Will Monica Rambeau Become Captain Marvel in the MCU?
The trailer for the upcoming movie “The Marvels” recently dropped, and we are excited to see Monica Rambeau, Carol Danvers, and Kamala Khan in action. In the trailer, we’ve seen that the three of them started switching places with each other randomly while using their powers, which means that their powers are somewhat connected. Still, Monica Rambeau and Carol Danvers have one more thing in common. Most notably, both were at different points in time in the comics known as “Captain Marvel.” Now, it’s clear that MCU spent a good few years trying to build a Captain Marvel persona around Carol Danvers, so where does Monica Rambeau fit in here? This is what we set out to explore today. Let’s see, will Monica Rambeau become Captain Marvel in the MCU?
It’s unlikely that Monica Rambeau will take on the “Captain Marvel” alias. The fans are already invested in Carol Danvers, and it doesn’t look like she will be replaced anytime soon. Besides, Carol Danvers has been known under the Captain Marvel alias in the comics for some time now. Monica Rambeau will most likely assume the alias of “Photon” in the MCU, which is her current comics alias and her most notable ability in the MCU.
Now that we’ve covered that the chances of Monica Rambeau becoming Captain Marvel are slim, it’s time to explore the exact history of the character and the alias behind her. If you’re interested in more, stay with us and keep reading!
Monica Rambeau was Captain Marvel before Carol Danvers
The mantle of Captain Marvel has a long history in the Marvel comics. The character that used the moniker for the first time was Mar-Vell, who debuted in Marvel Superheroes #12 back in 1967. Since then, six other characters will be known under the name, with Carol Danvers being the latest one.
Monica Rambeau was the second Captain Marvel following Mar-Vell’s renunciation of the title. At the time when the character was introduced, the Captain Marvel alias made perfect sense.
Monica Rameau first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 in 1982. And over time, she changed numerous aliases. But how did she become Captain Marvel in the first place?
Monica Rambeau was born in New Orleans to a seamstress mother and a firefighter father. Monica was a part of Harbor Patrol, and despite being a hardworking and smart woman, she never managed to ascend to the rank of captain due to being a woman and a black woman at that.
She was supposedly born as a regular human being and was without superpowers for most of her life. This changed when she met Professor André LeClare, who asked her to retrieve a special device for him, and the assignment involved espionage and infiltration of the Roxxon oil rig stationed at the Gulf of Mexico.
While LeClare and Rambeau were at an assignment, LeClare’s evil assistant tried to activate the device. Rambeau was unaware of what the device did save for the fact that it was an energy disruptor of some kind. To stop Picaro from activating the device and obliterating the rig and everything around it, Monica Rambeau destroyed the device with devastating consequences.
She got bombarded by extra-dimensional energy and gained the ability to convert her body mass into any form of electromagnetic energy.
When Rambeau returned to her hometown, she designed her first superhero outfit and returned to the oil rig to rescue LeClare and finish the job with the machine. From that day onward, she was finally a captain. The media soon dubbed her “Captain Marvel,” and this was the start of her superhero career.
Monica Rambeau changed aliases several times in the comics
After being called “Captain Marvel” by the media, Monica felt comfortable with the alias. Still, she was forced to change it when Genis-Vell, the son of the original Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell), wanted to adopt the moniker to honor his late father’s legacy. Monica surrendered the alias and took on the name Photon which better suited her abilities in any case. Since she was able to utilize and deploy power photon blast, her most deadly ability served as the inspiration for her alias.
This was, however, not the last time that Rambeau would change the alias. In 2013, Monica Rambeau adopted the moniker of Spectrum in an attempt to rebrand the character.
The last alias change happened in 2022 when Monica Rambeau took part in the revamp of Thunderbolts. With the new beginning, she returned to her old alias, “Photon,” which suited her best. This is her current alias in the comics.
Will Monica Rambeau assume the mantle of Captain Marvel in the MCU?
Monica Rambeau will most likely never be known as Captain Marvel in the MCU, and there are several reasons for that. Despite being the second Captain Marvel in the comics, the alias is too closely connected to the character of Carol Danvers. Most fans recognize Carol Danvers as the one and only Captain Marvel.
Monica Rambeau has been known as Photon and Spectrum for some time, with the alias Captain Marvel being taken for several decades. Besides the Current Captain Marvel, both in the comics and in the MCU, Carol Danvers is too vital for the ever-evolving MCU storyline to be replaced as easily, especially with her involvement with the Kree-Skrull storyline.
It’s most likely that Monica Rambeau will adopt the nickname Photon in the MCU, and several things are hinting at that. First, in 2022 she returned to this alias, Photon, and it’s her official name in the comics.
Second, Monica’s mother, Maria Rambeau, which appeared in the first Captain Marvel movie, was known under the “Photon” alias, so it would make sense for Monica to honor her mother’s legacy and carry on the tradition.
The third reason she might adopt the Photon alias is that her powers are light-based in nature, and one of her trademark abilities is called “photon blast.”
Fans associated Captain Marvel with Carol Danvers too much. At this point, her story is to developed to just be retconned or written off completely. To have Monica Rambeau take on the alias of Captain Marvel would be too confusing.
