‘The Marvels’ is one of the highly anticipated Marvel movies scheduled for release in 2023. Originally known as ‘Captain Marvel 2,’ the film underwent a name change to reflect its three key protagonists: Carol Danvers (portrayed by Brie Larson), Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel, played by Iman Vellani), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris, known from ‘WandaVision’).
‘Captain Marvel’ was a major success for Marvel in 2019, grossing over 1 billion dollars at the box office and establishing Brie Larson as the perfect fit for the role of Carol Danvers. After her appearance in ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ Carol Danvers returns, now joined by Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau, promising an exciting second installment in the Captain Marvel saga.
The release date of ‘The Marvels’ has been subject to several changes due to the pandemic and other delays. However, after confirming July 28, 2023, as the definitive release date, no further changes were expected.
Surprisingly, and without any official explanation, ‘The Marvels’ has been delayed once again, moving from the summer month of July to the colder month of November. The current (hopefully definitive) release date for ‘The Marvels’ is November 10, 2023.
For now, we don’t have the official plot details for ‘The Marvels,’ but we do know that it will be set in the present day. Remember that the first installment took place in the 1990s, and the next time we saw the character was in ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ which is set in 2019. However, due to being half-Skrull and half-Kree and having powers derived from the Tesseract, her aging process is different from that of regular humans.
The post-credits scene of ‘Ms. Marvel’ showed Kamala Khan and Carol Danvers swapping bodies without knowing why, with Captain Marvel appearing in the bewildered teenager’s room. According to the first teaser, a cosmic force causes these three superheroines to swap positions when they attempt to use their powers, and the trigger for all of this is Captain Rambeau’s spacewalk supervised by none other than Nick Fury (we don’t know if it’s the real Nick Fury or a Skrull impersonating him).
Another recurring rumor is that the villain of the movie will be Veranke, the queen of the Skrull empire in the Marvel Universe. If this is confirmed, it would lay the groundwork for the ‘Secret Invasion’ storyline, where it’s revealed that the Skrulls, being shape-shifters, have been infiltrating Earth without anyone knowing.
Brie Larson will reprise her role as Carol Danvers, and it has been confirmed that Teyonah Parris will return as Monica Rambeau, and Iman Vellani will play Ms. Marvel. Bringing these three actresses together in their respective roles has been described by Kevin Feige as something “only comparable to the first ‘Avengers’ movie.” Additionally, we might see Lashana Lynch as Maria Rambeau, and there’s a possibility that Kang the Conqueror, the new major Marvel villain, might make an appearance.
So far, thanks to leaked promotional material, we do have a first look at our lead trio. Samuel L. Jackson will return as Nick Fury, but it’s uncertain whether Ben Mendelsohn or Jude Law will reprise their roles from the first ‘Captain Marvel.’ We also can’t rule out the possibility of a surprise cameo or a brief appearance by other characters like Hulk, She-Hulk, Skaar, the resurrection of Scarlet Witch, or any other loose ends from the series.
The first installment was directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who are currently working on their series ‘Mrs. America’ with Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Elizabeth Banks, and others, so they won’t be returning for this sequel. Marvel has been actively searching for female directors, and they have chosen Nia DaCosta, known for directing the 2020 film ‘Candyman,’ to helm this second installment.
For the screenplay of ‘The Marvels,’ Gene Colan and Roy Thomas will be handling the writing duties.
Strengths
“The Marvels” features a powerful trio of female superheroes – Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel), Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel), and Monica Rambeau. This diverse and dynamic lineup of characters has the potential to resonate with audiences and deliver compelling character development and interactions. It can also contribute to positive representation and empowerment for female viewers.
The film builds upon characters and storylines from the first “Captain Marvel” movie and the Disney+ series “WandaVision.” This continuity can provide a rich narrative foundation and allow for the exploration of character growth and new plot developments, appealing to fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The inclusion of cosmic and multiverse elements in the story opens up exciting storytelling possibilities. This can lead to visually stunning action sequences, creative use of superpowers, and connections to broader MCU narratives. These elements have been successful in previous Marvel films, and their presence can enhance the overall cinematic experience.
Weaknesses
One potential weakness could be the weight of high expectations. Given the success of the first “Captain Marvel” film, there may be immense pressure on “The Marvels” to live up to or surpass its predecessor. Managing these expectations can be challenging and might lead to disappointment if the film doesn’t meet the extremely high bar set by its predecessor.
Introducing multiple lead characters like Carol Danvers, Kamala Khan, and Monica Rambeau, along with potential cosmic and multiverse elements, could make the plot overly complex. If not executed carefully, it might be challenging for viewers to follow and connect with all the storylines and characters.
The choice of the Skrull queen, Veranke, as the potential villain offers intriguing possibilities for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, if the character is not developed effectively or her motivations and actions are unclear, it could weaken the overall conflict and impact of the film.
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