The Marvels (2023)
Director: Nia DaCosta
Screenwriters: Nia DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, Elissa Karasik
Starring: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Park Seo-joon, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, Samuel L. Jackson
Previously on the MCU…
In Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers absorbs the explosive energy of an alien reactor and emerges as one of the MCU’s most powerful heroes. In WandaVision, Monica Rambeau gains the ability to manipulate the electromagnetic spectrum after crossing a zone shaped by chaos magic. In Ms. Marvel, teenager Kamala Khan discovers latent, extra-dimensional powers unlocked by a family heirloom bangle. The Marvels brings those three threads together, sending three light-powered heroes into a shared adventure that tests their limits and their relationships.
When Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) begin inexplicably swapping places across the galaxy, they must join forces to uncover the reason behind the phenomenon. Their mission escalates as they face Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), a Kree warlord whose fanatical plans threaten untold destruction. The film hinges on the chemistry of this unlikely family: an absentee aunt with a complicated history, a daughter coping with loss, and an enthusiastic younger sister desperate to belong.
Nia DaCosta, who previously directed a modern interpretation of the Candyman story, brings a measured blend of personality and studio sensibility to the film. Her approach sits somewhere between preserving a distinct directorial voice and accommodating the expectations of a blockbuster franchise. The result is a movie that frequently sparkles with energy and warmth, even if it sometimes leans toward conventional blockbuster beats.
The film’s greatest asset is the central trio’s rapport. Their dynamic—equal parts playful banter, mutual frustration and emerging affection—gives the movie its heart. Watching them gradually learn to trust and support one another turns several sequences into genuinely touching moments. Kamala’s wide-eyed excitement, in particular, provides a joyful counterbalance to Carol’s weary gravitas and Monica’s cautious steadiness, and Iman Vellani’s performance supplies much of the film’s comic and emotional lift.
Despite the cast’s strong work, the screenplay could benefit from a tighter focus. The film frequently flirts with darker, more consequential themes—particularly the moral weight of wielding almost unlimited power and the fallout of choices that affect entire worlds—but it rarely lingers long enough to fully explore them. At times the story substitutes aimless space-chasing and artifact hunts for deeper character-based drama, so moments that should land with greater emotional force feel abbreviated.
Visually, The Marvels offers plenty to admire. The production design presents glittering futuristic cities, vivid alien environments and several dramatic cosmic set pieces. There are sequences of genuine visual ambition, including a standout early action set piece that cleverly intercuts the three heroes fighting in different locations as they are spat in and out of each other’s positions. That editing choice provides a fresh rhythm to the action and adds urgency to the squad’s struggle to coordinate.
Still, the film is not without weaknesses. Some action scenes devolve into repetitive exchanges—close-quarters brawls accented by visual effects rather than distinct choreography—and certain set pieces feel like they were assembled in post-production rather than conceived organically. The pacing can be uneven: moments of genuine invention alternate with stretches of exposition and plot mechanics that serve mainly to move the characters from one set piece to the next.
The Marvels also embraces lighter touches, including humorous animal chaos courtesy of multi-dimensional alien creatures and two distinct musical-inspired sequences that break up the action. One of those sequences is especially self-aware and memorable, designed to provoke laughs and likely to be clipped and shared on social platforms. Much of the film’s humor comes from the actors’ timing and charisma rather than razor-sharp dialogue, meaning the cast elevates material that on the page reads as serviceable rather than exceptional.
On the antagonist side, Dar-Benn is presented as a clear external threat with high stakes—a leader willing to sacrifice vast swaths of the universe to save her world. Yet the character lacks nuance and stops short of giving the film a morally complex foil. Her motivations are understandable at a basic level, but her portrayal is largely functional: she drives conflict forward without offering a memorable, multifaceted presence. A more developed antagonist might have raised the film’s thematic stakes and provided a counterpoint to the leads’ emotional arcs.
There are hints that the finished film could have been more ambitious: moments suggest that an extended cut might have dug deeper into Carol’s past choices and the ethical consequences of near-godlike power. As it stands, The Marvels strikes a balance between a lighthearted space adventure and a film that occasionally gestures toward darker, weightier concerns. The result is an entertaining, often charming entry in the franchise, though it does not fully cohere into a wholly satisfying whole.
Fans of the leads will find much to enjoy, and the movie rewards viewers who stick around for the end credits with a couple of pleasant surprises. The Marvels is recommended for audiences who appreciate spirited performances, family-oriented character work, and visually bold set pieces, even if they are looking for a deeper exploration of the moral implications at the story’s core.
Score: 16/24
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Recommended for you: MCU Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies Ranked