another series of Ms Marvel on the way? Are we going to see some form of solo X-Men project soon? Who knows! But it’s exciting to think about the possibilities. If the X-Men are coming to the MCU then this is the best way to do it. Rather than spoiling the surprise by being blatant and forceful, they could build genuine suspense and excitement. If they continue this route of dropping breadcrumbs and subtle nods, then the eventual arrival of the X-Men will land so much harder, because our anticipation and our hunger will have reached new levels. Also, this is a win for everyone. Regardless of whether you want Kamala to be a mutant or an Inhuman, we’ve finally had our first proper acknowledgement that mutants exist in the MCU. Lay down your weapons and opinions, and rejoice in this glorious moment!
All six episodes of ‘Ms Marvel’ are now streaming on Disney Plus.
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