The Marvels (2023): Cast, Plot, Box Office and Ending
The Marvels (2023) is the Marvel Studios sequel to Captain Marvel (2019), directed by Nia DaCosta, in which Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan swap places whenever their light powers meet. It opened in US theaters on November 10, 2023, and Box Office Mojo records $206 million worldwide against a $270 million budget listed by The Numbers. It is the 30th film in both release order and chronological order in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Marvels follows three heroes, Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan, who discover that using their light powers at the same moment makes them trade places with one another. The trouble begins years after Carol destroyed the Kree Supreme Intelligence in Captain Marvel (2019), because the Kree homeworld Hala has since fallen into ruin, with its air, water and sunlight fading.
A new Kree leader, Dar-Benn, gets hold of a powerful bracelet called a Quantum Band and uses it to tear open jumps in the space travel network that ships depend on. Carol, her former ally Monica and the young fan turned hero Kamala then find that the link between their powers keeps shuffling them across space, and the confused trio have to learn to work together.
If you are new to Carol's story, the previous film is the natural place to start, and the Marvel movies in order guide shows exactly where this one sits in the saga.
What Songs Are in The Marvels? Soundtrack and Score
Laura Karpman composed the score for The Marvels (2023), and the album "The Marvels: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" came out on Hollywood Records on November 20, 2023, with 27 tracks. It is a score album, so it gathers Karpman's orchestral work rather than the licensed songs.
The film also features six songs. "Intergalactic" by Beastie Boys plays during an action sequence. "Ratata" and "Double Bubble Trouble" play during the Ms. Marvel scenes, which gives Kamala Khan's part of the story a sound of its own. Where the remaining songs land in the film is not specified, so they are simply listed with their credits.
The songs in The Marvels are:
"Intergalactic" by Beastie Boys
"Memory" by Barbra Streisand
"Ratata" by Skrillex, Missy Elliott and Mr. Oizo
"Double Bubble Trouble" by M.I.A.
"Welcome Home" by James Murphy, Nico Muhly and Laura Karpman
"Duet" by James Murphy, Nico Muhly and Laura Karpman
Karpman is credited on "Welcome Home" and "Duet" alongside Murphy and Muhly, so her score work and the song material meet in those two titles. For the composers and key songs across the saga, see the Cinvibe Marvel soundtrack page.
The Marvels Plot Explained, Start to FinishSpoilers
The full plot of The Marvels runs from a collapsing Kree world to a stolen sun and a stranded Monica. After Carol destroyed the Supreme Intelligence, a civil war broke out on Hala, and over thirty years the planet slowly lost its air, water and sunlight. Dar-Benn, the new Kree leader, finds one of two Quantum Bands and uses it to rip open holes in the jump network that spaceships rely on, which makes the whole network unstable.
Because of a link between their powers, Carol, Monica and Kamala swap places every time they use their light abilities together. They team up after an attack on a Skrull colony on the planet Tarnax, and then travel to the planet Aladna, where Dar-Benn is draining the water to send to Hala.
Her final plan is to pull energy from Earth's sun to restore the sun of Hala. Dar-Benn steals the second band from Kamala and tries to wear both together, which destroys her and leaves a tear between realities. Monica ends up stranded on the other side of that tear, and Carol restores the sun of Hala. Afterward Carol moves into Monica's house, and Kamala begins gathering young heroes, starting with Kate Bishop.
When Did The Marvels Premiere and Come Out?
The Marvels held a special screening in Las Vegas on November 7, 2023, and opened in US theaters on Friday, November 10, 2023, according to a Disney statement. The Las Vegas event took place without the film's actors because of the SAG-AFTRA strike, so Kevin Feige and Nia DaCosta attended without the leads. No venue is named in the coverage of the event.
International dates differ slightly by territory. Box Office Mojo lists an earliest international release of November 8, 2023, an Australian opening on November 9 and a UK opening on November 10, the same day as the US. The film is rated PG-13 in the US, 12A in the UK and M in Australia.
The ending of The Marvels settles the Kree crisis, strands Monica on the far side of a tear between realities, and leaves Kamala starting a team of young heroes.
The mechanics are simple enough once you see the pattern. Dar-Benn wants to take energy from Earth's sun to restore the sun of Hala, so the film's problem is a theft of light. When she wears both Quantum Bands at once, the power destroys her and opens the rupture, and in my opinion that is the cost of trying to take what is not hers. Carol then restores the sun of Hala with her own powers, which means the solution comes from the person who caused the original collapse by destroying the Supreme Intelligence. It could be argued that this closes a loop the first film opened.
Monica's fate is the part that stays open. She is left on the other side of the tear, and the mid credits scene shows her waking in a parallel universe. Perhaps the most interesting detail is that Lashana Lynch, who plays Maria Rambeau in this film, already appeared as a different version of Captain Marvel in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so a second version of Maria on the other side can be read as an echo of that earlier cameo.
The epilogue is quieter, with Carol moving into Monica's house and Kamala recruiting Kate Bishop first. As a rough comparison from everyday life, it is like a sports team signing its next generation while the star player is still out injured. Whether any of this continues is a question for the next films, and the Avengers: Doomsday page tracks what has actually been announced.
Is There a Post Credit Scene in The Marvels?Spoilers
The Marvels has one documented credits scene, a mid credits sequence in which Monica wakes up in a parallel universe. There she meets an alternate version of her mother Maria, called Binary and played by Lashana Lynch, and Hank McCoy / Beast, played by Kelsey Grammer.
No separate post credits scene has been described alongside it. The mid credits scene ties directly to Monica's stranding at the end of the film.
Where Was The Marvels Filmed?
No confirmed list of real shoot locations for The Marvels has appeared in studio or trade reporting, so the story's own settings are the best guide.
On screen the action moves between Hala, the ruined Kree homeworld, the Skrull colony on the planet Tarnax and the planet Aladna, where Dar-Benn drains the water. Dar-Benn's final plan also reaches toward Earth's sun, and the jump network that links these places is the plot device she breaks with the Quantum Band.
The Marvels Trivia and Box Office Facts
The Marvels grossed $84.5 million domestically and $121.6 million internationally, for $206 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. The Numbers lists the production budget at $270 million.
The worldwide total is the lowest of any theatrical film in the franchise with a reported gross, below even The Incredible Hulk, the next lowest.
Captain Marvel (2019) earned far more worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo, so the sequel took in less than a fifth of that film's total.
The film opened internationally on November 8, 2023, two days before its US release on November 10, according to Box Office Mojo.
Nia DaCosta directed and wrote the screenplay with Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik.
The Las Vegas screening on November 7, 2023 was held without the actors because of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
The Marvels streams on Disney Plus in the US, UK and Australia, and can also be rented or bought on several stores, according to JustWatch via TMDB on November 3, 2026. The where to watch Marvel page has the full breakdown.
The Marvels (2023) held a Las Vegas screening on November 7, 2023, attended by Kevin Feige and Nia DaCosta but not the film's actors. News 3 Las Vegas, checked 2026-11-03
FAQs
Is Captain Marvel a series?
Captain Marvel is a two film run inside the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, made up of Captain Marvel (2019) and The Marvels (2023). Brie Larson also played Carol Danvers in Avengers: Endgame, so the character sits within the wider saga rather than a standalone series. The Marvel movies in order guide shows where each appearance falls.
What is the newest Marvel release?
The most recent release in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which opened in the US on July 31, 2026 and is covered on the Spider-Man pages. The next film is Avengers: Doomsday, which Disney lists for an exclusive theatrical release on December 18, 2026. The Marvels came out on November 10, 2023.
Was The Marvels movie good?
Opinions on any film come down to taste, and Cinvibe does not republish critic scores. The facts are that The Marvels runs 105 minutes, the shortest theatrical film in the franchise, and that it grossed $206 million worldwide according to Box Office Mojo. If you want the setup first, start with Captain Marvel (2019).
How much did The Marvels make at the box office?
The Marvels made $206 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo, made up of $84.5 million in the US and Canada and $121.6 million internationally. That is the lowest worldwide total of any theatrical film in the franchise with a reported gross.
Was The Marvels a hit or a flop?
On the numbers it fell short, because the $206 million worldwide gross sits below the $270 million production budget listed by The Numbers. By comparison, Captain Marvel (2019) earned far more worldwide, so the sequel took in less than a fifth of what the first film made.
Why is Captain Marvel 2 called The Marvels?
Captain Marvel 2 is titled The Marvels because the sequel follows three heroes, Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan, whose light powers make them swap places whenever they are used together. It is the sequel to Captain Marvel (2019).
