WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Captain Marvel, in theaters now.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always growing, always expanding to feature new characters with each and every entry in the franchise. Eagle-eyed fans are usually even able to guess at which characters are coming next thanks to small cameos featured throughout the films, such as the mention of Stephen Strange in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

However, one such hint from Captain Marvel might tease a potential threat that could endanger the entire universe. A small but specific moment from the film hints at the MCU introduction of Galactus himself, and could set up the arrival of the world-eater in future films.

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Galactus

The Devourer of Worlds

Galactus was first introduced during Fantastic Four #48 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, alongside his herald Silver Surfer. Coming up against the Fantastic Four, Galactus almost destroyed the Earth in his very first appearance. It took three issues for the team to stop him (which was an incredibly long time during the faster paced Silver Age), and in the process turned Galactus into one of the most dangerous and memorable antagonists in the entire Marvel Universe.

Galactus has gone on to receive a great deal of attention over the years, and was eventually revealed to be the last survivor of the universe that existed before the Big Bang. Turned into a celestial power by the creation of the current universe, he consumes worlds across the cosmos to feed his power. Alien armies flee in abject terror when he comes to their worlds, and Galactus is responsible for the destruction of countless planets.

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But Galactus is not a mindless threat. He has a strange sense of honor and even a begrudging respect for humanity. Galactus has gone through plenty of changes over the years, even being transformed into a golden creator by the Ultimates before having to revert to his former self in the aftermath of Infinity Countdown.

NEXT PAGE: The Skrulls' Backstory Hints at the Arrival of the World-Eater

The Skrull Home World

Originally introduced as the villain of Captain Marvel, Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) is the commander of a band of Skrulls that have blended in on Earth. However, it's eventually revealed that the Skrulls are not actually invading the planet, as their comic book counterparts often attempt to do. Instead, they are refugees on the run from the Kree and trying to find a new place to call home. Talos even briefly mentions that the planet they originally called home had been destroyed.

Talos doesn't offer any explanation beyond that, just that his world is no longer a viable option. It could be interpreted as the Kree targeting the world, but that isn't a given. However, the loss of that exact same planet has been explored in the comics, and the reason has one name: Galactus.

In Fantastic Four #257 (written and penciled by John Bryne with colors by Glynis Wein,) a weakened Galactus came to the Skrull home world of Tarnax IV and consumed it. Doing so wiped out the central government of the Skrull Empire and set in motion countless stories where different factions of the surviving Skrulls traveled the universe and went to war with the other members of the galaxy.

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What This Means Going Forward

Galactus previously couldn't appear in the MCU. Since the character was first introduced (and is often most closely tied to) the Fantastic Four, the rights to the character were previously held by 20th Century Fox. A version of the character appeared in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, but the less said about that giant cloud shaped like Galactus, the better.

However, with the purchase of the 20th Century Fox film rights by Disney, all the characters belonging to the Fantastic Four and X-Men franchises will soon be able to appear in future MCU films. Galactus is such a potent threat that it's only a matter of time before the character makes an appearance in the cinematic universe.

If that's the case, then Captain Marvel could secretly be instrumental in introducing the character. The revelation that he destroyed the Skrull home world would tie the events of Captain Marvel closer to future films and make what seems like a throwaway line of dialogue into one of the biggest teases for the future of the franchise. We're not saying he's going to appear in Avengers: Endgame or anything, but this throwaway line could easily be hinting at his eventual appearance in the MCU.

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Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck from a script they wrote with Liz Flahive, Carly Mensch, Meg LeFauve, Nicole Perlman and Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Captain Marvel stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Jude Law as the commander of Starforce, Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson, Lee Pace as Ronan the Accuser, Djimon Hounsou as Korath the Pursuer, Gemma Chan as Minn-Erva, Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, Lashana Lynch as Maria Rambeau, Algenis Perez Soto as Att-Lass, McKenna Grace as a young Carol Danvers and Annette Bening as the Supreme Intelligence.