The Marvels have a lot to live up to after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Superhero movie fatigue, and in particular, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is an increasingly trending topic. James Gunn and the Guardians managed to have broken the trend, but with his new role at DC, the question of whether Marvel still has it lingers and The Marvels is the next feature film in the MCU. Between now and then, we will be getting Secret Invasion and potentially Loki Season 2 or What If…? Season 2. But the movies are where audiences tend to expect the most from Marvel. So how can The Marvels continue and elevate the momentum generated from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?
The Marvels Have an Uphill Battle
The Marvels will star Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, from Captain Marvel, WandaVision, and Ms. Marvel. While WandaVision was largely well received, Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel had mixed reactions. Parris and Vellani are generally well-received by the fandom, whereas Larson has a mixed reception. While I believe most are rooting for the film to do well, there is a set of loud “fans” who actively do not like the focus of the story being centered around these characters and performers for “reasons.”
Combined with superhero movie fatigue, plus also a purveying sentiment that Marvel has not been as good since Endgame, the film does not have an advantage in terms of reputation, culture, and fandom. Plus, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has done incredibly well, so the shadow cast upon The Marvels is even bigger. However, they do have an “X” factor.
X-traordinary History
For a majority of Marvel fans, our fandom started with X-Men: The Animated Series. This Saturday Morning Cartoon introduced us to the incredible depth and storytelling of Marvel through the mutants. Until Iron Man Marvel was really all about the X-Men and Spider-Man. And thanks to the series, a generation knows Carol Danvers, as the source of Rogue’s superpowers.
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This originally happens in the comics and, to put it lightly, Rogue taking Carol’s powers does not go well for Carol, and the two have a fraught history because of it. Having this happen in The Marvels could very well be the thing that takes the film to that next level.
Why It Could Happen
This is all fan theory and wishful thinking on my part, but the seeds are there. WandaVision introduced mutants, Ms. Marvel made it official, and there’s the long history between Carol Danvers and Rogue that makes for great tension and drama. Marvel fans have been chomping at the bit to get some X-Men in the MCU, and this seems like a perfect time to start dropping those breadcrumbs. Picture it:
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At the end of The Marvels, Carol and Monica bury the hatchet, have a new little sister in Kamala, and haven taken care of their Kree issue. Things look good for The Marvels, but in a post-credit scene, Carol is alone in a hangar checking out her old plane. An unknown green-hooded figure appears and lays her bare hand on Carol causing her incredible pain until she drops out of frame. The hand, still in position now begins to glow with the power of Captain Marvel.
BOOM! The world would go wild. One of the most powerful reactions I have seen Marvel fans have in the entire run of the MCU was when the notes of Ron Wasserman’s theme song for X-Men: The Animated Series played in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and Ms. Marvel. It’s always a primal reaction brought about by an incredible amount of joy, regardless of how they felt about the film or series. This happening in The Marvels would be those moments dialed up to a million.
This will set up the X-Men and mutants in the MCU as a threat. One that likely governments would take notice of. While the heroes of the MCU are taking on Skrulls and the multiverse, the regular people are focusing on mutants. It also perfectly sets up X-Men ’97 and begins to plant the seeds for Avengers vs X-Men. It’s a powerful move that would make an impact, set up the future, and doesn’t require a lot of immediate focus. It’d be the most impactful end-credits scene since Nick Fury in Iron Man.
But it’s just a theory and wishful thinking. We’ll have to wait and see what happens when The Marvels releases exclusively in theaters on November 10, 2023.
About The Marvels
Release Date: November 10, 2023 in theaters
Director: Nia DaCosta
Producer: Kevin Feige
Cinematography: Sean Bobbitt
Screenplay: Nia DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, Zeb Wells, Elissa Karasik
Composer: Laura Karpman
Cast: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani
Synopsis: Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence, but unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team-up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as ‘The Marvels.’
Do you want to see the beginning of Rogue and Carol’s rivalry begin in The Marvels? How much do you think Secret War will play into the film? Who would you cast as Rogue and why is it Keke Palmer? Let us know your thoughts, theories, and reactions on social media!
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