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Credit: Marvel StudiosEven before The Marvels (2023) hit theaters, it was shadowed by low expectations, franchise fatigue, and an industry in flux. The film, which brought together three key female heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris)—arrived with the kind of baggage most blockbusters spend months trying to shed. Its box office numbers and critical reception made it Marvel Studios’ lowest-grossing film to date.
Now, new comments from director Nia DaCosta suggest the movie audiences saw wasn’t the one she originally made. For a studio that once prided itself on its streamlined, director-friendly production machine, The Marvels has become an emblem of what happens when that machine breaks down.
The Flop Everyone Saw Coming
Months before its release, industry analysts and Marvel fans alike began to sound the alarm. The trailer for The Marvels landed with little impact, and social media chatter trended more toward skepticism than excitement. Early tracking indicated a steep decline in audience interest compared to previous MCU outings, particularly those headlined by major characters.
One reason was timing. Audiences had started to grow weary of the franchise’s increasingly interconnected storytelling. With Secret Invasion receiving poor reviews and other MCU films underperforming, Marvel’s once-reliable brand had begun to falter.
The Marvels opened to just $46 million domestically—an all-time low for the MCU—and ultimately failed to cross the $100 million mark in North America. Globally, it earned just over $200 million, far below the studio’s break-even point considering its production and marketing costs. The first day of its release proved to be a flop in France, where it reportedly sold under 50,000 tickets on its opening day. Yikes.
The film followed the superpowered trio as their powers inexplicably became entangled, forcing them to team up across galaxies. Despite its compact runtime and comedic tone, critics felt it lacked narrative focus and thematic weight. Reviews were mixed. The Hollywood Reporter praised DaCosta’s “kinetic” direction, but others, like Christy Lemire of RogerEbert.com, were more negative, leaving a 1.5-star rating and claiming that it was “terrible” and “the worst film yet in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
Nia DaCosta Breaks Her Silence on ‘The Marvels’
Speaking at Dublin’s second annual screenwriting festival (via Deadline), Nia DaCosta finally addressed why The Marvels failed to connect with audiences—explaining that it simply wasn’t the film she made.
The director, who previously helmed Candyman (2021), revealed that her original vision was ultimately reshaped by studio interference and reshoots.
“It was interesting because there was a certain point when I was like, ‘Ok, this isn’t going to be the movie that I pitched or even the first version of the movie that I shot’ so I realized that this is now an experience and it’s learning curve and it really makes you stronger as a filmmaker in terms of your ability to navigate,” DaCosta explained.
Earlier in her appearance, DaCosta provided more context on her working relationship with Marvel – and it seems to align with other stories we’ve heard about studio-director relations for the MCU in general. “They had a date, and they were prepping certain things, and you just have to lean into the process hardcore,” she said. “The way they make those films is very different to the way, ideally, I would make a film, so you just have to lean into the process and hope for the best. The best didn’t happen this time, but you kind of have to trust in the machine.”
DaCosta said she wouldn’t “necessarily work with Marvel again,” though she didn’t rule it out. Ultimately, her remarks suggest that behind-the-scenes compromises—not creative failure—may have doomed The Marvels from the start.
Sexism, Backlash, and Brie Larson
Even before Captain Marvel (2019), Brie Larson became a lightning rod for criticism. Much of the discourse around her performance, demeanor, and promotional interviews was fueled not by her work, but by coordinated online campaigns that targeted her as emblematic of “forced diversity” in Hollywood.
Larson’s insistence on representation in press coverage and calls for greater inclusion sparked backlash in certain fan communities, leading to aggressive review-bombing of her films and social media harassment. The same backlash rarely touched her male MCU counterparts (despite several saying far more controversial things in the past).
That toxicity lingered into The Marvels, where discourse often centered not on the film’s story or direction, but on whether Larson deserved to be a leading figure in the franchise. It’s a dynamic many female MCU stars have faced, though few as persistently as Larson.
In interviews, Larson has remained diplomatic but visibly weary of the controversy. When asked if she’d return as Carol Danvers, she once said, “I don’t know. Does anyone want me to do it again?” The answer, based on fan support and recent developments, may still be yes—but the noise around her hasn’t helped.
What’s Next for Captain Marvel and Her Co-Stars?
The future of Carol Danvers remains uncertain. While Marvel recently released the cast list for Avengers: Doomsday (2026), Larson was conspicuously missing from said list – although it has been confirmed that more as-yet-unannounced actors will star in the film, so there is still hope for Captain Marvel to join the fray against Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom.
Iman Vellani, meanwhile, emerged from the film as its breakout star. Her portrayal of Kamala Khan was widely praised, and she is expected to reprise the role in a Young Avengers project, if or when that may manifest. Her charm and comedic timing have already earned her a dedicated fanbase.
Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau may face a longer road back. Her arc ended with the character stranded in a parallel universe, suggesting a potential Multiverse payoff—whenever Marvel gets around to tying its loose threads together.
For all three actresses, the hope is that future Marvel projects can provide more focus, stronger scripts, and fewer behind-the-scenes complications. If DaCosta’s comments are any indication, their struggles in The Marvels had more to do with the studio’s system than with their talent.