Tamal Kundu
Portrayed by London Brown, Marvin Thomas is one of the main characters in Starz’s ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan.’ One of the three Thomas siblings, Marvin is wild, volatile, and unpredictable, making him one of the most dangerous characters in the show, though he is not as dangerous as his sister, Raq. In the course of the series, Marvin becomes the second-in-command in Raq’s business, especially with Lou Lou’s desire to leave the criminal life behind and establish himself as a music producer. In season 2 episode 8, Marvin is seemingly assassinated by Italian mobsters from New Jersey. If you are wondering whether Marvin is dead and Brown is leaving ‘Raising Kanan,’ here is what we think. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Is Marvin Dead?
As mentioned above, Marvin is part of the main cast of ‘Raising Kanan,’ a prequel to ‘Power,’ which aired from 2014 to 2020. He has been mentioned in the original series, though his fate and whereabouts are never revealed. In season 2 episode 8, the build-up to the climactic scene makes it seem like the show is preparing to say goodbye to Marvin as a character. His relationship with his daughter has been volatile since he hit her. In this episode, things mend between them to a degree. Jukebox’s mother, Kenya, turns out to be a homophobic and religious fanatic and puts her daughter through conversion therapy. When Marvin confronts Kenya, the latter slaps him, prompting Jukebox to call him “dad.”
Meanwhile, the Italians find out that Marvin was the one who hired Sal’s son Marco for the ill-fated hit on Toni Deep. Sal meets up with Raq and asks for her brother’s death as a way to balance things between them. Raq refuses, reminding Sal that his son died because of his own mistakes. In response, Sal points out that he could have asked for her own son’s death, subtly threatening to kill Kanan if Raq doesn’t acquiesce. However, Raq still rejects him.
Almost inevitably, the reprisal of Marvin’s actions comes toward the end of the episode. He goes to see Renee, the instructor that ran the anger management sessions, and asks her out. Suddenly, two men come out of a dark alley and shoot at them. The episode ends there without revealing Marvin’s fate or that of his companion.
Given that it happens in episode 8 and not in season 2 finale and that the show writers decide to use the scene as a cliffhanger, the chance of Marvin’s survival is significant, though the same can’t be said about Renee. She is a recurring character in this season. Her death will probably serve as a plot device for what happens in the coming episodes of the show.
Is London Brown Leaving Raising Kanan?
The character of Marvin has been inspired by rapper 50 Cent’s (who played Kanan Stark in the original show)uncle, whose name is Horace. If Marvin isn’t dead, Brown isn’t going to leave ‘Raising Kanan’ anytime soon. However, there is a remote possibility that he is indeed dead, and if that’s the case, then season 2 episode 8 marks Brown’s departure from the show. He will be the first member of ‘Raising Kanan’s main cast of characters to die. In an October 2021 interview with Showbiz CheetSheet, Brown spoke about his hopes for Marvin.
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I just want him to be respected still,” the actor said. “But I do want some resolution for his situation with his daughter. I don’t know how that’s gonna be, but I would like for that to be resolved or at least for people to see him and know that he’s trying to fix it. It’s not like Marvin had that incident with his daughter and then he went to watch the game in the living room. He broke down. He was really hurt about that.”
Brown continued, “So if we can get some resolution to that and still let Marvin be a work in progress, I think that would be a fine middle ground.” While the eighth episode of the second season offers some resolution between Marvin and Jukebox, it’s not enough. So, there is a significant chance of him surviving the assassination attempt. But then again, if he dies at this point, it adds to the overall tragedy of Jukebox as a character.
Read More: Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3 Episode 6 Recap and Ending, Explained
