Marvel could certainly use a big win at this point. While it had some box office success with ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’, most recent big screen release ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ didn’t work so well. And on TV, ‘Secret Invasion’ appears to be driving discussions in the wrong direction when it comes to quality and reactions.
The pressure is certainly on ‘The Marvels’, then, as it must follow up not just ‘Captain Marvel’ but also ‘Ms. Marvel’, while also furthering the story of Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), who we met as a child in ‘Captain Marvel’ and as an adult –– who acquired her own set of powers –– in ‘WandaVision’.
Brie Larson as Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers in Marvel Studios' 'The Marvels.' Photo by Laura Radford. © 2023 Marvel.
And around all of that, throw in the usual big threat our heroes will have to face, with an assist from Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury. Oh, and it’ll have to remind everyone of why we love Marvel’s output.
What’s the story of ‘The Marvels’?
(L to R) Brie Larson as Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers and Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan in Marvel Studios' 'The Marvels.' Photo by Laura Radford. © 2023 Marvel.
Directed by ‘Candyman’s Nia DaCosta, working from a script she wrote alongside Megan McDonnell, Elissa Karasik and Zeb Wells, the new film has a lot going on.
Carol Danvers has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Rambeau.
When they start switching places whenever they use their powers, this unlikely trio figures out they must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe…
Teyonah Parris as Captain Monica Rambeau in Marvel Studios' 'The Marvels.' Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 Marvel.
Related Article: ‘Secret Invasion’ Global Virtual Press Conference
Who else is in ‘The Marvels’?
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in Marvel Studios' 'The Marvels.' Photo by Laura Radford. © 2023 Marvel.
In addition to the three main heroes (and Jackson’s Fury), the cast also includes Zawe Ashton as the antagonist, Dar-Benn, Park Seo-joon, Zenobia Shroff, Saagar Shaikh and Mohan Kapur, the latter three playing members of Kamala Khan’s family who we met in ‘Ms. Marvel’.
And no forgetting there is the return of Goose, the cat-like “Flerkin” creature with some hidden surprises. From the looks of the new trailer, we’ll meet more of Goose’s species.
Goose the Flerken in Marvel Studios' 'The Marvels.' Photo by Laura Radford. © 2023 Marvel.
DaCosta on working with Marvel
Director Nia DaCosta on the set of Marvel Studios' 'The Marvels.' Photo by Laura Radford. © 2023 Marvel.
While her background is indie drama and horror, DaCosta, the director has comic book bona fides and explained her experience to Entertainment Weekly.
“I’m a big nerd from New York City, and here was this hero who was a big nerd from Jersey City, writing fan fiction the way I used to when I was that age. It was really fun to feel close to that character in that really specific way, in a way you don’t often feel when it’s Iron Man or Thor. That was so exciting to me, knowing that I could be a part of bringing this character who I’ve loved for a decade to the big screen. The biggest challenge was finding the balance between my point of view as a director and as a comic book nerd. Obviously, there are changes between the comics and the movies, and sometimes I’m like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa!’ Sometimes [Marvel Studios boss] Kevin Feige would be like, ‘You're being too much of a nerd. Please stop.’”
‘The Marvels’ will be in theaters on November 10th.
Brie Larson as Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers in Marvel Studios' 'The Marvels.' Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 Marvel.
Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan in Marvel Studios' 'The Marvels.' Photo by Laura Radford. © 2023 Marvel.
Goose the Flerken in Marvel Studios' 'The Marvels.' Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 Marvel.
Flerkittens in Marvel Studios' 'The Marvels.' Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 Marvel.
Zawe Ashton as Dar-Benn in Marvel Studios' 'The Marvels.' Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 Marvel.
Zawe Ashton as Dar-Benn in Marvel Studios' 'The Marvels.' Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 Marvel.
Other Movies Similar to ‘The Marvels:’
- ‘Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014)
- ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' (2017)
- 'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018)
- 'Captain Marvel' (2019)
- ‘Avengers: Endgame' (2019)
- 'The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special' (2022)
- 'Thor: Love and Thunder' (2022)
Buy 'Captain Marvel' On Amazon
‘The Marvels’ is produced by Marvel Studios, and Kevin Feige Productions. It is set to release in theaters on November 10th, 2023.
