(Updated 11/07/2023)
Marvel is mixing things up, literally, with THE MARVELS. The film was originally known as CAPTAIN MARVEL 2, and it's the sequel to Brie Larson’s acclaimed first outing as Captain Marvel, released back in 2019. It's also the first big-screen outing for the character Kamala Khan, introduced in the "Ms. Marvel" streaming series.
With Larson reprising the role as Carol Danvers, this sequel will be a much-anticipated expansion of the story of Captain Marvel. It’s been three years since her first film. Beyond that, she’s only had brief appearances in AVENGERS: ENDGAME, and cameos in SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS and the finale of "Ms. Marvel."
In addition to the return of Carol Danvers this movie has a lot to offer. Here’s everything we know so far about THE MARVELS, including the latest trailer.
When and How You Can See The Marvels
THE MARVELS will open exclusively in movie theatres on November 10.
Watch the Final Trailer for The Marvels
The first teaser trailer for THE MARVELS focused almost entirely on the three lead characters: Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel; Monica Rambeau; and Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel. The first full trailer gave more details about the location-swapping problem facing the three women.
Now the final trailer sets up a different angle for the movie, positioning THE MARVELS as a kind of epilogue to AVENGERS: ENDGAME. There's an explicit link drawn between Thanos and the Kree warrior who sees Carol Danvers as the root of all her problems. There also seems to be an appearance from at least one Asgardian. The trailer also suggests a particularly big wrinkle in the story as a whole.
The Song in The Marvels Trailer
The first teaser trailer for THE MARVELS is scored by a remixed version of "Intergalactic" by the Beastie Boys, from the 1998 album "Hello Nasty." We hear the track a bit in the full-length trailer as well.
The Marvels Cast
Joining Brie Larson are Iman Vellani, who debuted as Kamala Kahn, aka the similarly-named superhero Ms. Marvel, in a Disney+ series. (That's why this movie is called THE MARVELS, plural. It has multiple Captains Marvel.) In addition, Saagar Shaikh, Zenobia Shroff, and Mohan Kapur will be reprising their roles from the Disney+ series.
Teyonah Parris, who co-starred in "WandaVision," reprises her role from the series as the adult version of CAPTAIN MARVEL’S Monica Rambeau. Zawe Wilson (VELVET BUZZSAW) plays the film’s primary antagonist, though it is not yet known exactly who that is. She looks a lot like Ronan the Accuser, though! Park Seo-Joon (PARASITE) also appears as Prince Yan, about whom we know very little.
Thankfully, Samuel L. Jackson will also be returning as none other than Nick Fury, who has been far out in deep space, working with the Skrulls. Since he's also starring in the "Secret Invasion" streaming series (airing now), there's a good chance that part of the story for this movie will be set up in that series.
Goose the Cat Returns!
It's nice to see Carol Danvers and the rest of THE MARVELS cast but let's be honest: The most welcome returning character in the teaser trailer is Goose, the definitely-not-a-cat creature from CAPTAIN MARVEL.
Goose looks fluffy and harmless, sure, but just like the cats you know and love, Goose has secrets — such as a mouth full of tentacles and the ability to consume or at least spatially displace objects much larger than she is. Goose is actually an alien creature called a Flerken, and hopefully we'll learn more about her in this sequel.
What is the Plot of The Marvels?
The trailer helps piece together what's going on in THE MARVELS. First, this movie takes place in the present day, as opposed to the first Captain Marvel movie, which took place in 1995. The short version is that something is causing all three main characters to swap places with one another when one of them uses their powers.
The official synopsis says: "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, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team-up and learn to work in concert to save the universe.
One of the focal points for their movements seems to be a space station built by Nick Fury. Let's wind back the clock for a moment. The SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME post-credits scene revealed that Nick Fury and Maria Hill were actually the Skrulls from CAPTAIN MARVEL, Talos, and Soren. Meanwhile, Nick Fury was overseeing the construction of a space station, which is now finished. In comics, this would have been the base of operations for S.W.O.R.D. (which stands for Sentient World Observation and Response Department), a sister organization to S.H.I.E.L.D. In this movie, however, the station is called S.A.B.E.R., and we don't know what the acronym stands for.
The Ms. Marvel Connection
Here's where things get interesting. The Disney+ series "Ms. Marvel" introduced two important ideas that will likely be explored in THE MARVELS. Note that spoilers for the ending of "Ms. Marvel" follow.
First up, there's the switch. At the end of "Ms. Marvel," Carol Danvers and Kamala Kahn switch places. Danvers is in Kahn's closet and Kahn is… well, wherever Carol Danvers was. It's clear now that this was an early introduction to the plot of THE MARVELS.
And then there's the "M" word. At the end of "Ms. Marvel," Kamala is told that her DNA has an unusual characteristic that looks "like a mutation." Just in case the word "mutation" didn't stand out — which in Marvel parlance points specifically to the X-Men — the opening notes of the theme from "X-Men: The Animated Series" plays. If Kamala is a mutant, then the very idea of mutants might play into THE MARVELS, which would open some doors that have been closed for a long time in the MCU.
The Creative Team Behind The Marvels
Nia DaCosta, who helmed 2021’s reboot of CANDYMAN, directed this sequel. Megan McDonnell wrote the screenplay, having flexed her muscles on "WandaVision" last year.
THE MARVELS opens on November 10.
All images courtesy of Marvel Studios.