Marvel Comics is quietly walking things back.
In a newly announced limited series, Carol Danvers is returning to her original identity as Ms. Marvel, complete with the classic look Marvel once abandoned.
The move comes after years of pushing Captain Marvel front and center across comics and the MCU, a push that clearly failed to stick.
The irony isn’t subtle. Marvel’s own tagline for the series says it all: “HIGHER. FURTHER. FORGOTTEN.”
Carol Danvers Was Ms. Marvel Before Marvel Went Woke
Carol Danvers was Ms. Marvel for decades before Marvel rebranded her as Captain Marvel. The original plan inside Marvel was reportedly to bring back the real Captain Marvel during Secret Invasion, restoring the legacy properly.
That plan was scrapped.
Instead, Marvel elevated Carol Danvers into the Captain Marvel role and then introduced Kamala Khan as the new Ms. Marvel. The change synced up perfectly with Disney’s MCU strategy, which positioned Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel as their planned cornerstone character.
That strategy didn’t age well.
The MCU Experiment Failed
Captain Marvel crossed $1 billion at the box office, but the timing did most of the work. The movie was sandwiched between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, riding peak MCU momentum.
Once that momentum vanished, reality set in.
The Marvels, starring both Brie Larson as Captain Marvel and Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel, became the worst-performing MCU film at the box office. It wasn’t close. The audience simply didn’t show up.
The Disney+ Ms. Marvel series didn’t fare any better. Same for Marvel Zombies. Viewership was weak, and interest dropped fast. Marvel tried to force a new status quo, and fans rejected it across the board.
Marvel Comics Brings Back Ms. Marvel
Now Marvel Comics is hitting reverse.
Captain Marvel: Dark Past is a five-issue limited series that sends Carol Danvers back to her days as Ms. Marvel. The story digs into lost memories, buried secrets, and a past Marvel once tried to erase.
The official synopsis leans hard into nostalgia and regret. Carol is forced to confront her time as Ms. Marvel after a new threat exposes a dark family secret tied to her forgotten history. The message is clear: the past still matters, even if Marvel tried to move on.
And yes, the classic Ms. Marvel costume is back as well. Maybe we’ll see Brie Larson sporting the suit in the MCU???
Captain Marvel: Dark Past Details
Captain Marvel: Dark Past #1
Written by Paul Jenkins
Art and cover by Lucas Werneck
On sale April 1
The series is written by Paul Jenkins, returning to Marvel alongside his upcoming Sentry project, with art by Lucas Werneck. Jenkins openly acknowledges Carol’s long history as Ms. Marvel, Warbird, and Binary, calling it rich material worth revisiting.
Marvel can spin this as a character study all they want, but the timing says more than the press release ever could.
After years of pushing Captain Marvel and Kamala Khan, Marvel is once again betting on the version of Carol Danvers fans actually supported.
Higher. Further. Forgotten.
