Marvel's Captain Universe May Be Coming to the MCU

Earlier this month, it was reported that actress DeWanda Wise was cast to be the co-lead of the Brie Larson-fronted film, Captain Marvel.

Almost as soon as the official announcement was made, fans began to wonder who the actress could be playing in the ever-expanding tapestry of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While Marvel has yet to make an official confirmation, CBR first wondered if the actress could be playing Monica Rambeau, a character who has strong ties with Captain Marvel in the comics.

But could Wise instead be playing another Marvel cosmic character? One who could prove to be a crucial addition to the Avengers roster, and perhaps have already been teased in a previous MCU movie? What if, instead of Monica Rambeau, Wise is actually playing Tamara Devoux, the female version of Captain Universe?

Tamara Devoux first appeared in Jonathan Hickman and Jerome Opeña's Avengers (Vol. 5) #1. After a car accident left her in a coma for a decade, Tamara was brought back to consciousness by the universe itself, and bestowed with the gift of the Uni-Power. This power is given to someone in times of great danger -- essentially, when the universe recognizes a threat to its own existence, it takes sentient life inside of a living being.

As Captain Universe, Tamara joined with the Avengers in a daring battle that involved Captain America, Captain Marvel and countless other alien races like the Shi'ar banding together against a common threat: the Builders. These terrifyingly dangerous aliens sought to destroy everything that stood in their path as part of Hickman's sprawling Infinity event -- an event that also involved Thanos and the Black Order coming to Earth. The character had a big presence and a very crucial role though all of Hickman's massive Avengers saga, an epic that took the team from Earth to Mars to the end of time itself.

We already know that Thanos and his Black Order will be coming to Earth in Avengers: Infinity War. Since the Order itself first appeared in the Infinity crossover, it stands to reason that some aspects of the comic book storyline will influence the Russo Brothers-directed film. How far will those influences stretch? Will there be mention of the Builders? Will they be a part of, or comprising entirely, Thanos' army? If that is the case, then surely the Avengers might need an ace in the hole to defeat the Mad Titan in Avengers 4, the concluding chapter of this epic story.

This means that the Avengers might be in dire need of firepower, making Tamara's Captain Universe abilities the only possible force to turn the tide of battle. Perhaps Marvel is introducing the character in Captain Marvel, before having the universe take sentience once more in Avengers 4, when the threat of Thanos will be too big for the cosmic entity to ignore. Just like Brie Larson, DeWanda Wise could be introduced in Captain Marvel to make the transition to the Avengers roster.

Plus, it just so happens that we might have already had a tease of Captain Universe in a prior MCU movie. Attentive viewers might recall an early scene in the Benedict Cumberbatch-starring Doctor Strange where the titular surgeon and future Master of the Mystic Arts was in his car. As he drove carelessly in the rain before his fateful crash, Strange took a call from a colleague to talk about a few potential medical cases. One of those cases involved a young schizophrenic woman who was struck by lightning. The brain implant in her head was damaged because of it, and that is why she needed Strange's medical expertise.

Could this young woman be Tamara Devoux? Could her schizophrenia not be schizophrenia at all? Could she be hearing the universe talk to her, and that is why the sentient entity dropped lightning on her, to gift her with the Uni-Power and to ensure that it could still be heard? If this unnamed woman is in a coma like Tamara was after a car accident, she could wake up when she is needed most: after Thanos' initial attack. Perhaps that even the simple fact that it was a car accident that left Tamara in a coma was a clever bit of foreshadowing in a scene that would end with Stephen Strange crashing his own car.

Captain Universe is a mantle that has been worn by many. When the universe is under extreme danger, it calls for a champion. This would explain the introduction of the character in Captain Marvel -- a movie that will involve all manner of extra-terrestrial threats. Whether that movie would leave her comatose or ready for a new host, there's a pretty good chance we could see the arrival of a new cosmic character in the MCU.