As always, fans have been paying close attention to the details in Marvel Studios' films and shows, hoping to find hidden clues that could indicate what will happen next in the overall story. Rarely do their theories get acknowledged by Marvel, which is why it was such a big deal when Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios himself, made a nod to one fan's MCU theory on Twitter.
It all started when Feige hosted a watch party for Black Widow, which was released in theatres and on Disney Plus earlier this month. During the online event, viewers sent Feige their burning questions, but one, in particular, seemed to really pique his interest. When a fan asked him if we would be seeing Julia Louis-Dreyfus's Valentina Allegra de Fontaine sometime soon (since the post-credits scene clearly hinted at more to come from her character), Feige not only said yes, but he also brought up a random fan theory into the discussion to elaborate on his answer.
The theory posits that the TVA logo spells VAL upside-down, which could hint at a connection between Valentina and Kang the Conqueror, who was teased in the Loki season finale as Jonathan Majors' He Who Remains. In comic book lore, Kang is a major villain who has fought against some of Marvel's biggest superhero teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four. He also has several variants of himself that exist in alternate realities, which many fans believe will be making important appearances throughout Phase 4. Given Feige's acknowledgment of the TVA logo theory, fans are now wondering: could Valentina be a Kang variant, and if so, what could she be up to?
The Black Widow post-credits scene seems to show Valentina sending Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova for a secret mission to kill Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye. However, many fans believe that Valentina has a bigger plan in mind, one that involves assembling a new group of heroes. Should Yelena Belova will end up recruiting Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop during her mission, Valentina will already have three heroes under her control: the two heroines, plus U.S. Agent John Walker, who she previously recruited in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Could Valentina be setting up Yelena Belova to be the new Black Widow, Kate Bishop to be the new Hawkeye, and John Walker to be the new Captain America? Only time will tell.
By now, Marvel has made it clear that its next era will be all about the multiverse. So far, Phase 4 has been focused on expanding the concept, with WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki revealing how time and reality work within the MCU.
You can catch Valentina's latest appearance in Black Widow, now streaming on Disney Plus.
Source: Marvel Studios | Twitter