The Marvels is not the death of Marvel Studios

The Marvels is a sequel to multiple Marvel titles like 2019’s Captain Marvel and 2022’s Ms. Marvel. Though this film can be viewed as a sequel you don’t have to watch those films to understand or enjoy this one.

This was not the best project Marvel Studios has released in recent years but it is not the worst thing Marvel has put out. Loki season two came to a conclusion at the same time, which was released on Disney+. The Marvels was released in theaters. Loki has received praise for its originality and storytelling, which is something this film lacks.

The pacing of the first act of the film felt off and almost as if scenes were cut. Characters and action sequences were shown on screen without explanation. Marvel movies are notoriously known for cutting and reshooting scenes and the beginning of the film made that very apparent.

The relationship between two of the main characters Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel and Teyonah Paris’ Monica Rambeua wasn’t explained thoroughly in the film. For people who are avid Marvel fans, they will know the backstory, but an average viewer will not. Their relationship on screen felt rushed as if scenes or dialogue were cut. The lack of development between the two characters made it hard to care for the history of their relationship.

The villain of the film was another generic Marvel villain. Marvel Studios has long been criticized for the lack of originality or depth of some of its villains. Zawe Ashton’s Dar-Benn was given a backstory and connection to its main hero but it failed to grab the audience's attention. The plot line for why she was after the protists felt shoehorned in to make the audience care.

The 2023 Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strike affected this film and many other films that were released in the past couple of months. This was the only Marvel Studios film to be released during the strike and it can be seen by the promotion and opening weekend box office numbers.

Even with some of its glaring problems the film had many endearing qualities. Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel was the star of this film. Every time she was shown on screen she stole the scene. Vellani was a well-known Marvel fan even before landing the role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If you were a fan of the show Ms. Marvel, you will like this film.

Samuel L. Jackson famously plays Nick Fury in Marvel films. Nick Fury returns true to form after the disaster that was Marvel’s Secret Invasion. The Disney+ series received scathing reviews and was massively disliked by Marvel fans. Jackson helped inject comedy into the film without it being forced.

The third act and end credits of the film helped set up future Marvel projects. As of recently, many of the projects put out by the studio have fallen short when it comes to connecting its films. If the audience was not entertained by the film the last two scenes definitely grabbed their attention.

This was not a great film by any means but it was a fun film. Don't come in expecting a film like Guardians of the Galaxy or Black Panther but come in with the expectations of a fun and wacky film with some setups for future projects from Marvel Studios.

Rating 6.5/10