Captain Marvel

As someone who is discovering Marvel characters through the movies, not the comics, I'd say Captain Marvel is one of the first movies that made me want to go back and actually read her story arc. The movie interested me just enough in Carol Danvers/Vers/Captain Marvel, while at the same time leaving me with the feeling that there is a lot more to her character and her development as a hero. I can't say if this is a positive or negative - most Marvel movies give me (a bandwagon/good times fan) enough detail and background to be satisfied with the character, where Captain Marvel felt like it was missing that depth.

One example I'll give, using a (potentially unfair) comparison to DC's Wonder Woman: when Diana takes it upon herself to go through "no man's land" to help the Allies capture the enemy trench on the front lines of World War I - I shed more than a few tears. You know what, just watch:



Like, I am tearing up rewatching that scene. What Diana doesn't have to say is that she is "no man" - she knows she is a hero, and if no one else can or will step up, she does. Carol never quite has that "No Man" scene. I don't need her to be a girl power hero in the same vein as Wonder Woman, but I did want more of an exploration of Carol's strength coming from her humanity and emotion (two things often equated with weakness in women especially). I wanted the emotion of this teaser trailer:



While I may have made the connection between emotion and strength on my own (or projected it onto Carol), it would have been nice to have it made super clear in the movie. Not enough people understand the power of softness, especially in superhero culture. As I said earlier, I now want to read the Captain Marvel comics and I am particularly excited for Shannon Hale's YA novel adaptation, coming December 2020!

Extras: Wonder Woman, Black Panther, Moana, or View All My Reviews.