The Marvel Cinematic Universe is home to an ever-expanding list of fictional races that populate its many star systems and hidden dimensions. Some are benevolent, like the faceless, winged Hundun in Shang-Chi. Others are stoic and unknowable, like Uatu and the Watchers, who act as mere voyeurs in the events of the multiverse, despite their unfathomable power.
But, except for the humans of Earth, of all the races in the MCU, the Kree and their galactic empire are arguably the most influential. But who are these blue-faced space warlords, and why do they appear in so many MCU projects? With The Marvels coming this November, a new Kree baddie in tow, now seems like the perfect time to take a closer look.
When Have the Kree Appeared in the MCU?
In both the films and the original Marvel comics, the Kree are a predominantly blue-skinned militaristic race hailing from the planet Hala. Millions of years ago, they created the Supreme Intelligence, an AI composed of the empire's greatest minds, tasked with leading the Kree empire. In the MCU, the Supreme Intelligence is so vast that its true form is beyond mortal comprehension, so when a Kree communes with it, it takes on the appearance of someone that person respects above all others. The Kree worship the AI with religious fervor, deeming deviations from its will akin to sin, and contradictions of its word heresy.
Under the guidance of the Supreme Intelligence, the Kree conquered vast swathes of the known galaxy, establishing a brutal, fascist empire. As with all fascist regimes, the Kree Empire exerted strict control over information, feeding its citizens whatever narrative best suited the imperial aims. Often, this meant justifying protracted wars and acts of genocide with xenophobic propaganda and aggressive social programming.
Naturally, the empire made enemies along the way, notably the Nova and the Skrull. Wars with these and other rival empires were fought with vast armies composed of ordinary foot soldiers and smaller, more elite squadrons. Perhaps the most famous of these elite units were the "Accusers," a hybrid faction of military jurists and shock troopers, who acted as the judge, jury, and executioner of perceived enemies of the state.
The Kree's first MCU appearance was in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy. The film's central conflict revolved around Ronan, a Kree "Accuser," violating his peoples' peace treaty with the Nova to wage a genocidal war in keeping with millennia of racial conflict. Believing that the peace treaty was a shameful deviation from Kree tradition, Ronan sets out to restore his people's honor by making a deal with Thanos. In exchange for Ronan bringing him the Power stone and furthering his plans to create "balance" in the galaxy, Thanos agreed to destroy the Nova homeworld.
In the years leading up to the movie's events, Ronan had been attacking settlements within Nova space, slaughtering innocents in direct violation of the peace treaty. When Nova Prime, leader of the Nova asked the Kree to intervene, they refused, evidencing a sympathy with the villain's actions.
The Kree also played a pivotal role in the creation of the MCU's most powerful hero. In 2019's Captain Marvel, which takes place decades before Guardians, Brie Larson's Carol Danvers is first introduced as an amnesiac, metahuman member of Starforce, a Kree Spec Ops team. Over the course of the film, we learn that Danvers is not actually a Kree at all. She is a human imbued with cosmic powers after an experimental engine, powered by the Space Stone, exploded in her face.
After discovering that her people were the true aggressors in the Kree-Skrull conflict, Kree scientist Mar-Vell defected, fleeing to Earth in the 1990s. There, she posed as a human physicist, working on a prototype engine for the U.S. military. In reality, she was attempting to use the Space Stone to create a light speed engine that would allow Skrull refugees to escape the Kree and find a new homeworld.
Carol Danvers was one of the pilots selected for the program and after the Kree attacked during a test flight, Kree soldier Yon-Rogg witnessed her bond with the Space Stone's cosmic energy. He decided to spare her life, taking her back to the Hala where her memories were wiped, and she was enlisted in the Kree armed forces. Like Mar-Vell, after years of killing Skrulls for the Kree, Danvers discovers the truth about the Kree Empire's genocidal war against the Skrulls and defects, becoming Captain Marvel.
The canceled show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. also provided a lot of information about the history of the Kree Empire. Though it is no longer deemed part of the main canon, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was once a beloved part of the main MCU timeline. In it, we learn that the Inhumans, a species of which Ms. Marvel's Kamala Khan was originally a member, were created by Rogue Kree scientists thousands of years ago.
The Kree had dispatched science teams throughout the galaxy, looking for alien species to experiment on in hopes of creating bioweapons. The project was ultimately shut down, but not before the Inhuman gene was passed into the human race, waiting to be activated. It is unclear whether the entire history of Kree experimentation was wiped from the canon and some fans hope that the inclusion of characters like Blackbolt in Multiverse of Madness is sign of more Inhuman related content to come.
Are the Kree Good or Evil?
To date, the Kree have mainly played an antagonistic role in the MCU. While, of course, the species itself is not inherently evil, its empire, primarily concerned with imperialist expansion and the utter annihilation of any race that stands in its way, undoubtedly is. The state-sponsored propaganda and social programming ensure that the vast majority of its citizens never question the validity of the empire's cause.
This includes the previously mentioned Skrull genocide. When the Skrull refused to bow to Kree empire, the Kree responded by destroying their homeworld, leading to the Skrull Diaspora. Not content to end it there, and fearful of the Skrulls shapeshifting abilities, the Kree devoted themselves to hunting down and eliminating every last surviving Skrull. Whether the Kree will be developed beyond an empire of fascists remains to be seen. But for now, "Kree" is all but synonymous with evil.
How do the Kree Connect to The Marvels?
The Kree will no doubt play a major role in Nia DaCosta's The Marvels, set to premiere this November. Two out of the three titular Marvels have some direct connection to the Kree Empire. Captain Marvel's Kree origins are well documented, but Ms. Marvel still has many Kree-shaped holes to be filled in. Not only does the bangle she wears bear the same Kree symbol as her idol, Carol Danvers, but a dead Kree was in the rubble of the ancient temple where it was recovered. Presumably, the film will flesh out the origin of the bangle, and maybe even the creation of the mutants, since Kamala is the first confirmed mutant in the franchise.
Another exciting Kree connection is the film's main antagonist, Zawe Ashton's Dar-Benn, a lesser-known villain who, in this rendition, appears to be a Kree Accuser. All that is certain is that the Kree will shift the status quo of the MCU, yet again, on November 10, 2023.