“The Marvels” is the 33rd installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and featuring a female superhero trio, starring Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani.
The Marvels
(Walt Disney Pictures)
- Directed by Nia DaCosta
- Written by Nia DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, Elissa Karasik
- Based on Marvel Comics Produced by Kevin Feige
- Starring Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Park Seo-joon, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, Samuel L. Jackson
Studio Synopsis:
Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel 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 aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as “The Marvels.”
J.P.’s Take:
I’ve learned over the years that viewers of Marvel outings have become bored of the “post blip” follow-ups after “The Avengers: End Games,” which are just exhibitions of overstuffed character showcases. Being a fan of Marvel myself, I wasn’t necessarily bored … just exhausted.
Writer/director Nia DaCosta (“Little Woods,” “Candyman”) with writers Megan McDonnell (“WandaVision”) and Elissa Karasik (“Loki”) appear to have broken the mold of the stale hero cannon with a fresh and energetic new franchise. What’s intriguing about “The Marvels” is that it falls between two Disney+ series, “WandaVision” and “Ms. Marvel,” while being the connective tissue for the cinematic outing of “Captain Marvel.” This film seems to do this seamlessly, as they share characters and story pieces to align the three.
With that said, “The Marvels” has the potential to bring something up-to-date and refreshing to the table. Its claim to fame is its zippy action scenes, efficient storytelling, and charismatic cast of characters with the right chemistry.
The dynamic between the trio of heroines, Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), is admirable. They add a unique flare to battles, especially in scenes where they swap powers in each sequence.
It also carries a bit of comedy like its cousin “Guardians of the Galaxy,” especially in scenes with the alien creature called a Flerken disguised as a cat named Goose, which has tentacles spewing from its mouth. Kamala Khan’s crush on the illustrious Captain Marvel also makes for some cutesy and silly moments. There is a moment when Captain Marvel and her crew visit the people of Aladna, a race of humanoids who use song as a prominent form of communication. We viewers couldn’t help but have a good giggle, as those scenes felt like something out of a Disney animated feature than a Marvel entity. Then again, par for the course, as Marvel is under Disney’s umbrella.
A diverse cast is also this film’s forte. Among the ensemble, “The Marvels” features Zawe Ashton playing Supremor Dar-Benn; Gary Lewis as Emperor Dro’ge, the head of the Skrull colony on the planet Tarnax; Park Seo-joon takes on the role of Prince Yan, the charming prince of the planet Aladna and Danvers’ husband and ally; Zenobia Shroff appears as Muneeba Khan, Kamala’s mother; Mohan Kapur as Yusuf Khan, Kamala’s father; Saagar Shaikh plays Aamir Khan, Kamala’s older brother; and Samuel L. Jackson reprising his role as Nick Fury, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. now working at S.A.B.E.R. in deep space with the Skrulls.
The rest of the cast comprises of Lashana Lynch and Tessa Thompson reprising their respective roles from previous MCU media as Maria Rambeau and Valkyrie; Leila Farzad and Abraham Popoola play S.A.B.E.R. workers Talia and Dag; and Daniel Ings portraying Ty-Rone, a Kree scientist. Additionally, Hailee Steinfeld makes a cameo appearance as Kate Bishop from the Disney+ miniseries “Hawkeye” and there’s another one in the mid-credits scene featuring a character seen in “X-Men: The Last Stand” and “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”
Suffice it to say, the filmmakers make efficient use of the story, keeping it under 2 hours and providing fans with a fresh look at a unique heroine. It’s zany fun without too much fluff or overdrawn backstory pieces. I have a feeling this will see another sequel, and I’ll be happy to stand in line for it. “The Marvels” just may revive Marvel’s stalling hero scene.
Official Site: The Marvels