As someone who has spent countless hours delving into the intricacies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I must say that the latest revelation about The Marvels is truly mind-boggling. It seems that the creative minds behind this film had an entirely different ending in store for us!
For decades, following the launch of a new Marvel Studios film or streaming series, Marvel Comics has honored the occasion by publishing an art book to celebrate the project. These large-format, colorful hardcover books contain hundreds of pieces of concept artwork from the creative team behind the production. Interviews with key creatives like the executive producer, director, production designer, costume designer, and various concept artists are also included in these books. The latest addition to this series, for the 2023 movie “The Marvels,” was recently released in September of this year.
Titled “Marvel Studios’ The Marvels: A Peek Behind the Scenes“, this book provides an exclusive look into the creative journey of the 33rd MCU film, a sequel to 2019’s “Captain Marvel”, while also delving into storylines from the streaming series “WandaVision” (2021) and “Ms. Marvel” (2022). The movie features Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, and Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. These stars, along with writer-director Nia DaCosta, executive producer Mary Livanos, production designer Cara Brower, and costume designer Lindsay Pugh, are all quoted in the book.
I find it fascinating that these concept art books allow fans to explore the “if only” scenario – they offer a glimpse into alternate versions of movies and shows we’re already familiar with if we choose to delve into their official art books. Concept art offers unique perspective, showing us the genesis of filmmaking ideas, from the initial brainstorming phase, through to the blending of various components that shape the visual storytelling for the final screen adaptation. These books showcase the dedication and talent of the artists who are part of each project’s visual development team, with Andy Park leading the charge for The Marvels.
Being a passionate admirer of the MCU, and particularly the movie “The Marvels”, I made sure to grab a copy of its official art book as soon as it was released. Over the past week, I’ve been engrossed in flipping through its glossy pages, and in this process, I’ve serendipitously discovered solutions to several unresolved mysteries from the film that have left fans wondering since the credits rolled in November of last year. In this article, I’ve compiled four of my favorite revelations gleaned from the art book of “The Marvels”.
Mystery #1: Why was Captain Marvel the only hero in a ballgown?
Initially, the idea that Carol Danvers would wear a fancy ball gown while performing a musical number on the planet Aladna seemed more like entertainment. However, it raised an intriguing question – why weren’t Monica and Kamala given similar treatment? At a minimum, one might consider the potential for merchandising with additional characters!
In the storyline of the film, it’s revealed that Carol must sing a duet with Prince Yan, who is her husband in name only, as a traditional practice among the Aladnean people since she holds a royal status among them. Of course, her regular attire magically transforms into a grand ballgown suitable for a princess. This dress draws inspiration from her famous red and blue super-suit, featuring a gold star on the chest. In the accompanying art book, we get to see various designs of this dress (credited to Elena Pavinato, pages 142-143). Additionally, we get a glimpse of what Kamala would look like in her own ballgown version that mirrors her superhero costume, again thanks to Pavinato’s work (page 153).
As per costume designer Lindsay Pugh’s account, there was a moment in the storyline where all three main characters were intended to be elegantly dressed for Carol’s grand performance, but regrettably, this idea didn’t progress beyond the brainstorming phase. Alas, it seems we can only use our minds to imagine what stunning black-and-white ball gown Monica might have worn at that event, as no sketches or artwork from the book were supplied for that specific design.
Mystery #2: What happened to the “rain scene” between Carol and Monica?
As we delve into “The Marvels”, the anticipated interpersonal struggles to be unraveled are likely centered around Carol and her long-estranged niece, Monica. The official trailer for “The Marvels”, released in July of 2023, showcases a scene that many fans, including myself, believe captures the current tension between Carol and Monica, a dynamic hinted at as early as Episode 5 of “WandaVision” two years prior.
Known as the “rain scene” among fans, this much-talked-about moment from the trailer showcases Carol and Monica, both sporting their updated superhero outfits, standing eye-to-eye with remorseful looks, especially Carol, while rain cascades outside a window behind them. The brief dialogue snippet from the trailer – “Carol: ‘I would never choose to bring anybody into this.’ Monica: ‘You are not the only thing standing between this and the universe.'” – has led fans to speculate that this rain scene is where Carol and Monica will ultimately reunite after 30 years of being apart.
Surprisingly, this particular scene didn’t make it into the final version of the film. While Carol and Monica did reconcile as planned, their heartfelt discussion occurred in a completely different setting – a verdant field on an unidentified alien planet instead of the one previously described. The dialogue they exchanged was not at all what was anticipated; it was entirely new. In fact, Carol and Monica had only one private, emotional conversation without Kamala’s presence, which transpired much earlier in the movie, on the lower deck of Carol’s spaceship, The Hoopty. Additionally, they never visited a location where it was raining throughout their journey together.
Approximately a year has passed since the event in question, and we now have some clarity regarding the enigmatic deleted reconciliation scene. In the portion of the art book dedicated to the Kree homeworld of Hala, it’s been revealed that Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel) and Monica Rambeau were intended to embark on a side mission to this planet, which would have also been the location for the rain scene. According to concept artist Christian Kesler, there was initially a plot point where Carol and Monica secretly infiltrated a Kree weapons lab with the intention of stealing Kamala’s bangle (as depicted on page 114).
This new information from the concept art supports rumors that had earlier gone unconfirmed about an early version of the movie, one that was allegedly presented to test audiences in the summer of 2022. Details leaked online from this supposed screening suggested a scene where Carol and Monica on Hala witnessed the Kree people celebrating their destroyed planet receiving rain for the first time in years, thanks to the actions of the Kree leader, Dar-Benn (played by Zawe Ashton). This incident with Monica may have triggered a moral dilemma in Carol, which could explain the expressions seen in the rain scene depicted in the July 2023 trailer.
Indeed, this storyline is quite different from the movie that was released last year in cinemas. In our tale, none of our protagonists venture to Hala, and characters like Carol, Monica, and Kamala are not split up. As for Kamala, she only temporarily loses her bangle at the end of the final battle, when she’s momentarily incapacitated by Dar-Benn. This leads me to my next major finding from the book.
Mystery #3: Was Dar-Benn planning to kidnap Kamala?
Among the many intriguing queries that arose following the release of The Marvels, for those of us who had been eagerly anticipating the film, was the background story behind an official image showing Kamala without her bracelet (and mysteriously, barefoot) kneeling on a radiant hexagonal floor tile, while Dar-Benn loomed ominously in front of her.
In November 2023, an unexpected image surfaced online, sparking a whirlwind among fans – did Kamala actually get kidnapped? Was she in peril? Why was her bangle missing? And where were Carol and Monica at the time? However, when the movie premiered a week later, no such events transpired on screen. This mystery, along with the rain scene from an earlier point, seemed destined to remain unanswered, appearing to be remnants of a past version of the film’s script.
Following a consistent pattern throughout this article, an explanation was eventually provided, appearing in the form of the movie’s graphic novel. Images by Kesler (page 186) depict Kamala in a similar kneeling posture on Dar-Benn’s ship, but this time with a collection of distinctively glowing blue tubes attached to her – a visual that avid fans will recall from the 2019 film ‘Captain Marvel’ as a method for the Kree to connect with the Supreme Intelligence. The A.I. overlord, which once governed Hala, was destroyed by Carol in the 1990s and accidentally caused chaos on the planet, as portrayed through flashbacks in ‘The Marvels’. Fans who closely observed the likeness of the illuminated floor panel had already speculated this situation when the picture of Kamala and Dar-Benn was shared online last year. However, this movie art now strongly supports this theory.
It’s quite intriguing, as this development raises even more questions that we may never find answers to, but it’s enjoyable to ponder about them as a fan. For instance, why did Dar-Benn appear to be linking Kamala with the Supreme Intelligence? After all, wasn’t it Carol who destroyed it 30 years ago? It seems peculiar that she would connect Kamala, the first mutant in the MCU, to a device primarily active on Kree race members. Could it be that the Kree supremor repurposed the technology for their own malicious purposes since Carol dismantled the A.I. overlord? And how did they manage to abduct Kamala from both Carol and Monica, and take her bangle in the process? These are questions that leave us wondering…
Mystery #4: What was with all that behind-the-scenes footage of Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani filming wire stunts together?
Just like how art books provide an in-depth look at the creation process, Marvel Studios has been releasing comprehensive behind-the-scenes documentaries on Disney+ for their movies and shows since Phase Four. The latest one, titled Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of The Marvels, premiered on February 7th, 2024. Much like previous installments of Assembled, this documentary features additional footage from the making of The Marvels.
The majority of captured scenes depicted Larson, Parris, and Vellani donning their superhero costumes, suspended by wires against a blue backdrop, cooperating to thwart an unknown cosmic threat. Scenes from movies with heavy visual effects, such as The Marvels, often bear little resemblance to the final cut before post-production wizardry takes place. However, this footage wouldn’t have been remarkable… if it hadn’t been for the fact that nothing similar was seen in the completed version.
In the film “The Marvels”, the courageous threesome doesn’t embark on any space journey together. Monica sets off solo to mend the spatial rift towards the movie’s end, having harnessed the combined power of Carol and Kamala (both adorned with their bangles now). While Carol frequently traverses space throughout the film, such as during her confrontation with Dar-Benn in the final battle, Kamala remains confined to the spaceship deck, save for a brief period when she dons Monica’s spacesuit during the initial skirmish sequence.
As a gamer diving headfirst into the world of Marvels, I’ve always suspected that some of the thrilling stunts in the group wires were actually revisions from an alternate ending (much like many MCU films, The Marvels was polished during reshoots after the main filming wrapped up in November 2021). Now, with the release of the art book, I’ve finally uncovered intriguing insights about what was initially planned for the movie’s electrifying climax.
The final scene, beautifully illustrated by artists Andrew Kim (on pages 190-191 and 194-195) and Lixin Yin (on pages 192-193), as detailed further in the accompanying text for this art book section, was originally envisioned as a joint space adventure for our trio of heroes. This excursion would feature Kamala wearing an enhanced space-worthy variant of her freshly acquired super suit.
In the storyline, the group aimed their collective energy from their light-based abilities at the spatial rift, working cooperatively to repair it. Interestingly, DaCosta mentions that initially, it was intended for Carol to be the one making the selfless, heroic sacrifice to close the rift internally. However, in the movie, it’s Monica who finds herself stuck in an alternate dimension and isolated from the team, ultimately sacrificing herself to save the day. As DaCosta notes in the art book, “As our plot developed, it was always going to be Monica’s story. It felt crucial for her character to experience a complete hero’s journey.
Currently, you can only stream The Marvels on Disney+. Meanwhile, if you’d like a deeper look into the movie-making process, consider purchasing Marvel Studios’ The Marvels: The Art of the Movie from online booksellers.
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2024-09-30 19:15