The Marvels (2023) is Marvel Studios’ last chance to make a splash in the box office this year. And to help, they’re making a drastic change.
Credit: Marvel Studios
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The Marvels, directed by Nia DaCosta and written by DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, and Elissa Karasik, is the highly-anticipated sequel to Captain Marvel (2019), one of ten movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to gross over $1 billion. While it’s exciting to see Carol Danvers’ story continue, it’s even more exciting to see her team up with Monica Rambeau from WandaVision (2021) and Kamala Khan from Ms. Marvel (2022).
The film follows the trio after a wormhole causes their powers to connect. Now, it’s up to them to figure out how to return to normal while saving the universe from Dar-Benn, a Kree warrior revolutionary trying to restore her homeland after a civil war.
The film stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, Zawe Ashton as Dar-Benn, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and Park Seo-Joon as an ally to Captain Marvel. The film also features numerous recurring characters from WandaVision, Ms. Marvel, and Captain Marvel.
While fans are enthusiastic about the film overall, there have been some worries over whether the movie will be a financial success due to its smaller budget and the dwindling interest in superhero films overall. Because of that, Disney and Marvel Studios are making an odd change to try and guarantee a more significant international gross.
Credit: Marvel Studios
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Something that separates Marvel films from other blockbusters is their international appeal, and one of the largest foreign markets is China. Captain Marvel is one of the highest-grossing Marvel films in China, bringing in over $154 million. However, Phase Five of the MCU has not seen the same success.
While Black Panther (2018) made $105 million in China, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) only made $15.5 million. The same pattern repeated with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023), which only made $39 million compared to the $120 million made by Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018).
Credit: Marvel Studios
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Marvel Studios wants to ensure that The Marvels avoids the same fate as those previous movies, so the company has opted to change the film’s title to make it easier to market. Now, the story of Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan will simply be known as Captain Marvel 2.
This may seem strange since the new title completely contradicts the movie’s point, which is the formation of The Marvels, but it is still probably the best decision for Marvel Studios and Disney. This has been a rough year for both companies at the box office, and they need The Marvels to be a success so that they’ll end 2023 on a positive note.
What are you most looking forward to in Captain Marvel 2? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
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