Marvel Studios has got some test screenings underway for the upcoming sequel to Captain Marvel, impressively titled The Marvels, and many may find the prevailing reactions surprising. With the film set to premiere later this year, excitement is slowly ramping up. But what can viewers expect when it finally drops?Despite The Marvels falling back to a later release date, it seems enthusiasm for the film that many still keep calling Captain Marvel 2 hasn't waned. It probably helps that, along with Brie Larson returning as the titular Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers, she'll be joined by two other already beloved stars from recent Marvel Studios offerings. This includes Ms. Marvel's lead hero Kamala Khan, played by Iman Vellani, and one of WandaVision's breakout stars Captain Monica Rambeau, once again played by Teyonah Parris. However, that could mean nothing if the movie isn't up to snuff.KC Walsh, who regularly posts insider info, recently made some statements on Twitter to push back against unfounded claims that The Marvels was doomed from the start. "Again I've heard nothing negative around this production," they said in response to a now-deleted account spewing some uncharitable words about The Marvels, "the movie has gotten more positive praise from test than other MCU films this year." That's a bold claim and still an unsubstantiated one. But perhaps there's something to it.
Ant-Man 3 recently broke a record for having one of the worst box office drops in for a superhero movie since Batman v Superman. This may indicate a general trend regarding Marvel Studios' cinematic offerings of late. So audiences may be in the mood for something different. While Ant-Man 3 certainly seems to offer that, it might not be the kind of "different" that viewers crave. Perhaps these allegedly positive The Marvels screenings are teasing a taste of that special something.
While The Marvels will star others aside from the 3 leading women, including Park Seo-Joon as an unknown character, they're still the main draw. Unfortunately, a female-led movie often leads to a sexist backlash, which Walsh also mentioned in the tweet. "Sexist YouTubers use Larson as a way to garner favor with sexist and racists," Walsh wrote. It's a sad but predictable trend that's likely to affect The Marvels when it gets released to the public. But the claims of positive reactions to the test screenings could be a hopeful indication.
Of course, this all comes from a single source. Even if Walsh does have a decent track record for leaks and scoops, the info about test screenings should be taken with a grain of salt. Still, The Marvels has the makings of a wonderfully bonkers sequel with its stellar cast alone. So hopefully, that promise extends to the rest of the production.
The Marvels will release theatrically in the US on November 10th, 2023.
Source: KC Walsh/Twitter