The Marvels: Release Date, Cast, And More
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The Marvel Cinematic Universe and superhero films in general are looking a lot more marvelous in 2023, to the point where every other word out of our mouths for the remainder of the year may rhyme with Carvel (minus the ice cream). DC's Captain Marvel, better known to moviegoers as "Shazam," and his lightning-powered family (as seen in "Shazam: Fury of the Gods") aren't the only game in town when it comes to having a delayed 2023 sequel to a 2019 film, based on a comic book character with "Marvel" in their name. But if you're a true Marvelite, you may already know that and be thinking, "I don't care about DC. Make mine Marvel Studios!"
And so we shall. Here's everything we know about the MCU's upcoming "Captain Marvel" (and "Ms. Marvel") sequel, which is officially titled "The Marvels."
The Marvels release date and where you can watch it
After having its release date pushed back multiple times, "The Marvels" is scheduled to finally hit U.S. theaters on Friday, November 10, 2023.
The most recent delay for "The Marvels" came in mid-February 2023, right as "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" was headed into its opening weekend. Cost-cutting at Disney, the parent company of Marvel Studios and distributor of its films, led producer Kevin Feige to announce the same week that Marvel would be slowing down its Disney+ TV show releases "so they can each get a chance to shine."
While there have been fewer MCU films per year than shows and TV specials, the same slowing-down and spacing-out of titles seems to be occurring on the theatrical side now, as part of Marvel's larger efforts to curb oversaturation in the superhero market. Unless Disney or Marvel alters their plans yet again, you should be able to see "The Marvels" on the big screen in November 2023, with a Disney+ streaming release to follow later.
What is The Marvels?
"The Marvels" is a continuation of Captain Marvel's solo movie adventures in the MCU — only she's not really flying solo anymore. In addition to Carol Danvers, "The Marvels" will feature high schooler and Captain-Marvel-fan-turned-hero Kamala Khan from the Disney+ series "Ms. Marvel," as well as S.W.O.R.D. agent Monica Rambeau, a character first introduced onscreen as a child in "Captain Marvel," before being reintroduced as an adult in "WandaVision." She's the daughter of Carol's best friend and fellow pilot, Maria Rambeau.
In the comics, Monica Rambeau became the second Captain Marvel. The title of "The Marvels" is therefore a reference to all three of these women, and that's why they're not just calling the movie "Captain Marvel 2."
The history of Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel in Marvel Comics is a bit convoluted. Initially, Captain Marvel was an alien named Mar-Vell, while Carol Danvers started out as Ms. Marvel. This makes her the first Ms. Marvel in the comics, but the first Captain Marvel in the MCU. Things are only made more confusing by the fact that DC Comics has its own aforementioned Captain Marvel, who's usually distinguished from his Marvel Comics counterpart by his catchphrase, "Shazam!"
The Marvels director, writer, and more
"The Marvels" is the second major tentpole release from director Nia Dacosta after her 2021 horror remake of "Candyman." Dacosta's first feature was the 2018 crime drama "Little Woods," starring the MCU's Tessa Thompson.
The script for "The Marvels" is penned by Megan McDonnell, who had a hand in two episodes of "WandaVision." She wrote the third episode, "Now in Color," co-wrote the fourth episode, "We Interrupt This Program," and is also involved in the upcoming spin-off, "Agatha: Coven of Chaos."
Sean Bobbit ("12 Years a Slave," "Judas and the Black Messiah") is handling the cinematography for "The Marvels." Composer Laura Karpman will provide the film's music. She previously did the score for "Ms. Marvel" and season 1 of Marvel's animated series "What If...?"
Who is in The Marvels cast?
In "The Marvels," Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson are set to reprise their roles as Carol Danvers and Nick Fury from "Captain Marvel" and other MCU films. Iman Vellani is returning as Kamala Khan from "Ms. Marvel," while Teyonah Parris co-stars as Monica Rambeau. Parris has already worked with the same writer, Megan McDonnell, on "WandaVision," and she worked with the same director, Nia Dacosta, on "Candyman."
Park Seo-joon is also on board "The Marvels" in an unspecified role. Zawe Ashton was cast as the film's villain all the way back in February 2021, and Marvel Studios still hasn't divulged any information about her character, either. There's been some speculation based on early footage, however, that Ashton could be playing Hala, the last surviving member of the Kree Accuser Corps in Marvel Comics. This would be in line with Captain Marvel's previous involvement with the Kree in the first movie.
While it hasn't been officially announced yet, the same early footage and a since-deleted Instagram post from Zenobia Shroff suggest that she, Mohan Kapur, and Saagar Shaikh are returning as Kamala Khan's mother Muneeba, father Yusuf, and older brother Aamir, respectively.
Fans saw a teaser for The Marvels at the 2022 D23 Expo
As of this writing, "The Marvels" has unveiled its first teaser poster (see below), but no trailer has been released. However, /Film was in attendance at Disney's D23 Expo in September 2022, where some early footage from "The Marvels" was shown.
Higher. Further. Faster. Together.
Check out the brand-new teaser poster for Marvel Studios' The Marvels, coming to theaters November 10. pic.twitter.com/zSlozSfQrz
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) February 17, 2023
The D23 footage indicated that body-swapping among the Marvels, something teased at the end of the "Ms. Marvel" series, will play a significant role in the plot, with the three heroines being connected by their powers somehow. Those on the ground at the fan convention also got a glimpse at Kamala Khan's family and "a new, female villain holding a hammer similar to that of the late Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace)" in "Guardians of the Galaxy."
That could be Hala or another member of the Kree Accuser Corps. Ronan also appeared in "Captain Marvel," which was set in the 1990s, before his present-day defeat and death at the hands of the Guardians. "The Marvels" is likewise set in the MCU's present, after the five-year time jump that occurred in "Avengers: Endgame."
What MCU shows and movies to watch before seeing The Marvels
"The Marvels" is something of a three- or four-way sequel, similar to how "The Avengers" brought together heroes from four different solo films — Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and Captain America — back in 2012. It will continue the story of Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, but it also serves as a big-screen crossover for Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel from Disney+. If you haven't caught up on "WandaVision" and "Ms. Marvel" already, now might be good to go back and watch those shows, where the characters make their first entrance (Monica, as an adult) into the MCU.
This year, presumably before "The Marvels" flies into theaters in November, Nick Fury (last seen in space at the end of "Spider-Man: Far from Home") is also set to return in the Disney+ series "Secret Invasion." While its official release date is still up in the air, "Secret Invasion" sees Fury returning to earth, and it involves the shapeshifting alien Skrulls from "Captain Marvel."
As with any sequel in this ongoing shared universe, there's no telling what other threads "The Marvels" might draw in from the MCU's elaborate continuity. Unless you have the time to watch or rewatch over 30 MCU films and every Disney+ series, then "Captain Marvel," "WandaVision," "Ms. Marvel," and "Secret Invasion" should be more than enough to refresh you on the main players and keep you busy until "The Marvels."