The 33rd MCU film, “The Marvels” was released in theaters on Wednesday, November 8. On this occasion, here are five things to know about this blockbuster led by Brie Larson, Iman Vellani and Teyonah Parris.
What is it about ? Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, must deal with the unforeseen consequences of her victory against the Kree. Unexpected effects now force him to assume the burden of a destabilized universe.
During a mission that propels her into a strange vortex closely linked to the actions of a Kree revolutionary, her powers mix with those of Kamala Khan – aka Miss Marvel, her super-fan from Jersey City – and with those of his “niece”, Captain Monica Rambeau, now an astronaut within SABER
Initially chaotic, this unlikely trio soon finds themselves forced to team up and learn to work together to save the universe. Only one name for it: “The Marvels”!
Several stars expected!
In 2015, when Captain Marvel was being planned, Rebecca Ferguson, revealed by the series The White Queen and who exploded thanks to Mission Impossible Rogue Nation, was strongly considered to play the superhero.
The same year, Bryce Dallas Howard begged the Marvel studio for the role during the promotion of Jurassic World! Note also that Katheryn Winnick, Natalie Dormer, Katee Sackhoff, Yvonne Strahovski and Emily Blunt were also more or less approached, before Brie Larson inherited the character (after having refused it twice!).
Some numbers…
When it was released in March 2019, Captain Marvel collected almost 1.13 billion dollars, for an estimated budget of 160 million. Here are the costs of previous MCU films, in millions of dollars:
2023 MARVEL. Iman Vellani, Brie Larson and Teyonah Parris
A trio of superheroines
When Captain Marvel unwittingly kicks off this new space epic, the eternal loner finds herself literally intertwined with two new faces of the MCU: Kamala Khan – the teenager from Jersey City – and scientist/astronaut Monica Rambeau, her niece with whom she cut ties (and who is also the daughter of the late Maria Rambeau).
Realizing that their powers are linked, Carol decides to team up with Monica and Kamala to stop Dar-Benn from disrupting the space-time continuum. Played by Iman Vellani, Kamala Khan first appeared in Miss Marvel, while Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) was rediscovered as an adult in WandaVision.
Furthermore, the antagonist Dar-Benn, the powerful ruler of the Kree empire, is played by Zawe Ashton, a British actress who is also the companion of Tom Hiddleston (famous for playing Loki in Thor, Avengers, Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania).
Is The Marvels a good movie? The first spectators give their opinion
A new director
If Captain Marvel (2019) was directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, this sequel is directed by Nia DaCosta, to whom we owe, in particular, Little Woods (2018) and Candyman (2021). For her, the tone of the film had to be both extravagant and entertaining, because the action is predominant: “The three heroines swap positions and powers. It may seem chaotic and messy, but I really wanted that to be reflected in their distinctive features.”
“So the humor of Captain Marvel is different from that of Miss Marvel because the former is a 63 year old woman in a 30 year old body while the latter is a 16 year old teenager who finds herself spending time alongside of her idol. I really wanted to make sure that all these notions were felt by the viewer. Capturing the warmth of all the characters and the relationship between these three heroines who learn to become a family was really important to me.”
“Family is an important theme of the film: Carol and Monica reunite after losing sight of each other for years. The Khan clan represents in their eyes a sort of ideal after Maria’s death. The notion of family and the The way these three characters approach it to better discover themselves is essential.”
Great means
Started on July 26, 2021, filming in Great Britain for The Marvels required the construction of 54 distinct sets spread over 8 sets (4 at Pinewood Studios, 4 others at Longcross Studios), 2 backyards and a golf course. Longcross studios (on which Carol Danvers’ house is located).
Among these settings were 5 different planets, 5 spaceships, 2 escape ships, 3 escape pods, 1 space elevator, 1 Cessna 150 (a two-seater plane with a tricycle undercarriage) and 3 houses, including that of Maria Rambeau, replicated from that of the first film and built on the golf course; the Khan house, whose interior and exterior match those of the Miss Marvel series; the SABER space station – one of the most difficult and time-consuming constructions to erect – and finally the colorful and festive decoration of Aladna.