Marvel was in desperate need of fresh new heroes to save the day after a rocky reception to some of its most recent projects. Call it superhero fatigue or cutting CGI corners by churning out projects too fast, but there was a collective fear among fans that the Marvel cinematic universe (MCU) had lost its long-standing charm.

Enter The Marvels, aka Iman Vellani, Teyonah Parris and Brie Larson. 

In 2019, Larson took us higher, further, faster as Carol Danvers in the franchise’s first female standalone film, Captain Marvel. Now, the queen of the billion-dollar box office is back for a second outing, with a brand-new team and an adorable gaggle of Flerkittens. 

Director Nia Da Costa doesn’t waste a minute of the pithy 105-minute run time, throwing us straight into the action. Carol Danvers, WandaVision’s Monica Rambeau (Parris) and Kamala Khan (Vellani) discover that their similar light-based powers are now intertwined. If one of them uses their powers, they all switch places. 

It’s a cool concept that never feels gimmicky as the trio tries to capitalise on their new-found connection with one another to defeat the bad guys and save the universe. Their infectious chemistry – led by Vellani’s boundless charisma – is a welcome gift to the franchise, which sorely needed to strike up new alliances across generations to assemble the disconnected Marvel cinematic and TV universe.

Arguably, the MCU is at its best when it looks out for the little guy, grounding the heart of the space adventures in relatable human issues. For those who didn’t catch Vellani’s debut as Kamala Khan in the Disney+ limited series Ms. Marvel, Da Costa has made sure the story is still accessible to newcomers while still treating fervent fans to wider MCU references too. 

Spanning several planets and solar systems, the expansive vision of The Marvels is stunning, with an attention to detail in quality CGI that rivals even the most epic elements of Avengers: Endgame.

Alongside Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson), the entire Khan family shines with some of the best one-liners and exchanges that help balance out the wild and sometimes wacky plot turns. With inventive, slick action sequences and an impressive new villain in Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), The Marvels is a triumph on all fronts.

If you aren’t well-versed in the MCU – it is overwhelming to dive in at this stage – then some of the Easter eggs might have passed you by. But if you’re a die-hard fan, you’re in for excellent cameos and major surprises. Do not leave before the mid-credit scene. You’ve been warned. 

Fresh off the back of first reviews, fake takes about the film have sadly started to circulate on X (formerly Twitter) from people who have not yet seen the movie. This might sound familiar – the first trailer stirred the sexist trolls from their slumber, and after they review-bombed Captain Marvel, it was almost inevitable that they would return to do the same for the sequel.

Within two days of its release, the teaser became the most disliked video on YouTube with one user labelling it “Captain Feminist and the Patriarchy’s Stone”. It seems that the toxic underbelly of the comic book franchise is back on display, as some misogynistic fans attempt to slander a brilliant film simply because it’s led by three women. 

Thankfully, The Marvels speaks for itself. And as the Sag-Aftra strikes finally come to a close, let’s hope there’s still time for this terrific trio to grace us with some meme-worthy interviews about the best Marvel movie of the year.

If you’re in need of a silly, energetic celebration of cinema, then make sure to catch The Marvels before you make your mind up about it. 

The Marvels lands in cinemas on Friday 10 November. 

Images: Marvel Studios; Disney