Honestly, it's pretty wild how fast the internet moves to bury a movie. If you spent any time on social media late in 2023 or even throughout 2024, you probably saw the wave of "superhero fatigue" think pieces. The Marvels was basically the poster child for that vibe. People were quick to label it a disaster before they even saw it. But when you actually sit down and look at Zawe Ashton in The Marvels, you realize there’s a whole lot more going on than just another "villain of the week" situation.
Zawe Ashton plays Dar-Benn. She isn't just some random Kree soldier; she’s a revolutionary. A desperate one. She’s trying to save her dying planet, Hala, which is basically a giant hunk of rock with no air or sun because of—you guessed it—Carol Danvers.
The Reality of Zawe Ashton in The Marvels
Most of the noise around this movie ignores the actual performance Ashton put in. She didn't just show up to cash a paycheck. She spent months in intense physical training, doing sessions twice a day, five times a week. We're talking about a woman who had to hang in a "plank" position on wires 50 feet in the air for 12-hour days. It’s grueling work.
The Kree leader she portrays is a massive departure from the source material. In the original 1991 Silver Surfer comics, Dar-Benn was actually a man. A general who staged a coup. Director Nia DaCosta decided to flip that on its head, turning the character into a female warrior princess who is basically a mirror image of Captain Marvel’s own intensity.
Ashton’s Dar-Benn wields an Accuser’s Hammer (that big "Universal Weapon" thing Ronan had in Guardians of the Galaxy) and one of those mysterious bangles like Kamala Khan’s. She isn't just evil for the sake of it. She’s trying to steal resources—air, water, light—from other planets to bring her own back to life. It’s kinda hard not to see her point, even if her methods involve, well, planetary annihilation.
Why the "Hiddleshton" Connection Matters
You can't really talk about Zawe Ashton in The Marvels without mentioning her fiancé, Tom Hiddleston. Yeah, Loki himself. It’s pretty poetic, right? The God of Mischief and a Kree revolutionary living under the same roof.
During the press for the film, Ashton mentioned that Hiddleston was basically her MCU mentor. He’s been in the franchise for over a decade, so he knows the drill. His advice to her was pretty simple but profound: "What you put into Marvel, you get back."
- He told her to go in with an open heart.
- He stressed the importance of a great work ethic.
- He reminded her that it’s all about the experience for the fans.
It’s sweet, honestly. While the internet was busy rooting for the movie to fail, she was at home getting tips on how to play a complex antagonist from the guy who perfected the role. By the way, the couple recently welcomed their second child as of late 2025, continuing to keep their private life remarkably low-key despite both being major players in the biggest franchise on earth.
What Most People Get Wrong About Dar-Benn
A lot of the criticism leveled at the character is that she "didn't have enough screen time." And yeah, The Marvels is short—about 105 minutes. It’s the shortest MCU movie to date. Because the film spent so much time on the chemistry between Carol, Monica, and Kamala, Dar-Benn’s backstory got trimmed down to a few flashbacks.
But if you look at the subtext, she’s one of the more tragic villains we've seen. She spent 30 years watching her people rot. She saw Captain Marvel as "The Annihilator." In her eyes, Carol Danvers isn't a hero; she’s a war criminal who blew up their sentient AI and left the Kree to starve in the dark.
Ashton plays this with a certain "electrifying" intensity in her eyes. Even when the dialogue feels a bit like "villain cliche" territory, her physical presence is commanding. She manages to make you feel the weight of those 30 years of resentment.
The Behind-the-Scenes Grind
The sets at Pinewood Studios were massive 360-degree builds. Usually, these movies are 90% green screen, but DaCosta pushed for practical environments. Ashton talked about how this made the movie feel like a "tiny indie film" despite the massive scale.
The training wasn't just for show. Because Dar-Benn fights three different superheroes at once, the choreography was insane. She had to master the weight of the hammer while navigating the "entanglement" gimmick where the characters swap places every time they use their powers.
It’s an endurance test.
Is Dar-Benn Really Gone?
If you saw the movie, you know things ended... explosively for Dar-Benn. She tried to use both bangles at once to tear a hole in space-time and it didn't exactly go well for her. But this is Marvel.
Ashton herself has teased that she feels the character might not be "quite done." With the Multiverse being what it is, and the X-Men/Young Avengers teases at the end of the film, who knows? The ripple effects of her actions—specifically the "incursion" she caused that led Monica Rambeau to a different reality—are going to be felt for years in the MCU.
She basically kicked off the final bridge to Avengers: Secret Wars. That’s a pretty big legacy for a "failed" villain.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you're looking to dive deeper into Ashton's work or understand the Kree lore better, here’s how to actually spend your time instead of just reading more reviews:
- Watch Dreams of a Life (2011): If you want to see Zawe Ashton's real acting range beyond the blue makeup, this is the one. She plays Joyce Carol Vincent, and it is haunting. It’s the role that really proved she could carry a heavy, complex narrative.
- Track the Bangles: Go back and re-watch the Ms. Marvel series on Disney+. Pay attention to the temple where Kamala’s grandmother found the first bangle. There’s a Kree arm there. The connection was hidden in plain sight two years before The Marvels came out.
- Read Operation: Galactic Storm: If you're a comic nerd, grab the trade paperback for this 1992 event. It’s where the Kree-Shi'ar war really goes off the rails and gives you a much better sense of the "Accuser" culture Dar-Benn comes from.
- Ignore the Box Office: If you're a filmmaker or writer, look at the pacing of The Marvels. It’s a masterclass in how to handle "the swap" mechanic, even if the villain's arc felt rushed. Use it as a study on high-concept action choreography.
Zawe Ashton gave a high-effort performance in a movie that was caught in a weird cultural crossfire. Whether you liked the film or not, her contribution to the MCU lore is permanent. She moved the needle toward Secret Wars, and she did it while hanging 50 feet in the air.
Respect the grind.
