The Marvels will bring together a trio of heroes from the MCU – Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel, Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau / Photon.
The three women must team up when their powers become entangled, and Carol must deal with the destabilisation of the entire universe.
The next MCU film hits cinemas on 10 November 2023 – you can get your tickets here. However, fans of the superhero franchise will know that the story is likely to reference other movies and TV shows, so some pre-requisite viewing may be in order.
Trawling through the sprawling list of Marvel content can be overwhelming. If you just want to know what to watch before The Marvels, then we have you covered. You can watch the official trailer below:
Which Marvel movies and TV shows should I watch to understand The Marvels?
Here are the key shows and films that you should watch before you head to the cinema for The Marvels:
- Captain Marvel (2019)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- WandaVision (2021)
- Ms. Marvel (2022)
- Secret Invasion (2023)
So, let’s break that list down. Captain Marvel is arguably the most important one on the list here, as The Marvels is a sequel to this film. It tells the origin story of Carol, and delves into the Kree Empire, which will be an important plot point.
Carol then appears in the fourth Avengers film, Endgame. This movie explains where she has been after Captain Marvel and gives us a further look at how powerful she is.
WandaVision was the first Marvel Disney+ series, and whilst it mainly focuses on Wanda Maximoff and Vision, it introduces Monica Rambeau and details how she acquired her powers that will no doubt be showcased in the upcoming film.
The inclusion of Ms. Marvel should come as no surprise – the Disney+ series has the debut of Kamala Khan in all her nerdy glory, and delves into her idolisation of Captain Marvel. Plus, the final scene is a direct tie-in to the new movie.
Nick Fury has also been confirmed to appear in The Marvels, and he starred in the most recent Disney+ series, Secret Invasion. This show also delves more into the Skrulls, which were featured in the first Captain Marvel film.
There are a few more honourable mentions that aren’t essential viewing. Carol made a brief cameo in the post-credits scene of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), and there is speculation that Kamala’s bangle may also be linked to some of the plot threads explored in this film.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) first introduced the Kree Empire, which was further expanded in Captain Marvel. It should also be noted that Endgame doesn’t make much sense without watching Avengers: Infinity War (2018) first, so if you have time, add that to the list.
Where to watch all the films and TV shows needed for The Marvels
Everything in the list above is available on Disney+. Subscriptions cost $7.99 per month for ad-supported viewing, and $13.99/£7.99 per month for ad-free viewing.