Higher. Further. Faster. Together.
The Marvels, released on Nov. 10, is the sequel to the 2019’s Captain Marvel and a direct continuation of the 2022 TV show “Ms. Marvel.” The movie picks up right where the mid-credit scene from the season finale of “Ms. Marvel” left off: following Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan in a space adventure for the ages.
The Marvels is set in Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is a continuation of several other MCU projects. Here’s what to watch before viewing the sequel:
Captain Marvel
The post-credit scene from Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Endgame
“WandaVision”
The mid-credit scene from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
“Ms. Marvel”
“Secret Invasion”
If I’m being completely honest, I had high expectations going into this movie that I guessed wouldn’t be met. After the disappointing character assassination of Cassie Lang, one of my favorite comic book superheroes, in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantamania, I was terrified. Getting these characters right was important for the future of female-led superhero movies, especially since “Ms. Marvel,” and The Marvels had received backlash weeks before the release of the movie.
That being said, I loved this movie. All I can say without spoiling too much is that the fight scenes are spectacular. The first fight of the movie, which was heavily featured in trailers and commercials, was my favorite. I enjoyed the seamlessness of these three superheroes in three vastly different locations. Despite switching places, their movements were fluid from one scene to the next.
After the three heroes met, the chemistry between actresses Brie Larson, Iman Vellani and Teyonah Parris was marvelous. The trio was able to riff off each other in an organic way that brought life to the characters and made their dynamic believable.
Kamala Khan, also known as Ms. Marvel, emulated what all comic book fans would feel meeting their favorite superheroes and then got to live the dream, traveling through space with Carol and Monica.
I haven’t laughed this much during a Marvel movie in a very long time. The three actresses had amazing comedic timing when it came to their characters’ reactions, a stark contrast from Captain Marvel which was packed with Carol’s trauma-filled backstory, setting up her future in the MCU.
Many aspects of Kamala’s solo show bled into the movie, especially her family. The Khans play an integral role, proving that at the heart of it, The Marvels is about family; the ones characters are born into and ones formed through choice like Monica and Carol.
Kamala’s ethnic background isn’t played up to be her only role within the movie. She’s more than her skin color and religion. She is a fully developed character, showcasing Vellani’s performance within the trio. She stood out, bringing comedy to lighten the tension between Monica and Carol, who had reunited for the first time in thirty years.
Monica’s powers are also explained more post “WandaVision”, as her powers tied into the trio’s shared light-based abilities, resulting in the entanglement, which is the catalyst into The Marvels becoming their trio.
We also get to know what Carol was doing in between the events of Captain Marvel and the mid-credit scene of Avengers: Infinity War and why she stayed away from Earth, the planet she called home for so long.
The MCU is famous for its post-credit scenes, which are used to set up future movies. This movie has one mid-credit scene and a surprising cameo at the end of the movie.
If you have not watched The Marvels, here is your official warning: STOP READING NOW IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THE MOVIE AND DON’T WANT SPOILERS.
At the end of the movie, Kate Bishop, also known as Hawkeye and a founding member of the Young Avengers, shows up in a cameo that made me jump out of my seat. From the post-credit scene, it seems that Kamala will become a founding member of the Young Avengers instead of the Champions like her comic counterpart.
Another spoiler warning for the mid-credit scene:
Enter Monica Rambeau waking up in a hospital setting seeing none other than that universe’s Maria Rambeau, also known as, Binary and Hank McCoy, also known as Beast. As a lifelong X-Men fan, I was jumping up and down at this point. We finally have a direct link between Fox’s X-Men franchise and the greater MCU, leading into the untitled Deadpool 3 movie, coming out in summer 2024.
Running at 1 hour and 45 minutes, including credits, made this the shortest MCU movie. I honestly wish there was more. Some of the plot felt rushed, but the scenes we did get were gold, and I loved every minute.
@SairamMarupudi
