“The Marvels” Star Iman Vellani Reacts to Movie's Poor Box-Office Performance: 'That's for Bob Iger'
"I don't want to focus on something that's not even in my control, because what's the point?" the actress said
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Iman Vellani in New York City on Nov. 16, 2023Iman Vellani isn't concerned with The Marvels' performance at the box office.
The Canadian actress — who reprises her Ms. Marvel role as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel in the new film — was recently asked by Yahoo! Entertainment to react to how much The Marvels has made since its release on Nov. 10. "I don't want to focus on something that's not even in my control," she replied, "because what's the point?"
"That's for Bob Iger," added Vellani, 21, referring to the Walt Disney Company CEO and noting that the financial success of the movie "has nothing to do with" her.
"I'm happy with the finished product, and the people that I care about enjoyed the film," continued the actress, who stars in The Marvels alongside Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel and Teyonah Parris as Captain Monica Rambeau.
"It's genuinely a good time watching this movie, and that's all we can ask for with these films," Vellani said. "It has superheroes, it take place in space, it's not that deep and it's about teamwork and sisterhood. It's a fun movie, and I'm just so happy that I can share it with people."
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Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Iman Vellani, Brie Larson and Teyonah Parris in The Marvels (2023)Related: The Marvels First Reviews Praise Brie Larson, Call It a 'Cosmic Triumph'
Larson's return to the big screen as Captain Marvel made $47 million at the domestic box office over its opening weekend. That number stands out as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's worst-ever box office opening weekend, per multiple reports.
A sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel, which opened to $153 million back in 2019, The Marvels made the most of any film released over that weekend, but its $47 million grossed pales in comparison to the 32 other films Marvel Studios has released within its interconnected universe since 2008's Iron Man.
The Marvels features 34-year-old Larson's Carol teaming up with Monica (Parris, 36) and Kamala (Vellani) after their respective debuts in the Disney+ series WandaVision and Ms. Marvel. The film also stars Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, following up on the character after he starred in this summer's miniseries Secret Invasion, and Zawe Ashton as villain Dar-Benn.
Despite The Marvels' comparatively low box-office opening, the movie holds approval from both critics and audiences on RottenTomatoes (62% critical approval, 83% audience approval). The movie also holds a B rating from CinemaScore, which polls audience members on opening-night releases.
Back in May, Vellani told PEOPLE at the Gold Gala in Los Angeles that the Ms. Marvel comics "were such a monumental thing in my life in high school" in terms of representation.
"I didn't ever realize that a story like this could just exist out in the open," she explained. "I think the fact that we got to have it on Disney+, and Marvel is one of the most successful franchises in the world. It means the world that little girls are going to grow up and have this be something that they could watch on a Friday afternoon."
She also addressed her relationship with Larson, saying, "We're close and then she's honestly an older sister at this point."
"I think she's really taught me a lot about how to take care of myself and the importance of self-care mentally and physically, and I really value our friendship," Vellani continued.
As for the advice that Larson has given her, the actress said: "Get a Theragun."
The Marvels is in theaters now.
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