The Marvels has a villain from the comics, but director Nia DaCosta says things have changed quite a bit from the comics. Captain Marvel’s big return to the MCU is fast-approaching and the filmmaker sat down with TotalFilm to talk about her approach to Dar-Benn. Now, the Kree revolutionary is considered a “deep-cut” by producer Mary Livanos in the same interview. Needless to say, there was some license to switch some things around. Zawe Ashton will be playing a female version of the Kree villain. While the interpretation might not directly lie with one of the former Dar-Benns in the comics, there’s still the core Kree revolutionary bent for Brie Larson’s hero to tangle with.
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“I would just smoothly say not very, minus their viewpoint on the Kree and the Kree’s positioning in the universe. We were inspired by the [comic-book] period of two emperors and there was some more of that story in the first versions of the script,” Nia DaCosta revealed. “But as we took over and moved into our own space and what this story was, more of that shed away. But in terms of energetically being a Kree imperialist, she’s similar.”
The Marvels Director Had to Deal With Comic Book Changes
Nia DaCosta is a massive Marvel Comics fan. So, the vast differences between the MCU and the source material are a lot for her to deal with. The Marvels director had some comments lately about Incursions and how the MCU versions stress her out. DaCosta also had a lot to say about some differences between Ms. Marvel in the books and what we’ve seen on-screen so far. It feels like Kevin Feige’s approach can be a bit much for the filmmaker. In fact, the Marvel Studios president had to get her to focus-on on what she had to do with this particular movie. She talked about it in an Entertainment Weekly profile recently.
“The biggest challenge was finding the balance between my point of view as a director and as a comic book nerd,” DaCosta elaborated. “Obviously, there are changes between the comics and the movies, and sometimes I’m like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa!’ Sometimes Kevin [Feige] would be like, ‘You’re being too much of a nerd. Please stop.’”
Zawe Ashton Gears Up For Dar-Benn in The Marvels
Ashton is playing Dar-Benn and this is her first trip into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It feels like she might have a leg-up on other competitors as Tom Hiddleston gave her some advice before she began filming The Marvels. Ashton talked to EW about the Loki actor’s wise words in a feature story earlier this year. She actually told them about how her fiancé approaches his own part in this massive franchise. Basically, to get the most out of it, you really have to let go of misgivings and commit to the fullest ability. Check out his thoughts down below.
“It led to some incredible conversations about his experience being part of this franchise for over a decade,” The Marvels villain shared. “One of the main takeaways from our conversations was: ‘What you put into Marvel, you get back.’ He said, ‘If you go into this with an open heart and a great work ethic and just want to provide an amazing experience for the fans, you’ll have an amazing experience on those sets.’ He really empowered me in that way.”
What Other Developments Are Coming In The Marvels?
Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan, Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol’s estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team-up and learn to work in concert to save the universe as “The Marvels.”
Do you think changing Dar-Benn is a good idea? Let us know down in the comments!
