Get to know ‘The Marvels’ villain, Dar-Benn

Marvel Studios’ The Marvels will hit theaters on November 10. The MCU’s 33rd film will bring together Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) in a continuation of 2019’s Captain Marvel and 2022’s Ms. Marvel.

The three MCU heroes will work together to take on a new villainous addition to the MCU in Dar-Benn, portrayed by Zawe Ashton. If you want to brush up on your villainous MCU knowledge, here’s a rundown of The Marvels’ newest threat, Dar-Benn the Accuser.

Publication history

Marvel Comics

There isn’t much known about this particular version of Dar-Benn, considering this will be her first appearance in the MCU. However, the character has undergone a significant transformation compared to its Marvel Comics counterpart. Dar-Benn was originally a male member of the Kree Empire, having appeared in Silver Surfer #53 in 1991 and was created by Ron Marz and Ron Lim.

Throughout his publication history, Dar-Benn became a ruthless leader and continuously advocated for the toppling of the old Kree regime. Regarding the MCU’s adaptation, Dar-Benn may not necessarily be pushing for a return to the old regime. Instead, hoping to help rebuild the Kree empire to the formidable presence it once held.

Powers and abilities

Dar-Benn the Accuser wields a similar hammer to that of Ronan the Accuser, who was the villain in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy and portrayed by Lee Pace. Interestingly, Dar-Benn also possesses some energy-based abilities, based on the footage of her in the trailers. She can shoot energy-based projectiles in a fast-paced action sequence, with Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan all swapping places to attack her from all sides.

In the comics, Dar-Benn wields weapons but profiles as more of a strategic mastermind. Oddly, we’ll see both traits of the villain on display once The Marvels arrives in theaters.

Have we seen Dar-Benn in the MCU before?

The Marvels will mark Dar-Benn’s first introduction to the MCU, but oddly enough, the actress Zawe Ashton is not entirely foreign to the reach of the MCU. Ashton is engaged to actor Tom Hiddleston, who has notably portrayed Loki in the MCU since 2011. Both have been involved since 2020 and as Ashton pointed out, her fiance proved influential in her taking on the MCU villain role.

Ashton hinted that she and Hiddleston had valuable conversations about her taking on the role. Naturally, the God of Mischief provided some advice and guidance on being in the Marvel world.