The vast majority of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been hits at the box office, with some films even breaking records. However, 2023’s The Marvels is widely viewed as its biggest commercial flop, yet it deserves a much better reputation from fans and critics alike.
In fact, The Marvels stands out for a few reasons. It has key moments that are pivotal to the future of the franchise, it features a great all-female team of superheroes, and it does the kind of stuff that the MCU should focus on going forward. In a lot of ways, it works as a blueprint despite its commercial struggles.
The Marvels Bombed But Is A Blast Of A Movie
The Marvels is the lowest-grossing movie in the entire MCU, taking in just $206.1 million worldwide. That’s a far cry from the $1 billion mark of the first film and looks even worse when you factor in that its budget was reportedly well over $300 million. That said, a lot of what the movie does could help the MCU’s future.
For starters, many casual fans are tired of having to know the ins and outs of so many different interconnected stories and characters. Sometimes, they just want to tune in and have a good time. The Marvels does just that, delivering a super fun movie.
Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani are a blast together, with each scene involving the three filled with charisma. In fact, Vellani has an infectious star power that should catapult her to one of the most prominent parts in the franchise moving forward. More MCU films need to feel fun and she brings that.
The Runtime Of The Marvels Makes It An Easy Watch
Another consistent criticism lobbied at MCU projects is that they can be too long. Not every film needs to be two and a half hours. The Marvels clocks in at 105 minutes and it’s breezy. While aspects do feel rushed and it could’ve benefitted from another 10 minutes, this is a welcome change.
In fact, the MCU has learned from this, with every release since coming in at around two hours or less. This makes these movies much easier to consume, opening them to a wider audience. An easy, light watch is just what some fans want to see, which is The Marvels.
There are obvious issues with the movie, like a generic villain (an unfortunate MCU staple) and some lackluster CGI, but the character stuff between Carol, Monica, and Kamala is fantastic. That makes the movie a blast.
The Marvels Is Actually Very Important To The MCU
Although it’s a movie where you don’t need to know too many details about other projects to enjoy it, The Marvels is a big deal for those who do want to see everything connect. The film is the first to truly give us a look at the X-Men as Monica enters a parallel universe that includes Dr. Hank McCoy.
The Marvels also features a scene where Kamala Khan recruits Kate Bishop to join a team. This is clearly the Young Avengers that the franchise has been building to for years. Those aspects, combined with the fun nature of the film, make The Marvels the kind of thing the MCU should try more often.
- Release Date
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November 10, 2023
- Runtime
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105 minutes
- Director
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Nia DaCosta
- Writers
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Megan McDonnell, Elissa Karasik, Nia DaCosta
- Producers
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Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Matthew Jenkins, Jonathan Schwartz
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Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel
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Teyonah Parris
Monica Rambeau
