As a kid, I’d pick up a Marvel comic that was almost always in the middle of the adventure. The art would hurl readers into the action, breathless to catch up and excited to see what was next. Whether it be the Avengers or Marvel Spotlight, it was just cool to be in a little corner of a universe. Give me a minute and I’d figure out the world.
The Marvels feels like that. Though it starts at the same moment the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel ended, you can trust director Nia DaCosta and her co-writers Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik. They’ll give you enough to figure it out. But first they’ll springboard into a terrific fight sequence that barely gives Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) time to figure out what’s going on.
From the moment she prods at a jump point in space that shouldn’t be there, she’s wildly switching locations. Wildly, but not randomly. Because she’s trading places in space with Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani). That’s disconcerting enough. Unfortunately, Goose the Flerken swallows a couple of Kree Warriors, and relocates them to the Khans’ Jersey City home. And that’s just the first 10 minutes.
DaCosta structures this almost musically. The film does occasionally stop to catch its breath, usually accompanied by a glare from Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury. Then it’s off to another exciting sequence out in space. Really, it’s what fans have been asking for — there’s not an ounce of fat in this movie. But it still makes sense.
It also does something that makes the rare superhero movie; it feels lived in. However long it’s been since The Avengers: Endgame in MCU time, a lot has happened off-screen. Carol has become known as the Annihilator by the Kree, who have suffered from a civil war since we last saw them. Since the events of WandaVision, Monica has made it to space and purposely kept a distance from Carol. Only Ms. Marvel Kamala has had no off-screen life, but that’s okay because it’s her excitement that propels the film forward.
Despite its leanness, The Marvels allows for character growth. All three heroes have arcs that can move the MCU master plot forward. Or not. That’s the special trick of this movie. You didn’t have to read last issue and you don’t have to read the next one. You can just enjoy this adventure — and too many Marvel movies can’t say that. But oh, the promises of that next issue…
Zawe Ashton’s Kree Supremor Dar-Benn may not make the strongest impact among Marvel villains. That’s partially because she’s following in the footsteps of Ronin the Accuser from Guardians of the Galaxy. However, it’s a little refreshing to have conflict based on ideology and not dark mirroring of the hero. Dar-Benn even has a point with her enmity, even if her actions are drastic. Using Dar-Benn also allows for a break from the flailing of Kang and helps The Marvels stand on its own.
It’s also good to see a cast enjoying themselves. DaCosta has crafted a funny high-stakes adventure without letting its tone veer wildly, as unfortunately happened with Thor: Love and Thunder. Don’t let the media narrative fool you; this is the most solid Marvel movie in a couple of years. In DaCosta’s hands, The Marvels sets the MCU back on its course of going higher, faster, further.
