Higher, further, faster!

On Friday November 10th, Marvel Studios’ The Marvels, directed by Nia DaCosta, was released in theaters. The film is a sequel to the blockbuster Captain Marvel (2019), Ms. Marvel (2022), and a continuation of WandaVision (2021).

Starring Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, and Samuel L. Jackson, The Marvels has been getting many mixed reviews from Marvel fans. As per usual, it is receiving some of the typical backlash directed toward new Marvel movie, but the film’s merits are hard to ignore.

The Marvels consists of the old Marvel feeling and nostalgia fans have been longing for. I was able to see the film on opening night, Thursday the 9th. The theater was filled with longtime dedicated fans.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, every new Marvel film has felt messy, foreign, different, and hopeless. However, The Marvels sparked some hope in me for the future of Marvel Studios. 

The most enjoyable aspects of the film are the references to events on the MCU timeline, the ending, the post-credit scene, and, of course, anything involving Goose the cat. Although a portion of the film feels like a new turn for the timeline, the consistency of Carol Danvers (played by Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (played by Teyonah Parris), and Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson) onscreen helps ease any worries, as these characters have all been in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for many years. 

Without spoiling it, the ending and post-credit scenes are very eye-opening, offering lots of hope. Even if audiences are disappointed in the film itself, the ending and post-credit scene surely make them know that they are in for a treat regarding the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

The story consists of Dar-Benn (played by Zawe Ashton) gaining hold of one of two Quantum Bands in the entire universe. However, Kamala Khan (played by Iman Vellani) owns the other one, which has been a part of her family’s history for years and the source for her powers. Dar-Benn, now having access to a Quantum Band and intending for it to be a jump point in space, causes a power entanglement between Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers), Captain Rambeau (Monica Rambeau), and Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan.)

When one of the three uses their powers, their place in space and time becomes switched with one of the other three. When Captain Marvel, residing in space, is fighting the Kree enemy, she uses her powers, and then in a blink of an eye, Kamala Khan is in space and Captain Marvel is on Earth, in Kamala’s bedroom.

The three eventually team up and use this entanglement to their advantage, calling themselves “the Marvels.” They must stop Dar-Benn from taking resources from places Captain Marvel cares about and from having access to the other Quantum Band. 

For years, the Captain Marvel aspect to the MCU has sparked controversy. Misogyny has played a great role in this, as the majority of Marvel fans consist of adult men who grew up with the franchise, comics and all. Any Marvel release with a female lead tends to have lower ratings and worse reviews. 

In 2019, after 21 films, Captain Marvel was released, making it the first solo female lead Marvel movie. Negative reviews immediately sparked, focusing disproportionately on the lead. Many said she was “too powerful” and “egotistical,” yet many other male characters had stronger powers. Of course, these opinions carried over to the sequel.

Many of the one-star reviews of the latest film consist of “long-term fans” displaying their disapproval, stating the film “lacked depth” and was ruined with the “LGBT and woke agenda,” which is a debatable point in itself.

However, some of the more positive reviews state that the negative reviews are solely misogynistic and that the film was exceptional. 

A Google review from a user named Simon Harris states, “To save you some time – the one star reviews are, pretty much exclusively, from a comic book reading certain male demographic who still, still, just cannot get their heads around the fact that all Marvel Studios product is not tailored exclusively at them any more. So if you’re from that demographic and predisposed to banging on about stuff being ‘woke’ and having ‘agendas” do yourself a favor, save your money, don’t go and see it and save the rest of us from having to read your tantrums.” 

Those who did give the film five stars stated that the girl-power aspect was very necessary and an important aspect of the movie. Some stated they were grinning ear-to-ear the entire two hours and that it is a fun and enjoyable movie. 

On opening weekend, The Marvels earned $47,000,000 in box office, exceptionally low for a Marvel movie. The film was expected to earn at least $60 million, with a budget of around $270 million. The film currently holds a 62% Rotten Tomatoes score, and a 6.1/10 on IMDb. 

As hooked on the past as some may be, The Marvels displays the magic that still abides in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.