‘The Marvels’ Executive Producer Says Film Was Specifically Designed So “That Woman From All Walks Of Life Could Relate To” It
John F. Trent
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The Marvels executive producer Mary Livanos recently revealed the film was designed to target women from all walks of life.
Brie Larson as Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers in Marvel Studios’ THE MARVELS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.
Livanos spoke with Total Film about the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe project where she first contrasted it with the Avengers films.
She said, “The Avengers movies are these epic conclusions to chapters of storytelling, whereas this is a team-up within the narrative that we didn’t necessarily expect for Marvel. Usually, you wait for characters to show up all together in Avengers movies.”
She then revealed the film was designed so that women can relate to it, “We were excited to design a team-up featuring characters that women from all walks of life could relate to.”
Teyonah Parris as Captain Monica Rambeau in Marvel Studios’ THE MARVELS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.
While Livanos claims the film was designed to have women relate to it, Livanos admitted to Entertainment Weekly (EW) back in July that the idea of the characters’ powers getting entangled was taken from the original Captain Marvel comics from the 1960s.
EW reported, “Livanos notes that the idea of location swapping harkens back to early Captain Marvel comics from the 1960s, where Mar-Vell (the first Captain Marvel) and human Rick Jones would swap places using magical Kree bracelets called Nega-Bands.”
Interestingly, the film’s gender-swapped villain Dar-Benn appears to be wearing what could be the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of a Nega-Band in an official still from the film.
Zawe Ashton as Dar-Benn in Marvel Studios’ THE MARVELS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2023 MARVEL.
In Captain Marvel #17 it’s explained that Rick Jones and Mar-Vell can swap places by slamming the Nega-Bands together. Rick Jones first acquires the Nega-Bands and puts them on and is then able to communicate with Mar-Vell who is stuck in the Negative Zone.
Mar-Vell instructs Rick Jones to slam the bands together and the two swap locations with Mar-Vell materializing in the physical world while Rick Jones found himself stuck in the Negative Zone.
Mar-Vell escapes the Negative Zone in Captain Marvel #17 (1969), Marvel Comics
However, as the issue progressed it would be revealed that not only are the two connected physically with each other, but they also share an emotional and mental connection.
Rick Jones explains, ‘Something happened to me when we two…traded atoms! Something like…a merging! He’s part of me now–like I am of him! I even share Mar-vell’s desire…for revenge!
Rick Jones swaps places with Mar-Vell in Captain Marvel #17 (1969), Marvel Comics
While Livanos admitted the film took the idea of power entanglement from the original Captain Marvel comics, she did not explain exactly how the entanglement works in the film, but only noted that each of the characters has light-based powers and that it likely has something to do with that.
The film’s official description also confirms this entanglement, but does not provide any details on how it works. It states, “Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan, Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team-up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as The Marvels.”
Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan in Marvel Studios’ THE MARVELS. Photo by Laura Radford. © 2023 MARVEL.
What do you make of Livanos explicitly stating the film was designed so that women can relate to it?
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