Warning: This article includes spoilers for The Marvels
Lashana Lynch made her Marvel debut way back in 2019 in the studio’s first female-led blockbuster, Captain Marvel as Air Force pilot Maria Rambeau. Since then she’s appeared in No Time to Die and other Hollywood titles that have led to her becoming a household name. But with the recently-released sequel to Captain Marvel, The Marvels, did audiences get the chance to see Lynch?
It’s important to know where Lynch’s character is at in the MCU right now and right off the bat things weren’t looking good, with Maria Rambeau dying sometime after the snap. This made it pretty hard for her character to make a return to the franchise. However, Maria’s daughter, Monica, returned for The Marvels, leading to speculation that we could be seeing her mother in some form, such as a flashback or as a voice of guidance in a character’s head.
In fact, Lashana Lynch has already returned to the MCU after her character’s death. In 2022, she played a parallel universe version of Captain Marvel from Earth 838 in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.
Did Lashana Lynch make an appearance?
All of the speculation and discussion was worth it, as Lynch did make an appearance in the film. Though brief, her character, Maria, was seen in the post-credits of the film. Her daughter, Monia, wakes up in a laboratory bed and sees her, although Maria is not the mother she knows. She does not remember her daughter because they are in a different reality, but what is most surprising is what she is wearing.
She can be seen in a red-and-white superhero costume that she has not been seen in before. This costume is speculated to be the same as Binary’s which is a Carol Danvers variant. It is unclear as to what Maria’s role will be moving forward but this could be an indication that she will continue to have a place in the MCU.
What hints were there that Lynch would return?
With Marvel, anything is possible, so it was not out of the question for Lashana to return for the upcoming sequel in some form or another. The actress herself hadn’t completely ruled out the idea. Lynch spoke with the LA Times back in 2021, and she briefly mentioned her role and the possibility of returning to the character.
“But you never know. Weirder things have happened in the franchise. I had a wonderful time on the first one and it would be great to have a wonderful time on another one.”
To add further fuel to the fire, Lynch was seen with The Marvels director Via DaCosta and cast member Teyonah Parris — who plays her daughter in the film — while out for lunch in London.