The Marvels isn't just Marvel Studios' first Phase 5 theatrical crossover - it's also a sequel to five prior MCU projects.
Set to release November 10, Captain Marvel 2 stars Brie Larson's Captain Marvel alongside Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau and Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan, both of whom made the MCU debuts on Disney+.
Just as this trio's light-based powers are entangled, so are the movies, series, and post-credit scenes leading up to The Marvels.
Whether that's MCU homework - or much-needed connectivity - is in the eye of the Marvel beholder.
What to Watch Before Captain Marvel 2
In talking with Entertainment Weekly (EW), Brie Larson revealed that she and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige felt The Marvels' connection to five previous MCU stories was "the way this story made sense to go:"
"This was something Kevin [Feige] and I had talked about from the beginning, that this was the way this story made sense to go."
EW's report went on to confirm that Captain Marvel 2 will serve as a sequel to these five MCU projects:
Captain Marvel
Following Nick Fury's page to Captain Marvel in the post-credits scene for 2018's Avengers: Infinity War, 2019's Captain Marvel transported audiences back to the 1990s when a young Nick Fury helped a Kree warrior discover who she is and her abilities.
Captain Marvel also introduced Maria Rambeau and her young daughter, Monica, as well as the Skrulls, including Ben Mendelsohn's Talos and his daughter, G'iah.
Avengers: Endgame
A few weeks after Captain Marvel's theatrical debut, Brie Larson's heroine returned in Avengers: Endgame where she proved integral to the first and last act of the Infinity Saga film.
Her role in the fight in the battle against Thanos, as well as where she's been since, has been referenced several times in recent projects. This includes in Ms. Marvel, where Kamala admits, "I know some of you think, 'Well, she abandoned the people of Earth'," as well as "...we don't know exactly what she's been up to,"
WandaVision
While WandaVision was Wanda Maximoff's show in more ways than one, the original MCU Disney+ series introduced audiences to a new female star but not necessarily a new MCU character.
Teyonah Parris made her Marvel Studios debut as Monica Rambeau, the adult version of the daughter of Captain Marvel's best friend, Maria.
Even though WandaVision wasn't Monica's show, the series revealed more of her backstory, as well as serving as her own superhero origin story.
Ms. Marvel
The third member of The Marvels trio, Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan was introduced in her solo Disney+ series, a teenage tale about a Captain Marvel superfan coming into her own with the addition of cosmic superpowers.
Ms. Marvel shed new light on how people view Captain Marvel post-snap, and even included a brief cameo of Brie Larson's Carol Danvers in a post-credit scene, setting up The Marvels' powerset problems.
Secret Invasion
Currently streaming on Disney+, Secret Invasion picks up with Nick Fury's return to Earth while also filling in the gaps in his history with the Skrulls in the wake of Captain Marvel.
As The Marvels is confirmed to reunite Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury with Larson's Captain Marvel, whatever happens in Secret Invasion is bound to have consequences for the upcoming film.
In fact, Jackson has said Secret Invasion "has to happen so that The Marvels can happen," teasing that the two tales "are connected in an interesting sort of way."
The Marvels' Multiple MCU Demands
For MCU fans hungry for the MCU tradition of interconnected storytelling, The Marvels sounds like the project in which Marvel Studios gets back to basics.
And, while that may be true, it's important to realize that there's nothing basic about picking up where five different stories left off.
Add in Marvel Studios' post-Infinity Saga woes, and director Nia DaCosta and The Marvels team is facing one tall order.
Still, that's not the only test the sequel is up against.
There's also the reality that Captain Marvel 2 is the MCU's first big-screen crossover where Disney+ shows - not just movies - are considered required viewing.
This is why it's in Marvel Studios' best interest to promote The Marvels source material and make sure general audiences know Disney+ content is just as integral to the overarching narrative as film.
Whether casual fans will respond or not remains to be seen. But what the studio can count on is Marvel die-hards revisiting WandaVision, Ms. Marvel, Captain Marvel, and more for full context and the best viewing experience.
It's an investment that may be well worth it, especially if The Marvels can continue the MCU tradition of improving past stories in retrospect.
The Marvels arrives in theaters on Friday, November 10.
