Following the controversial 2016 storyline “Civil War II”, Marvel Comics launched the team of superheroes known as the Champions The team was composed of teenage superheroes disillusioned with the adults, aiming to do superheroics differently
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Led by Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel, the roster included other members Miles Morales, Nova, Viv Vision, and Amadeus Cho. Following the team’s first mission, they would be joined by a time-displaced teenaged Cyclops. Although Cyclops didn’t stay on the team for its entirety, the character quickly bonded with the team, later calling back on memories he gained as important to him, and became best friends with Ms. Marvel despite their numerous differences.
Back in 2016, Ms. Marvel wasn’t the Mutant-Inhuman she is today, but rather only an Inhuman, a group that historically was at odds with the X-Men. Still, they were able to become friends and maintain a friendship even as Cyclops left the team to rejoin the X-Men and go back to his time.
This friendship was a highlight of the 2016 Champions Run — and with the casting of a teenaged to twenty something Cyclops in Kit Connor — might be exactly what the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs to revitalize Ms. Marvel.
Why Ms. Marvel Worked
Ms. Marvel, debuting in the comics back in 2014, and the MCU in 2022 with actress Iman Vellani, is a character that has proven to work. She resonates with audiences, relatable given her fangirling both over the Avengers at large and Captain Marvel aka Carol Danvers.
Audiences were excited to see themselves in Kamala Khan, Marvel’s first Muslim superhero to headline a Marvel Comic and get her own show. Kamala’s stories centered around her identity as a Pakistani-American Muslim while showing what being a superhero meant to her. In the initial run, her powers cause her to take the form of Carol Danvers, quite literally becoming her hero, but she goes on to learn how to use the powers while staying herself. This plot is removed for the show, letting Kamala keep her form the entire time. Audiences loved Kamala for her strong personality. She’s incredibly loyal to her friends and her community, whether it’s helping organize a vote, standing up to bullies, or challenging notions of islamophobia.
Following the success of her 2022 show, Kamala Khan made her film debut in the 2023 film The Marvels.The film earned mixed reviews, at best.
Current State of Kamala Khan in the MCU
In the aftermath of the Marvels, Kamala Khan’s fate is uncertain. Whether or not she’ll be in Avengers: Doomsdayis unconfirmed, and despite a post-credits scene showing her assembling the Young Avengers, it is uncertain whether that plotline will come to fruition, given the pivot away from Young Avengers’ villain Kang the Conqueror.
The Marvelsmay have waned excitement for Kamala Khan’s character, but she is still a character worth investing in. Ms. Marvelrevealed that she was a mutant, her powers explained as a mutation while the X-Men: The Animated Series theme played in the background. This sets her up as a character that can be woven into the next stage of the MCU: The Mutant Saga.
How a MCU Cyclops & Ms. Marvel Friendship Could Work
Comments from the 2028 X-Men film’s current director Jake Schreirer instructed fans to brush up on comics from both Chris Claremont and Jonathan Hickman for the movie.
While Kamala Khan didn’t exist as a character during the Claremont run — even though she is very Claremont-coded in her archetype as a young woman who will grow up to be a politician like Kitty Pryde – she does exist in the Hickman Run.
During Hickman’s run, Ms. Marvel’s friendship with Cyclops was once again brought to the forefront and she officially became a mutant. Additionally, Kamala Khan is still an active player in X-Men comics. She’s a member of Inglorious X-Forceand her character has popped up occasionally in X-Men United.
With this, it wouldn’t be out of the question to fold Kamala into the X-Men, especially given it was already done in the comics. In the Summer of 2025, X-Men launched a revisitation to beloved X-Men stories such as “Giant Size X-Men”, “The Dark Phoenix Saga”, “Age of Apocalypse“, and “House of M”. These issues included a time displaced Kamala Khan navigating the circumstances and experiencing the events as if she’d been there all along.
Given that Kamala Khan is a Mutant in the MCU, as opposed to an Inhuman and Mutant, she could easily attend the Xavier School or befriend Cyclops after meeting him in a crisis. The Marvelsincluded Kamala’s family but none of her superhero friends, giving greater narrative reason for Kamala to befriend a member of the X-Men if she is going to exist in the MCU going forward.
Highlighting the dynamic between Kamala and Cyclops in the MCU makes sense because it allows for a relaxed, open version of Scott Summers to come out. A common criticism of adaptations of Scott is that they make him too stiff and serious, so a friendship with Ms. Marvel could address these, showing a version of Scott who is more fun-loving.
What friendships are you looking forward to in the next phase of the MCU? Let us know in the comments!
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