Most of the reports that breathlessly called “The Marvels” a flop did at least mention that we’re all suffering from some justifiable superhero fatique. Like, you can’t flood the zone with movies, TV shows, sequels, spinoffs, additional sequels, more spinoffs, more TV shows and even more movies for FIFTEEN STRAIGHT YEARS without people starting to lose a little interest – if for no other reason than the sheer time commitment it takes to watch every damn thing.
But what I haven’t seen reported nearly as much is any reference to the unmistakable sexist fanboy backlash the first Captain Marvel movie faced. Let me tell you, the so-called “anti-woke” crowd hasn’t gotten any less obnoxious in the years since, they’ve just gained their own billionaire fanboys to help amlify their message. So, yeah, of course “The Marvels” wasn’t going to get great numbers. This one has THREE women leads. And two of them aren’t even WHITE.
Please, spare me. It’s not like since 2016 we’re all had to endure an emboldened subset of people who define themselves largely by the things they hate (Libs! Illegals! Diversity! Inclusion! Fair Election Results! Masks! Vaccines! Queers! Libraries!) and dedicate themselves to opposing those things in any and every way possible. Oh wait, we have. We all have and it’s horrible.
Oh, and another thing I don’t see in many of the reports about this blockbuster disappointment is this is the only MCU movie that was released during the SAG-AFTRA strike. So literally none of its actors were able to hit the red carpet or go on talk show to promote this damn thing. The actors strike ended Nov. 9. “The Marvels” premiered Nov. 10. Like, there’s a reason the studios send the stars on huge press tours before their movies come out. Because publicity works!
Anyway, it irks me that most of the mainstream reports I read left out some important context. And it irks me that I have to bring up said context instead of focusing on what originally irked me about the movie. And, once again, it boils down to context.
So here’s the thing, I truly think emotional arcs in “The Marvels” only really make sense if you read Carol Danvers and Maria Rambeau as a couple. Like, I know, blah blah they were besties. And, I know Monica, called her “Aunt Carol,” but her feelings of abandonment literally decades later read more like daughter than anything else.
Also [SPOILER ALERT, BUT IT’S GAY STUFF SO YOU’LL PROBABLY WANNA KNOW] Tessa Thompson’s brief but important cameo as Valkyrie also only makes sense if you read it as the Captain and the King sharing a more-than-platonic past together. I mean, she worse that sharp suit and she called Carol “Marv.” MARV!
If only Marvel was brave enough to go higher, further, fastest when it came to its superheroes and their sexuality.
