For Marvel Studios’ upcoming film The Marvels, it seems the story is not leaning into some of the more well-known villains from the pages of Marvel Comics. In fact, what appears to be the film’s “big bad” is a fairly obscure character. One that even the most die-hard Marvel fans have likely forgotten about. Here’s what we know about the Kree leader Dar-Benn, played by Zawe Ashton in the film, their comic book origins, and how they factor into The Marvels and the overall MCU.
Who Is Marvel Comics’ Dar-Benn?
Dar-Benn is a very minor Marvel Comics villain in the grand scheme of things, making only two appearances in the early ‘90s comics. The comics introduced him in the cosmic Marvel crossover Operation: Galactic Storm, in 1991’s issue #53 of Silver Surfer. A general in the great Kree Empire, Dar-Benn, along with Kree general Ael-Dann, coordinated a plot to assassinate a Kree leader named Clumsy Foulup. (Yes, that was his name. The ‘90s comics were not subtle). Aliens known as Cotati put Foulup in a leadership position. The generals later assassinated Foulup using an imposter robot Silver Surfer, leaving Dar-Benn and Ael-Dann as co-rulers of the Kree Empire. However, this was a brief reign.
A brutal tyrant, Dar-Benn considered himself superior to the previous Kree leader. He saw that ruler as weak and believed they should eliminate him. Even the infamous Kree villain Ronan the Accuser was viewed as weak. But Dar-Benn met his match when the Shi’ar leader Deathbird, often a foe of the X-Men and Carol Danvers, killed his right-hand man Ael-Dann in front of him. It wasn’t long after that Deathbird killed Dar-Benn too, and she became the new leader of the Kree Empire, now calling herself Viceroy Cal’syee Neramani. The minds of Dar-Benn and Ael-Dann were ultimately absorbed into the Kree Supreme Intelligence.
What Are Dar Benn’s Powers in The Marvels?
As a very skilled Kree warrior, Dar Benn is an expert in armed and unarmed combat. Usually, they wield either a gun or a staff that dispels a very deadly energy beam. In images we’ve seen from The Marvels, it seems Dar-Benn holds the Warhammer, or “cosmi-rod,” of a Kree Accuser.
The MCU’s Dar-Benn Is the Villain in The Marvels
In the MCU, they gender-swapped Dar-Benn, who is now an Accuser of the Kree Empire. This is much like Ronan’s title in Captain Marvel and Guardians of the Galaxy. It appears that the MCU version of Dar-Benn blames Carol for the fracturing of her planet’s dominance of the galaxy. Something we assume happened after the events of the first film. So it appears her mission is twofold—establish a new Kree Empire, and get revenge on Carol Danvers.
Who Plays Dar-Benn in The Marvels
Actress and filmmaker Zawe Ashton plays Dar-Benn in The Marvels. She’s famous for her roles in Not Safe for Work and the Netflix horror thriller film Velvet Buzzsaw. She has one other rather big MCU connection, though. She and Tom Hiddleston, a.k.a. Loki, are a couple.
Dar-Benn’s Bangle
Another deviation from the comics is that the MCU Dar-Benn seems to wear a bangle similar to the one worn by Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan. We don’t know for sure yet, but this implies that the mythologies of Ms. Marvel and her ancestors, citizens of the Noor, are tied into the Kree in some way. And also, perhaps, so are the Ten Rings from Shang-Chi.
The Marvels, starring Brie Larson, Iman Vellani, and Teyonah Parris, is scheduled for release on November 10, 2023.
