‘The Marvels’ is a Cosmic Joy Highlighting the MCU’s Most Powerful Heroines

*The following review of The Marvels is spoiler-free!*

The Multiverse Saga of the MCU has received mixed reactions amongst fans, but director Nia DaCosta adds a breath of fresh air and brings back the comic-book crossover event that the franchise hasn’t revisited since Spider-Man: No Way Home. Despite the countless delays, poor marketing, and a large amount of early misogynistic reactions, The Marvels is truly a marvelous superhero flick that nicely ties three of Marvel’s most cosmic characters’ stories together.

The Marvels, starring Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani, tells a heartwarming story with a fantastic cast, appealing humor, female empowerment, and cinematic action-packed sequences that will remind audiences why comic book movies still have special stories to tell. Despite its flaws, The Marvels is one of Marvel’s strongest post-Endgame entries.

‘The Marvels’ Is an Elevating Team-Up Film With Powerful Female Leads

The Marvels serves as a continuation to 2019’s Captain Marvel, 2021’s WandaVision, and 2022’s Ms. Marvel. The film’s main premise centers around the three heroes forming an empowering female team as they fight together to stop a villain from depleting other planets of their natural resources. The writers, who include DaCosta, Elissa Karasik, and Megan McDonnell do an incredible job retelling the important details from its predecessors that audiences need to know to understand this intergalactic story. However, viewers are welcome to do their basic “homework” to further understand the characters, their impacts, and the little references to the narrative.

The interesting, yet sometimes uneven story tied with DaCosta’s flawless direction, cinematography, and improved VFX in comparison to previous Marvel projects is highly entertaining. These cinematic elements delightfully showcase the Marvels’ abilities while they interact as a team for the very first time. The visual effects, specifically when the heroes switch places, allow for some of the most artistic fight choreography in the MCU.

DaCosta also showcases female empowerment in this story, as she provides a female perspective of how these three powerful women are portrayed to work effectively as a team to take on this exhilarating space adventure. Even though it’s stylistically different from (and significantly better than) Captain Marvel, the film hits on all the details of why this trio is meant to shine together within the Captain Marvel franchise. This collaborative element works better than having Carol Danvers be in a stand-alone film, like Captain America and Spider-Man.

‘The Marvels’ Cast Shines Bright Together

What makes The Marvels radiate so effortlessly is its cast. Finally seeing these characters interact in the MCU and the bonds between these actors is crucial to why this Marvel film works so well.

Brie Larson returns to her role as the tough, at times stubborn, but incredibly powerful Captain Marvel. The Marvels often deals with her character’s isolation and ego, as Carol Danvers spends most of the time alone on her spaceship with her beloved Flerken, Goose, while occasionally communicating with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Larson brings another strong, vulnerable, and compelling performance as the lead.

This film gives Larson the ability to perform her character with more depth compared to her previous appearances. Larson’s incredible acting alongside DaCosta’s direction gives the character in The Marvels the chance to display all her “strongest Avenger” glory.

Teyonah Parris, last seen in WandaVision, brings back the warmth and strength of Monica Rambeau. With her character grieving the death of her mother, Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch), and having resentment for abandonment by her Aunt Carol, Parris provides a compassionate performance, portraying Monica as a character of resilience. She is willing to do the right thing to protect the people around her.

However, between the three leads, it is Iman Vellani who is the star of the show. Vellani sparkles with natural charisma and humor when she returns to play Kamala Khan. She is given a lot to do with her role especially when her character finally meets her idol, Captain Marvel, and through her youthful, wholesome performance, Vellani steals the screen making her a standout in the film.

Although Kamala is known to be an enthusiastic Captain Marvel super-fan, Vellani isn’t afraid to also express a vulnerable side to her character, especially when she shares the screen with Larson and Parris. Vellani, alongside the members of the Khan family, including Zenobia Shroff as Muneeba Khan and Saagar Shaikh as Aamir Khan, provides some charming comedic relief to the film.

Zawe Ashton‘s performance as Dar-Benn is wickedly good, yet her character is going to go down as one of Marvel’s forgettable villains. The film takes too long to explain Dar-Benn’s motives, and when it does, it’s constrained, but it still manages to impact the narrative. Ashton is an incredible actor and this film doesn’t do her abilities justice.

Overall, the excellent character development and chemistry between Larson, Parris, and Vellani carry this film from beginning to end. They are fantastic together, so seeing them team up is incredibly special. The Marvels is a must-watch for the female power from these three dynamic actors.

‘The Marvels’ Is The Film The MCU Needs Right Now

As the MCU continues to find its clear direction for the Multiverse Saga, The Marvels is a delightful step back from the multiversal narratives and stays true to the Captain Marvel universe. However, the final and post-credit scenes suggest a different direction where viewers will see these characters next as well as how their new adventures greatly impact the future of the MCU.

DaCosta splendidly balances the narratives despite a short runtime, which is perfect for the tone of the story because every second is concise without wasting a moment. The Marvels is the film that the MCU is in desperate need of. It contains endless fun, cosmic superpowers, and strong performances from Larson, Parris, and Vellani.

Alongside the success of Loki Season 2, The Marvels proves that time and trusted creative direction can lead to a successful MCU blockbuster. If Marvel Studios continues to deliver content like The Marvels, there’s no doubt that the future of the MCU is anything but shining bright and back on track.

The Marvels is now playing in theaters everywhere! Follow the Agents of Fandom socials for all the latest Marvel news and reviews.