Why The Marvels Cut Monica Rambeau’s Superhero Name

Monica Rameau was a central character in The Marvels, and despite a comic book precedent, never actually received her superhero name during the movie. The actor who portrayed Monica Rambeau, Teyonah Parris, has since commented on her character’s lack of an official superhero moniker, offering additional details that only confound this circumstance further. With the dramatic conclusion to The Marvels teasing several future narratives in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Monica could finally receive a superhero name in a future installment in the MCU timeline, drawing from her comic book legacy.

Monica Rambeau made her cinematic debut in Captain Marvel, as the child of Carol Danvers’ friend, Maria. Teyonah Parris then took over the role to play an adult version in WandaVision and The Marvels, during which Monica reunited with Danvers, and encountered the young hero Kamala Khan. Though Monica Rambeau assumed her superhero persona in The Marvels, her actual superhero name was never explicitly stated – but this omission may have been a later alteration to the movie, as has been more recently revealed.

Related

Every Upcoming Marvel Movie: Full MCU Phase 5 & 6 List (& Beyond)

Between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment, here is every upcoming Marvel movie release date and what we know about the projects so far.

Teyonah Parris Comments On Monica’s Missing Nickname

Monica Rambeau boasts a litany of superhero aliases that could have been revealed during The Marvels, providing the character with a more complete cinematic depiction. However, none of these names were chosen, and Monica is left without her official superhero title throughout her MCU appearances. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Teyonah Parris revealed that Monica’s superhero name had been decided, and was even supposed to be included in The Marvels, but was for some reason cut from the movie. Parris explained:

“We chose them! It. We chose it. And then I watched the movie, and I was like, “Wait. Did I miss it? Was it in there? Did we cut it?” … I do not know what the name is officially because we filmed it, and then it didn’t make the movie. So if it doesn’t make the movie, I’m guessing it doesn’t really exist in the MCU canon yet.”

The MCU is known for ensuring beloved characters’ elaborate backstories are considered during production, even if elements never actually make it onto the screen. However, the conspicuous absence of Monica’s superhero moniker was a particularly glaring omission – though it was overshadowed by The Marvels‘ shocking post-credits sequence. It’s reassuring to learn that, at the very least, Monica was given her superhero name during the production of The Marvels.

What Was Monica’s Nickname In The Marvels?

Iman Vellani, who played Kamala Khan in The Marvels, revealed in an interview with Yahoo News that the MCU had given Monica Rambeau her superhero name, Photon. According to Villani, the original version of The Marvels’ climactic final scene depicted the battle with Zawe Ashton’s villainous Dar-Benn. During the final confrontation, Monica was supposed to be given the name Photon, receiving her superhero title moments before she is sucked into the parallel universe in which the X-Men reside. This, however, was cut from the final scene, leaving Monica’s superhero title still unconfirmed within the MCU continuity.

Why The Marvels Cut Photon’s Name Reveal

Removing the dialogue where Monica is christened with the name Photon may have been a conspicuous omission, but the scene works far better without it. The scene culminates in Monica sacrificing herself to save her fellow heroes and the entire universe. Pausing this to reveal Monica’s superhero name would have completely undermined the gravity of the scene. As Vellani explains:

“It was a cool moment, but I think they took it out for a good reason… It wouldn’t make sense tonally if Monica is about to sacrifice herself and we’re like, ‘But your code name!'””

As Vellani astutely observes, halting the action to bestow Monica with her Photon title would have hampered the movie’s flow, and would have endangered The Marvels‘ emotional stakes. Furthermore, leaving Monica’s name undetermined will give the character numerous narrative directions in future movies. This could prove particularly useful following Disney’s new release plan for Marvel, which could jeopardize the character’s future involvement if not attached to a “stronger” franchise.

Related

The Marvels Must Solve A Big Monica Rambeau Mystery

The Marvels has a couple of mysteries to solve, but the tension between Monica Rambeau and Captain Marvel should be a top priority.

Why Monica’s Superhero Name Is Confusing

Monica Rambeau’s superhero name is a particularly confusing aspect in The Marvels because the character has been known by several aliases in Marvel Comics. When Monica was first introduced in Marvel Comics in 1982, she assumed the Captain Marvel title, and continued operating under this name until 1996, when she officially became Photon. However, Monica has also been known by the names Monica Marvel, Sun Goddess, Lady of Light, Spectrum, Daystar, and Pulsar, making her one of the most difficult to decisively name in MCU adaptations.

This, of course, has since been further complicated by omitting Monica’s superhero name in The Marvels entirely, proffering no official confirmation outside of cast interviews. Consequently, Monica’s superhero identity remains unverified in the universe itself – an issue that is further problematized by the other main characters in The Marvels and their names.

In the comics, Carol Danvers was originally known as Ms. Marvel for years, before going by Warbird and Binary. Danvers finally assumed the mantle of Captain Marvel in 2012. It was at this point that Kamala Khan was introduced as Ms. Marvel in Marvel Comics. Therefore, the three principal heroes in The Marvels have undergone notable name changes before their MCU debuts, even swapping the Captain Marvel moniker. All of this confusion may also have contributed to Marvel’s decision not to bestow Monica with her superhero title in The Marvels.

Sources: Entertainment Tonight, Yahoo News

The Marvels

PG-13

The Marvels sees the long-awaited team-up of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) as the trio work together to find out how their powers have become inextricably linked. Acting as a sequel to both Captain Marvel (2019) and the Ms. Marvel television show, The Marvels is the 33rd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Director

Nia DaCosta

Release Date

November 10, 2023

Studio(s)

Marvel

Distributor(s)

Disney

Writers

Nia DaCosta , Zeb Wells , Elissa Karasik

Cast

Brie Larson , Teyonah Parris , Iman Vellani , Zawe Ashton , Gary Lewis , Park Seo-joon , Zenobia Shroff , Mohan Kapur , Saagar Shaikh , Samuel L. Jackson

Runtime

105 Minutes

Where To Stream

Disney+