Last Updated on November 27, 2023 by SPN Editor
In a recent revelation, the reported budget for the highly anticipated Marvel Studios film, “The Marvels,” has emerged, and it seems to be a cost-effective movie from the studio’s recent big-budget productions. According to a profile of director Nia DaCosta in Vanity Fair, the budget for “The Marvels” is reportedly a relatively modest $130 million.
This budget places “The Marvels” in the same league as the first two “Ant-Man” films, making it one of the most budget-friendly movies in Marvel Studios’ history. To provide some context, other Marvel Studios releases in 2023, such as “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” were reported to have budgets of $200 million and $250 million, respectively.
The decision to allocate a more conservative budget to “The Marvels” may be seen as a response to the underperformance of “Quantumania” at the box office. Disney’s Bob Iger recently hinted at Marvel’s intention to adopt a more cost-effective approach in its future projects, and “The Marvels” appears to be an early sign of this shift in strategy.
Notably, it’s suggested that “The Marvels” may also break with tradition in terms of its runtime, with reports indicating it could be approximately 1 hour and 38 minutes (or 1 hour and 33 minutes minus credits).
If accurate, this would make “The Marvels” one of the shortest entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, notably shorter than “The Incredible Hulk” and “Thor: The Dark World,” which both had runtimes of 1 hour and 52 minutes.
Despite its comparatively modest budget, “The Marvels” holds historical significance as the highest-budget movie ever directed by a Black woman, surpassing Ava DuVernay’s “A Wrinkle In Time.”
During an interview, Nia DaCosta shared her initial reservations about joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe and even jokingly wondered if Kevin Feige might “destroy her soul.” However, she received reassurance from previous MCU filmmakers who described Feige as a “good guy” and a “nerd.”
DaCosta also revealed that she sought support from fellow director Destin Daniel Cretton, who helmed “Shang-Chi,” on challenging shoot days when she felt overwhelmed. Directing a Marvel film presented unique challenges, including scenes featuring complex visual effects that required actors to react to imaginary elements.
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“In Marvel Studios’ The Marvels,” the film’s official synopsis reads, “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.”
“The Marvels” boasts a talented cast that includes Zawe Ashton and Park Seo-joon, with Nia DaCosta directing and Kevin Feige producing. Executive producers include Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Mary Livanos, and Matthew Jenkins. The screenplay is credited to Megan McDonnell, Nia DaCosta, Elissa Karasik, and Zeb Wells.
However, it’s worth noting that some movie enthusiasts remain skeptical of the reported $130 million budget for “The Marvels.”
Recent reports from Forbes suggested that Disney had already incurred substantial costs for the film after just two months of filming, implying that the total budget could potentially be much higher than initially disclosed. Critics argue that the studio may be downplaying the budget figure in anticipation of the film’s potential underperformance.
As the film’s release date approaches, it will be interesting to see how “The Marvels” fares both critically and commercially, given its unique position as a cost-effective entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Manglemba Naorem
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