After introducing several new characters throughout the Multiverse Saga, the MCU may already be failing its best Spider-Man replacement. 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, but Spider-Man’s MCU story can’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 and potential MCU reboot is especially salient. Peter Parker was once the MCU’s freshest face, but Spider-Man: No Way Home’s ending saw 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.
Why Ms. Marvel Is The MCU’s Best Spider-Man Replacement
After helping to save Earth in The 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 Home saw 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 of the MCU’s most hilarious characters, being one of The 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. Marvel remains the highest-rated MCU production on Rotten Tomatoes, ranking 2% higher than Black Panther. Despite this, it has the lowest viewing figures of any MCU show on Disney Plus according to Statista with 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.
The reasons for Ms. Marvel‘s comparatively paltry viewing figures may have a lot to do with her relative obscurity compared to MCU mainstays like Loki. The fact that younger viewers between the ages of 20-24 at least watched the show more than 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 Marvels was ostensibly meant to establish Ms. Marvel as one of the MCU’s newest tentpole heroes. Yet after grossing just $200 million worldwide according to The Numbers, it’s apparent that Ms. Marvel’s MCU legacy is struggling to take off. Along with Ms. 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 among the 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.
While it remains unclear where the Young Avengers might debut in the MCU (with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty being 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 something the MCU should prioritize rectifying ahead of the Young Avengers’ debut to 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’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty ostensibly 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 the post-credits scene of The Marvels.
With that in mind, the best recourse for the MCU is to ensure that Ms. Marvel remains the upcoming team’s most prominent member much 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 on the future of the MCU.
While The 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, the MCU needs to waste no time in spotlighting this charismatic young hero.
