The MCU has been releasing content non-stop lately, thanks to theatrical movies and live-action shows that are available with a Disney+ subscription. Nia DaCosta's The Marvels struggled at the box office, but it's been getting more love now that it's available to stream. The Marvels' ending set up some big things for the future, but it turns out there was a wild alternate ending that saw one of the heroes perish. Namely, Captain Marvel herself.
The cast of The Marvels included a trio of heroes, as well as Zawe Ashton's villainous Dar-Benn. The movie's credits scene made headlines thanks to cameos by Kelsey Grammer and Lashana Lynch, but the The Marvels could have ended on a much darker note. Ashton spoke to ComicBook about an alternate take on the final battle that was shot but scrapped, saying:
There was another ending that we did film where Brie and myself are kind of in space still having it out, and they kind of combust together, which was really amazing. And that was just a day on wires hanging out with Brie, which is surreal and fun. But yeah, there were a few different plans, I think.
Well, my mind is blown. Since The Marvels is a direct sequel to Captain Marvel, it definitely would have been wild if Brie Larson's Carol Danvers seemingly died during its final battle. And the fact that it was shot with she and Zawe Ashton makes it seems like we might have barely dodged a bullet.
These comments offer a peek behind the curtain on what it's like to work on a blockbuster set within the MCU. And that includes alternate endings and other deleted scenes that could change the narrative. In the end, Carol Danvers didn't get blown up when facing off against Dar-Benn.
While Captain Marvel was safe at the end of The Marvels, Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau ended up in an alternate universe with the X-Men. This, along with Kamala Khan forming the Young Avengers, could have huge implications for upcoming Marvel movies.
In her same interview, Zawe Ashton revealed that her fate as Dar-Benn was sealed from the jump. As she put it:
There was always going to be an epic death just because in terms of, I just think in terms of just bringing that story psychologically for Carol to a close I think was always the best thing. You don't want to think, did she defeat her? Is this over? Is she going to be kind of doomed to this life of feeling guilty about this whole thing forever and ever? Or is she going get this redemptive moment where Dar-Benn's out of the picture and then she gets to almost take on the mantle of what she was trying to do? It is a really redemptive arc for that character. I will say I did a day's diving training because there was going to be a lot of water involved in the original death.
In the end, Dar-Benn joined the list of Marvel villains who were killed off following their first appearance in the shared universe. Although with the multiverse in play, it feels like no one is ever really gone. Just look at how many surprise cameos happened throughout What If...?'s first two seasons.
The next MCU movie hitting theaters is Deadpool 3 on July 26th. While we wait, check the 2024 movie release dates.
