The Marvel Cinematic Universe is spinning so many plates it could start a restaurant. Echo and Daredevil are defending New York from new threats, Deadpool is palling around with Wolverine in a time travel adventure, there’s an entirely different world within the Quantum Realm, and several of our heroes are zooming around space.
All these different elements make it difficult to know just what you need to focus on before a new Marvel project launches. Thankfully, it’s pretty clear what is and isn’t prerequisite knowledge for The Marvels. Here’s everything you need to remember before watching The Marvels, from the big plot points down to the obscure little details.
5. Captain Marvel Fought in the Kree-Skrull War
The Marvels was originally called Captain Marvel 2, and while it’s now an ensemble piece focusing on three heroes, Captain Marvel remains the ultimate source material. That movie introduced the Kree-Skrull war, a brutal conflict between two alien species that forced the Skrulls to look to Earth for a new home. Raised among the Kree, Carol Danvers fought for her people before learning the war was based on false pretenses and choosing to aid the Skull instead.
In The Marvels, the villain will be Dar-Benn, a fearsome Kree warrior with ties to Thanos who will threaten Earth. A zealous Kree fighting a Kree turncoat should make for some natural drama.
4. Monica and Kamala Are Superheroes Now Too
Just how were The Marvels assembled? Fans of Captain Marvel already know Monica Rambeau, the daughter of Maria Rambeau. She followed in her mother’s footsteps and is now Captain Rambeau. We were introduced to the now-grown Monica in WandaVision, where she assisted with the Westview mystery after having her life turned upside down by the Blip. After forcing her through the barrier Wanda built around the town, a power was ignited within her. She now has powers focused on the manipulation of light.
Avengers superfan Kamala Khan was introduced in her own Disney+ series, Ms. Marvel. Her powers of physical manifestation and “embiggening” were triggered when she inherited bangles that allow her to employ energy from another dimension. She’s still just starting her heroic journey, and a masterclass with two experienced heroes may be just what she needs.
3. Body Swapping Will Be a Major Plot Point
The post-credits scene of Ms. Marvel showed that Kamala is now literally on the same level as Carol Danvers. They’re swapping places thanks to some wild superhero science, leaving Captain Marvel in the childhood bedroom of her biggest fan. The incessant teleportation of Carol, Kamala, and Monica Rambeau will be the main conceit of The Marvels.
Their powers are all light-based: Carol is fuelled by absorbing it, Monica can see and manipulate it, and Kamala can turn it into physical matter. Now, it appears Dar-Benn has intertwined their powers, so our heroes are instantly transported elsewhere whenever any of them use their abilities. They’ll have to get that sorted out in a hurry if they want to be an effective team.
2. No One Really Knows Where Carol Has Been
Monica and Kamala have been busy coming to terms with their new powers. What has Carol been up to? Captain Marvel is arguably the MCU’s most powerful hero, but she’s largely been off-screen as the MCU deals with new threats. In the Marvels trailer, Nick Fury calls her “prodigal child of the Milky Way,” leading fans to believe she’s been living as a wandering galactic hero, helping people and planets wherever she goes.
Star Brie Larson told Entertainment Weekly that’s a testament to Carol’s devotion to her career. “The way I was able to tap into it and understand it is the concept that Carol kind of became a workaholic, and she lost touch with her heart and with family and friends,” she said. “That’s certainly something I can relate to.” It sounds like Captain Marvel will have to readjust to life on Earth as much as she needs to adjust to Dar-Benn’s villainy.
1. Like it or Not, Secret Invasion Played a Role
The latest Disney+ series to feed into The Marvels was Secret Invasion, a miniseries that followed the shape-shifting Skrulls’ attempt to conquer Earth behind the scenes. It ended with the President of the United States declaring an all-out offense against all aliens, meaning we may see some of that extremism in The Marvels.
While Nick Fury is alive to boss Carol around, Captain Marvel did lose a major ally in Secret Invasion. Talos, the Skrull who worked alongside Fury, was lost in battle against Skrull extremists. More broadly, Captain Marvel may have to face questions about her Skrull sympathies, considering a faction of them just tried to conquer Earth.
