The First Reactions To ‘The Marvels’ Are Shockingly Positive: ‘Short, Sweet, And A Hell Of A Lot Of Fun’

It’s no secret that The Marvels is dropping into theaters at a weird time. MCU fans were not blown away by Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quanutmania, and the jarringly lackluster Secret Invasion series was a bore. Factor in the SAG-AFTRA strike, which has left its stars off the table for promotional work, and it’s not surprising that the box office tracking for The Marvels is the lowest for any MCU film. In the past week, Marvel started heavily teasing the film’s connection to the X-Men, and it still didn’t move the needle.

However, what is surprising are the social media reactions to The Marvels. Despite all the hand-wringing over the film’s box office, The Marvels appears to be a fun, brisk ride that leverages its secret weapon: Ms. Marvel star Iman Vellani, who has an infectious screen presence that you can’t help but love.

Here’s what the critics are saying:

“#TheMarvels is so much fun, action-packed goodness, but genuinely hilarious and exciting to watch from start to finish,” Rachel Leishman tweeted. “I love my girls so much and seeing them fight all three together truly is so special. Higher, further, faster baby!”

— Rachel Leishman (@RachelLeishman) November 8, 2023

“Nia DaCosta gets away with more crazy shit in THE MARVELS than Raimi did in MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS,” Larry Fried wrote. “The most fun I’ve had with a Marvel film in ages and the only solid argument I’ve seen in the last few years that the MCU deserves to continue.”