Why Captain Marvel is the Hero We Need Right Now

The Skrulls are a hostile alien race that have been around the Marvel Universe since the early 1960’s, making their first appearance in “Fantastic Four #2.” Up until now the MCU hasn’t dealt with the threat of these green-skinned, pointy-eared humanoid shape shifters. But that’s all about to change with “Captain Marvel” where Danvers thwarts an invasion of the Skrulls. The introduction of the Skrulls could have major implications for the MCU, since they can disguise themselves as anyone. Who’s to say a Skrull doesn’t end up impersonating a key Avenger that Captain Marvel will unmask in a later film? Only time will tell.

Besides the introduction of the Skrulls, “Captain Marvel” will shed new light on the cosmic side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although movie audiences first witnessed the cosmic characters of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies, Carol Danvers’ origin story will include much about the Kree civilization which has been largely overlooked up to this point.

There’s also the possibility that Captain Marvel’s cosmic power set will gain the attention of bigger players from the comics, like the Silver Surfer, Galactus, Nova, or Eternity. Overall, Captain Marvel will surely push the cosmic envelope further as the MCU enters Phase 4.

[Warning: Spoilers Ahead] In the closing scene of “Infinity War,” Nick Fury uses a pager to reach out to Captain Marvel before he dies. Everything is bleak for the Avengers and Earth at this point in the MCU, but Captain Marvel will be Fury’s Hail Mary play against Thanos.

Though there’s little information on how Danvers will undo the Mad Titan’s finger snap, there’s plenty of clues from both characters’ comic history that could impact “Avengers: Endgame.”  Thanos and Mar-Vell dueled numerous times in the original “Captain Marvel” series and Marvel Studios might shed light on this rivalry with Danvers serving as the current Captain. Additionally, it has been hinted that Captain Marvel might be able to access the “Quantum Realm,” enabling her to travel through space and time. This would allow Carol to revert Thanos’ genocidal purge over half of the universe.

Aside from the impact Captain Marvel will have from a story standpoint, she will undoubtedly set a new bar for female superhero movies. While DC’s “Wonder Woman” paved the way for strong heroines in 2017, that film was unfortunately tied with less successful DC Universe movies which, if we’re being honest, might have diminished its overall impact.

“Captain Marvel,” on the other hand, is being pushed by the production juggernaut Marvel Studios, with an undeniable, wildly successful, pedigree in the superhero genre. There is little doubt that Captain Marvel will be a smash hit at the box office and will propel more female-led superhero movies.

When Marvel Comics created the “Ms. Marvel” series in 1977, co-creator Gerry Conway had a specific purpose in crafting a female hero. “We were looking to expand our reach to a wider audience, and to reach young women and young girls as potential audience,” he said. Essentially, the creative team at Marvel wanted to give young women a superhero they could relate to just as young men looked up to heroes like Captain America and Iron Man.

In 2019, the goal for Marvel Studios is quite similar. Captain Marvel will be the first female-driven adventure from the production company and it will seek to empower young women just as “Ms. Marvel” did decades earlier. The tagline for the movie “Higher. Further. Faster” is not only a nod to the ongoing comic series, but also a statement that women should aim high like Captain Marvel.