The Marvels: A Failure on Screen, a Success in Teaching Money Lessons
“The Marvels” is a very highly anticipated film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe that was released on November 11, 2023.+
In spite of the significant hype before its release, unfortunately “The Marvels” movie did not meet the box office expectations. The audience response was unenthusiastic, with the viewers being disappointed by its plot, character development, and overall execution.
The revenue generated by “The Marvels” was way lower than projected, and it has turned out to be definite box office failure.
While it is certainly unfortunate for the film (and for Disney), are there any money lessons we can learn from it, so that our finances do not tank like “The Marvels”?
Of course there are – keep reading!
Mistakes from “The Marvels“ Movie
- It Ignored Secret Invasion
- Random Musical Sequence
- Dar-Benn Is A One-Note Villain
- Carol Danvers’s MCU Story Isn’t As Compelling As It Could Be
- The Marvels’ CGI Is A Bit Rough In Places
- The Marvels’ Writing Is Underwhelming
- Monica Rambeau’s Sacrifice Is Tragic But Rushed
1. It Ignored Secret Invasion
Although both projects premiered within months of each other, The Marvels completely ignores the events of Secret Invasion. The Disney+ series is the latest audiences had seen of Nick Fury prior to The Marvels, fleshing out his story as he fought against a rogue band of Skrulls to save Earth. As pivotal as this mission was, it isn’t even mentioned when Fury and the Skrulls return in The Marvels.
It leaves audiences with several unanswerable questions. For example, viewers never learn the whereabouts of important characters like Priscilla Fury, who joined Nick in space at the end of Secret Invasion. Additionally, no one thinks to mention that the Skrulls may not be welcome on Earth following President Ritson’s declaration of war on all alien species.
CBR
Money Lesson
We need to remember that different aspects of money are interlinked – they cannot be looked at in isolation. An action in one area can – and does – have an impact in another.
For example, if you spend more of what you earn, it would leave less to save. If you save less, you would end up investing less.
If you invest less, you might need to work an extra year to reach your retirement goal – meaning you might be forced to delay retirement by a year.
2. Random Musical Sequence
One of the strangest sequences in The Marvels comes when the team arrives on Aladna, a planet where Carol Danvers is a princess. Much to the dismay of her teammates, Carol also reveals that the inhabitants of Aladna communicate entirely in song, leading to an extended musical sequence that surely surprised some viewers.
While a musical sequence in a Marvel movie could work under the right circumstances, the Aladna portion of the film comes out of nowhere, proving to be quite jarring in its execution. Even worse, the film never commits to the musical gimmick, delivering several instantly forgettable songs before abandoning the joke entirely.
CBR
Money Lesson
Your investments need to be well thought out, with a long term strategy that gives the maximum returns at a risk level that’s acceptable to you, and minimize taxes you have to pay.
They cannot be piecemeal or random, based on tips from friends or experts, hot stock trends, etc.
Another lesson from this is that what works for others may or may not work for you – so you shouldn’t blindly do what your other friends or family members are doing. Your money decisions should be based purely on your financial situation and goals.
3. Dar-Benn Is A One-Note Villain
Although the MCU has been doing a better job of delivering compelling villains in recent years, The Marvels’ main antagonist is not one of them. Zawe Ashton plays Dar-Benn, a Kree accuser who seeks the Quantum Bands in order to save her people on Hala.
Ashton delivers a respectable performance, but Dar-Benn still falls flat for audiences. The character may have a tragic backstory, but the film doesn’t spend nearly enough time with her for viewers to really care about her struggle. Ultimately, much like Ronan the Accuser or Malekith, Dar-Benn is another MCU villain who will be completely forgotten shortly after her debut.
CBR
Money Lesson
The villain for your financial well-being has many facets: risk, taxes, inflation, lower return, high interest rates for loans, and more. You cannot be fixated on only one aspect.
For example, if you focus only on saving current taxes, you might invest in an IRA and pass up investing in a Roth IRA – which is one of the best ways to ensure long-term, tax-free growth, and might be more suitable for your overall financial well being!
4. Carol Danvers’s MCU Story Isn’t As Compelling As It Could Be
While Marvel Studios likely hoped that The Marvels would be the film to get audiences to warm up to Carol Danvers, the film ultimately falls flat in making her a more compelling character. Although Danvers is beginning to develop a more distinct personality thanks to Brie Larson’s respectable performance, her story is still found lacking.
The Marvels comes close to crafting a more compelling story for its main character but shies away at the last moment. The film gets too distracted by other characters and overburdened by jumping from adventure to adventure, never properly focusing on Carol or her inner struggles. If Carol is to be a major piece in the MCU’s future after The Marvels, the franchise will have to flesh her character out more than previous films have.
CBR
Money Lesson
When it comes to investments, you cannot afford to get distracted by too many things. Take your time to build an investment strategy that suits your needs. Take the help of a financial planner if you need to (fee-only, of course).
But once you finalize the strategy, commit to it and don’t be distracted by new shiny objects like the latest IPO, or an upcoming Cryptocurrency, or a small cap stock that’s supposed to be the next Tesla!
5. The Marvels’ CGI Is A Bit Rough In Places
Like many of the recent MCU projects before it, The Marvels is found lacking in the CGI department. Despite delays that were supposedly intended to give the graphics teams more time to finish the film, The Marvels still has several sequences that look less than convincing.
This stems from a larger issue plaguing Marvel, which is known for pushing its animators to work far faster than is reasonable. While the company claims to be easing up on its pace, these changes clearly haven’t caught up with audiences just yet.
CBR
Money Lesson
What takes time takes time – you cannot rush things! There is no way you can become rich overnight.
Only winning a lottery can do that – and history shows that even that fails for most people! Did you know that many people who have won a lottery (like a Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot) squandered all that money, and ended up with less money than they had before? This is called “curse of the lottery” or the “lottery curse”!!
If you want to become wealthy, you need to take small steps consistently, over a long period of time. You need to save consistently, and invest for the long term to benefit from compounding. That is the only sure shot way to get rich.
6. The Marvels’ Writing Is Underwhelming
The Marvels struggles with yet another problem facing many other recent Marvel projects: subpar writing. The film often includes awkward lines of dialogue, a far cry from the snappy, back-and-forth exchanges of older MCU films.
Disney, Marvel’s parent company, was one of many large studios to come under fire in recent months for its unwillingness to properly pay writers for work on major films like The Marvels. While big companies may not see a difference in the final product, audiences do.
CBR
Money Lesson
A financial plan is the foundation of your financial well being – it’s like a blue print for a skyscraper, without which you cannot even start to build!
You need a solid financial plan that covers all aspects of your financial life: budgeting & saving, debt reduction, investing, tax planning, insurance, etc.
You also need a clear understanding of your financial goals, so that they can be incorporated in your plan.
Only a strong financial blueprint can help you build a financially successful life.
7. Monica Rambeau’s Sacrifice Is Tragic But Rushed
The Marvels’ most memorable scene includes Monica Rambeau sacrificing herself to save her universe. As tragic and impactful as this moment is, it ultimately feels rushed in its execution.
A tragic sacrifice such as this only works if the film properly sets it up. The entire sequence comes and goes in a matter of minutes, leaving audiences to wonder if the heroes could have explored other options before immediately jumping to self-sacrifice.
CBR
Money Lesson
Any financial action that has a significant negative impact on your current or future finances should be carefully evaluated, even if the situation is dire.
The action should be taken only if absolutely no other option is available.
For example, you might be facing financial hardship and consider borrowing from your 401k.
But this can significantly reduce your retirement savings, jeopardizing your retirement (akin to self-sacrifice).
Take your time to evaluate if that is the only option available to you before moving forward.
Conclusion: Money Lessons from “The Marvels”
There you have it.
Follow these money lessons, and “The Marvels” loss could be your gain!
