Marvel Studios’ The Marvels has arrived at a true inflection point.
The Walt Disney Company plans to transform how it handles its television properties, yet two of the three leads of The Marvels were introduced on Disney+. The SAG-AFTRA strike prevented actors involved in the production from promoting the film. Critics and fans alike throw around the term “superhero fatigue” so much, it borders on the comical.
Those burdens no doubt have affected The Marvels’ box office prospects. The film earned $110 million globally in its opening weekend, with $47 million coming from the domestic box office. Headlines abound across the internet: it is Marvel Studios’ worst opening ever.
The Social Media Storm
Still, there’s more going on here. A large contingent of individuals online are actively rooting against The Marvels. Posts on the venerable social media platform Twitter (pardon me, “X”) reveal a strange hate directed at the film. Even when a post extols some positive aspects, responses ranging from honest critiques to barely comprehensible nonsense soon flood the replies.
Strangely, the much-discussed “culture war” of U.S. politics plays a role, as well. The Marvels, a movie focused on three female leads and directed by a black woman, is an easy target for accusations of “wokeness” from followers of right-wing politics. What is so inherently “woke” about female superheroes, or what “woke” even means in this context, continues to elude me.
A Cinematic Re-run
Regrettably, we’ve been here before. The lead-up to 2019’s Captain Marvel proved that some fans struggle with the notion of a female superhero. After the release of the first trailer, fans criticized star Brie Larson for not smiling enough; photoshopped images soon followed.
Larson also considers herself a champion of diversity and made numerous comments in the months prior to the release of Captain Marvel that offended the “anti-woke” crowd.
In one such comment, from 2018, she stated that “[audiences] are not allowed enough chances to read public discourse on these films by the people that the films were made for. I do not need a 40-year-old white dude to tell me what didn’t work for him about A Wrinkle in Time. It wasn’t made for him. I want to know what it meant to women of color, to biracial women, to teen women of color, to teens that are biracial.”
She made a point of adding “I don’t hate white dudes”. Nevertheless, a segment of fandom decided they do not like Larson for comments like these. Unsuccessful efforts to review-bomb Captain Marvel followed.
Thanks in part to the enduring hype surrounding the then-upcoming Avengers: Endgame and the quality of the film, Captain Marvel ended its run as a major hit; hence, the sequel.
Captain, My Captain
This culture war “us vs. them” mentality has certainly extended into comic fandom, as well, with the “Comics Gate” movement leading the way. Needless to say, many adherents of this movement already have a bone to pick with Carol Danvers. She is, after all, relatively new to the role of Captain Marvel.
Carol was initially introduced as a love interest for Mar-vell, a Kree alien and original Captain Marvel, in 1968. By 1977, she got some superpowers of her own and made her debut as Ms. Marvel. The character evolved past the “damsel in distress” trope; modern conservatives would probably have called her “woke”. Equal pay for women and work-life balance were now on the storytelling menu.
Yet the character continued to encounter some pretty blatant sexism. Avengers #200 is probably the most infamous example. It featured Carol getting roofied and impregnated, then riding off into the sunset with the man who sexually assaulted her.
The character rotated through costumes and code-names, becoming Binary and Warbird, before returning to the role of Ms. Marvel. A new costume, a black number with a large yellow lightning bolt, devolved quickly into male-gaze territory, as artists kept making it smaller and more revealing.
And then, in 2012, she became the new Captain Marvel, replacing traditionally male superheroes in the role. The response from certain segments of the fandom was…not great.
Serious Baggage
This brings us, of course, to The Marvels, a movie with three female leads, directed by a woman, with a decidedly female perspective. As far as big-budget, corporate cinema is concerned, it has faced some unusually long odds.
An actors’ strike. An experiment in linking television and movies into a coherent narrative. A star whose outspoken activism offends the delicate sensibilities of some political conservatives. A main character who similarly offends the same delicate sensibilities. “Superhero fatigue”. And, yes, misogyny.
So, with this baggage in mind, is honest critique of The Marvels possible? I like to think so.
I’m Here for the Plot
Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), who broke free of the control of the Kree in the previous film and defeated their leader, the Supreme Intelligence, has settled into a solitary, space-based existence. Then, the new Kree leader, Dar-Benn (Zawe Asthon), discovers a powerful artifact she hopes to use to save her people and take her revenge on Carol.
In the conflict, Carol’s powers become entangled with those of two other heroes: teenager Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), who worships Carol from afar, and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), the now-grown daughter of Carol’s dead best friend, Maria. Stuck together, the three women have to embark on a space adventure to stop Dar-Benn and save the universe.
Khaaaaaaaaan
The biggest strength of The Marvels may very well be Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan. She most strongly represents the audience perspective; although a superhero in her own right, she spends much of the movie as a “fish out of water” character.
What carries her character to the top, however, is Vellani’s joy. Even after her Disney+ series, she continues to be a perfect embodiment of this character every time she’s on screen. She’s probably the best casting of Marvel Studios in this phase.
Kamala Khan’s family also plays a role here, bouncing off Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury. The characters make a seamless transition from the small screen and never wear out their welcome. It no doubt helps that they get some excellent scenes with Kamala that elevates them from mere comic relief.
All About the Chemistry
In addition to Vellani’s standout performance, the most successful through-line, from start to finish, is the chemistry between the three leads. Considering that these actors were not actually cast together, but for disparate projects, it is truly lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry. Their interactions feel authentic and effortless. The MCU stumbled into something special here, something that hopefully will have a chance to continue in light of the box office struggles.
One of the stand-out moments in the movie takes place when the three characters are trying to get a grip on their entanglement; each time they use their powers at the same time, they switch physical space. They play jump rope and juggle while trying to time their switching. It’s a small moment in the grand scheme of things, but it totally sells these characters’ growing friendship.
Despite their entangled powers, each character remains unique and gets her own chance to shine. Kamala is young, inexperienced, and in over her head, yet always optimistic. Carol is battle-hardened and weary, a leader who bears great guilt. Monica is the rising star, a scientist still coming to grips with her powers, her potential, and her losses.
Switch-Up
One of the most unique parts of The Marvels, and the visual flourish that was the most successful, was the quantum entanglement angle. It serves as the inciting incident that forces these three characters to interact, a source of comic relief in the first half of the film, and adds a unique element to its fight choreography.
Carol appearing in Kamala’s bedroom and seeing her countless Captain Marvel posters is a standout moment; her discomfort is palpable. Kamala switching places with Carol, who is in mid-flight, and falling toward the earth while Monica tries to save her is a fun moment that also adds some much-needed tension in the early parts of the movie. There’s an urgency to every move the characters make, since every time they use their powers, it is unclear if it will go sideways.
Once they get a grip on this switching, the fight choreography becomes a fast-paced flurry of trading places. These fights are one of the main reasons the movie has a ton of energy. It is one of the most fast-paced MCU movies to date.
Too fast, too furious?
The Marvels is not without problems. The quick pace causes some major issues. At 105 minutes, it is Marvel Studios’ shortest movie to date. Yet, the movie has to serve three co-leads, a fresh villain, and a slew of supporting characters.
Like another recent MCU entry, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the film doesn’t always feel like it wants to deal with the emotional fallout of some of the things that have happened, instead glossing over it in favor of quips and fun.
Monica and Carol, for example, have to deal with feelings of abandonment and guilt. Monica feels abandoned by Carol and had to grow up without her aunt. Carol stayed away due to her feelings of guilt regarding her role in Hala’s Civil War. These are big, emotional issues that have no simple or quick resolution. Dealing with them can give rise to scenes an actor can really sink their teeth into.
Yet Brie Larson and Teyonah Parris never get that chance; the movie glosses over their characters’ feeling and resolves them, vaguely, in blink-and-you-missed-it moments. The two actors never really get to lay into each other, lay those emotions bare, and create a cathartic moment for the audience.
The Perils of Hero Worship
Similarly, there is a moment in the movie when Carol snaps at Kamala early on and then, a few moments later, apologizes and they just move on. Here, too, the movie misses an opportunity for emotional growth.
Carol is carrying guilt about Hala around with her for the entire movie; she should have been annoyed with the hero worship coming her way. She could have been harsh toward Kamala, with the audience not quite understanding why, until the big reveal about what happened with Hala and that she blames herself. It’s not just a matter of guilt; it’s that she feels unworthy of Kamala’s adoration.
Kamala, in turn, could have bumped heads with Carol and dealt with disappointment that her hero is only human and flawed, too. On the foundation of moving past their initial relationship, the two characters could have formed a stronger friendship.
Found Lacking in Emotion
The movie hints at these sorts of emotional arcs, but because it focuses on fun and its breezy runtime, they get lost in the shuffle.
Here are three leads that are so good with each other and have such great chemistry, giving them a few dramatic scenes to chew on would have created a much richer experience for viewers.
Given some of the misogyny the movie has already met online, critiquing it for not being more emotional seems counter-intuitive. It is easy to imagine the online backlash about the “three emotional women”. It is in those emotional conflicts, however, that the audience truly gets to connect and bond with the characters.
The Villain Problem
Another character that suffers from this problem is Dar-Benn. I had to look up the name of the movie’s villain because I could not remember it to save my life. That’s a problem, and one much too common across MCU movies. Too often, the villains are the least interesting characters.
Here, though, that’s not the case. Dar-Benn, on paper, should be a stand-out character. She leads her people after a devastating Civil War that has left her planet basically uninhabitable. There’s righteous anger for Carol and her actions. She is torn between her need to save her people and her need for revenge.
This is good stuff and Zawe Ashton delivers a fine performance in the role. Much like the emotional conflict between the three leads, Dar-Benn still feels under-cooked. She needed a couple more scenes to help the audience connect with her struggles, with her anger.
That the ultimate resolution to the movie saw her quickly dispatched in favor of a space hole is definitely unfortunate.
Missed Opportunities
That, truly, is the main sin of The Marvels. It misses opportunities.
Take Aladna, a planet filled with beings that communicate via musical numbers. Singing is their only form of communication. It’s a fantastic idea and lends itself to a fun, lighthearted moment when the main characters arrive on the planet.
Then Dar-Benn arrives and sucks the water right out of the planet to restore Hala’s oceans. That’s it; the movie just moves on. We never even find out what happened to Prince Yan or his people.
Instead, the movie could have presented one additional scene: a heart-breaking song of the people of Aladna as their planet dies. The movie could have wrung actual emotion from this moment. In their own heartbreak over failing to stop the disaster, our titular characters could even have joined in.
The Verdict
So, divorced from the strike, the Disney+ series, the baggage, and the misogyny of some in the online community, is The Marvels actually a good movie? Absolutely. It’s a solid entry into the MCU. It delivers fantastic chemistry among its leads, visually interesting fight choreography, and humor that lands more often than it doesn’t. It is well-directed and well-acted throughout. Even the special effects land, which is more than one can say for Quantumania.
Were there things that I, as a viewer, wanted from the movie that I didn’t get? Sure. Those gripes predominantly arise from one simple fact: The Marvels is such a good movie, with so much potential right there on the screen, that it could have been truly great.
The Marvels is a fun ride. It just could have gone higher, further, faster.
Watch the trailer for The Marvels and check out The Nerd Byword Podcast for a full discussion of the movie.
