Yesterday Marvel premiered with unusual anticipation one of the projects that can completely determine its future and that of its Phase 5, which has not started in the best way. That’s ‘The Marvels,’ a sequel crossover featuring three characters of cosmic dimensions: Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeauwhich had its due introduction in ‘Scarlet Witch and Vision’.
The three superheroines will have the continuation of their adventures in this project directed by Nia DaCosta (director of the latest ‘Candyman’), which in its first trailer presents a kind of ‘crazy friday‘ with powers and adventures through space. The trailer features many of the usual features of Marvel trailers, including a catchy popular song which in this case is ‘interstellar‘ by the Beastie Boys. Although on this occasion there seems to be some ulterior motives with this song that have not escaped the fans, who talk about a direct response to the wave of hate directed against Captain Marvel.
space is no laughing matter
‘Intergallactic’ is one of the best and most popular Beastie Boys songs. Released as a single from his album Hello Nasty in 1998 and with an iconic video directed by Adam Yauch, the song puts the particular sense of humor of the group in the field of space science fiction. It makes all the sense in the world that such a lighthearted piece with this theme is placed to anticipate an intergalactic adventure that will have its dose of humor, plus the hip hop trio hails from Brooklyn just like the director.
However, it does not seem coincidental that in said trailer the first verse of Mike D sounds, which begins by saying “Don’t you tell me to smile” (“don’t tell me to smile”). Not a few have interpreted it as a direct reference to those toxic fans who responded negatively to Brie Larson as Carol Danvers, directing much of her criticism at aspects as absurd and superfluous as the fact that the character does not smile.
A lot of the negative response to ‘Captain Marvel’ was a case of combine hunger with the desire to eat. This was the first movie in the Marvel Universe to have a solo female lead, something she took quite a lot of pride in and she tried to celebrate. The misogynist part of the fandom took it as an attack that there was a female superhero after 17 movies with an exclusive or majority male role. To this must be added the wave of hate launched against Larson herself, a declared feminist who has repeatedly denounced macho tendencies in the industry.
Larson’s character’s demand for a smile is one of the milder displays of misogynist outbursts she’s dealt with since the film’s release in 2018. She was absurd enough to gracefully respond to trolls with montages of other Marvel heroes smiling in their movies. Five years later, Marvel seems to anticipate another torn clothes for having not one, but three heroines star in a film that will explore the more cosmic side of its universe, employing both an iconic hip hop theme and emphasizing a lighter, playful tone with the trailer.
It could be mere coincidence, but the part of the fandom positioned in favor of Larson and of inclusion in general has decided to embrace the possibility of a subtext against macho trolls. “If it was intentional, it’s really fine” is just one of the many comments giving the go-ahead to the interpretation, and we can hope that they will be there on the first day when ‘The Marvels’ finally premieres on November 10. In the meantime, it’s not a bad idea to dust off the Beastie Boys’ Hello Nasty, or revel in their highly recommended documentary-special on Apple TV+.
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