The Marvels, the upcoming sequel to Captain Marvel (2019), is returning to Earth soon but if all you know is the first film that told the origin of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), you’re in for a rude awakening, as The Marvels features not one, but three superheroines and the other two have actually made their debut – but in other projects from the massive Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Thanks to the sprawling stories of the MCU, fans will actually have to catch nine movies and TV shows in order to fully immerse themselves with the upcoming superhero epic starring Brie Larson, Iman Vellani and Teyonah Parish as Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau respectively.
The Marvels will see Captain Marvel team up with her best friend’s daughter, Monica Rambeau, alongside her number one fan Kamala Khan as they team up and save the universe.
The official synopsis reads, “In The Marvels. 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.”
No worries, as we have gathered all the movies and TV shows you need to watch, in chronological order, to make your viewing easier and all are available for streaming on Disney+.
The Marvels arrives in theatres on 10 November 2023.
The Essentials
1. Captain Marvel (2019)
Seeing how The Marvels is a sequel to Captain Marvel, it’s a no brainer that you have to catch the first film. In Captain Marvel, fans are introduced to Carol Danvers and learn how she got her powers, and most importantly, why she hadn’t appeared in any of the MCU films even though she’s one of the most powerful Marvel superheroes, and has been around since the 1990s.
In her debut film Captain Marvel, the titular hero was caught in the middle of an intergalactic battle between her people and the Skrulls and crash-landed on Earth. Having lost her memories, Carol soon discovers her true past and meets with a new ally – a young Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson). Oh, this is also the first we see of Monica as a little girl.
2. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Avengers: Endgame is single-handedly the most significant moment in MCU history and has set the tone for every Marvel movie and TV show to come out after it, so it’s only natural that you MUST catch it.
In Avengers: Endgame, Carol returns to her home planet in the wake of Thanos’ Snap. She and the remaining heroes were able to locate and defeat Thanos, but took five years to find a way to undo the Snap’s effects. Carol’s return turned the tide in the heroes’ favour during the final battle against a Thanos variant from 2014. With Carol’s help, the Avengers won the day but lost some along the way.
3. WandaVision (2021)
We meet a now grown-up Monica in Disney+’s WandaVision, as an agent of S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient Weapon Observation and Response Division) and even though Monica isn’t one of the titular superheroes in WandaVision, viewers get to see her in action as she plays a relatively big role in the show – especially in its season finale.
Think of her as a secondary character here, but it reveals how she got her superpowers. Be sure to stick behind and catch the post-credits scenes too as it leaves some hints to what Monica’s future holds in The Marvels.
Plus, WandaVision is arguably one of the best Marvel series within the MCU so it’s going to be a fun watch nonetheless.
4. Ms Marvel (2022)
This Disney+ series marks the debut of Kamala Khan and her journey towards becoming Ms Marvel. The streaming series follows the 16-year-old Pakistani-American girl as she has trouble fitting in with her family and other kids, until she gains powers of her own through a magical arm band. It’s a fun and lighthearted series that introduces the final member of the team, who admittedly, is a major geek for the Avengers, particularly Captain Marvel.
Outside of debuting the hero, Ms Marvel also shows how people in the world have changed post-Snap.
Most importantly, Ms Marvel also addresses the character’s change in power, so if you’re coming into The Marvels without having watched Ms Marvel, you’ll likely be mad and confused as to why the hero has a different power than what was depicted in the comics. Save yourself the heartache and watch Ms Marvel.
5. Secret Invasion (2023)
Okay, we can hear your jeering from way over here. While WandaVision and Ms Marvel are two well-received series, the same can’t be said for the Secret Invasion series but hear us out!
Secret Invasion is THE invisible string that ties up all the loose threads left behind by Captain Marvel. It may not feature any of the three main heroes in The Marvels, but it does catch audiences up on Nick Fury and what he’s been up to.
Wider Connections
Although the five titles mentioned above are essentials that help you understand the heroes we’ll be catching in The Marvels, the next four titles are additional movies and shows to catch if you’d like some extra backstory. The titles may not necessarily include the appearance of either Captain Marvel, Ms Marvel or Monica Rambeau, but they contain vital information for fans who want to fill in the gaps between the essential movies.
6. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Before Captain Marvel made her debut, Guardians of the Galaxy introduced fans to the Kree Empire who would be featured a lot in the upcoming sequel. The movie’s main villain, Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), has a history with Carol. It is reported (though not confirmed) that The Marvels’ villain Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) could be connected to Ronan since they both wield the Cosmi-Rod weapon.
7. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
None of the trio appear in Avengers: Infinity War but it is an important watch to understand what led up to the events in Avengers: Endgame (an essential title). Plus, the movie’s ending sees Fury being dusted away due to Thanos’ snap where before he disappears, he activates his pager and calls Carol. This call sets up viewers for Captain Marvel and as mentioned, Avengers: Endgame.
8. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Maybe we just want an excuse to watch Tom Holland as the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, or maybe because the movie’s post-credits scene has an important revelation about The Marvels’ supporting character, Nick Fury.
Again, we can expect that The Marvels will reveal the Skrulls’ final fate, so the little bit of Skrull secrets being spilled here and there might help boost our understanding of them before The Marvels.
9. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Carol makes a brief appearance in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. In the movie, Wong (Benedict Wong) calls Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and Carol to discuss the origins of the mysterious Ten Rings now in possession of Shang-Chi (Simu Liu).
Carol quickly leaves the meeting because she has another problem to attend to. Where did she go? And what did she do? We can only hope we’ll find out in The Marvels.
Don’t judge a book by its cover, for behind all this makeup, is a geek just like you. To simply put it, superheroes, Star Wars, Harry Potter and all things gore and creepy makes this girly girl swoon.
Natalie
Trinity Sun
