Here’s everything you need to know about The Marvels, which releases in theaters in late 2023.

The Marvels might be flying into theaters later than planned this year, but our excitement levels for it haven’t diminished.

How so? The forthcoming Marvel Phase 5 movie will star the first all-female superhero team in a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film for the first time. It’s also reportedly been inspired by anime and musicals, and it could tie into other big Phase 5 projects, such as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Secret Invasion. Who wouldn’t be eagerly anticipating a movie like that, eh?

If that’s whetted your appetite for The Marvels‘ arrival, you’ll want to scrub up on everything else worth knowing about it. In this guide, you’ll find more information about the film, including its release date, cast, plot details, and more.

Major spoilers follow for Captain Marvel, WandaVision, Ms Marvel, and Ant-Man 3. Potential spoilers concerning The Marvels are also discussed.

The Marvels release date

The Marvels arrives in theaters on November 10, 2023. It was scheduled to release on July 28, but Marvel chose to delay its launch by a few months, marking the fourth time its launch has been pushed.

Marvel is reportedly tweaking its entire release schedule (internally, at least) to space out its 2023 line-up of movies and TV shows. Additionally, according to The Wrap, the delay gives the post-production team more time to iron out its VFX and other issues.

The Marvels trailer

Ms Marvel makes her MCU movie debut in The Marvels. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Major spoilers follow for Ms Marvel, as well as potential spoilers for The Marvels.

Marvel hasn’t released a teaser yet, but those fortunate enough to attend D23 Expo 2022 have already seen a brief teaser. 

According to Variety, The Marvels pick ups straight after Ms Marvel’s ending and post-credits scene. As you’ll remember, Ms Marvel – aka Kamala Khan – unexpectedly traded places with Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel when the former’s bangle was inadvertently activated.

The footage doubled down on this surprising development. In it, Monica Rambeau, who was last seen in WandaVision, also swaps places with Kamala, leading to plenty of slapstick, time-traveling, and confusing moments. It seems the trio will trade places throughout the movie until they find out how to stop teleporting to each other’s locations.

Thanks to the film’s launch being pushed, it’ll be some time before an official teaser makes its way online. Sad faces all around.

The Marvels cast

WandaVision‘s Monica Rambeau will return in The Marvels. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Here’s The Marvels‘ confirmed cast so far: 

Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel 
Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms Marvel 
Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau 
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury 
Zenobia Shroff as Muneeba Khan 
Mohan Kapur as Yusuf Khan 
Saagar Shaikh as Aamir Khan 
Zawe Ashton as TBA 
Park Seo-joon as TBA 

Larson and Parris reprise their roles from their previous MCU outings. Larson’s Captain Marvel was last seen in Avengers: Endgame (though she made brief cameos in post-credits scenes in Shang-Chi and Ms Marvel) while Parris’ Rambeau featured heavily in WandaVision, which is one of the best Disney Plus shows in our opinion. Vellani, Shroff, Kapur, and Shaikh all return as their respective characters from Ms Marvel’s TV series.

Jackson, who has regularly appeared in the MCU as ex-SHIELD director Nick Fury, will also show up. He’ll star in Secret Invasion on Disney Plus this year – Secret Invasion‘s release date was recently leaked by Marvel and Disney – but Fury will also appear in The Marvels, according to the actor himself.

Potential cast spoilers for The Marvels follow.

Don’t expect a Yon Rogg cameo in The Marvels. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Per industry leaker CanWeGetSomeToast, Monica Rambeau will get her superhero name – Photon, the same as in the comics – here. Kamala Khan will reportedly give her that name after Monica describes her powers to her fellow heroes. Meanwhile, Brazilian outlet Chippu, which has previous form for revealing MCU details ahead of time, Photon will also get her comics-accurate costume.

Zawe Ashton (Fresh Meat, Velvet Buzzsaw) has apparently been cast as the primary villain. Marvel insider DanielRPK (via Lugar Nenhum) has claimed Ashton is playing a Kree general called Dar-Benn who, in the comics, is a male Kree general who becomes co-emperor of the Kree Empire. It’s unclear if Ashton’s Dar-Benn will hold a similar position in The Marvels, but the character has been gender-swapped.

Park Seo-joon (Parasite) is supposedly playing the ruler of a planet where everyone sings (via CanWeGetSomeToast). He’ll reportedly play a big role, too. Meanwhile, Abraham Popoola (Andor) is reportedly playing someone called Dag (via his Independent Talent agents page) and Ffion Jolly (Mission: Impossible Fallout) has been cast in an undisclosed role (per her Spotlight casting page).

Lastly, could we see cameos from Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos, Jude Law’s Yon Rogg, and Anson Mount’s Black Bolt? Talos is a possibility, especially if Secret Invasion ties into this movie. We’d be surprised if Law’s Yon Rogg features, though, after his heavy beating from Captain Marvel in her 2019 solo flick. Meanwhile, industry insider CineStealth suggests Black Bolt, last seen in Doctor Strange 2, will show up.

The Marvels plot

The Marvels picks up right after Ms Marvel‘s season 1 finale. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Potential story spoilers follow.

No official story synopsis has been released, but we have some vague ideas about where the plot will go, based on the D23 2022 footage, MCU insiders’ information, and what Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has teased.

As previously discussed, The Marvels will focus on its three superheroes and why they keep exchanging places every time they use their powers.

Captain Marvel’s first movie revealed Carol Danvers acquired her abilities upon exposure to the Tesseract, aka the Space Stone, via a Kree-designed light-speed engine device. Meanwhile, Monica Rambeau’s DNA was inadvertently rewritten by the Mind Stone – via the Hex that Wanda Maximoff created in WandaVision – thereby gifting her superpowers. Finally, Kamala Khan’s abilities are derived from her grandmother’s bracelet. Oh, and the fact that she seemingly possesses the X gene, which makes her one of the MCU’s first mutants.

With the trio’s powers deriving from objects that helped to create and shape the MCU, it seems their abilities are connected – and that the source of these powers is the reason they keep trading places. Interestingly, MCU leakers The Watcher and CanWeGetSomeToast suggest they’ll be able to combine their powers once they work out how to stabilize themselves. 

Meanwhile, Feige opened up to Entertainment Weekly (EW) about what we can expect from the story, and how it plays into the dynamics between its leading ladies. “It’s picking up directly after the end of Captain Marvel 1, not in timeline but in story,” he said. “There are fun cosmic elements to it. There’s something immensely powerful about seeing Monica and Kamala and Carol together in a frame. To me, it’s only akin to the first Avengers movie and seeing the six of them together in a frame. It’s chill-inducing. They’re so great together, and they all have different histories with one another.”

Ms Marvel’s bangle could play a key role in proceedings. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

What else do we know about The Marvels? According to DanielRPK (per The Marvels Updates Twitter fan account), CanWeGetSomeToast, and CineStealth, one particular alien world that the three heroes travel to is musical-themed. That means you should expect lots of singing, dancing, and potentially humorous moments. It could include some anime inspirations, according to the Captain Marvel News Twitter fan account.

The reason for going to this planet? Captain Marvel is apparently married to Park Seo-joon’s character, albeit for diplomatic reasons. Maybe she agreed to marry him to prevent some sort of disaster on her universe-spanning travels. Thankfully, CineStealth has claimed The Marvels won’t be “overly comedic” in tone and finds a better comedy-drama balance than the maligned Thor: Love and Thunder. Let’s hope they’re right.

Speaking of Captain Marvel, she has a complicated history with the Kree, who are expected to be on chief villain duty again here. For years, Carol Danvers thought she was a member of the Kree empire – she was taken to their home world after her Tesseract-related accident on Earth – and was part of their armed forces. That’s until she was captured by Talos’ splinter group of skrulls, who jogged her memory and helped Carol rediscover her true identity.

Monica Rambeau won’t be too pleased to see Carol Danvers. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Now, Captain Marvel is an enemy of the Kree, which puts Zawe Ashton’s Dar-Benn in direct opposition with Carol and company. It’s unclear why Dar-Benn is after them, but maybe it’s got something to do with Ms Marvel’s bracelet, which appears to be alien technology. We know this because the Clandestine – the villains in Ms Marvel’s TV show – wanted to use it to expand the Noor dimension and take over Earth. The bracelet was originally found by Kamala’s grandmother in 1940s India, too, where it took up residence in a Kree-looking underground location.

If Ms Marvel’s bracelet is of Kree design, that’ll explain why Dar-Benn is pursuing it, particularly if the latter possesses a similar bracelet. Thanks to Ms Marvel, we know there are two bangles, but the location of the second hasn’t been revealed. Our money’s on Dar-Benn owning that one, meaning she only needs Kamala’s to complete the set.

As for subplots, one of the most pressing is the forthcoming reunion between Carol and Monica.

Monica hasn’t seen Carol since the latter left in the 1990s – remember, this is when Captain Marvel took place. Maria Rambeau, who was Carol’s best friend, has since died of cancer and Carol didn’t return for her funeral or to check up on Monica. Expect Monica to give Carol the cold shoulder until they clear the air.

Elsewhere, events depicted in Secret Invasion could impact The Marvels. Currently, it’s set to arrive before The Marvels, so Fury’s role in this film might be determined by what happens in Secret Invasion. Could a long overdue reunion with Captain Marvel be on the cards? It’d be a pretty emotional one, if so.

The Marvels: how will it affect the MCU?

Ms Marvel might get a second season on Disney Plus. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Full spoilers follow for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

That depends on The Marvels‘ story and ending, but we have a few sneaking suspicions about what it could lay the foundations for.

First up is Ms Marvel season 2, which is rumored to be in early development. If we’re going to see more of Vellani as Khan/her superhero alias before the next two Avengers movies it’s likely to be on the small screen rather than the big one.

Speaking of that duo, aka Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, The Marvels could play a major role in setting up events in those films – especially the former.

MCU fans already know that Kang is the next big supervillain – or, rather, multiple Kang variants are. The time-traveling warlord – read more about him in our Kang the Conqueror explained article – was the main bad guy in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. However, he was seemingly killed by the film’s titular heroes. Now, the Council of Kangs – including Immortus, Scarlet Centurion, and Rama-Tut – are gunning for the MCU, so Captain Marvel and company are sure to have their hands full in The Kang Dynasty.

Some fans also seem to think that the giant, circular rings seen in Quantumania are alternate reality versions of Shang-Chi’s Ten Rings. If the Kang gang have collected alien tech-based weaponry as they plot their route to dominion over the Marvel multiverse, they’re sure to come after Ms Marvel’s bangle, too. If they do, expect Captain Marvel and Photon (as well as Ms Marvel) to stand in their way.

Depending on how The Marvels and The Kang Dynasty play out, we’d expect to see Carol, Monica, and Kamala in Secret Wars, too. We’d be surprised if they pop up in projects beforehand, so the next time we’re likely to see them (outside of starring or cameoing in Ms Marvel season 2 ) is 2025’s The Kang Dynasty.

For more MCU-based content, find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order. Additionally, read up on everything you need to know about Guardians of the Galaxy 3 or check our ranking of every Marvel Phase 4 movie and TV show. 

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New MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips have been announced: here’s what we know.

Apple has announced a new selection of MacBook Pro models, using the new M2 Pro and M2 Max processors and coming in 14- and 16-inch variants. We’re looking at the 14-inch version here, breaking down everything we know so far.

The new silicon at the heart of these Apple laptops could render them some of the best MacBooks ever made, following on from the excellent 2022 MacBook Pro 13-inch – which used the same standard M2 chip found in last year’s MacBook Air.

Fortunately, it looks like Apple hasn’t pulled the same trick here as it did with the new M2 Air, since pricing is largely the same for the M2 MacBook Pro models as it was for the 2021 M1 Pro and Max models. Read on for all the rest of the key details we have right now – we’ll be reviewing this new MacBook Pro as soon as we get our hands on one, so watch out for that too!

MacBook Pro 14-inch (2023): Cut to the chase

What is it? The 14-inch model of Apple’s 2023 M2 MacBook ProWhen will it be available? Available for order now, official release on January 24What will it cost? Starting at from $1,999 / £2,149 / AU$3,199 to $3,099 / £3,349 / AU$4,999, optional upgrades cost extra

MacBook Pro 14-inch (2023): Release date

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple has posted a video on its website detailing much of what we want to know about the new MacBook Pro 14-inch. Most importantly, we have a release date – January 24, with pre-orders available now through the Apple website and supporting retailers.

That release date will be shared with the new M2 MacBook Pro 16-inch and the M2 models of the Mac mini. If you order direct from Apple’s website, dispatch is guaranteed by January 23, meaning you should get it on release day or very shortly afterward.

MacBook Pro 14-inch (2023): Price

(Image credit: Apple)

Good news, folks: we’re not getting a hefty generational price increase here as we did with the M2 model of the MacBook Air last year. In the US, the M2 MacBook Pro 14-inch will start at $1,999 for the base model with 512GB of storage and the M2 Pro chip – exactly the same starting price as the M1 MacBook Pro 14-inch, which is good to see.

At the higher end, the M2 Max version starts at $3,099 – that’s slightly more expensive than its predecessor, but only by $100. If you want to go all-out, there are a bunch of optional extras here – including more powerful versions of the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, and additional memory and storage.

If you fully kit our your MacBook Pro 14-inch with the most powerful M2 Max chip at the maxed-out configuration (not including any of the preinstalled software options like Final Cut Pro) it’ll run you a tidy sum of $6,299. Yikes!

Frustratingly, it looks like users outside the US are going to get burned here. The M2 Pro version starts at £2,149 in the UK – that’s about $2,640. Meanwhile, the M2 Max model starts at £3,349, and the fully specced-out M2 Max version will cost £6,549, which is more than $8,000.

If you’re looking to pick one up in Australia, prices start from AU$3,199 for the base specs for the M2 Pro model. Upgrading to a 1TB SSD will set you back AU$3,999 while picking up the higher-end M2 Pro Max will cost AU$4,999.

Oddly, it looks like only the base pricing varies significantly between regions. The costs of extras like more RAM or a bigger drive seem to have been translated directly into pounds from the original USD MSRP; for example, upgrading the M2 Max model from a 1TB SSD to 2TB costs $400/£400. What gives, Apple?

MacBook Pro 14-inch (2023): Specs

(Image credit: Apple)

As we’ve already discussed, these new-for-2023 MacBook Pros will come with either the M2 Pro or M2 Max chip powering them. Each of these chips has two variants; the M2 Pro can come with either 10 or 12 CPU cores and 16 or 19 GPU cores, while the M2 Max always packs 12 CPU cores but can utilize either 30 or 38 GPU cores.

That’s going to make the M2 Max a force to be reckoned with in graphical terms. every version of the M2 Pro and Max chips also has a 16-core integrated Neural Engine for machine-learning workloads.

Beyond the processor, the M2 Pro models of the MacBook Pro will start with 16GB of unified RAM and a 512GB SSD, scalable up to 32GB and a whopping 8TB respectively. Meanwhile, the M2 Max version starts at 32GB of RAM and can be configured to 64GB (or all the way up to 96GB, but only with the more powerful M2 Max chip), with the same drive options.

Apple also boasts that this MacBook Pro has the longest battery life of any model released so far, apparently capping out at a staggering 22 hours of use. In terms of connectivity, we’ve got Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, and SDXC ports alongside speedy Wi-Fi 6E.

The screen is the same crisp Liquid Retina XDR display we’ve come to love Apple’s laptops for, and all models will support up to 8K video output via HDMI, along with the ability to support up to a maximum of four external displays.

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Two-thirds of adults are side sleepers, but is sleeping on your side good for you? We asked a sleep expert to help us investigate the pros and cons of this popular position.

Most people have a favorite position that they like to lie in at night, and for the majority of us, it’s on our sides. But is sleeping on your side good for you? And does it matter which side you prefer? 

We’ve all experienced periods of bad sleep, whether it’s down to stress, life changes or getting into bad habits. But your favored position can affect both the quality of your sleep, and your health during waking hours. We reached out to sleep physiologist Guy Meadows (PhD), to learn more about side sleeping, and its potential pros and cons for your health. 

The good news is that if you do it ‘correctly’, side sleeping is actually one of the best positions for your spine. Having the right sleep setup is important – check out our guide to the best mattress for side sleepers for options that’ll offer both a good balance of cushioning and support in this position. Read on to learn more.

(Image credit: Getty)

What are the benefits of sleeping on your side?

Nearly two thirds of adults sleep on their left or right side. There are many health benefits of side sleeping – which are mainly connected to the mouth and breathing.

If you suffer from snoring or sleep apnoea, it’s the best position for undisturbed sleep for you and your sleeping partner. “[Side sleeping is] very much recommended for heavy snoring or sleep apnoea sufferers because it’s a kind of positional therapy; it helps to keep the tongue out of the throat, which means your airways are clear for you to breathe better,” says Dr. Meadows.

For anyone that occasionally suffers from acid reflux, Dr. Meadows says sleeping on the left side is best, as research shows. If you sleep on your right side and suffer from acid reflux or heartburn it can spill stomach acid into the lining of your oesophagus, creating that uncomfortable burning feeling. 

“It’s better for digestion as our stomach is found on the left side,” says Dr. Meadows, “Studies have shown that reflux is worse when sleeping on the left side. Although digestion slows down when we sleep, this process continues to work throughout the night.”

What happens when you lie on your side?

Although laying on your side for sleep is great for snoring and acid reflux it won’t be as great for your back or spine alignment. 

Dr. Meadows explains that sleeping on your side “can put pressure on the lower back. As it pushes the spine out of neutral alignments, and so that increases the chance of aches and pains in the morning.” This is the case especially if you hug your knees into your body as your spine is no longer elongated, as it would be in the daytime.  

(Image credit: Helix Sleep)

What if you find this the most comfortable position, but you start to get a bad back? “Popping a pillow between the knees is often a great way of just reducing the pressure on the lower back,” says Dr. Meadows, as it’ll reduce any stress on your spine and hips.

Should you sleep on your side if you’re pregnant?

It’s recommended you sleep on your side if you’re pregnant – you’re likely to find it more comfortable, especially as your baby bump starts to grow. 

When you sleep on your side it allows more blood flow directly to the baby. Research from separate studies – including this one in Sydney from 2015 –  concluded that it was safer for women, especially in the third trimester, to sleep on their side. Women who sleep on their backs, especially during the third trimester, have an increased chance of having a stillbirth according to the research.

The best position is your chosen side, with your legs bent, but does it matter which side? 

According to Dr. Meadows: “Research around pregnancy shows that sleeping on your left side increases the blood flow from the mother to the baby, although, interestingly, a review came out in 2019 and they analysed all the data, and found no difference between both sides. So, it really is down to preference.”

Why do some of us lie in the foetal position?

Sleeping on your side, in the foetal position, as we did in the womb, is a popular position – especially among people with insomnia. Dr. Meadows says this has to do with safety:

“People like to be tucked up in a ball – probably because there’s that sense of sort of safety or security. Our ability to be aware of what is going on is fundamental to our survival.”

“We know that there are many reasons why insomnia keeps people awake – and one is that they’ve learned to associate the night with danger. So, there’s definitely that sort of connection to being in a foetal position in the womb.” 

(Image credit: Getty)

What’s the best position to sleep in?

Sleeping on your side can be bad for your lower back but it can help those with acid reflux or even more serious conditions such as sleep apnoea. However, if you don’t suffer from any of these problems sleeping on your back is the healthiest position for your overall health and spine. 

Sleeping on your back, which some do find uncomfortable, will keep your spine in alignment and give you the most restful sleep. Sleeping on your front is reported to be the least healthy position as over time, it’ll create a natural curve in your back. For most of us, the most amount of weight is found in our stomachs. 

However, Dr. Meadows says that comfort is always key. “Unless there’s some overriding medical condition, I would opt for sleeping in the position which you find most comfortable.”

It’s crucial to sleep on the best mattress for your preferred sleep style, as that’ll ensure you’ll get the support and pressure relief you need in the right places. Alternatively, you can pick up a mattress topper to make your current bed as comfortable as you need it. 

Finding the best pillow for your dominant sleep position is also key to a good night’s sleep. You can perform this simple test to find out if you’re sleeping on the wrong pillow.

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