What does Captain Marvel MEAN to the MCU?
So, here's the deal. I did a podcast entry about captain marvel and my thoughts on the movie and how unimpressed I was about some things and how glad and proud other parts of the movie made me. And that’s when it came to me: the current state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Captain Marvel was not the best movie, it was a necessary one. Clearly, the end of an era approaches quickly as April is almost here with Endgame. Do you think for a minute that Kevin Feige is done with his plan for the MCU? Do you think that they introduced the world to such great successful Black Panther, Spiderman, Captain Marvel, Guardians of the Galaxy AND Dr. Strange just because?
Well if you do, you have something else coming your way… And that is the only thing I fear in the MCU. You see, the success story of Marvel has been with a great formula and an expansive universe that has great comedy, range and plot; that same amazing formula has been leading up this very important and climatic movie called Avengers Endgame. Simply put, the characters that we know and love so much have got to evolve, leave, introduce new ones, step aside or maybe even turn to dust permanently…
The DC universe is just barely getting their act together with their first “real” hit movies in Wonder Woman, Aquaman and now apparently Shazam seems to be following suit. They are finding strength in their stand-alone characters (as Marvel did in their first phase) to later connect their journeys towards a common goal. Marvel, on the other hand, is in a completely different place and you can feel that from Captain Marvel as a movie. Since their universe has been built successfully through THREE previous phases with new and old characters interacting and building a complex and amazing audience that understands the power of a movie when you have seen the previous ones. Infinity War is a great movie, but if you have invested the time in the last decade to keeping up with the MCU and their characters, if you have followed every movie or at least the majority… The movie takes a completely different level of value in your mind and your emotional response to the movie.
Captain Marvel felt like a phase 1 movie that was placed in the current phase 3. It was an exploratory movie about a superhero finding herself, discovering who and what she is before becoming a part of the biggest event in the universe: fighting back against Thanos (which is what I suppose is going to happen). However, the fact that the female led movie was not universally loved by critics does not mean a thing specially after destroying box office records; what really does matter now is how she does or does not become a beloved character and leader going forward. Her role as a powerful piece of the puzzle in the universe means that she can also either take a leadership stance or a secondary role. Either one is possible with a Wonder Woman-like character like she can be in terms of sheer power.
So, what is my overall point here: first I am nervous about the future after Endgame because I am positive that this amazing accomplishment that Marvel has been able to build in the last 11 years is a hard thing to pull off (if not ask DC how hard it has been to even get started). Second, I wish people would be more understanding and forgiving of Captain Marvel as a key part of the aforementioned future of the MCU. Lastly, I believe the MCU is in a great shape and needs this END to the phase 3 to start a new era so that audiences old and new can coexist, especially when you take into account that the strength of this brand multiplies when its audience won’t shut up about the interconnected prowess that it can show off with movies like Civil War… And hopefully others as good going forward.
