An entirely fair criticism of several upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe projects is that they’ll make a great deal less sense if you aren’t caught up on every single one of the franchise’s film and television titles, with The Marvels inevitably singled out as a prime offender.
It does admittedly hold more than a few drops of water when Nia DaCosta’s incoming intergalactic adventure serves as a sequel of sorts to not just Captain Marvel, but also Monica Rambeau’s introduction in WandaVision, Kamala Khan’s arrival in Ms. Marvel, and Nick Fury’s most recent outing in Secret Invasion, while there are also indirect ties to Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Endgame for good measure.
Naturally, all of that homework has been used as one of the many sticks to beat The Marvels over the head with as the inevitable campaign of negativity gathers pace, but it was succinctly pointed out that an emotionally-driven interaction in the Infinity Saga’s final chapter was predicated on knowledge of a single line of dialogue spouted 11 years previously.
We’re not suggesting that it’s wonderful to have so much research and inbuilt knowledge as a necessity to get the most out of an MCU movie, but it’s definitely worth noting that Tony Stark’s demand for a cheeseburger after his escape in Iron Man being channeled over a decade later by Happy Hogan at his funeral fits in a similar boat, and it’s hard to remember anyone who didn’t understand why the line had so much resonance and weight at the time.