WandaVision: Yes, Teyonah Parris Is Playing Monica Rambeau, and Here's What It Means

Image Source: YouTube user MarvelEntertainment

There are a lot of reasons to be excited about the unexpected trailer drop for Marvel's WandaVision during Sunday night's Emmys airing, but one of the biggest elements of excitement is the too-brief cameo of actress Teyonah Parris. Not only is Parris a phenomenal actress, but she's also bringing a very important character to the Disney+ series: Monica Rambeau. Yes, that's the very same Monica we were introduced to in 2019's Captain Marvel, though she's obviously a bit older.

For those who don't know, Monica is the first woman to hold the Captain Marvel mantle in the comics, after Marvel trademarked the name. She's a lieutenant in the New Orleans harbour patrol who gained the ability to convert her body to energy after exposure to extradimensional energies. She eventually gives up the Captain Marvel name to Genis-Vell, the son of the original Captain Marvel, out of respect for her predecessor, and goes on to use several other names including Photon and most recently Spectrum.

In Captain Marvel, Monica (played by Akira Akbar) makes her first-ever cinematic appearance as the 11-year-old daughter of fighter pilot Maria Rambeau, best friend to one Carol Danvers.

Image Source: Everett Collection

In the WandaVision trailer, Monica's appearance is both brief yet also a hint to the magical chaos the series will no doubt be full of. We see a figure being thrown through some kind of energy field, and when they land, they reveal themselves to be Monica dressed in clothing from the '70s. The red energy surrounding her resembles the aura Wanda usually emits when using her power, so it's most likely Monica has been shoved by the Scarlet Witch herself. The question is, where was she before, and why did Wanda feel the need to cast her out?

We won't know those answers until the series premieres in December, but there's plenty of material to speculate! If Parris's role is as big as we hope, this may lead to her gaining her comic-book abilities (unless she already has them) and segue to a large part in the upcoming Captain Marvel sequel. Maybe she'll take over the mantle from Brie Larson's Carol or nab one of her many other superhero monikers and lead the charge for a new team of Avengers. There are so many possibilities!