The Marvels
At this point, it’s not hard to see why people could be sick of the MCU, with each film or TV show requiring a list of half a dozen or so other films or TV shows to watch to understand everything innately. If that’s annoying, I respect that, and feel free to enjoy your time away from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I’m a bit behind on my own viewing, but I still enjoy Marvel’s grand unified universe, if only because some of the most recent films and shows are leaning into narrative devices and tones that work for me. For those reasons, Nia DaCosta’s “The Marvels” is probably one of the MCU films I’ve enjoyed the most in the post-“Endgame” era. With each film, each show, it’s a matter of the makers sticking to their guns on how they approach the subject matter, and how it ends up, and this one succeeded in doing so, I think.
2019’s “Captain Marvel” is one of the MCU’s most polarizing films, at least if you believe the grifters who made a cottage industry of spreading conspiracy theories about the film, and vitriol about star Brie Larson. I’m not interested in litigating that here; what I will say is that “The Marvels” succeeds, in part, because it not only operates as a follow-up to that film, but 2022’s “Ms. Marvel,” which introduced Captain Marvel superfan Kamala Khan, played by Iman Vellani.
The third person in this film’s trio is Monica Rambeau, played by Teyonah Parris. Monica is the daughter of Carol’s flight partner, Maria, who died of cancer while Monica was blipped out of existence by Thanos. A NASA pilot, she got her powers in the events of “WandaVision,” and has never forgiven Carol for breaking her promise to return. Now, they are put together with Captain Marvel superfan Kamala Khan when a vicious Kree warrior (Dar-Benn, played by Zawe Ashton) uses power found in a bracelet she finds that is like Kamala’s to open jump points across the galaxy to restore Hala, the Kree homeland, to its former glory.
“The Marvels” is more about building off of the elements it’s working into its multiverse saga than profound narrative arcs for the characters, and while it’s disappointing given how engaging the personal stories of “Captain Marvel” and “Ms. Marvel” were, this is ultimately a new kind of team-up movie, and operates under different rules. The personal stuff is still there- the tension between Carol and Monica, the struggle Kamala faces in wanting to help- but also inadvertently changing best laid plans again Dar-Benn (along with keeping her fangirling over being around Captain Marvel at bay)- and three women whom are used to being alone having to figure out a way to work together- but it’s the larger MCU arc that matters. And honestly, the brisk 105-minute running time benefits this film because of how that personal vs. MCU balance plays out. DaCosta directs the actresses terrifically- finding a way to combine Carol’s stoicism and Kamala’s infectious joy in a way that was engaging to me- but Vellani is the film’s MVP; I honestly have a hard time believe people wouldn’t come out of this and see her Kamala as one of the best characters the MCU has introduced since “Endgame,” and maybe even before. This made me want to revisit “Ms. Marvel” as a result.
One of the film’s strengths- for me- is how it leans into the comic book aesthetics of “Ms. Marvel,” while also bringing to mind transition techniques Ang Lee utilized in his 2003 “Hulk” film. That’s very different from anything else Marvel has done, and I was on board for it. And honestly, I was down for more Flerkens and the planet where the citizens speak in song. The film is thin, though, and doesn’t have much to offer from an emotional standpoint, making it hard to put on the same level as the best MCU offerings, including this movie’s immediate predecessors on the big, and small, screen. Everyone understood the assignment, though, and “The Marvels” delivers as one of the most entertaining films of the year, and the new MCU. At least, for this fan, it is.
