Marvel Studios, the global juggernaut that has redefined superhero storytelling on both the big screen and the small, has come under fire for its lack of diversity in the past, what with the majority of the Avengers featuring the word “Man” in their title. 2019’s Captain Marvel, starring Brie Larson as the first solo female super heroine in the MCU, was a step in the right direction, but was critiqued for putting girl power front and center.
Ever since, Marvel has loaded up on powerful, capable women, most of them coming from the Disney+ side of things, but it’s only in their thirty-third entry, The Marvels, that strong women are truly celebrated on the big screen. The all female team up featured in Avengers: Endgame may have turned off some, but this film seems to have learned lessons from the past to deliver a fun, fast paced sequel that will surely inspire young female fans.
After a vengeful warlord from the Kree Empire named Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) opens a wormhole, the result entangles the superpowers of Carol Danvers (Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (The always effervescent Iman Vellani), causing trouble once the three women must work together to stop Dar-Benn from causing catastrophic damage.
The one word that sums up The Marvels is “synergy,” for better and for worse. While past Marvel television entries were often discarded by the greater context of the MCU, this movie ties into numerous Disney+ series, notably WandaVision and Ms. Marvel, making both mandatory viewing before walking into the theater. That could be seen as a bad thing- as with most of the later MCU content, viewers might have to do some homework- but the good news is that viewers of both streaming series will be rewarded in a big way.
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Carol, Monica and Kamala are the stars of the show and once all three share a room, fans will be treated to the same energy they felt once Tony Stark and Steve Rogers finally exchanged words in The Avengers. Only this time, the heroes aren’t drastically different characters, they’re real women with similar experiences and superpowers, allowing for more real conversations between them and thrilling set pieces involving the three of them using their powers in tandem- the first major fight sequence showcasing this is perhaps the most fun I’ve had in a theater all year.
It helps that Larson, Vellani and Parris have chemistry for days and the script gives them the chance to show that off. Larson brings more energy to Carol this time around and to the credit of her and director and co writer Nia DaCosta, the criticism leveled at the character for being too perfect is addressed here, making a stronger character who truly learns a lesson by the end of the movie. Parris gets a chance to be more dramatic than in the sitcom inspired WandaVision, also evolving her character, but Vellani- in her feature film debut, mind you- steals the show. Both she and Kamala are clearly having the time of their lives, to the point that it honestly doesn’t feel like she’s acting. Marvel hit a grand slam casting her in Ms. Marvel and the dividends just keep on coming.
But the detractor is Ahston’s Dar-Benn- not her performance, which she’s clearly giving her all, but her character, who could’ve been fascinating seeing as pitting a female villain against three female heroes had so much promise, but sadly, Dar-Benn is a step backwards for MCU villains. Her plot is simply, “get revenge on Carol” without much internal conflict and while the film tries to set her up as a worthy threat, ultimately, she falls flat.
The Marvels is the most synergistic, diverse and empowering entry in the MCU so far, translating to an enjoyable, breezy ride, but one that requires some prior knowledge of the grander scheme. Bolstered by three great leading ladies, thrilling action and lots and lots of flerkittens, it once again proves that Marvel Studios can entertain in spades.
The Marvels is now playing in theaters.
