Warning! This article contains major spoilers for The Marvels.
Summary
Nia DaCosta’s superhero sequel, The Marvels, brings three iconic MCU superheroes together for the first time: Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau. Of course, the trio isn’t united by choice. Though the exact circumstances are unclear, mysterious portals and the power of Kamala’s bangle unite the three, who swap places whenever they use their powers simultaneously.
Though previous appearances in Captain Marvel’s MCU timeline have positioned the cosmic Avenger as a solo act, The Marvels gives her two welcome faces to warm up to. The movie as a whole is anchored by the fantastic performances and chemistry between Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel, and Teyonah Parris’s Monica Rambeau. However, the three are backed by a supporting cast of both veteran actors and big-screen newcomers alike that help bring the MCU blockbuster to life.
Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, A.K.A. Captain Marvel
Though Avengers: Endgame saw Carol Danvers return to Earth to battle Thanos and his army, The Marvels reveals that she’s since returned to space and stayed there. However, it’s also clear that Carol has remained in more regular contact with Nick Fury, helping him in the far reaches of space. Of course, Carol is pulled back to Earthly affairs when her powers become entangled with Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau. Though Captain Marvel is as strong as ever, The Marvels shows the problems with being one of the most powerful people in the galaxy.
In The Marvels, Carol has to wrestle with the burden of responsibility and the people her actions hurt – knowingly or otherwise. Brie Larson shines in the role, aided by a script that allows her to show a wider emotional range than any previous MCU project. She’s still the relatively stoic leader, but it plays well in tandem with Kamala and Monica. Larson is known for a broad range of projects, including Room, 21 Jump Street, and Kong: Skull Island.
Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, A.K.A. Ms. Marvel
MCU super-fan Iman Vellani debuted as Kamala Khan in Phase 4’s Ms. Marvel on Disney+, a teenage mutant whose powers are unlocked after she dons her great-grandmother’s magical bangle. Kamala’s mutations allow her to harness cosmic energy and create hard-light constructs, and her bangle ends up entwining her with Monica Rambeau and Carol Danvers. Vellani’s star-struck teenage hero is a delight throughout The Marvels, and the end of the movie, which positions her as the leader of the Young Avengers, promises much more Ms. Marvel in the MCU’s future. Ms. Marvel remains Vellani’s only credited character.
Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau
Akira Akbar originally portrayed the eleven-year-old version of Monica Rambeau in Captain Marvel’s 1995 scenes, but WandaVision, Marvel Studios’ premiere Disney+ series, introduced the world to a grown-up Monica, played by Teyonah Parris. After gaining powers from Scarlet Witch’s hex in WandaVision, Rambeau has remained an important SWORD agent working with Nick Fury. Shockingly, Monica end The Marvels stuck in another dimension with a variant of her mother and the X-Men member Beast. Teyonah Parris is also known for her roles in movies like The Cloned Tyrone, Candyman, and If Beale Street Could Talk.
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
The former Director of SHIELD, founder of the Avengers, and long-time friend to Captain Marvel is back in action in The Marvels as the leader of SWORD. After a brief stint back on Earth in Secret Invasion, Fury spends most of the movie aboard the SABER station, where he tends to intergalactic threats to Earth. While Fury never comes face to face with Dar-Benn, he plays an active role in keeping his agents – and Kamala’s family – safe. He ends the movie once again on Earth after SABER’s destruction. Jackson has a decades-long career and is known for dozens of films, including Pulp Fiction, Unbreakable, and The Incredibles.
Zawe Ashton as Dar-Benn
British actor Zawe Ashton was cast as The Marvels’ villain in February 2021 – later revealed to be Dar-Benn, a Kree warrior seeking revenge on Captain Marvel for destroying the Kree Supreme Intelligence. Star of Fresh Meat, Not Safe for Work, and Velvet Buzzsaw, Ashton’s background in drama is put to good use, though she isn’t able to showcase her comedy chops.
Dar-Benn wields the Universal Weapon in addition to the sister bangle to the one worn by Kamala. This allows her to create new portals in space, which she uses to rob planets of the natural resources her own planet, Hala, lost in its civil war. While a compelling villain with an interesting backstory, Dar-Benn is killed when she unites both bangles. She almost instantly disintegrates, not living to see the massive hole in reality caused by her actions.
The Marvels Supporting Cast & Characters
Saagar Shaikh, Zenobia Shroff, and Mohan Kapur as Kamala Khan’s family – Shaikh, Shroff, and Kapur reprise their roles of Aamir, Muneeba, and Yusuf Khan, Kamala Khan’s brother, mother, and father, respectively, from Ms. Marvel. The inclusion of Kamala’s family in The Marvels means her strong bonds with her supportive relatives get developed even further. The family adds a groundedness to Kamala’s danger, and the group collectively offers welcome comedic relief.
Park Seo-joon as Prince Yan – South Korean actor Park Seo-joon plays the charming Prince Yan of the planet Aladna, and he makes the most of his limited screen time. Carol, Kamala, and Monica visit the planet as they discover Dar-Benn plans to steal its ocean water, and Yan aids the trio in combating the Kree. However, as the three Marvels are forced to retreat, the fate of Yan and the planet as a whole is left unclear.
Goose the Flerken – Goose returns in The Marvels following his MCU debut in Captain Marvel. Despite having the physicality of an unassuming domesticated cat, Goose is actually a Flerken, a tentacled creature whose body houses pocket dimensions. Goose spends much of the movie on SABER station, but the critter and its massive litter of kittens are instrumental in evacuating the station’s inhabitants by holding them in their stomach’s pocket dimension.
Daniel Ings as Ty-Rone – Despite being one of the first characters to appear in The Marvels, Ty-Rone isn’t given much screen time. He’s an adviser to Dar-Benn, who aids her in finding the bangle, and he warns her against combining the two should she get the chance. He’s last seen on Hala, presumably set up for a better life with the planet’s resources and sun restored.
Abraham Popoola as Dag – Fury’s SABER station is inhabited by both humans and aliens, and Dag is one of the latter. His exact role on the station isn’t clear, but he seems to be one of Fury’s go-to people to solve problems. He reveals that he’s over 300 years old, and he’s among the survivors who end up on Earth after SABER’s destruction.
Leila Farzad as Talia – Very little is revealed about Talia, though she works closely with Dag on SABER station. She seems to have some level of a professional relationship with Fury, and she also survives the station’s destruction. It’s unclear if she’s human or an undisclosed alien race.
Gary Lewis as Emperor Dro’ge – Skrulls don’t play a large role in The Marvels, but one colony suffers an assault from Dar-Benn’s forces. Dro’ge doesn’t have much screen time, but he still quickly comes across as a caring leader willing to work with the Kree for the safety of his people.
Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop, AKA Hawkeye – The MCU has been teasing the Young Avengers for quite some time with various appearances by younger heroes, and the closing scene of The Marvels finally addresses all the set-up. Kamala, doing her best Nick Fury impression, approaches Kate and recruits her for her still-unnamed new team. Kamala also mentions that Cassie Lang is of interest, but she doesn’t appear on-screen.
Lashana Lynch as Maria Rambeau, AKA Binary – The Marvels’ mid-credits scene revisits Monica Rambeau, who ends the movie stuck in a strange new reality. When she wakes up, she’s shocked to see her mother, who is dead in Monica’s home reality. Here, Maria is the hero Binary, presumably with powers similar to Captain Marvel, though nothing else is revealed about her.
Kelsey Grammar as Hank McCoy, AKA Beast – The only other person shown when Monica wakes up is the X-Men member Beast, making his grand debut in the MCU. Predominantly a CGI character, Beast is excitedly voiced by Kelsey Grammar, who played the character back in Fox’s X-Men franchise. Beast mentions Charles Xavier, though no other X-Men are shown on-camera in The Marvels.
