The Marvels is set to unite Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) on-screen for the first time – and the film could have major ramifications for the future of the MCU, according to director Nia DaCosta and executive producer Mary Livanos, as they explain in the new issue of Total Film magazine, which is out on newsstands on Thursday, August 17.
It all ties to an artefact in villain Dar-Benn's possession: the second bangle that forms a pair with the one Kamala Khan wears. Kamala's bangle unlocked her latent mutant powers, but one of the questions hanging over the conclusion of Ms. Marvel was around the location of the second bangle. Now we have our answer. "You'll get enough of the story of how and why Dar-Benn has acquired the bangle," says DaCosta.
Livanos says that's revealed early on. "In Ms. Marvel, we learned that the bangle, paired with some other form of power, can force a temporary hole in space and time to lead to somewhere else," she explains. "With the power of both bangles, more is definitely possible. And we see the culmination of that over the course of this movie. It definitely leads to plentiful opportunities for the future of the MCU, whatever the Avengers and Secret Wars teams may want to do with them."
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Ah, the future of the MCU. Back in 2019, Captain Marvel was sowing its own seeds, with Ms. Marvel, WandaVision, Secret Invasion, and more growing out of those kernels. It stands to reason that The Marvels is similarly planting acorns for upcoming MCU oak trees, including the Avengers team-up movies that are set to conclude the Multiverse Saga – Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and Avengers: Secret Wars. So how does The Marvels fit into the bigger picture?
"That's a question for [Marvel boss] Kevin Feige," says DaCosta. "I have lots of thoughts. But I actually have no idea what they're going to do in the Avengers movies. I do know that those guys who are doing that watch the films, see what we're doing. I have things I really want [to happen]. But I'm not sure."
Livanos says that The Marvels primarily explores the ramifications of Carol Danvers' actions in the main universe, but adds that "the plot deals with some fluctuations in time and space, and there's definite danger afoot that could affect the multiverse". She continues, "Where it all leads is a bit of a spoiler, and exactly how it'll all pan out in an Avengers movie is currently being figured out right now. But we're definitely ending our characters in places that allow for plentiful opportunity."
The Marvels opens in cinemas on November 10, 2023. This is just a snippet of our interview in the new issue of Total Film magazine, which features The Marvels on the cover. The magazine hits shelves this Thursday, August 17. This issue also comes with a free 48-page photo supplement looking behind the scenes at Warner Bros to mark 100 years of the studio. Check out the covers below:
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