Brie Larson stands with Brig. Gen. Jeannie M. Levitt, the Air Force’s first female fighter pilot, at the National Air and Space Museum on Sept. 18, 2018. Larson worked with Levitt to prepare for her role as Carol Danvers (a.k.a. Captain Marvel), a hard-working Air Force pilot, in the new Captain Marvel movie, released on March 8. Photo fair use by 2nd Lt. Jessica Cicchetto.
Captain Marvel is a hero unlike any the Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen before, making for a stellar movie and the beginning of a new era of superhero storytelling inclusivity.
Captain Marvel, the twenty-first installment in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, was released on March 8. The movie’s release, which was also on International Women’s Day, received very high box office turn out and now ranks as the 10th-largest comic-book movie release of all time.
The movie, which tells the origin story of iconic and titular comic book superhero Captain Marvel, is a game-changing addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is absolutely deserving of its high box office turnout.
It stars Brie Larson as Captain Marvel and Samuel L. Jackson as the well-established Nick Fury who is, at the time of the events of the film, over 20 years younger and in possession of both of his eyes. Both Jackson and Clark Gregg (as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson) were digitally de-aged 20 years, adding to the realism of the throwback time frame, thankfully avoiding a Rogue One-style uncanny valley moment.
Larson’s performance as Captain Marvel, who viewers are introduced to as “Vers,” a Kree Empire warrior and Starforce member, is very strong and perfectly-suited for a character known as one of Earth’s mightiest powers. Over the first part of the film, Vers comes to realize that she is not actually Kree, but a human by the name of Carol Danvers, who was found by the Kree after an almost-deadly crash relating to her past as an Air Force pilot.
The movie transports viewers back to the ‘90s as Captain Marvel returns to Earth (or as the Kree call it, planet C-53) by crashing through the roof of a BlockBuster Video. The 1995 setting is supported by a quintessentially-‘90s and female-lead soundtrack featuring hits including No Doubt’s “Just a Girl” and Bikini Kill’s “Rebel Girl.”
Captain Marvel plays up the classic ‘90s cliches to a level which might feel over-the-top and tired in most movies, but in a universe where a cat is actually tentacle-bearing interdimensional being called a Flerken, it is pitch-perfect. And there are some subtle nods as well — like Rock the Vote posters and Carol’s use of now long-gone search engine AltaVista.
One of the highlights of the film is Carol’s friendship with Maria Rambeau (played by Lashana Lynch), a fellow Air Force pilot who was her best friend pre-crash. Carol has a great impact on both Maria and her young daughter, Monica — showing the strength, power and importance of female friendships
With the introduction of a new three-dimensional hero, as well as a great plot twist and post-credit scene, Captain Marvel hit the nail on the head and marks an exciting new page in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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