'Captain Marvel'—A Movie That Broke the MCU Rules and Introduced True Diversity to the MCU which Builds the Foundations of Phase Four

While the majority of the MCU films have been met with masses of excitement and anticipation by the fans, Captain Marvel has caused a stir on the internet that is pretty hard to avoid. Many have claimed the film is a "feminist" flick and that the main character hates white men. However, now the film has been released, those who have viewed the film are questioning where these statements have come from. It does also highlight how many clearly do not know this character from the comics, as she is no damsel in destress and is a powerful career driven woman.

Avoiding spoilers, when possible, this article will look at what this film will give audiences and why it should be embraced over rejected, just because it is a woman flying head first into battle.

She is a role model for young girls.

After 12 years of films, Captain Marvel is the first film to focus on a female hero. 12 years is inexcusable in terms of time for this moment to happen, but when you also consider it is the 21st film in the MCU it makes it even more disgusting to have taken so long. Young boys have had dozens of icons to look up to and aspire to become. From Ironman to Captain America to Spiderman, the options have not exactly been scarce for the boys. Even members of the black community have had icons for their children to admire, with Black Panther having his own movie along with Falcon and War Machine holding their own in the MCU. However, girls have had view MCU icons to admire.

So far they had Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, and Wasp. They have had a few others, but not ones who are purely aiming to be heroes. These female characters are all great to watch for various reasons, but all have not been considered strong enough to make a film of their own. Now young girls can watch as Captain Marvel takes to the skies to stand for what she believes in. They can see how a woman can take charge of her destiny and to make a change, not because she is a woman, but because she can.

Carol is not the only role model for young girls.

Maria Rambeau is a new character made for the films, but she does have a strong link to the comics. She is the mother of Monica Rambeau, who is in the comics, and is a fighter pilot with Carol in the Airforce. The pair hold a strong friendship, but Maria is equally as strong a person as Carol. The film even does reference the prejudice women faced in the armed forces during the 1990s.

The fact another powerful woman is in the film is brilliant and her role in the plot does become quite important. She is also vital in Carol discovering key aspects of her past and is the one to push Carol to make her choice of who she is and who she is fighting. This role model contrasts the intelligent Shuri to remind young black girls that even if you are not a rocket scientist, or Wakandan scientist, you can still do what you want in life.

The next MCU heroine is introduced in the film, sort of.

As mentioned above, Maria Rambeau is best friends with Carol during their time in the Airforce and that she has a daughter called Monica. Monica calls Captain Marvel, "Auntie Carol" and encourages her mother in the film to aid the heroine in her mission. Her mother's callsign in the Airforce is "Photon" which will be the super heroine identity of her daughter in the future.

The young girl in the 1990s has 20 years of growing up to do to reach Endgame, and could already be on her path to become a hero. The chances are an adult Monica will join Carol at some point and we could see her origins unfold in a film as Photon. For Carol to be the first female centered film by Marvel, it seems only fitting that she will encourage other women to standup and fight for what they believe.

It changes how an 'origin story' can be told.

Many of the MCU films tend to look at how the character became the hero they are. Steve offering himself for experimentation, Tony making his first suit and the classic radioactive spider bite for Peter. However, Captain Marvel took a different approach to this aspect in the MCU. Over starting with how she gained her powers, she is first seen onscreen fully powered and working for the Kree.

This was a clever move by the writers, as Carol's origins are revealed in the movie, but through her having to find out about her past. Going on this journey and finding answers are shown through flashbacks, and how she became super powered is revealed in the last quarter of the film. There is also the interesting fact that in the film she is still learning the limits of her powers, as the Kree have tried to stop her for seeing her full potential. This is perhaps the strongest feminist view of the film, as a woman is being told to be less than what she could be. But, no one ever cares how Captain America was a metaphor for steroid abuse to become stronger or the Hulk being a metaphor for inner rage men can succumb to.

Nick Fury is pretty green... and no, that isn't code for him being a Skrull.

One thing the MCU has always made clear, nothing gets past Nick Fury. He was a seasoned professional from the second he first appeared in the MCU. However, every legend needs to start somewhere. This brings us to Captain Marvel, and it is pretty interesting seeing this new side of Nick Fury. He is already a member of S.H.I.E.L.D, but the organisation is very different. S.H.I.E.L.D in fact aimed at stopping threats from Earth, as they have not encountered alien life yet.

Captain Marvel crashing into Blockbuster is Nick's first taste to alien threats, and portrays a Nick that is new to this whole idea. This makes the film an origin story for two characters, Carol and Nick, and that is something Marvel have played down in the advertisement. Most likely to stop fans calling it a "Nick Fury" film over a "Captain Marvel" film, and that would be wrong. Carol is clearly the central character driving the story forward, Nick Fury's origins to become who we know and love is a side effects of Captain Marvel fight. It is even her that causes him to set plans in motion for the rest of the MCU, making it a kind of prequel to all of the Avengers.

As it is written, the future is Skrull.

This section will contain spoilers, so skip to the next image to avoid them.

The Skrull are prominent in the film and are initially portrayed as a menace to the universe, aiming to take it over through infiltration. Obviously this is what makes Carol see she is on the wrong side of the fight and turn against the Kree. But this is likely to be a major point to play out in "Phase Four" of the MCU. Marvel have revealed Brie is contracted for seven movies, meaning Captain Marvel is set to be around for years to come, and the Skrulls have come to trust her as a hero. She even vowed in the film to aid them in finding a new home.

This is where Phase Four will be using the Skrulls. In the comics the Skrull infiltrate Earth in the storyline Secret Invasion, believing it to be their true home "as it is written" in their holy text. Phase Four will see the Skrull slowly replacing figures in the MCU to take over the planet. With 20 years passing from Captain Marvel to Endgame, it is acceptable to think the Skrulls will return to take Earth as their new home and for Captain Marvel to be centre of a conflict that she may have caused. It is even possible the plan is already in motion and that a death in Endgame may result in a post-credit scene revealing that hero has been replaced by a Skrull.

Why You Should See it

The film is actually a prequel to the rest of the MCU when you reach the finale of the film. That is pretty cool when you get down to the bare knuckles of the movie. It brings new aspects to the MCU's way of telling a character's story and brings the needed diversity for females to the films. With the mass hate for the film, before it was even released, the best advice anyone can take from this article is to go and see it for yourself. Forget the claims of it hating white males and being a feminist film, as the only proof of this is her fighting a white male at the end of the film.

If that makes this a feminist white male hating film it must mean that Ironman supports male sexism, Thor promotes violence against women and that Captain America agrees with steroid abuse. Just because this film has a strong woman leading the charge into battle does not make it a bad film and I firmly believe anyone going into the film with an objective viewpoint will enjoy this high flying adventure.