The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest film, “The Marvels,” is about to cram elements of multiple Disney Plus television shows, Marvel movies, and an understanding of the broader Marvel multiverse canon into one film: giving moviegoers something of a homework assignment.
“The Marvels,” a sequel to 2019’s-billion-dollar earner “Captain Marvel,” brings fans back into the journey of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), who finds herself swapping powers with Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani). They form a mini-Avengers trio that tackles the villainous Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) and engages with Prince Yan (Park Seo-Joon). Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) is along for the ride, too.
Here is a breakdown of everything you need:
1. Captain Marvel has an odd comic-book origin story.
Going through the history of the Captain Marvel character is like combing through the history of the Roman Empire: lots of different people taking up the mantle with various origin stories that all tie into events spanning multiple planets, galaxies, and wars.
The first Captain Marvel was a character named Mar-Vell. But over the years, others such as Monica Rambeau (more on her later), Genis-Vell, and Phyla-Vell took up the mantle. Carol Danvers was one of the most recent characters to embrace the role.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe adapted the Danvers origin story for the films. “Captain Marvel” (2019) hinted at the other comic-book storylines when Danvers faced off against Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), initially a rival of Mar-Vell (Annette Bening, playing a new version of that character for the MCU).
2. Captain Marvel got her powers from an Infinity Stone (kind of).
Before her extraordinary transformation, Carol Danvers served as a brave fighter pilot in the esteemed United States military. However, her fate took a turn when a fateful crash exposed her to the potent energy of the Tesseract – a coveted object in the Marvel universe that contains an Infinity Stone.
As a result, she gained incredible superpowers that may make her the mightiest Avenger of all, although competition from Thor and the Hulk may disagree. But her newfound abilities did not come without a cost, as she was captured by the Kree military and subjected to a memory-draining ordeal.
Under constant surveillance, she joined their ranks and fought against their foe, the Skrull Empire. It wasn’t until a chance mishap brought her back to Earth that she realized her origins and unleashed even more extraordinary powers. With this revelation, she chose to stand with the Skrulls, using her incredible abilities to support them instead.
3. Captain Marvel is a hero who primarily fights in the cosmos.
After successfully rescuing the Skrulls surrounding Earth, Captain Marvel immediately set out to aid other planets in desperate need across the galaxy.
She later returned during the events of “Endgame” to join forces in defeating Thanos, who had decimated half the universe. Continuing to prioritize intergalactic missions, the superhero only returned to protect Earth when an alternative version of Thanos emerged seeking revenge.
Once this conflict was resolved, she continued her journey, defending the galaxy from various looming threats. In truth, Captain Marvel has not been spending much time on her home planet. While she remains a crucial member of the Avengers, their activity has also greatly diminished since the events of “Endgame.”
However, the upcoming film “The Marvels” seems to signal a change in her actions, as she returns to Earth to combat dangerous adversaries and reunite with her trusted comrades Monica Rambeau and Nick Fury.
4. She has become a leader of the Avengers.
After the “Infinity War” events in which Thanos wipes away half of the living universe, Captain Marvel starts working more closely with the Avengers. In the movie “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” we briefly see her help uncover some mysteries on Earth.
Given her stature and abilities, there’s no question she has become one of the new leaders of the Avengers, especially after Captain America (Chris Evans) became older and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) passed away. With Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) somewhat retired and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) making regular trips to space, Captain Marvel remains one of the few significant heroes working with the team.
5. She has two new allies, introduced on Disney Plus shows.
In the highly-anticipated film “The Marvels,” audiences will witness the dynamic team-up of Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan (played by Iman Vellani). Fans will remember Rambeau from her appearance in the first “Captain Marvel” film as a young girl. However, in the Disney Plus series “WandaVision,” she reappeared as a skilled agent determined to unravel the mysteries of Westview.
During this daring mission, she was bombarded with a unique energy that completely altered her DNA and granted her extraordinary superpowers as an adult. On the other hand, Khan made her dazzling debut in her series “Ms. Marvel,” where she showcased her love and admiration for the Avengers and her hero, Captain Marvel.
This is the first time that we will see heroes originating from a Disney Plus show unite with a film-based hero, meaning that Disney Plus shows are somewhat required viewing for this film.
6. Her biggest fan is Ms. Marvel, a mutant.
We learn in “Ms. Marvel” that Kamala Khan gained her abilities after finding a particular bangle that unlocked a latent mutation within her.
So why does that matter? This is the first time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s history that we fully acknowledged mutants, which make up the X-Men team, the famous superhero squad that has been absent from the MCU.
Rights to the X-Men had previously been owned by Twentieth Century Fox, which were fully acquired by Disney in 2019. The requests are now under Marvel’s control, meaning we might see more mutants and X-Men in the future, with Khan as a potential starting point.
7. Her new teammate is the superhero Photon (we don’t know it yet).
In the comic books, Monica first takes on the role of Captain Marvel but soon adopts the names Photon and then Spectrum.
She rises to become a vital member of the Avengers under both monikers. As the Marvel Cinematic Universe unfolds, Monica’s superhero identity has yet to be established.
8. Captain Marvel might cross the multiverse.
The MCU is caught up in the Multiverse Saga, with multiple projects briefly touching on interconnected universes and timelines. It appears “The Marvels” will follow that plan.
The film’s latest trailer hinted that a separate universe will touch the MCU, which means there could be more heroes and characters.
The Disney Plus show “Loki,” which is finishing its second season, has also hinted at the multiverse collapsing in on itself.
Regarding the multiverse (and Marvel), all bets are off.
9. How to get caught up
If these tidbits didn’t help you and you want a full scan of what’s happening, here’s a breakdown of what to watch.
Best to watch: “Captain Marvel,” “WandaVision,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Secret Invasion”
“Captain Marvel” and the three Disney Plus shows will help you understand the film’s main characters and where they’re at when the movie begins.
Helpful: “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame
It doesn’t hurt to see how Captain Marvel helped turn the tide for the Avengers against Thanos. “Endgame” also shows us what Captain Marvel is up to after Thanos attacked Earth for the first time.
For additional Easter eggs: “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,”
These don’t matter all that much, other than that “Spider-Man” tells us a little bit about Nick Fury’s status (kind of) and that “Shang-Chi” shows how Captain Marvel is working with the Avengers.
If you’re a superfan: “Loki,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and [redacted because of potential spoilers].
The “Doctor Strange” sequel also briefly shows Rambeau’s mother, Maria Rambeau, as an alternate universe’s Captain Marvel. Some multiversal high jinks in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” add a layer of intrigue.
10. About The Marvels
The Marvels is the sequel to Captain Marvel (2019) and the 31st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Nia DaCosta from a screenplay by Megan McDonnell
Following the events of Ms. Marvel (2022), Carol Danvers, Kamala Khan, and Monica Rambeau begin swapping places with each other every time they use their powers and must team up to figure out why.
The film stars Brie Larson, Teyonnah Paris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, and Samuel L. Jackson. It hits theaters on November 10, 2023.
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