The Marvels: Teyonah Parris Addresses MCU Critical Backlash
The Marvels star Teyonah Parris speaks out by defending the Marvel Cinematic Universe installment despite its record-low box office.
In an interview with People Magazine, Parris opened up about The Marvels’ underperformance and implied how the SAG-AFTRA strike kept the cast from doing any publicity up until the movie’s release. “I haven’t actually done a full press run where I get to engage one-on-one, in person, face-to-face with fans,” Parris said. “I wanted to be a part of that and feel that.”
“I think there was a lot of talk, and people hadn’t seen it. So that’s frustrating, when people comment on things they haven’t actually experienced,” Parris added. “There’s a lot of people who put a lot of their time, spirit and talent into bringing this forward.”
The Marvels was the subject of the “superhero fatigue” issue that has affected MCU releases all through 2023. Director Nia DaCosta felt overwhelmed by the extensive blockbuster production, with conflicting reports about her lack of involvement during post-production. Additionally, Disney CEO Bob Iger blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for resulting in a lack of executives overseeing The Marvels’ production. Parris expressed “frustration” towards people who made up their minds not to support the movie without seeing it and hoped they could “show grace” once they watched it.
“I would hope that people would give it a fair shot by just seeing it or trying it,” Parris said. “If you don’t like the first 10, 15 minutes, fair enough. Your time is precious. But we make these films so that it can be an escape from your real world in a moment for levity and joy and fantasticalness.”
What happens in The Marvels?
“Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence,” the official synopsis reads. “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.”
The Marvels is now streaming on Disney+.
