The Marvels will bring together three female superheroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but their adventures could unleash a Thanos-level threat for the MCU’s Phase 7, according to one theory. Four years after her MCU debut in her solo movie, Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) is finally returning in a sequel, but she won’t be alone as she will be joined by Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani).
Although plot details for The Marvels are still unknown, it has been confirmed that it will follow the events of the TV series Ms. Marvel and will see Carol, Kamala, and Monica swapping places with each other every time they use their powers, so now they will have to team up to discover why. Kamala was last seen using her bangle and suddenly switching places with Carol, which has made way for a couple of theories on what’s going on, and one links the bangle to a dark setting that can unleash a major villain that can take over the MCU in Phase 7: Annihilus, all thanks to the Negative Zone.
The Marvels Theory: Kamala Khan Is Trapped In The Negative Zone
While it’s currently believed that Kamala and Carol simply swapped places, with Carol appearing in Kamala’s room and Kamala being transported wherever Carol was at that moment, it’s likely that Kamala isn’t where Carol was. A Reddit theory suggests that, instead, Kamala was sent to the Negative Zone due to how the bangle actually works. In Marvel Comics, the Negative Zone is a universe made of anti-matter with a similar aging process as our universe, but the Negative Zone is a lot older and as such it’s already contracting instead of expanding. Given that it’s composed of anti-matter, anyone who moves from one universe to the other has to reverse their polarity on a molecular level or they would be instantly annihilated, evolution is quite difficult in it, and time passes a lot faster than in our universe.
Because of the nature of the Negative Zone, it would be highly dangerous for Kamala to be trapped in it, so Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau would be on a race against time to get there and rescue the young hero. The author of the theory adds that the Marvels’ time in the Negative Zone will also help them learn more about Kamala’s mutant genes, which might allow her to survive for much longer than a human in the Negative Zone, but this could still have severe consequences on her, Carol, and Monica.
Ms. Marvel’s Bangle Is The MCU’s Nega Bands
The reason why Kamala would end up trapped in the Negative Zone is that her bangle is the MCU’s version of the Nega Bands. The Nega Bands in Marvel Comics are powerful relics of the Kree Empire that grant the wearer powers, but they can also create chaos. When Captain Mar-Vell was awarded the Nega Bands by the Kree Supreme Intelligence, he was quickly trapped in the Negative Zone, while on Earth, Rick Jones found a pair of the bands. When Jones wore the Nega Bands, he swapped places with Mar-Vell in the Negative Zone, which could be exactly what’s happening with Carol Danvers and Kamala Khan – after all, there’s still a lot to learn about the bangle, its origin, and its powers, but the Marvels traveling to the Negative Zone and the bangle being the MCU’s Nega Bands also make way for a powerful and threatening villain: Annihilus.
The Negative Zone Can Set Up Annihilus For MCU Phase 7
Annihilus is an interdimensional insectoid villain from the volcanic planet Arthros and the ruler of the Negative Zone, where he controls the inhabitants through his Cosmic Control Rod, a device that keeps him alive as well (thus keeping him away from his greatest fear: death). Annihilus is on a mission to destroy anything that’s a threat to his existence, and he planned to conquer and destroy all planets near Arthros. Annihilus met the Fantastic Four when Reed Richards found a way to travel to the Negative Zone from Earth, and they took his Control Rod for a while as they needed it to cure Sue Storm, but gave it back.
When Rick Jones drew Mar-Vell to free him from the Negative Zone, Annihilus saw a chance to invade Earth and tried to follow them but was stopped by the Avengers. Annihilus eventually made it to Earth, but he was defeated by the Fantastic Four and the Avengers, and at one point, he found a pair of Nega Bands that he used to create another breach from his domain into the positive matter universe, which is something he could do in the MCU if he gets his hands on Kamala’s bangle when she becomes trapped in the Negative Zone.
What Annihilus Would Mean For MCU Phase 7
Annihilus can not only be a villain for future Fantastic Four adventures, but he can also trigger the next big event in the MCU: Annihilation. Annihilation is a crossover storyline published in 2006 that highlighted various outer space-related Marvel characters, such as Nova, Galactus, Silver Surfer, and Drax, and in it, Annihilus led an invasion from the Negative Zone into the positive matter universe. Annihilus claimed that the universe was expanding into the Negative Zone, which made the universe his territory, so he began to destroy anything and anyone on his way, such as the Kyln and Xandar.
As the Multiverse Saga already has its big villain in Kang the Conqueror and his many variants, there’s no room for Annihilus for now, but The Marvels can set him up to be the big villain of Phase 7 and trigger Annihilation as the next crossover event. The defeat of Kang’s variants and the Secret Wars event could further motivate Annihilus to find his way out of the Negative Zone to take over the universe and destroy it, or the collapse of the multiverse could be what frees him from the Negative Zone, so he will have a couple of Phases to plan his conquest of the universe and show the MCU’s heroes what he’s capable of.
The Negative Zone Can Also Be A Weapon In Avengers 5 & 6
The introduction and exploration of the Negative Zone in The Marvels can not just introduce Annihilus and set him up to be the threat to defeat in Phase 7 and beyond, but it can also show how the Negative Zone can be used by Kang’s variants in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. The Annihilation Area or Crossroads of Infinity in the Negative Zone allows those who enter to travel through other universes, but this trip is fatal for ordinary beings – luckily, Kang’s variants aren’t ordinary, so they could use the Negative Zone to travel to different universes. On the other hand, the Negative Zone is already contracting, meaning it will implode at some point, so the Avengers and company could use that to their favor and send Kang’s variants there to completely destroy them. The Negative Zone in The Marvels can make way for a lot of possibilities in the MCU, from learning more about Kamala’s origins and genes and the bangle and its powers, to introducing the next big villain and even being part of the solution to the Secret Wars conflict.