REVIEW | Captain Marvel

What’s more, the absence of a love interest proves that the film and superhero can stand on its own. There’s no weak, fleeting love story that’s just been thrown in out of nowhere as a necessity to keep the female half of the audience happy while their boyfriends watch an action film (Black Widow, Hulk, what are you doing?). This gives Carol and her audience autonomy in their own right. There’s no male character being killed off to give the character “depth” or “purpose”, which inevitably leads to avenging and victory (sorry Wonder Woman, I still love you). For me, this film is a refreshing take on a female superhero and is long overdue in the superhero universe. Captain Marvel and Carol Danvers is completely welcome to the open arms of the entire female audience.

Captain Marvel follows a similar moral narrative to Captain America where the audience are shown Carol Danver’s will to never give up. Just like the bullied Steve Rogers, who was determined to become a soldier despite his apparent weak physique, we see a determined Carol Danvers consistently picking herself back up no matter what has knocked her down and no matter who told her she would never be good enough. It’s a powerful message to everyone, not just women, that success comes with setbacks but you should always keep trying. Captain Marvel also teaches us that sometimes the tough choice is the right choice. Incidentally, when Carol learns the truth about the Kree-Skrull war that she’s been fighting in, her decision to follow her conscience alienates her from everyone she’s ever known. This is again a similar divide to what we see between the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War. In Civil War, Captain America refuses to be controlled by governmental interests and instead becomes a vigilante, fighting for what he believes is good and just. This concept of fighting for others when they can’t is relevant in many social and political situations today where minority groups need more people like Carol Danvers and Steve Rogers to stand up for what’s right, even if it means standing alone.

The film hides lots of little easter eggs and succinctly brings the Avengers’ storylines full circle. Captain Marvel brings together villains and heroes from other MCU films and intertwines their stories to create a seamless picture whereas in previous movies you might only have half the story. What’s interesting is that this technique builds suspense by allowing the audience to know more than just the title character, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the final reveal. We see Nick Fury’s journey to losing an eye and even an origin story snapshot of Ronan the Accuser the villain from Guardians of the Galaxy. Then, there’s Jude Law’s character who creates a compelling mentor to Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers and together they lay the future for the final arc of this part of the MCU series.