Set after the events of Avengers: Infinity War, the film sees Brie Larsonreturn as Captain Marvel.While this is her first screen appearance since 2019, her co-starsTeyonah Parris aka Monica Rambeau and Iman Velleni aka Ms Marvel, were inducted into the MCU in the web series WandaVision (2021) and Ms Marvel (2022) respectively. With these characters having their respective stand-alone series, we asked Mary if the fans would need a lot of catching up to do, to fully grasp the character dynamics in the film.
“Well, first, I would say that what is so cool about ‘The Marvels,’ I think, is that it stands on its own two feet,” Livanos began.
She added, “Of course, these characters have a rich history, but what great characters don’t have a rich history when we first meet them in a film? This is about characters who come together and really meet for what feels like the first time. So audiences get to experience that alongside our characters. So if you’re a huge fan, absolutely. There’s a ton in this film that follows the threads of stories we’ve told before and pays off a lot and answers a lot of questions. But if you’re a new fan where your heart is open to this film, there’s a lot to love because it’s a roller coaster on its own.”
Directed by Nina DaCosta, The Marvels centres around Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, who reclaims her identity from the oppressive Kree and embarks on a journey of vengeance against the Supreme Intelligence. However, unintended consequences force her to shoulder the burden of a destabilised universe.
With films and web series featuring strong women characters to her credit, we asked the producer what impact she hopes the women of The Marvels will have on the MCU. She says, “It’s a total privilege, honour and blast to be able to continue to tell stories of incredible heroes and female heroes on screen and at Marvel. There’s so many incredible characters in the comics that to be able to honour that on film is wonderful. And of course, continuing the trend of fair representation and furthering that cause means so much. I love that these three characters are so different. I feel so lucky to have helped bring Captain Marvel to the big screen in Captain Marvel 1, to bring Monica to the smaller screen as an adult in WandaVision. And wow, so lucky to get to work with Iman Vellani portraying Ms. Marvel. These are incredible women and they all relate to each other in authentic, real ways. And I think people will really feel that when they watch the movie.”
This is among the first few MCU films released amidst the Hollywood strike. When asked about the cast’s reaction to being barred by the SAG-AFTRA from promoting their film, Mary says, “We as the crew so, so wish that we could be celebrating the release of this film alongside our incredible cast. I really hope that everyone can reach a fair deal soon so that we can celebrate together and get back to making the kind of stories that we love.”
Elaborating on working with the trio, she added, “We just feel very privileged to be out here spreading the word about how incredible our cast is. At the end of the day, this movie is The Marvels, it’s the chemistry between these three incredible women as portrayed by Brie, Teyonah and Iman. They work so hard and you can see their love and their deep understanding of these characters and what results in their team up on the screen. And it’s just a really wonderful thing. And they are incredible.”
The film, set to release this Friday, also marks the MCU debut of Korean star Park Seo-joon, who takes on the role of Prince Yan. As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand, ‘The Marvels’ promises to be an exciting addition, offering fans a unique blend of character dynamics, rich storytelling, and thrilling adventures.
