Who is Doctor Minn-Erva?

The upcoming Captain Marvel, set in the 90s, brings some familiar faces to the cast but also introduces new characters to the MCU. One new character you’ll meet is Gemma Chan’s Minn-Erva. A member of Starforce, she’ll be joining the team of Kree warriors led by Captain Marvel and Jude Law’s character (theorized to be Mar-Vell).

Just who is Minn-Erva in Marvel Comics? And what role could she play in Captain Marvel? Let’s break down Gemma Chan’s appearance in the MCU and what we’d like to see her do and where her character could go.

Who is Doctor Minn-Erva?

The original Minn-Erva was a Kree scientist who sought Captain Mar-Vell, not Carol Danvers. Dr. Minn-Erva believed that Mar-Vell possessed a genetic code that could “save” the Kree race. She hunted him down hoping to breed with him. After kidnapping Rick Jones, Mar-Vell’s side kick, she held him hostage in the hopes of getting Mar-Vell’s attention. Rick was freed, but Mar-Vell was summoned by the Kree science council and got cancer before she could “complete” her plans.

Minn-Erva was behind a device that could enhance Kree abilities called the Psyche-Megatron. She fell in love with a Kree commander known as Captain Att-Lass and used the machine to enhance both of their abilities. The two ran afoul of Quasar, a former SHIELD agent who had become attached to a pair of gauntlets similar to Captain Mar-Vell’s. Mar-Vell’s gauntlets had given him a form of cancer, and Minn-Erva and Att-Lass sought to steal Quasar’s. They failed and soon broke into Mar-Vell’s tomb to steal the bands.

The pair battled the Avengers and were captured. Att-lass was freed and Minn-Erva escaped on her own. The pair joined Starforce and committed themselves to take down the Avengers. Since then Minn-Erva has crossed paths with multiple cosmic entities. Her goal is the advancement of the Kree race through genetics, unlocking Kree DNA’s true potential.

What Role She Could Play in Captain Marvel?

The trailer has shown us Minn-Erva in Starforce and paints Starforce as more of a “protective” force against the Skrull threat. She’s barely mentioned, but she could play a pivotal role on the team and in the movie. As a scientist, Minn-Erva would have access to the tools that would make Carol into a Kree soldier and give her super powers.

And the science she uses may not be new to fans of the MCU. The third season of Agents of SHIELD focused on just how the Kree made inhumans. The same technology could be used on Carol Danvers. There’s a scene in the trailer that shows someone being injected with Kree blood/DNA. That someone, is most likely Carol and the person running the machine could be Minn-Erva.

If Carol has the DNA strand that could enhance the Kree race, Carol could be the person that Minn-Erva becomes obsessed with. She could be a villain hiding in plain sight, or at least a villain in the making.

Why She Should Stick Around The MCU:

Captain Marvel needs a rogue’s gallery, and they’re picking some incredible cosmic characters for her to go up against in her first film. Every single one of them, from Ronan to Korath, have long histories in the MCU itself. Minn-Erva could rejoin them, lurking in the MCU to cause more devastation and damage in phase 4. With her skills as a scientist, she could be an origin story for people with powers.

For good or ill, she could be a source of new characters, powered or otherwise. Korath and Ronan lasted for more than two movies and she deserves the same. Couple that with the talent of Gemma Chan and Marvel needs to keep this character in the MCU.

Are you excited to see Gemma Chan and Doctor Minn-Erva in the MCU? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Captain Marvel soars into theaters March 8th, 2019.