Spoilers follow for Ms Marvel episode 1.
Ms Marvel has taken her first big step in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The fan favorite superhero's TV show has finally been released on Disney Plus – and it isn't wasting any time in finding its place in Marvel's juggernaut franchise.
How so? Well, Ms Marvel's opening episode contains an Easter egg that directly references Spider-Man: No Way Home. Not only that, but the Disney Plus show makes that connection in a post-credits scene. Yes, we're certainly being spoiled by the latest MCU Phase 4 project.
If you need a hand deciphering what goes down in that post-credits stinger, we're here to help. Below, we'll run you through what plays out in this brief scene, who's involved, and what it potentially sets up for future Ms Marvel episodes.
Be advised: we're diving into full spoiler territory for Ms Marvel's premiere from now on. Don't read past this point unless you've seen the Disney Plus series' first episode, otherwise you'll ruin the surprise for yourself.
Ms Marvel end credits scene explained: who is Agent Cleary working with?
The scene opens with a mysterious woman watching a video of Kamala Khan – aka Ms Marvel – using her superpowers during the very first AvengerCon. This is after Khan puts her grandmother's old bracelet on her arm, which is imbued with mystical abilities allowing Khan to stretch her limbs and create energy-based platforms using cosmic powers, and accidentally showcases her abilities during a Captain Marvel cosplay contest.
Understandably, performing such a feat is sure to attract unwanted interest, hence why this unnamed woman is watching the footage on her mobile phone. She shows the video to one of her work colleagues, saying she's "never seen powers like that". Who's the person she's talking to? None other than Agent Cleary (Arian Moayed), the Department of Damage Control (DODC) employee who interrogated Peter Parker in No Way Home over Mysterio's death.
Responding to his fellow agent, Cleary says they should "bring her in", i.e. track down and arrest Khan to find out how she came to acquire such superpowers. The scene ends before we find out who Cleary's work partner is but, in the end credits sequence, we see that she goes by Agent Sadie Deever, who is played by Orange Is The New Black's Alysia Reiner.
Reiner was rumored to be playing someone called Deever before Ms Marvel launched on Disney Plus. Given that this speculation has proven to be true, it's likely that another part of those rumors is also accurate: that Agent Sadie Deever is the leader of, or at least involved in, an organization called N.I.C.E.
Ms Marvel post-credits scene: who is Agent Deever? And what is N.I.C.E?
Unfortunately, there's no comic book equivalent of Agent Deever or an government organization called N.I.C.E. As such, we can't dig into the backstory of this character or company to learn how they may factor into Ms Marvel's plot (or the MCU as a whole) moving forward.
However, there have been multiple leaks that point at the roles Agent Deever and N.I.C.E will have in the Marvel TV show. Reputable MCU insiders, including The Cosmic Circus and MyTimetoShineHello, have teased their respective roles in proceedings, but this information hasn't been revealed as part of Ms Marvel's plot yet.
If you're interested in learning more about Agent Deever and N.I.C.E, we'll briefly explain their antagonistic roles in the show after the image below. It's pretty spoiler-y, though, so turn back now if you'd rather not know.
According to MyTimetoShineHello, N.I.C.E is a government organization that was set up in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame. It's dedicated to capturing and imprisoning superpowered people that it deems a danger to the public, which isn't a major surprise, given how Endgame, well, ended.
With more and more superheroes emerging on earth and across the Marvel universe, it appears as if the US government is going all-out to combat these individuals and nullify them before they can do any major damage. They were already gearing up to keep superheroes in check with the arrival of the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War. Plenty has happened in the MCU since, so it stands to reason that the authorities would want to strongly clamp down on any superpowered individuals who may pose a threat to the world.
We're sure to find out what N.I.C.E stands for, as well as learn more about its creation, in a future episode. For now, N.I.C.E is certainly gunning for Ms Marvel and, without spoiling anything – we've seen the first two episodes, so read our spoiler-free review for more – they're definitely being positioned in an co-antagonistic role. Best keep your wits about you, Kamala.
