It’s nearly four years since Marvel announced that Captain Marvel would become part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
A beloved but less than iconic cosmic space hero who flew back and forth in the pages of her own comics and those of others like the Avengers and the X-Men, Captain Marvel has been warming the bench while civil wars were fought, a Spider-Man has come home and Thanos snapped his fingers.
And now we finally have our first look at her in action, as star Brie Larson presented the very first footage of the film in the form of a teaser on Good Morning America early this week. Astonishingly, it’ll be the first MCU film with a female lead in its 10 years of existence.
Set in the 1990s, Larson plays Carol Danvers, a former U.S. Air Force pilot who falls from the stars and attempts to wrestle her human origins and the alien heritage she shares with the Kree that grants her unimaginable power. Take a look at the teaser to see everything we’ve learned so far:
Only 90s kids will know
But thanks to the Internet, so does everyone else. The new teaser opens with Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) plummeting into the roof of a Blockbuster Video, an ancient organization that charged three dollars to let you borrow a movie. Between this, the Nine Inch Nails band shirt Carol wears later, and the ancient devices known as pagers, Captain Marvel totally takes place in 1994.
A younger Nick Fury is a big part of the story
“War is a universal language,” gravely intones Samuel L. Jackson, who returns to play the MCU’s ultimate super-spy, albeit a younger version than we’re used to. Marvel Studios has been investing heavily into de-aging CGI in films like Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 and Ant-Man. Fury could have a lot of screen time in Captain Marvel, and that’s gonna push the technology to the limits.
It’s “Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division”
Because it takes place in the 1990s, the agency that Fury works for still goes by a seven word name, and no one knows that it’s infested with the agents of Hydra. They did however, develop their on-point branding early with baseball caps that feature the classic eagle, shield, stars and stripes insignia. That or SHIELD adopts it after Carol Danvers steals the cap from a Captain America gift shop.
I want to believe the truth is out there
A blink and you’ll miss it scene of Fury and Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) overseeing what seems to be an alien autopsy evokes anxieties of extraterrestrial incursions in the late 90s. It was a time when Alien Autospy: Fact or Fiction and The X-Files were broadcast on the same network. It’s uncertain when this moment figures into the film, but Fury suggest “space invasions” weren’t a thing until he crossed path with Danvers, a “renegade soldier” from the skies above.
Carol and Fury won’t be fighting alone
At least that’s what Fury tells Danvers will be necessary if they’re going to fight what’s coming. Enter Minn-erva (Gemma Chan), Mar-Vell (Jude Law) and Korath (Djimon Hounsou) as just a few of the members of Starforce, the elite team of mostly Kree space police that they must call on in order to fight the real threat that’s infiltrating Earth…
It’s about the Skrulls
…while they appear only briefly in the teaser in their green, pointy-eared natural form, the Skrulls are definitely going to be the big bad of this film. Not only are they the long time enemies of the Kree, but as shape shifters, they make the most sense for an unseen threat operating beneath the surface of the Clinton-era MCU. It’s also the only reason why Carol would punch this old lady unless she really hates the elderly.
This is a reverse origin story…
Throughout the teaser, we receive glimpses of Carol Danvers’ life – her childhood, her military training and her life as a pilot. But Carol for her part, doesn’t seem to remember her past. It’s a life she can’t remember because she’s apparently been conditioned to believe she’s part of Kree society instead. One thing’s for sure: we’re getting a very different take on origins.
…of the most powerful hero in the MCU
Marvel Studios mastermind Kevin Feige has repeatedly stated that Carol is more powerful than any other character in the MCU. Those are bold claims, and one has to wonder if she has enough power to undo the snap that changed the universe. Still, this money shot of Carol brimming with energy and unlocking vast cosmic power teases the prospect of an epic role in Avengers 4.
What do you think of the trailer? Tell us below!
