Summary

The Marvels is set to introduce two new Avengers in their big-screen debut alongside Captain Marvel, but there is concern that they may take a backseat to her character. Phase 3 of the MCU had a problem of sidelining characters like Spider-Man in favor of established heroes like Iron Man, and there are worries that The Marvels may repeat this issue. It is important for The Marvels to give equal screen time and focus to Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau in order to establish their presence and power for future Avengers installments.

The Marvels is less than one month from release – but with the final run of teasers and trailers comes a concern that a major MCU Phase 3 issue is being set up with regard to 2 of its protagonists. The Marvels will see three of the MCU’s superheroes with light-themed powers, Photon, Captain Marvel, and Ms. Marvel, team up to face off against a new Kree threat. As the title suggests, it has been set up as a trio movie set to introduce two of the MCU’s newest Avengers in earnest with their big-screen debut.

Ever since her solo outing back in 2019, Carol Danvers has seen little screen time in the MCU, save for the mind-blowing moments in Avengers: Endgame when she decimated Thanos’ fleet and threatened to stomp the main villain in one fell swoop. She is undoubtedly one of, if not the most powerful of the MCU Avengers (so far) and has proven herself to be so with flourish. With that being a well-established fact, it might be time to see how the MCU’s future Avengers shape up in their first big-screen appearance. Unfortunately, the evidence so far suggests that this might not happen.

For all the wow moments it delivered (including Peter Parker’s arrival on the MCU scene), Phase 3 presented an issue in turning fan-favorite character Spider-Man into a sidekick. Despite Peter being one of the main characters set to star in Phase 4 and beyond (perhaps even destined to become the new leader of the Avengers), even his solo movie heavily featured his mentor, Tony Stark – who at that point had three solo movies and two Avengers movies under his belt. Iron Man’s presence throughout the MCU Phase 3 worked to stifle Peter’s own, making him take a backseat in lieu of his mentor.

With its final teaser poster, which positions Carol Danvers front-and-center while Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan stand behind and to the side of her, The Marvels looks like it is about to repeat this formula. The trailers, too, put a heavy emphasis on Captain Marvel being the movie’s main character. While this is largely the case, the worry is that, halfway through Phase 5, the other two “Marvels” will be playing second fiddle right up until Danvers is out of the picture.

Why The Marvels Needs To Avoid Focusing Too Much On Captain Marvel

While Captain Marvel hasn’t received half as much screen time as Iron Man, she is a far more established figure than her The Marvels co-stars. Because of this, she could stand to allow them to share the screen for as much, if not more, time to help establish their presence in the MCU ahead of the next big team-up in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Failure to let Kamala Khan and Monica Rambeau establish themselves in The Marvels as threats big enough to face off against Kang without needing Danvers to back them up will no doubt diminish their presence and perceived power in future Avengers installments.

Key Release Dates

The Marvels

Deadpool 3

Captain America: Brave New World

Marvel’s Thunderbolts

Blade (2025)

Marvel’s Fantastic Four

Avengers: The Kang Dynasty

Avengers: Secret Wars

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