Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Marvels.

Summary

• The Marvels introduces a new team dynamic for Captain Marvel, with Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau playing integral roles in her growth and character development.
• The film explores the complex relationship between Carol and Monica, showcasing their growth and reconciliation after years of separation.
• The Marvels strikes a balance between serious moments and lightheartedness, with well-executed comedic scenes that provide relief and enhance the overall viewing experience.

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Although Captain Marvel was a box office success, it has received its fair share of criticisms since its release, dividing audiences on aspects of its plot and characterization. Audiences have been especially critical of The Marvels in part because of this, with a number of negative reviews of The Marvels coming out since its release, but the sequel’s bright spots are evident. From individual character growth to the overall stakes in the greater MCU, The Marvels successfully nails several elements that were lacking in Captain Marvel.

10 The Marvels Gives Captain Marvel A Real Team

Carol Is ed By Ms. Marvel And Monica Rambeau

While The Marvels is still a Captain Marvel film, Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau also have their moments in the spotlight. Both characters were introduced in Disney+ series and make their big screen debut in this film, which sees the trio have to try and quickly learn how to work together in order to investigate the Kree wormhole that is entangling their light powers. Although the addition of two other main characters could have potentially detracted from Carol’s story, Kamala and Monica actually become integral to Captain Marvel’s growth.

Captain Marvel originally had a team in Yon-Rogg and the Starforce in the first film. Even without taking into consideration the fact that she would inevitably part ways with them, the other never felt like a real team to Carol.

Captain Marvel originally had a team in Yon-Rogg and the Starforce in the first film. However, even without taking into consideration the fact that she would inevitably part ways with them, the other never felt like a real team to Carol. This is flipped in The Marvels, as not only does Carol work well with Kamala and Monica, but she genuinely enjoys their presence, going as far as to tell them how much she appreciates having them on board her ship. Captain Marvel has been characterized as something of a standoffish sort of person and a hero who likes to operate alone, but The Marvels proves that she can in fact thrive in a team setting, adding more dimension to her arc.

9 Captain Marvel Finally Has A Weakness

The Hero Feels More Balanced Than Before

Though Captain Marvel’s relationships are her greatest advantage in The Marvels, they are now also her greatest weakness in a way. Carol is an incredibly powerful individual, with a popular MCU argument revolving around whether she is the strongest Avenger, or even one of the strongest beings in the universe. When Captain Marvel was first introduced into the franchise, there was valid concern that she would be overpowered in comparison to other characters. The Marvels gives Captain Marvel a proper weakness that doesn’t simply diminish her actual powers, but instead gives her some personal emotional stakes.

Captain Marvel primarily operated in the greater universe because she had no real ties keeping her on Earth. Now that Carol ended The Marvels with three strong friendships in Kamala, Monica, and Nick Fury, she has people she cares about deeply and would want to protect. Any enemy of Captain Marvel who knew they wouldn’t be able to outfight her power would turn to hurting the people she cares about as a way to get back at her. These new relationships from The Marvels allow for Captain Marvel’s powers to remain unchanged while giving her a proper weakness and making the hero feel more balanced than ever before.

8 Carol and Monica’s Relationship Is Well-Developed

It Is Carol’s First Time Meeting An Adult Monica

When Teyonah Parris’ adult Monica Rambeau debuted in WandaVision, she was clearly being set up to one day be reunited with her aunt Carol. The Marvels answers the question of the two’s relationship status right off the bat, establishing the resentment that Monica still has about Carol leaving Earth for so many years. Though Carol is eager to talk to a grown-up Monica, she’s slightly disappointed in the fact that she can’t connect with her like she used to.

Though the two face their hardships throughout the film’s first act, they ultimately reconcile when Carol is honest about why she did not return to Earth. It’s hard to say that The Marvels did Carol and Monica’s relationship better than Captain Marvel considering Monica was just a child in the first film, but the sequel could’ve easily fumbled the growth of their relationship. Instead, The Marvels has their relationship blossom in a way that will become integral in their future MCU projects, allowing the bond between the pair to become a major plot point for Marvel's overarching multiversal story.

7 The Marvels Nails Its Light-Hearted Moments

Kamala Khan And Her Family Are Especially Funny

A big critique of many recent MCU projects has been the hit-or-miss attempts at comedy. There are undoubtedly many funny moments, but other times the jokes don’t land or the comedy overstays its welcome. The Marvels manages to capture the appropriate amount of light-heartedness at the right times, providing relief to serious moments that Captain Marvel didn’t quite have.

The Marvels lent itself naturally to light-hearted moments with the inclusion of Kamala Khan and her family. The whole tone of Ms. Marvel reflected Kamala’s upbeat personality, and being thrown into a cosmic situation didn’t change her one bit. In fact, Kamala’s personality shines while interacting with her hero, and her family’s time in space is comedic relief that doesn’t feel forced.

6 The Marvels Doesn't Take Itself So Seriously

The Flerken Scene Is Particularly Silly

The tonal difference between The Marvels and Captain Marvel is extremely evident. While Captain Marvel kept a more serious tone throughout, The Marvels had a mix of emotional beats and fun sequences. Captain Marvel’s serious tone was appropriate for who Carol’s character was at the time, but The Marvels properly reflects Captain Marvel's growth and new friendships by offering some sillier moments.

Indeed, the Phase 5 film has some of the MCU’s most amusing scenes. A musical number would be an extremely tough inclusion for most MCU films, but the song and dance work perfectly for the planet of Aladna as it’s supposed to be on the sillier side. The Flerken spaceship sequence is also a joy, as the chase montage set to “Memory” from the musical Cats actually somewhat contributes to the plot while providing a whimsical look at how a Flerkens almost limitless internal capacity could be used in unusal circumstances. The Marvels could’ve gone with the same tone as Captain Marvel, but the film embraces its silliness, which helps make it an easier watch.

5 Captain Marvel Is Morally Conflicted

Carol Is Not The Outright “Good Guy”

In most superhero films, the main hero is considered to be the ultimate good guy. However, MCU films have done a great job in the past at offering characters who are more complex. Past projects like Captain America: Civil War show the ramifications of hero activity on innocent civilians, and The Marvels is no different. The reason why Captain Marvel is so compelling in The Marvels is because it carries on Carol’s moral conflict from the first film, and goes to lengths to show her good intentions had their own consequences.

After finding out the truth about the Skrulls in Captain Marvel, Carol jumps ship from the Kree ideologies she was trained on to do what she thought was right. In The Marvels, the Skrull and Kree’s war and the stripping of resources on Hala are all due to Carol destroying the Supreme Intelligence. The Marvels is more complicated than simply considering Captain Marvel the outright “good guy,” which is what makes her story so compelling in the sequel.

4 The Marvels Is The Perfect Runtime

The Film Is Just Under 2 Hours

The Marvels is the shortest MCU film to date with a total runtime of 105 minutes, suring The Incredible Hulk and Thor: The Dark World at 112 minutes each. Most recent MCU films have been well over 2 hours, which have worked for big epics like Infinity War and Endgame, but have caused other films to fall flat and feel slow-paced.

Captain Marvel was 124 minutes, and while it isn’t even close to being the longest MCU project, it did make the film drag on for a bit too long. The Marvels shorter runtime was intentional by director Nia DaCosta, who “really wanted it to be under two hours” (via Digital Spy). Because of this, every moment in The Marvels feels fully utilized with only a bit of filler necessary, as it doesn’t overstay its welcome.

3 The Marvels Makes Captain Marvel A More Cosmic Hero

Captain Marvel And Her Team Travel To Multiple Planets

While Captain Marvel is considered a protector of the universe, most of Captain Marvel was actually grounded on Earth. This was a necessary story decision in order to have Carol her roots as a human, and ultimately left room for The Marvels to explore more of space. The MCU has always done a good job of building up environments on new planets, and this film was no different.

From the stunning ocean views and high society of Prince Yan’s Aladna to the emotional turmoil in the refugee colony of Tarnax, the scale of Captain Marvel’s duty is much better understood in The Marvels as she and her team travel to each planet. Actually seeing all the planets that need her aid helps paint the picture of just how vast the galaxy is, and Captain Marvel’s role as a cosmic hero is finally proven by the sheer scope of the sequel movie.

2 Brie Larson Has Grown Into The Captain Marvel Role

This Is Larson’s Fourth Appearance As Captain Marvel

Much of Marvel's audience had high expectations when Academy Award-winning actress Brie Larson was brought on to play Captain Marvel in the MCU. However, one of the most prominent criticisms of the first film was that Carol felt like an overall plain character. Whether this was due to Larson’s performance or the overall direction of the writing is up for debate, and is still something hotly debated among viewers years later.

However, these qualms were not mirrored in The Marvels. Larson is much more confident as Captain Marvel in The Marvels, and the chemistry she has on-screen with Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani helps Carol’s personality shine. With how much growth Larson and Captain Marvel have done in one film, Carol’s MCU future looks bright.

1 The Marvels Is More Connected To The Larger MCU

The Multiverse Becomes Directly Involved

Though Captain Marvel had its MCU tie-ins with appearances from Fury and Phil Coulson, it was a mostly self-contained film since it took place in the past. It feels like there is much more at stake for the greater MCU in The Marvels without feeling overly forced either. Heroes from three separate projects are united and the overarching threat of the multiverse is directly mentioned too. The film even ends with separate scenes that set up the MCU Young Avengers and further tease the X-Men coming to the franchise, making the events of The Marvels feel absolutely necessary for future plots.

The Marvels amplifies the best parts of its predecessor Captain Marvel, while also improving on areas previously criticized in the first film. There are plenty of elements that The Marvels nails, offering insight into who Carol Danvers has become since she was first introduced into the MCU. The Marvels not only sets up the foundation for three leading heroes of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, but it also provides necessary tie-ins for much larger MCU ideas.