Inhumans (film)

**Inhumans** is a 2017 superhero film set in the Marvel Media Franchise, the thirty-fourth film in the universe. The film stars Taylor Kitsch, Dave Franco, Sophia Bush, Jai Courtney, Clayne Crawford, Robbie Amell, Saoirse Ronan, Andy Serkis, and Jennifer Garner and was released worldwide on February 3, 2017. The film ran 119 minutes and grossed $921.7 million on a $110 million budget.

## Plot

Thousands of years ago, the Kree, an alien species, landed on Earth. They experimented on several humans, modifying their DNA, transforming them into Inhumans. However, the Inhumans must first be exposed to the Terrigen Mist before their DNA can truly change, which will give them extraordinary powers. However, the Kree abandoned their experiments after a precognitive Inhuman revealed that their continued experiments would cause the downfall of the Kree race. In the present day, the pure-blood Inhumans live on the Moon in a city called Attilan. Several Inhumans from the past had tried to fit in with society, mating with humans and spreading their DNA through children, causing many people on Earth to be Inhuman without ever being exposed to the Mist, while Attilan has a supply of the mist, which they use to awaken their people when they reach the age of 18. The King and Queen of Attilan expose their eldest son, Black Bolt, to the mist, which gives him the ability of a destructive sonic shriek, whenever he opens his mouth.

A couple years later, in 2005, Black Bolt's younger brother, Maximus is exposed to the Mist. However, he shows no sign of any powers. Maximus is shunned by the community for his failure to show any rebirth. In 2015, the King and Queen have died, naming Black Bolt as the new king. He takes his lover, Medusa, as his queen. Medusa has long, thick, red hair that is stronger than iron wire, and she can also elongate it and use it as weapons. Maximus is revealed to be hiding his true powers; a superhuman intellect and the ability to affect people's minds. Black Bolt allows Maximus to remain a high-standard citizen of Attilan. The Royal Family also consists of Karnak and Triton, brothers and cousins of Black Bolt and Maximus, Gorgon, Black Bolt's cousin, and Crystal, Medusa's younger sister. Karnak never went through Terrigenesis and is an excellent martial artist, Triton can breathe and live underwater, Gorgon has hooves instead of feet and can generate seismic waves when he stomps, and Crystal can control elements.

In space, Veranke and her Skrulls prepare to invade Earth to initiate their plan. However, an adviser alerts Veranke that they are near the Moon of Earth, where the Inhumans live. Veranke is reminded that the Inhumans were created by the Kree, the Skrulls' worst enemies, and the aliens they are at war with right now. Veranke orders an invasion of Attilan to capture the Inhumans to use against the Kree. Ronan the Accuser, the leader of the Kree, realizes what Veranke is planning and plans to touch down on Attilan as well, to rescue the Inhumans, knowing they are doomed to end the Kree race. On Attilan, Maximus begins to sort out his plan on how to become King of Attilan, his dream since he was born. Karnak discovers Maximus' plan and joins him, only with the promise that he can be his adviser. Maximus tries to get several Inhumans on his side, though most are loyal to Black Bolt and Medusa. Medusa is alerted when Crystal is approached to join Maximus. Medusa and her brother-in-law fight, in which the latter reveals he is in love with Medusa and wants her to be his Queen when he becomes King. Medusa responds by choking Maximus. However, Black Bolt enters on seeing this.

Maximus lies and says Medusa tried to kill him for being different, while Medusa tells the truth. Black Bolt believes his brother and orders Medusa await trial. However, Crystal reveals to Black Bolt what Maximus and Karnak are planning and Black Bolt confronts his brother. Medusa is freed by Crystal, but they are attacked by Karnak. Gorgon and Triton discover what is going on and begin evacuating Attilan citizens on orders by Black Bolt. However, Maximus tries to get Triton on his side. For a second, Triton goes with his brother, on Maximus' side. However, Gorgon manages to remind Triton of what moral standards they are supposed to stand by. Black Bolt manages to arrest a distracted Maximus, while Karnak is tied up by Medusa. However, Black Bolt reveals that Maximus has rigged the city to explode. However, Crystal uses her air powers to disable the bomb. However, the Skrulls invade and Black Bolt, Medusa, Triton, Karnak, Crystal, and most of the citizens make it to a chamber to escape anywhere to. However, Maximus is left in a cell being watched over by Gorgon. Black Bolt, knowing most of the Skrulls are in Attilan, resets the bomb to go off and escapes with his family and the people of Attilan.

The escape chamber used by the Inhumans floats out and watch as Attilan explodes, killing Maximus, Gorgon, and several Skrulls. Veranke watches from her ship and sees the chamber floating. Her ship manages to capture the chamber, and most of the Inhumans. Ronan sees this and Veranke heading to Earth, ordering his people to get to Earth as fast as they can. In a mid-credits scene, a space pod1 heads to Earth. Veranke picks it up through signals and learns it contains some of the most fearsome creatures in the universe. Veranke smiles. In a post-credits scene, Black Bolt, Medusa, Karnak, Triton, and Crystal awaken in a joint cell and learn their Inhuman genes are being suppressed by the waves.

1The pod is the ship used by the Warbound in *Planet Hulk* to travel to Earth.

## Cast

* Taylor Kitsch as Black Bolt
* Dave Franco as Maximus
* Sophia Bush as Medusa
* Jai Courtney as Karnak
* Clayne Crawford as Gorgon
* Robbie Amell as Triton
* Saoirse Ronan as Crystal
* Andy Serkis as Ronan the Accuser
* Jennifer Garner as Veranke

## Production

A film based on the Inhumans from the comics was conceived in 2008. However, the idea was considered too similar to the X-Men and was abandoned. However, with the addition of the Kree species in the universe by 2012, the film was put into development. The film's plot was originally supposed to be about the origins of the Inhumans. However, when *Avengers: Secret Invasion'*s screenplay was completed in September 2013, *Inhumans* was reworked into being a prequel, set directly before *Secret Invasion*. James Gunn was hired to write and direct the film in March 2014. The screenplay was finished in January 2015, with casting beginning the following month. Taylor Kitsch was in negotiations by March to play Black Bolt, while Dave Franco and Sophia Bush were cast in the film in April. In July, at Comic-Con, Franco and Bush were revealed to be portraying Maximus and Medusa, while Kitsch was confirmed to star. In September, Jai Courtney, Clayne Crawford, Robbie Amell, Saoirse Ronan, and Andy Serkis were cast as Karnak, Gorgon, Triton, Crystal, and Ronan the Accuser, while Jennifer Garner was revealed to be reprising her role as Veranke from *Secret Invasion*. Filming began on December 18, 2015 and concluded on April 21, 2016. The film was released on schedule on February 3, 2017.

## Reception

### **Box office**

*Inhumans*grossed $387.3 million in the United States and Canada and $533.7 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $921 million.

### **Critical reception**

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 76% based on 335 reviews, and an average rating of 6.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "*Inhumans* uses a charming cast and amazing visuals to serve an entertaining installment, even if it had two different plots with two different villains colliding." On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average, the film has a normalized score of 58 out of 100, based on 44 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, while comScore reported filmgoers gave an 84% overall positive score.