Super-heroines Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (actress Brie Larson), Captain Monica Rambeau/Spectrum (actress Teyonah Paris) and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (actress Iman Vellani) team-up as “The Marvels”. The hint of their cosmic adventure commenced during the end scenes in WandaVision and the post-credit scenes in the finale episode of Ms. Marvel (also directed by Nia DaCosta as it is a scene from this new movie), where Captain Marvel trades places with Ms. Marvel via the Nega-Bands, reminiscent of the switches between Rick Jones and the Original Captain Marvel in the comic books and potential allusion to the Negative Zone entry into the MCU and with it, all the characters associated with the Fantastic Four's time there.
Marvel Studios is strongly tying this movie to the Secret Invasion series, where, following Avengers: End Game, the Kree rivals, the Skrulls, are working for Nick Fury. In Secret Invasion, it is anticipated that villians will frame the Skrulls for a series of attacks on the Kree empire. Supporting this story element, the supporting cast in The Marvels include agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, Maria Hill (actress Cobie Smulders) and Agent Jimmy Woo (actor Randall Park). Krees, Yon-Rogg (actor Jude Law) Jude Law (Yon-Rogg) and Colin Stonely (who plays a Kree scientist, Papp-Tonn, who in the comic books, experimented on Silver Surfer’s board) and agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill) and Randall Park (Agent Jimmy Woo).
From the Ms. Marvel series, the film will feature in smaller roles, Kamala’s family, Yusuf Khan, Kamala’s father (played by Mohan Kapur), Muneeba Khan, Kamala’s mother (played by Zenobia Shroff), and Aamir Khan, Kamala’s older brother (played by Saagar Shaikh), providing special comedy moments.
Tessa Thompson (Brunnhilde/King Valkyrie, last seen in Thor: Love & Thunder) also makes an appearance.
Maria Rambeau played by Lashana Lynch, appears in flashbacks, and the film briefly explores Monica’s resentment that Carol left them behind when she was a child.
The main villain is Kree General Ael-Dam or some speculate, Kree General Dar-Benn, gender-swapped from the comicbooks, played by actress Zawe Ashton, who leads a rebel faction of genetically-enhanced Kree or as some speculate, does not represent any outlier, but regardless, needs the Nega-Bands to activate her powers or accomplish her goals of destruction in the film. Her role in Channel 4’s “Fresh Meat” gave her a cult following and she currently is in a critically acclaimed Browadway revival of Harold Pinter’s BETRAYAL, coincidentally with Tom Hiddleston and Charlie Cox of Loki and Daredevil fame! In real life, Zawe Ashton, is engaged and having a child with Tom Hiddleston.
It is interesting to note in the comicbooks, Kree Generals Ael-Dan and Dar-Benn were involved in a galactic conflict with the bird-like alien Shi’ar Empire and later killed by the Shi-ar Empress Deathbird, which, if referred to in the film, could be a powerful entry point to the X-Men in the MCU!
Interesting also as a potential entry point to the Fantastic Four in the MCU, in the comic books, Ael-Dan and Dar-Benn framed Silver Surfer for assassinating the Kree emperor to take control of the Kree empire themselves. Bringing us back to this additional connection, check out More on the Connection between Kree Scientist "Pap-Tonn" and Silver Surfer.
Prince Yan is played by Park Seo-joon, known for the break-out Korean film, “Parasite”. As noted in prior ComicBooKMovie news, there are song and dance numbers on his planet, undoubtedly a sly in-joke at Disney. Brie Larson (Captain Marvel), started her career as a pop singer, releasing the 2009 single, “She Said”, so it is a great way to leverage her beautiful voice.
The script is by WandaVision staff writer, Megan McDonnell, recognized for her work there. Nia DaCosta, director of “The Marvels” was also director of the Candyman remake, Litle Woods (where she worked with Teyonah Paris).