The Marvels (other)

''The Marvels'' is a 2023 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel to the film '' Captain Marvel'' (2019), a continuation of the television miniseries '' Ms. Marvel'' (2022), and the 33rd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Nia DaCosta, who co-wrote the screenplay with Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik. It stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, and Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel, alongside Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Park Seo-joon, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, and Samuel L. Jackson. In the film, Danvers, Rambeau, and Kamala team up as "the Marvels" after they begin swapping places with each other every time they use their powers.

Marvel Studios confirmed plans to make a sequel to ''Captain Marvel'' in July 2019. Development began in January 2020 with McDonnell hired after working on the television miniseries '' WandaVision'' (2021). Larson was set to return from the first film as Danvers, and DaCosta was hired to direct that August. In December, Parris was revealed to be reprising her role as Rambeau from ''WandaVision'' alongside Vellani returning as Kamala from ''Ms. Marvel''. Second unit filming began in mid-April 2021 in New Jersey, and the title—referring to the three characters and their similar abilities—was revealed in early May. Principal photography began in July 2021 and concluded by mid-May 2022, taking place at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire and Longcross Studios in Surrey, England, as well as in Los Angeles and Tropea, Italy. Karasik's involvement was revealed during post-production.

''The Marvels'' premiered in Las Vegas on November 7, 2023, and was released in the United States on November 10 as part of Phase Five of the MCU. It received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its performances but criticism for its script and tonal inconsistencies. The film was a box-office bomb, grossing $206 million worldwide against a gross production budget of $274.8 million, making it the lowest-grossing film in the MCU and one of the few MCU films not to break-even in its theatrical run.

Plot

Carol Danvers destroys the Supreme Intelligence, the artificial intelligence that leads the Kree empire. This leads to a civil war on planet Hala, the Kree home world, rendering the planet barren as it loses its air, water, and sunlight over the next 30 years.

The Kree's new leader Dar-Benn discovers one of the two legendary Quantum Bands, which were previously used to create a network that allows fast travel across space. She uses the Band to forcibly open a new jump point that connects to the network. The resulting anomaly impacts the entire network, including a jump point near Earth's S.A.B.E.R. space station run by Nick Fury. Captain Monica Rambeau investigates the jump point near S.A.B.E.R. while Danvers investigates the new one that Dar-Benn opened. When they touch their respective jump points, Rambeau is transported to Danvers's location, Kamala Khan—who has the other Quantum Band on Earth—is transported to Rambeau's location, and Danvers is transported to Kamala's house. The three use their different light-based powers to fight off Kree enemies, leaving the Khan family home destroyed.

After the trio return to their original places, Fury and Rambeau visit Kamala on Earth. Rambeau surmises that their light-based powers are linked through quantum entanglement and that they switch places when any of the three use their powers simultaneously. They join up at a Skrull refugee colony on planet Tarnax, which Danvers helped found and where a peace treaty is being negotiated with the Kree. When talks break down, Dar-Benn rips open another jump point which siphons the atmosphere from Tarnax to restore breathable air to Hala. After a hasty effort to evacuate the colony, Danvers, Rambeau, and Kamala form a team that Kamala names "the Marvels". Danvers explains that Dar-Benn's repeated rupturing of jump points is causing instability in the network and endangering the entire universe. They deduce that Dar-Benn is targeting planets that are meaningful to Danvers, whom Dar-Benn blames for the desolation of Hala.

The Marvels reach the water planet Aladna and warn Danvers' husband, Prince Yan, before Dar-Benn arrives and tears open a jump point, drawing the planet's water to Hala. Her final plan is to seize the energy from Earth's sun to restore that of Hala's sun. Dar-Benn steals Kamala's Band and attempts to use both Bands, but this destroys Dar-Benn, ends the Marvels' entanglement, and leaves behind a rupture between realities. Kamala reclaims the Bands and joins Danvers to energize Rambeau, allowing her to close the hole from the other side, but stranding her in the process. Kamala returns to Earth and Danvers flies into Hala's sun, using her power to restore it.

The short-lived team-up inspires Kamala to seek out other young heroes and form a new group, starting with Kate Bishop. In a mid-credits scene, Rambeau awakes in a parallel universe where she is greeted by Binary—an alternate version of her mother Maria—and the mutant scientist Hank McCoy.

Cast

* Brie Larson as Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel:
An Avenger and former United States Air Force fighter pilot whose DNA was altered during an accident, imbuing her with superhuman strength, energy projection and absorption, and flight. Larson said the film would dive deeper into the complexities of Danvers's character after her origin story was established in '' Captain Marvel'' (2019). Since the events of '' Avengers: Endgame'' (2019), Danvers has mostly been off Earth in deep space. Larson said the character had become a "workaholic" and lost touch with her family and friends.
* Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau:
An astronaut for S.A.B.E.R. who has the ability to manipulate all wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. She is the daughter of Danvers's late friend and fellow airwoman Maria Rambeau, and looked up to Danvers as a child. Parris said ''The Marvels'' would further explore Rambeau beyond what was established in the Disney+ miniseries '' WandaVision'' (2021). She boxed to prepare for the role.
* Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel:
A teenage mutant from Jersey City