Released in 2019, Captain Marvel was the first film in the MCU to feature a sole woman as its lead titular character. Coming about two years after Wonder Woman, much like Black Panther and Aquaman, many of its thematic elements and plot points were compared. The irony, of course, is that Captain America: The First Avenger was the more comparable film between the two. Brie Larson starred as Carol Danvers, AKA Captain Marvel, bypassing her period as Ms. Marvel entirely.
Captain Marvel put its focus on worldbuilding, as well as its efforts at building up the strongest Avenger. To that end, most of the film took place in 1995, with brief glimpses into the past and modern-day, to connect the threads with the impending Avengers: Endgame. As a result, this film also introduced elements and plot points that would become more important in previously released, yet chronologically set later, films. Primarily, S.H.I.E.L.D., Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) were the three most important facets of the world that we had already been introduced to. Captain Marvel also detailed the brewing conflict between the Skrulls and the Kree, two species infamous for their hatred of one another in the comics – with only recent events having brought the two groups together under the banner of their new Emperor. But I digress.
Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) and Korath (Djimon Hounsou) also return, having previously been introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1. By virtue of being a technical prequel, the very deceased Ronan can return without being a clone or a doppelganger, and he proves to be as despicable here as he was in his first outing. With his previous outing, it’s clear that Ronan is a powerhouse of a fighter – which makes the end of his role here all the more hilarious.
Granted, Coulson, Ronan, and Korath have little to do and seem only to have been included to better traverse their personal timelines and explain their status in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film. That doesn’t necessarily make it a bad thing, as several MCU films have gone this route with numerous of its characters and plot points. Unlike the comics, they don’t have the time – or the ability – to carefully lay out large, complex storylines or character arcs. Years can pass between each release, and other films or television series will have been released that can drastically alter the landscape laid out in the entry currently being watched.
While Korath may not have had much to do this time around, his appearance here at least gave us a few hints as to why he would abandon Starforce in favor of Ronan. Future information from the recently released The Marvels, expands on those hints, with the near-total collapse of Kree. Is it any wonder he would seek ultimate revenge? Besides, their search for the Tesseract here makes it all the more reasonable for them to seek the Power Stone in the future. Perhaps another entry will delve deeper.
On a more personal side, Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) and Monica Rambeau (played Akira and Azari Akbar as an eleven-year-old and a five-year-old, respectively, though her more prominent actress is Teyonah Parris, introduced in WandaVision), were also introduced. The former has played a reoccurring role in the greater multiverse, in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Marvels – as Captain Marvel and Binary, respectively. What this means for the upcoming films hopefully means that her presence will be greatly expanded on. The latter has played a role across the aforementioned WandaVision and The Marvels, building on her relationship with Carol Danvers. Their contributions to the greater MCU are not to be overlooked, and their introductions here set the stage for grander appearances in the future.
While the crux of the film feels like a ‘90s buddy-cop adventure centered on Carol Danvers and Nick Fury, the friendship between Carol and Maria is by far one of this movie’s greatest strengths. Serving together in the Air Force at a time when women were not given prime positions, the two were eager to work with Dr. Lawson (Annette Bening), who gave them the chance that the Air Force at large wouldn’t. This also let both women actually fly, which was the primary reason the two joined the Air Force. When Carol makes her way towards Maria, despite not having her memories, it’s still clear that the two were incredibly close. I truly hope that we can see more of this friendship, even if it’s only through flashbacks or prequel-esque entries.
Carol Danvers’ introduction was hotly anticipated, not merely because of her powers but also her more modern role in the Avengers and the Marvel comics. There was a time when one could not mention Carol Danvers without mentioning Rogue, one of the most famous X-Men, in the same breath, as Carol was the source of Rogue’s most famous powersets in comic book lore. 2019 was also the year that laid the groundwork for a plot point like this to transpire, as Disney completed its purchase of FOX’s assets in early 2019. Yet, her powers and modern role in the Avengers were nothing to sneeze at. With the cyclical nature of marketing, in anticipation of Carol taking center stage in the MCU, her role was dramatically beefed up – though she had already taken on the role of leader in the comics by 2016. Marvel has been known to alter its comic book series to better reflect certain elements in the films. We all remember the period when the Inhumans were positioned to replace the X-Men.
Standing on its own, Captain Marvel was a fun, engaging, and thrilling addition to the MCU. For most of the film, Carol is coming into her own. This is most apparent when it comes to her powers, which she is still struggling to learn to control fully. With those around her whispering doubts into her ears under the guise of friendly advice, Carol is doing everything in her power to walk through a world she neither remembers nor knows how to engage with. Amnesia is a standard plot device in film and literature, but seeing this from the outset on a character we had technically not been introduced to gave her amnesia more weight. As the audience, we truly only knew what Carol knew, and when she learned new information, we also learned it. This served to hide the many twists and turns that Captain Marvel had laid out for us all the better.
This was also the largest presence in an MCU film that Samuel L. Jackson has had since he faked his death in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Serving as a pseudo-origin story for Nick Fury, we got to see him in a period when he was not at the zenith of his power. While still cagey and untrusting, Captain Marvel served to prove that he had always been a master spy. Even with his back up against the wall by those who vastly overpowered him, Nick Fury proved to be calm, cool, and collected enough to subvert the expectations and trust of those around him. With only the minimum amount of information regarding new (to him) species, powers, and concepts, Nick Fury was able to devise several plans off the cuff and survive various encounters with hostile forces who could vaporize him with a flick of their little finger. Yes, Nick Fury is the most badass character.
The Kree are primarily represented by a team of agents who surround Carol as her allies – led by Yon-Rogg (Jude Law). Throughout the film, it seems as if Yon-Rogg and Carol might have a closer relationship, but the situation, not to mention the truth, pulls the pair apart before anything can truly happen. Minn-Erva (played by Gemma Chan, who would later go on to play Sersi in The Eternals) is his most prominent follower, who is clearly envious of Carol’s placement in Starforce. Att-Lass (Algenis Perez Soto), Bron-Char (Rune Temte), and Korath fill out the rest of the team. Starforce is the team that Vers – as Carol is known – has been a member of since losing her memory. Starforce is shown to be at odds with the Accuser Force, where Ronan is, much like Earth’s own military branches, who have rivalries in the real world. They both have their place in Kree society and ultimately want the same thing – for Kree to be successful.
Yon-Rogg is the most prominent member, next to Carol, and he has a large presence in the film as a result. He acts as Carol’s minder, which takes on darker undertones the further into the story that we get.
As Carol strives to uncover her memories and learn the truth about what happened to her, everything that Yon-Rogg says and does becomes rather more sinister.
Minn-Erva, meanwhile, is the next most important member of the group and acts as the lead minion under Yon-Rogg. Initially coming off as merely no more than a rival against Carol, the deeper-seated issues between the two unravel by the climax, and her true feelings are less than shocking.
For the Skrulls side, the main player on the board is Talos (Ben Mendelsohn, who is also the actor who plays Keller, Fury’s direct supervisor). He is out to get his hands on the Tesseract, as are the Kree, as it is an infinite source of power that can be harnessed. Why the Skrulls and the Kree want it is not the same, though, with both groups’ true reasoning being kept under wraps for most of the film. Carol firmly believes that Talos is the leader of a Skrull cell set on destroying Hala, the capital planet of the Kree Empire. For this reason, she treats it as her sole mission to hunt down Talos and every Skrull with him when they end up crash-landing on Earth.
The final major cast member was the Kree’s Supreme Intelligence, who was primarily played by Annette Bening. Bening also played Mar-Vell, herself masquerading as Dr. Wendy Lawson. Both of Bening’s characters played critical roles as mentors and advisors to Carol Danvers at different points in the character’s life. With nearly five years on us, it’s safe to say that most know that the Supreme Intelligence had a far dastardlier role in the film than Mar-Vell.
In the end, Captain Marvel was a standout entry in the MCU, as the franchise looked to restructure itself post-Endgame. In only a handful of months after Captain Marvel dropped, key players were set to leave the franchise – namely Scarlett Johanson, Chris Evans, and Robert Downey Jr. while others were gearing up to take center stage. Captain Marvel, as a character, was positioned to take on a leadership role both within the MCU and within the real world. Here’s hoping that Marvel sticks to that plan, and carefully builds upon what they’ve already made.
Lloydd Marshall Books 