Summary
After introducing several new characters throughout the Multiverse Saga, theMCUmay already be failing its bestSpider-Manreplacement. Despite still being a main player in the MCU with several movies still in the pipeline, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker has now been on the scene for seven years. Spider-Man’s movies are among the MCU’s most profitable, making him an exceptionally valuable character to keep on the books, butSpider-Man’s MCU storycan’t go on forever.
As the Multiverse Saga starts heading towards its conclusion, the question of which MCU characters will pick up the slack in the new phase andpotential MCU rebootis especially salient. Peter Parker was once the MCU’s freshest face, butSpider-Man: No Way Home’s endingsaw him mature in the wake of Aunt May’s death and his removal from the memories of those closest to him. With that in mind, the MCU needs to start focusing heavily on his replacement, Kamala Khan AKA Ms. Marvel.
How To Watch the Marvel Movies In Order (By Release Date & In Order Of MCU Timeline Events)
Want to catch up before the next release, or just revisit the universe for a refresher? Here’s the order to watch the entire MCU timeline.
Why Ms. Marvel Is The MCU’s Best Spider-Man Replacement
After helping to save Earth inThe Marvels,Kamala Khan has established her credentials as the MCU’s foremost teenage superhero. This was once a role exclusive to Peter Parker, whose most recent cinematic outing saw him help piece the multiverse back together at great expense. Now that Peter Parker has begun a new life of pure independence, the door is open for Ms. Marvel to fill his role as the protégé of the MCU’s more experienced heroes, with Captain Marvel taking the place of Iron Man.
Spider-Man: No Way Homesaw Doctor Strange cast a spell that made everybody forget who Peter Parker is, though they will still remember Spider-Man.
The similarities in the personalities of the two young heroes are also pretty stark. The fresh-faced Kamala Khan is one ofthe MCU’s most hilarious characters, being one ofThe Marvels' biggest highlights. The youthful charisma once displayed by Peter Parker has now been assuaged by an imposed maturity, giving way to an arc that could see him become the mentor to the MCU’s younger heroes.Ms. Marvel, meanwhile, is establishing herself as the foremost young superhero by founding the Young Avengers.
Ms. Marvel Was One Of The MCU’s Strongest Disney+ Shows But No One Watched It
Ms. Marvelremains thehighest-rated MCU productiononRotten Tomatoes, ranking 2% higher thanBlack Panther. Despite this,it has the lowest viewing figures of any MCU show on Disney Plusaccording toStatistawith just 780,000 views upon release.Loki’s premier, the MCU’s most-watched show on Disney Plus, boasts a viewership of 2.5 million by comparison.
2.5
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
1.8
1.6
1.5
0.99
Ms. Marvel
0.78
The reasons forMs. Marvel’s comparatively paltry viewing figuresmay have a lot to do with her relative obscurity compared to MCU mainstays like Loki. The fact thatyounger viewers between the ages of 20-24 at least watched the show morethan any other in the MCU also speaks to the appeal of Ms. Marvel’s youth. Unfortunately, however, her MCU debut was followed by a historic box office flop in her first cinematic outing.
Ms. Marvel’s MCU Movie Debut Was A Box Office Bomb
The Marvelswas ostensibly meant to establish Ms. Marvel as one of the MCU’s newest tentpole heroes. Yet after grossing just $200 million worldwide according toThe Numbers, it’s apparent thatMs. Marvel’s MCU legacy is struggling to take off. Along withMs. Marvel’s low viewership, the teenage hero does not appear to be making waves in the same way that Peter Parker did, with the MCU’s Spider-Man movies being amongthe MCU’s highest-grossing. This state of affairs is rendered all the more frustrating by how well-liked Ms. Marvel is as a character and the critical success of her appearances.
$199,706,250
$265,573,859
$370,569,776
$379,751,131
$401,731,759
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
$432,224,634
$449,326,618
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
$463,635,303
$518,858,449
Iron Man
$585,171,547
While it remains unclear where theYoung Avengers might debut in the MCU(withAvengers: The Kang Dynastybeing the most likely), the viability of having Ms. Marvel at the forefront looks flimsy. Compared to Iron Man and Captain America, Kamala Khan has a way to go before being considered one of the MCU’s most bankable heroes. This is somethingthe MCU should prioritize rectifying ahead of the Young Avengers' debutto establish the lasting legacy that Ms. Marvel deserves.
Young Avengers Needs To Make Ms. Marvel A Necessary Hero In The MCU
It has been five years since the last iteration of the Avengers graced the big screen. More than halfway through the Multiverse Saga, the team has never looked more disparate, with 2026’sAvengers: The Kang Dynastyostensibly being the first time that some version of the team will assemble. The closest the MCU has got to teasing an Avengers team up, however, has been Ms. Marvel’s recruitment of Kate Bishop in thepost-credits scene ofThe Marvels.
With that in mind,the best recourse for the MCU is to ensure that Ms. Marvel remains the upcoming team’s most prominent membermuch in the same way that Tony Stark was for the original team. Ms. Marvel boasts the same level of charisma as her late predecessor, which suggests that there is plenty of potential for the MCU to capitalize on, with her being a founding member. Alongside the extremely likable Kate Bishop, Ms. Marvel still has the potential to leave an inedible mark onthe future of the MCU.
WhileThe Marvels’historic box office takings reduced the chance that Ms. Marvel and her co-stars might appear in a sequel movie, there is still plenty of appeal to be found in a Young Avengers outing. It remains unclear whether Peter Parker cuts the mustard in terms of his age, but leveraging his star power in the Young Avengers' debut would be a wise move, and the prospect of seeing him interact with the lovable Ms. Marvel is undeniably appealing. Whatever the case, theMCUneeds to waste no time in spotlighting this charismatic young hero.
Cast
Ms. Marvel is an action-superhero TV series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show follows Iman Vellani, a 16-year-old high school student in New Jersey who is a huge fan of superheroes and has difficulty fitting in at school. When Iman is gifted a mysterious bangle from her grandfather, she discovers it allows her to utilize cosmic energy and construct what she can imagine. Now an accidental superhero, Iman will try to rise to the challenge and make a name for herself as Ms. Marvel.
