Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star Lashana Lynch recently recalled learning about her return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Lynch made her debut in the MCU with the 2019 superhero blockbuster, Captain Marvel, as the titular hero's best friend and colleague, Maria Rambeau. However, she made waves with her surprise return to the MCU in the Doctor Strange sequel as an alternate universe's Captain Marvel.
Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and America Chavez (Xóchitl Gomez) bounced from universe to universe to escape Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). The two eventually landed on Earth-838, a world without the Avengers. Instead, the superhero team was replaced by the Illuminati, another group consisting of popular characters such as Mr. Fantastic (John Krasinski), Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell), and Professor X (Patrick Stewart). However, among its members was Maria, taking the mantle of Captain Marvel instead of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson). Lynch's return surprised many as Marvel Studios managed to keep her appearance under wraps.
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Speaking with Variety, Lynch fondly recalled her dramatic return to the MCU as Captain Marvel in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The actor admitted that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige informed her long "before the world knew" that she would return in that capacity and called the experience "fantastic." Read what Lynch said below.
It was amazing. Kevin Feige told me a long time ago, way before the world knew what was happening with her, which was sad because I really enjoyed Captain Marvel and working with Brie and everyone. But that nice to have this moment for us, actually, for the culture; that was a twist and turn that we never expected. And we were watching ‘WandaVision’ really happy that we get to see Monica’s backstory, but then this twist, these twists that Marvel puts on us without warning, my heart was like, “The world’s not gonna know what to do with themselves after this.” It was fantastic.
Lynch appears to have been overjoyed at the twist of her character's return but also called it "sad" as she admits that she loved her time working on Captain Marvel with Larson. But, like many fans, she did not expect Maria to have a continuing presence within the MCU. Her character first appeared in Captain Marvel, a film set over a decade before Iron Man, but then WandaVision revealed that Maria's death occurred during the Blip. The character's off-screen demise made it seem likely that Lynch would not return to a Marvel film, let alone as a superhero. It was a surprise to many that not only did Maria make an appearance in the Doctor Strange sequel, but she was also Earth-838's Captain Marvel.
Lynch calling the moment a "nice" one for the "culture," likely referencing Black-American culture, shows her pride in a moment where a woman of color takes the mantle of a character as iconic as Captain Marvel. But the moment also appears to reference that in the comics, Maria's daughter, Monica Rambeau, was the first woman to take the name of Captain Marvel before later relinquishing the title and becoming Photon. Although Earth-838 Maria was killed during her battle with the Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, due to the nature of the Multiverse and the breadth of the planned multi-year Multiverse saga, there may be a chance for Lynch to return as Maria one more time.