^{By: Amanda Guarragi}

There was a time when superhero films were fun and exciting. Diehard fans and the general audience anticipated the newest release and saw it as an event. Whether you were part of the Infinity Saga phenomenon or not, what Kevin Feige did at the time was something special. We are in a post-Endgame comic book movie world, and the climate has drastically changed. The decision to turn to television felt rushed because Disney wanted more programming on a newly developed streaming service. Then they attempted to thread the shows in the films, but the Marvel stamp seemed to fade. The films were unique because of the directors chosen, but the magic was gone. Something changed, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe was under scrutiny. Some projects revived the Marvel magic: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, No Way Home, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and now, The Marvels. 

When Brie Larson was announced as Captain Marvel, everyone was excited. After reading some comics and understanding the character, no one else could have played Carol Danvers in my eyes. However, even though the film did well at the box office, it didn’t do her character justice. Even in Endgame or the cameos in post-credit scenes, no one knew how to write Carol Danvers. She had been sidelined because of her power-set. Instead, she should have become the next leader of The Avengers. To say her character development had been disappointing in the MCU is an understatement. It wasn’t until the television series Ms. Marvel that audiences began to understand how incredible Captain Marvel is. It took a teenager, Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), to fangirl over her and develop cosmic powers of her own to link the two together. The idolization of Captain Marvel through Kamala Khan improved the connection to this character for The Marvels to work. 

Then enters Nia DaCosta. She is the only person who understands Carol Danvers and the cosmic world more than anyone who has attempted to write for her. Finally, after years of waiting for Carol Danvers to appear on the big screen in all of her glory, DaCosta brought her to life properly. DaCosta co-wrote the screenplay with Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik, and they fused three different characters with their special powers. They understood that women are many things at once, and their intelligence, emotions and determination did not seem forced upon any of them. Everything about Carol, Kamala and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) felt natural and effortless, and their chemistry flowed well. DaCosta wasted no time reintroducing Kamala Khan to audiences (for those who did not watch Ms. Marvel), and within seconds, Vellani’s charm filled the screen. The action began early on because of the body switching between the three of them through their powers. The execution of their abilities and the editing for the fight scenes worked well and became the highlight throughout the film. 

Visually, DaCosta understood the grandeur of space and other planets that we haven’t seen since early Guardians films. The people on these planets were developed well, and these planets felt lived in. Exploring different worlds with the knowledge base of Carol Danvers should be unique and exciting, which is exactly what DaCosta did. Whether they were in Hala or Aladna, each planet felt unique, and DaCosta made sure to utilize every aspect of Carol Danvers’ universe, which made this very special. There were vibrant colours and such richness when they were in space that the visuals were so different from what we’ve seen before. Visually, DaCosta pushed the MCU forward and made this film entirely her own, even if there was meddling with the villain and including set-up for the future of the MCU. Even though it did feel disjointed at times because the villain, Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) from the Kree side was incredibly weak and forgettable, the union between the three cosmic Marvels was pure magic. 

The humour in the MCU is inconsistent and painful. It is known that humorous moments undercut emotional scenes, but that didn’t happen here. The comic relief was Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), who has incredible one-liners and comedic timing. Kamala Khan also added her quips and general excitement to work with Carol Danvers, which made fight scenes and the space adventures even more entertaining. For the emotional beats, Monica Rambeau is the one who grounded this film because of her relationship with Danvers. This was the first time that Rambeau would meet Danvers since she left. The film explores their relationship and even mends it because Danvers learns there’s no need to be alone in space or to do everything on your own. Parris is the unsung hero of The Marvels because Monica Rambeau was the glue for Khan and Danvers. Each learns something new about themselves, and their perspective about the universe changes because of the alternate reality they find through the time jump portal. After watching The Marvels, Carol Danvers is the only choice to lead The Avengers moving forward. Out of everyone, she has the most experience going into battle and dealing with other-worldly threats. Oh, and she’s the most powerful Avenger. The ending of The Marvels will put a big fat smile on your face, and the mid-credit scene (whether it has been spoiled for you or not) will give you that magic feeling.