In a new interview with Total Film, The Marvels director Nia DaCosta (Candyman) touched on the link between Zawe Ashton's (Nocturnal Animals, Velvet Buzzsaw) Kree warrior Dar-Benn and Lee Pace's (Halt and Catch Fire, Foundation) Ronan the Accuser, a character previously seen in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film and the first Captain Marvel film.
The link in question refers to the weapon that both characters carry as members of the Accuser Corps.
In the comics, the Universal Weapon is an Accuser Cosmi-Rod that resembles a massive Warhammer. Though we never saw the extent of the weapon's powers from Pace's Ronan, in the comics, the weapon can absorb and redirect energy, teleport its wielder, generate a force field, and control gravity.
When asked about Dar Benn and Ronan's similar weapons, DaCost gave a coy response.
"Here’s what I will say about that, which in the comics is called the Universal Weapon. I would just say, for anyone watching this film, or having expectations, just know that I am deeply devoted to the comics. And so, there’s always clues there."
The magazine also reported that DaCosta has been a lifelong comic book fan who grew up writing fan-fiction stories on message boards.
DaCosta went on to share that there's a lot more to Dar-Benn than just her Kree hammer, praising Zawe Ashton's nuisanced performance.
"Zawe brings a lot of fun to being evil. Then, on the other end, she also brings a lot of pathos. I wanted a villain that was really fun and definitely on the wrong side of history, but you could see why they thought they were on the right side. That’s something that Zawe also brought to the table – really wanting the villain to be understandable even if you didn’t like her."
The Marvels is currently slated to hit North American theaters on November 10, 2023, although there are conflicting reports about whether the film will be delayed. Due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, actors are prohibited from promoting past, current, or upcoming films, and Marvel Studios is said to be weighing how that limitation will affect the film's box office performance.
Marvel Studios is also said to be closely monitoring Dune Part Two's release date. Currently, The Marvels won't be released in IMAX (a premium format that brings in extra ticket revenue) because of existing contract obligations with the Dune sequel.
Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One recently saw its box office haul capsized partially because of the fact that IMAX was contractually obligated to play Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer.
The Marvels Official Synopsis: Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan, Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol's estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team-up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as "The Marvels."
Marvel Studios' "The Marvels" stars Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Park Seo-joon, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, and Samuel L. Jackson.
Nia DaCosta directs with Kevin Feige producing. Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Mary Livanos, Jonathan Schwartz and Matthew Jenkins serve as executive producers. The screenplay is by Megan McDonnell, Nia DaCosta, Elissa Karasik and Zeb Wells.