Maria Rambeau

Captain Maria Rambeau is a recurring character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She appears as a major character in Captain Marvel, a posthumous character in the Disney+ tv series WandaVision, and the posthumous overarching protagonist in the 2023 sequel The Marvels.
Maria is the best friend of Captain Marvel and mother of Monica Rambeau. She became friends with Carol Danvers while becoming an officer in the United States Air Force, and later helps her fight the Kree and regain her memories. Maria later became the founder of S.W.O.R.D. and lost her daughter during the Snap before passing away from cancer in 2020.
She is portrayed by Lashana Lynch, who also played Nomi in No Time to Die and alternate versions of Rambeau in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Marvels.
==Biography==
===Early Life===
Maria Rambeau joined the United States Air Force, and became the best friend of fellow cadet, Carol Danvers. At an unknown time, Maria had a daughter named Monica, and made Carol her daughter's godmother. Carol became an important person for the Rambeau family, as she wasn't close to her family, and supported Maria when both were doubted to complete their training. The two eventually completed their training and became captains in the Air Force, and the two went to Pancho's Bar to celebrate.
Due to restrictions in the military at the time, Maria and Carol weren't allowed to fly in combat, but were offered to become test projects for Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. under Doctor Wendy Lawson. Rambeau was given the callsign "Photon", and showed off her flying skills with Carol, thus gaining the respect of Dr. Lawson and other officers.
Maria would later learn the plane crash that presumably killed Carol and Dr. Lawson, leaving Rambeau devastated. After her service in the Air Force, Maria put her time on raising Monica on her own. Unbeknownst to Maria, Dr. Lawson was a alien from the race of Kree named Mar-Vell, who defected the Kree empire and fled to Earth where she secretly began development of an inter-galactic travel engine powered by the Teserract until Starforce Commander Yon-Rogg was sent to assassinate Mar-Vell during a test run of the engine which resulted in the plane crash. Carol meanwhile was hit by a massive surge of cosmic energy from the Tesseract engine which granted her superpowers but wiped her memory, so Yon-Rogg abducted Carol leading everyone to believe Lawson and Danvers were dead.
===Captain Marvel===
Maria and Monica reunited with Carol when she returned to Earth, and greeted her and her new friend, S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury. The two informed Maria of what happened and what Carol experienced for the last six years, and was able to make Maria believe that she got powers after heating a kettle with her hands. Maria offered Carol to help her deal with her amnesia.
The group were interrupted by Talos, who had tracked Carol and Fury, and Maria saw him impersonating her and being with Monica. After a tense moment, Talos convinced them he had not come to fight, and Maria sent Monica to play outside, and played the black box recording of Carl's plane crash. Carol recovered her memories, and felt lots and confused about her identity, but Maria comforted her. Carol decided to make things right with the Skrulls by helping them find Dr. Lawson's lab, and asked Maria to be her co-pilot.
The group arrived at the laboratory in a Quadjet where they found more Skrulls and the Tesseract, but they were ambushed and captured by Starforce. Carol managed to break out and set them free, and Maria stuck with Fury to get the Skrull refugees to Earth safely. Starforce member Minn-Erva followed them in a dropship, and Maria was forced into air combat over the Mojave Desert. Maria managed to outmaneuver Minn-Erva and shoot her dropship out of the sky, killing her. Yon-Rogg arrived to the battle and shot the Quadjet, but Carol intercepted him and later sent him back to the Kree, saving Maria and the others.
Afterward, Maria and the group celebrated their victory over the Kree, and had a dinner with the others. Carol decided she would help the Skrulls find a new home and fight off the Kree for their lies and actions, and said goodbye to Maria, Monica and Fury.
===WandaVision===
After Carol left Earth a second time Maria went on to become the founder S.W.O.R.D. with Monica becoming an agent and later captain. In 2018 Maria was diagnosed with cancer. Maria's cancer was treated successfully and was about to be released from the hospital when suddenly The Snap happened; Maria was spared but Monica was one of the victims. 2 years later Maria's cancer returned and Maria died soon afterwards.
In 2023, Hulk undid the Snap returning everyone who had been killed by Thanos including Monica. Monica initially assumed she had fallen asleep for 20 minutes before being told that she disappeared for 5 years and Maria has been dead for 3 years which devastated her.
==Gallery==
Photon promo art.jpg|Promotional art of Maria.
Maria promo art.jpg
Carol-and-Rambeau.jpg|Maria and Carol.
Maria Rambeau 1995.png
Maria Rambeau '95.png
Carol-hugs-Maria.png|Maria comforts Carol.
==Trivia==
*DeWanda Wise was originally cast for the role, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.
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