*This article contains spoilers.*
The Marvel Cinematic Universe or MCU, a once untouchable cinematic giant, has been releasing one disappointing movie after another with inconsistent character personalities, shallow plots that lack direction, and bad CGI. Sadly, “The Marvels” is no exception to this downward trend. Released on Nov. 10, 2023, “The Marvels” is about Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel who gets her powers entangled with those of superfan Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel and S.A.B.E.R astronaut Monica Rambeau. During this entanglement, the three switch places whenever they use their powers, causing serious issues. Meanwhile, Dar-Benn, the new leader of the Kree alien nation, is determined to bring her nation back to its former glory after a civil war caused by Captain Marvel in the first movie. To gather natural resources for her home planet, Dar-Benn planned to use a magical band that she found to open jump points(rips in space) to draw resources from other planets. When the three heroines face off against the antagonist, they end up in Tarnax, Aladna, and then in Earth’s solar system where a climactic final battle takes place. The three end up victorious against Dar-Benn, but the enemy ends up ripping a hole in the multiverse before being destroyed. Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel use their powers to energize Captain Rambeau with the power needed to fix the hole, but Rambeau is consequently blasted into a parallel universe. After the climax, Danvers goes to Hala to restore its sun with her power and the short-lived team-up inspires Kamala Khan to form a new group, starting with Kate Bishop.
Although the film has some entertaining moments, this most recent MCU blockbuster has been eye-openingly underwhelming. Over its opening weekend, “The Marvels” amassed $47 million domestically, the lowest in franchise history even including the MCU’s first movies like “The Incredible Hulk.” In addition to being a box-office bomb, the movie only has a 63% on Rotten Tomatoes, 19% less than the average score for an MCU movie. Will the MCU find a way to restore its previous quality or is this the beginning of the end for the once-unstoppable franchise?
