Is Ms. Marvel Captain Marvel? Differences & History Explained

Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel share quite a connection in the MCU. Stemming from Kamala’s fascination with Captain Marvel, of course. In the comics, their shared history is described in even more detail. Captain Marvel was what inspired Kamala, and at one point in time, they shared titles. With ‘The Marvels’ soon to be released and Ms. Marvel, Captain Marvel, and Monica Rambeau embarking on a journey together, we decided to explain their connection and their shared history.

Before she became Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers was Ms. Marvel 

Superhero aliases can often be confusing as several characters over the years can be known under the same title. Such was the case with the mantle of Captain Marvel that several individuals carried over the years.

There was Mar-Vell, a male Kree alien, Monica Rambeau, who took over the title when she got her ability to manipulate various forms of energy. Genis-Vell asked to carry his father’s nickname, and Monica Acquisced after Genis turned into a threat. The nickname actually went to Carol Danvers, who was at one point in time a love interest of the original Captain Marvel. 

But, before she was known as Captain Marvel, the most popular one so far, Danvers went under the alias Ms. Marvel. Soon after getting her powers by being exposed to the Psyche-Magnitron machine that activated her dormant Kree genes, Danvers got the ability to transform into an ancient Kree warrior, Ms. Marvel, and this is how the monicker came about. 

It was only later that she took over Mar-Vell’s legacy and adopted the moniker Captain Marvel, but what does Kamala have to do with it? 

Captain Marvel is directly connected to Kamala’s origin story

Kamala Khan was born in the USA, but her parents are actually Pakistani immigrants of the Muslim faith. Due to her customs and religion, Kamala was often mocked and was never exactly the most popular girl on the block. She did form some close relationships with kids of similar immigrant backgrounds, but she spent most of her time on video games and superhero-related stuff. 

She developed a fascination with Captain Marvel (who just recently abandoned her Ms. Marvel moniker). I guess she identified strongly with her. Captain Marvel was never exactly able to fit in properly due to her Kree heritage, and through this, Kamala found a kindred soul.

The story of how Kamala got her powers is well known. She went to a party against her parent’s wishes, and while returning home, she got exposed to Terrigen Mists and underwent Terrigenesis, which activated her latent Inhuman genes. 

While Kamala was unconscious, her mind drifted off to some unusual places, and in panic, her mind conjured up a vision of three of her favorite superheroes: Captain America, Iron Man, and Captain Marvel.

They scolded her for breaking the rules but also asked her what she would like to become. Naturally, her first instinct was to associate herself with her role model, Captain Marvel, so she answered that she wanted to become more like Captain Marvel. 

When Kamala Khan woke up from Terrigenesis, she found herself wearing Ms. Marvel’s costume, and not only that, she was transformed into young Carol Danvers, aka Ms. Marvel. This was due to her powers of polymorphism that allowed her to take any shape possible. Kamala soon figured out that she could take any shape, but often took on the shape of Ms. Marvel to fight crime, sometimes even impersonating Captain Marvel. 

She finally got to meet her idol during the incursions. Even when the world was falling apart around them, the real Captain Marvel was calm and helpful and helped Kamala find her brother. She also gifted a special pendant featuring Hala star and Ms. Marvels’ lighting bolt and encouraged her to come clean to her mother regarding her powers and superhero activities.   

How are Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel connected in the MCU? 

We know that Kamala’s room in the MCU is decorated with Captain Marvel memorabilia and that she is an avid fan of the Avengers and Captain Marvel in general. She also cossplayed the superhero and often discussed her on her YouTube channel.

The origin of Kamala’s moniker in the MCU is similar. Near the end of the show, Kamala’s father explains that her name “Kamal” means “Perfect” in Arabic, but in Urdu, it means “Wonder” or “Marvel.” Kamala was fascinated by the fact that she shared a name with Captain Marvel, which is when her father admitted that he had no idea who Captain Marvel was but that she was always his “Ms. Marvel,” at that moment, Kamala decided to use this as her alias. 

But their connection goes even further than that. In one of the last scenes in the series, Kamala spontaneously changes places with Captain Marvel after her bangle starts glowing. It seems that their powers are connected in some way. Throughout ‘The Marvels’ trailer Kamala, Monica and Carol keep switching places after using their powers, and everything will likely be properly explained. So far, all three of them have different origins and different sources of power, and the connection isn’t quite obvious. 

In short, Captain Marvel was at one point Ms. Marvel, because both nicknames belonged to Carol Danvers at different points of her superhero career, but they are currently two different superheroes with completely different powers and origin stories. 

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