The Marvels
Directed by Nia DaCosta
Written by Nia DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, Elissa Karasik
Starring Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, and Samuel L. Jackson
Rated PG-13
Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes
In theaters November 10

by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring

Remember when Marvel movies were fun? Nia DaCosta does. I’m in the midst of reading MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzalez, and Gavin Edwards–and while my enthusiasm for the interconnected movie/tv project that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has waned over the last few years–the book has made me nostalgic for the earlier days of the franchise. Watching the movies as they came out at a regular, but not frenzied, clip was exciting, and the teases for future installments were a dream come true for a comics reader who always felt like those stories would speak to so many people who were very unlikely to read comics. Watching The Marvels was a clear reminder of how far the MCU has strayed since it expanded to television, as well as showing that there is still a lot of potential remaining.

The Marvels is a fun superhero team-up between Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani). Following the events of the first Captain Marvel movie, Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), a Kree warrior who has beef with Carol because of her turning against the Kree after they gaslit her and literally overwrote her memories. As a byproduct of Dar-Benn’s plan, Carol, Monica, and Kamala become entangled, resulting in them switching places whenever they use their powers.

But the MCU of it all cuts both ways here. On the one hand, we got six hour long episodes with Kamala delving into her family life and the origins of her powers, which means those who have watched already know those characters very well. But since no one knows how to market streaming shows and the viewership numbers aren’t helpful, since The Marvels filmed before Ms. Marvel debuted on Disney+, The Marvels has to spend a decent amount of its first act recapping. And then updating us on what Carol has been up to since Captain Marvel, which took place in 1995. The Marvels does the best it can trying to get the audience up to speed on all this (as well as how Monica got her powers in WandaVision, a show I forgot she appeared in), but it always feels kind of clunky. Still, some of those MCU connections really pay off. Seeing some of Kamala’s doodles pop onto the screen as they did in Ms. Marvel is a nice bit of visual continuity between the show and this movie, and there are some brief cameos that work well because of the shared history between characters.

That may be too much of a hurdle for some, but once the film works through it, Nia DaCosta delivers on The Marvels being the most fun MCU movie since Ant-Man and the Wasp several years ago. Comedy and character relationships are foregrounded here, and although the stakes ramp up to be unexpectedly existential, the tone carries through. In fact, the most apt comparison here may be Ghostbusters or Guardians of the Galaxy, as the team dynamics and jokes take precedence over elaborate plotting. This is the kind of thing the MCU needs more of, especially when the last few waves of movies and shows have landed without much enthusiasm. The Marvels is a movie that loves its characters, flaws and all, and wants to share that love with the audience. There’s a lot in this movie that is worth not spoiling, not because of plot or because they point to future Marvel projects, but because they are so unexpected and funny they are worth experiencing fresh.

If Marvel is trying to win back audience enthusiasm, centering its characters and a sense of fun is the right approach. And teaming up with talented directors like Nia DaCosta goes a long way on executing that approach. Her work with the leads here is stellar, and when so much of these movies are prepackaged by the studio, those touches are what make individual Marvel movies stand out. Here, Larson, Parris, and Vellani make a delightful trio, and I’d happy follow them on more adventures together.