Much has been said about “superhero fatigue” and how general audiences are getting tired of the genre. There have also been complaints that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is now as involved as the comics that inspired them. Whatever happened to just watching a movie without needing to watch multiple television series and movies beforehand? The irony is, despite being a sequel and tying into two Disney+ series, The Marvels is the most accessible MCU movie in some time.

The opening scenes introduce us to our trio of heroes quickly enough. Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) is a space-traveling, energy-channeling superhero called Captain Marvel. Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) is a teenage vigilante called Ms. Marvel, and a total Captain Marvel fangirl. Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) is an agent of SABER, Carol Danvers’ estranged niece, and… does not have a codename yet.

Hilarity ensues when the three heroes’ light-based powers become entangled. This causes them to randomly trade places in space whenever they are using their powers simultaneously. This is eventually tracked to the activities of Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), a would be alien empress, who has a grudge against Captain Marvel, and a twin to Kamala Khan’s energy bracelet. To save the galaxy, the three heroes must learn to work together, despite Carol and Monica’s personal issues, Kamala’s lack of confidence, and the many other obstacles that get in their way.

In terms of story, The Marvels feels like a good episode of Doctor Who. The action jumps around multiple alien worlds, and more than once I was reminded of Sylvester McCoy’s speech about “people made of smoke and cities made of song.” While there’s nothing quite that wild, we do get to see several exotic worlds, ala the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. Fans of the MCU setting will appreciate the Easter eggs woven into the script by writer/director Nia DeCosta, and screenwriters Megan McDonnell, and Elissa Karasik.

DeCosta’s direction itself is top-notch. The CGI is flawless and the action sequences incredibly well blocked. This is particularly true of the bits in which the heroes must teleport between multiple fight sequences. There’s a fair bit of comedy along with the action, but not enough to overshadow the story. Suffice it to say I burst out laughing more than once.

The performances are likewise solid across the board, though Iman Vellani steals multiple scenes as Ms. Marvel. It is clear that she is loving every moment on-screen and that enthusiasm is infectious. The film’s ending also leaves it clear that there is more Ms. Marvel on the way – a fact that will be quite welcome to most who see this movie. There is also, it should be noted, one mid-credits scene that may lead into the next MCU movie. For the most part, however, The Marvels stands on its own admirably and is quite enjoyable.