There’s a Major MCU Reveal in ‘Ms. Marvel’ Finale You Cannot Miss!
The Ms. Marvel finale just broke the MCU in the best way possible. I can’t wait to see Twitter today. Was the series worth the reveal?
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this week’s finale of Ms. Marvel. After all, last week’s episode “Time and Again” pretty much wrapped up all that plot stuff with the Noor dimension. There were still some loose ends to tie up – the Department of Damage Control is still after Kamran and he’s got his new sparkle-djinn powers to contend with. The final episode of the show had to tie to the upcoming Marvels movie. But was that enough to fill a whole extra episode?
Oh, it was. All that, and more.
Spoilers for ‘Ms. Marvel’ season 1 ahead!
Ms. Marvel: the Name, the Look, the Icon
This season has seen Kamala struggling with her own identity as a hero, and hiding from close friends and family has been a big struggle for her. So it’s great to see her family accepting and encouraging her. It seems incredibly appropriate then that Muneeba would provide her daughter with the iconic costume we associate with the hero. And it looks really good, y’all.
I also really enjoyed the moment when Yusuf gave Kamala her superhero name. It’s a great moment when she realizes that the name her parents chose for her in Urdu roughly translates to Marvel.
The Gang’s Back Together Again
Of course, with any real high school story, there has to be a moment where everyone gathers together at the end to fight the Big Bad. Weaponizing the high school at night is another classic teen media trope that was really well-done here. Watching S.W.A.T.-looking dudes get pelted with softballs was pretty satisfying. Everyone pitches in their unique skills or personality.
The crew comes together when Nakia calls Kamala to let her know that Bruno and Kamran are on the run. They all meet at the high school and Zoe pops out from the drama department, where she films her TikToks. Zoe’s eagerness to repay Kamala for saving her life is also a real feel-good moment, and she and Nakia have a moment to see eye-to-eye. And best of all, Aamir is sent to stealthily chaperone his little sister, so he lends a hand and some comedic moments.
A lot of these moments are underscored by Kamran’s struggle to control his newfound powers and cope with the death of his mother. At first, Kamala is doing her best not to tell him what happened. But when she’s only able to tell him about her death and not the context, Kamran starts to lose control of his powers and his emotions. In the end, Kamala is able to provide him with enough cover to get to the docks and leave for Karachi, where he meets up with Kareem.
The Department of Overstepping Bounds
Hot on everyone’s tracks are the Department of Damage Control, led by Agent Deever who clearly has a racist ax to grind. She defies orders and goes into the school. Thanks to Zoe’s massive local TikTok following, the Department of Damage Control’s siege of the high school becomes a massive public moment. We get to see the community, including Kamala’s parents, rallying around her. And her community gets to see her fighting to protect them.
I expect there may be some who complain about how anti-climactic the end-fight with the DDC turned out. But I found the ending really profound – what saves the day here is visibility. It’s through the “bad press” that DDC is getting on this crusade that shuts them down. It’s because the whole community turns out to support these two kids who… might be mutants?
Oh, and Ms. Marvel Introduced the X-Gene
The mutants are here – THIS IS NOT A DRILL. After all the fighting is done, Bruno tells Kamala that he retested her DNA. It isn’t just her djinn lineage that’s responsible for her powers. After all, her mother and brother don’t have them. It’s also combined with a genetic… mutation. And when he says it, there’s a little musical refrain in the background that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
The episode is the first time we see Kamala use her embiggen power (YES!) and that’s a power that seems really functionally different from her “trail of stars” powers. Could that be related to her mutation? I have so many questions!
But what really struck me about the reveal is all the reasons why this show is the best show to introduce Mutants to the MCU. Kamala is right, of course – the gene will be another label. Agent Deever is a precursor for Mutant discrimination and registration. I wouldn’t be surprised if her character pops up again.
Also, if you’re having a bad day, just remember that we can now hope for a Ms. Marvel-Wolverine team-up adventure in live-action.
Last but Not Least, Post-Credits Carol!
And finally, while in her room one day, Kamala’s bracelet goes all glowy! It shoots her through her closet door – or at least that’s what it looks like. But out from the wreckage comes Carol Danvers, who has apparently switched places with Kamala. She’s surrounded by Kamala’s fangirl decor, and Kamala is – somewhere in space? I am so ready for The Marvels now, if only to see Carol coming downstairs to a very alarmed Khan family.
Ms. Marvel Finale & Season Thoughts
I was blown away by the first episode of this series, but I’ll admit that after last week’s episode, I was a little concerned. The Clandestine storyline wrapped one episode earlier than expected, and I wasn’t sure what the finale would have in store. But the final episode was action-packed and revealed a fully-imagined Ms. Marvel. It did a great job of tying the show’s themes together and satisfying all of the show’s plotlines. The show also presented a lot of rich and beautiful cultural elements (and exceptional food porn), some vital world history, and a delightfully-developed teen girl lead. It’s damn-near perfect – and it withstands the experience of rewatching. It’s exactly what I hoped the show would be.
