Director Nia DaCosta Says ‘The Marvels’ Wasn’t the Movie She Wanted to Make

Director Nia DaCosta is opening up about her time working on The Marvels, and she’s being very honest. Speaking at a recent event at Storyhouse, she revealed that the final version of the movie that hit theaters in 2023 was not what she had planned or hoped for.

“It was interesting because there was a certain point when I was like, ‘Ok, this isn’t going to be the movie that I pitched or even the first version of the movie that I shot,’” she said.

DaCosta explained that as things changed during the filmmaking process, she had to adjust her expectations. The film went through many changes, including reshoots and rewrites, which took it far from her original vision.

“So, I realized that this is now an experience, and it’s a learning curve, and it really makes you stronger as a filmmaker in terms of your ability to navigate,” she added.

DaCosta also addressed the controversy that came up when she left post-production before the movie was finished. She had already committed to preparing for her next project, Hedda, which made things complicated.

“They had a date, and they were prepping certain things, and you just have to lean into the process hardcore,” she said.

Although she tried to stay flexible and go with the flow, it’s clear that she wasn’t fully happy with how things turned out.

“The way they make those films is very different to the way, ideally, I would make a film,” she added. “So you just have to lean into the process and hope for the best. The best didn’t happen this time but you kind of have to trust in the machine.”

The Marvels is now known as one of the biggest box office flops in Marvel history. Reports suggest it lost the studio over $300 million, a shocking result for a franchise that usually dominates the box office. That’s especially surprising considering the first film, Captain Marvel (2019), earned more than $1 billion worldwide.

The film apparently went through multiple rounds of changes, which can often signal trouble behind the scenes. Critics and fans felt the movie lacked a clear tone or focus.

It tried to blend action, comedy, and emotional moments but didn’t quite pull it off. With multiple leads (Carol Danvers, Kamala Khan, and Monica Rambeau), the film struggled to give each character enough depth or development.

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