The Marvels Trailer: Three Marvels Are Better Than One
Can Captain Marvel help get the House of Ideas in order? The success of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" aside, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had a rough go of things in 2023. Between "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" misfiring at the box office, the Jonathan Majors of it all, the general apathy for "Secret Invasion," the MCU film slate being entirely upended (you can blame the inexcusable greed of Hollywood studio bosses for that one), and the consensus that Marvel Studios needs to slow down and focus more on quality control, Kevin Feige and co. could use some good news right about now.
Enter "The Marvels," a (sort of) sequel to "Captain Marvel" that unites Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) with her fellow cosmic energy benders Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), whom we recently met as an adult and high schooler in the series "WandaVision" and "Ms. Marvel," respectively. The film sees the trio teaming up to save the universe after they suddenly start swapping places every time they use their powers, which could potentially make for a fun superhero-y variation on the body-swap genre. You can check out the new trailer for "The Marvels" below.
Watch the trailer for The Marvels
As much as I'm personally invested in seeing what comes next for Monica and Kamala, I've little idea how casual viewers who skipped the characters' Disney+ shows are feeling about "The Marvels" at this stage. Where "Guardians 3" had the advantage of following two well-liked and fairly standalone MCU films, the response to "Quantumania" suggests audiences are starting to tire of superhero films that require extra homework. The unenthusiastic reception for "Secret Invasion" probably won't help, given "The Marvels" could be perceived as something of a follow-up to that show, too.
Much like positive word of mouth buoyed "Guardians 3" to a stronger performance at the box office, early reviews and reactions could end up making or breaking "The Marvels" financially. Fortunately, the film has co-writer and director Nia DaCosta in its corner. A talented up-and-comer, DaCosta already has two well-received films under her belt ("Little Woods" and the 2021 "Candyman") and may yet follow the likes of Taika Waititi and Ryan Coogler in completing the journey from indie breakout to earning her blockbuster bona fides in the MCU. Here's hoping she does, anyway!
Samuel L. Jackson helps round out the cast of "The Marvels" as Nick Fury, with Zawe Ashton starring as the film's antagonist — Kree warrior Dar-Benn — and several "Ms. Marvel" actors reprising their roles as the members of Kamala's family. Its synopsis reads:
Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan, Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol's estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as "The Marvels."
"The Marvels" will fly into theaters on November 10, 2023.