After Marvel left me in shock at the end of “Avengers: Infinity War,” the last movie I wanted Marvel to release was one that didn’t continue the chronological story. Still trying to comprehend how Marvel released one of the craziest endings to a movie I have ever seen, I admit I was a tad reluctant to see “Captain Marvel.” However, the need for new content from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) won, and my family and I went to see the latest Marvel movie opening day. Warning: possible slight spoilers ahead.
“Captain Marvel,” set in the 1990s, follows the story of extraterrestrial Kree warrior Vers (Brie Larson) as she finds herself caught in the middle of a war against the Skrulls, a species of green, shapeshifting extraterrestrials. However, after she gets separated from her unit, Vers begins to have flashbacks of a Carol Danvers, an aspiring pilot on Earth. Stranded on Earth, Vers unravels the complexity of the flashbacks while defending the planet from the Skrulls.
On her mission, Vers encounters one of the original MCU characters: S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). Together they learn of Dr. Wendy Lawson (Annette Bening), a Kree scientist disguised as a human determined to end the intergalactic war above. With this new information, the duo try to connect the dots between Dr. Lawson and the events that led Vers to space.
From the beginning, “Captain Marvel” showed viewers that this movie won’t be like any other Marvel movie. After the bleak news of Marvel creator Stan Lee’s death, many wondered how Marvel would address Stan Lee’s iconic cameos.
Marvel did not disappoint in their tribute to the creator: rather than the characters’ faces on the introduction scenes that lead up to the red Marvel logo, Marvel photoshopped Stan Lee’s face onto the characters he created. The result was heartwarming, with a message on the screen that thanked Stan Lee. As for the cameo, I highly suggest you watch the movie to see the sweet scene that had most everyone in the theater smiling softly.
Not only did “Captain Marvel” stray from Marvel’s usual entrance scene, it also followed DC’s steps with a strong female-lead movie. From Anna Boden co-directing the movie to the soundtrack consisting of mostly female singers, such as “Waterfalls” by TLC and “Whatta Man” by Salt-N-Pepa, this movie focuses on female power. As for comic book to movie renditions, Marvel converted the previously male Dr. Walter Lawson to the female Dr. Wendy Lawson, adding another powerful female to the MCU.
Marvel even went against the norm with a female lead by eliminating a love interest, focusing the story on Vers and her past and power rather than a relationship with a heroic male counteract. Outside of the movie itself, Brie Larson worked hard to prepare for the role by exercising nearly every day for ninth months. The result: a kick-butt actress starring in the first ever female-lead Marvel movie.
Throughout the movie, Marvel offered its typical witty one-liners and heart-wrenching moments. As Vers untangles her past and the truth comes out, Marvel masterfully creates a movie with enough backstory to fill in holes from previous movies while providing a new, action-packed plotline. Although I was initially reluctant to watch “Captain Marvel,” the movie proved itself as a film worthy of the success it’s currently receiving.
As for the post-credit scenes, “Captain Marvel” picks up where “Avengers: Infinity War” left off, providing viewers with a glimpse at the remaining Avengers scrambling to fix the mess Thanos left the world in.
In addition to the great plotline “Captain Marvel” offers, the film explains many minor unanswered questions from previous movies. If you have ever wondered how the “Avenger Initiative” got its name, what Nick Fury pressed at the end of “Avengers: Infinity War” in the post-credit scenes or the story behind how Nick Fury lost his eye, or simply want to watch a humorous, feel-good superhero movie, I highly recommend “Captain Marvel.”
