Finally, The Marvels has arrived, bringing Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel back to the silver screen. Rather than just focussing on the intergalactic hero, the sequel includes Ms Marvel and Photon for an epic team-up. Considering she headlined her last film, it seems curious that Carol Danvers got so much company this time, but Marvel Studios always had a plan.
Mary Livanos, an MCU producer who spoke to us about the Marvel movie, explained that Captain Marvel 2 featured a team from the outset. “This team-up has been in the works for an incredibly long time, really dating back to the development of Captain Marvel, where it was a pointed decision to make Monica Rambeau the age that she was,” Livanos tells The Digital Fix. “This is because we always knew – with that story being in the past – that we wanted Monica as an adult to one day share the big screen with Carol Danvers once again.”
This sounds exactly like something Kevin Feige has always championed, real forethought, building Marvel characters together to create genuine crossover. Now, of course, we have the Marvel series, where Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau both originate from, and The Marvels proves nothing is a footnote in the process.
“When the Ms Marvel TV show began development, we knew that Ms Marvel would have to be a part of the adventure as well because she is the perfect lens through which to talk about Captain Marvel as a hero,” Livanos added.
She’s right, too – in the comics, Kamala’s a Carol Danvers superfan, making her a perfect sidekick. But the new movie isn’t just about making them a team, each hero has their own arc and reason for being involved. It’s a real proof of concept for Marvel Phase 5 and the studio’s overall vision of crossovers and a living universe.
As our Emma-Jane Betts points out in her The Marvels review, “the chemistry between the actors and their natural bond is a joy to watch”. Being frank, that it’s good serves as a balm to a lot of bad publicity that’s surrounding Marvel at the moment, regarding a less structured approach to the Disney Plus shows, and talks of the original Avengers coming back to help boost returns.
Sure, ringing Robert Downey Jr back would garner some interest, but the real spoils lie in backing characters like Ms Marvel for the long haul, and The Marvels does just that. Nia DaCosta directs the picture, which is in cinemas from November 10.
You should read the rest of our Mary Livanos interview to hear more about the overall production. Check out our upcoming Marvel movies guide to see what else is coming out, and we have roundups on Deadpool 3 and the Echo release date to keep you informed on those.